What is an urban legend?

Stories which are believed to be accounts of actual incidents that befell or were witnessed by someone the teller almost knows. These tales usually play on our fears and concerns in an effort to confirm the rightness of the way we view the world.  These stories are usually passed around the internet as forwards – and people actually believe them! In this series I am using the term to refer to the Christian cliches which get thrown around our popular culture.

Why this series?

In my twenty three years of ministry I have come upon many Christian Urban Legends – cliches which we spout out when we don’t know what else to say. We accept the truth of these sayings even though we have not verified them.
A few months after the last series, theologian Roger Olson published a book entitled Questions to All Your Answers. In this book he tackles many of these cliches like, “God is in control” or “Jesus is the Answer.” In the book he encourages us to adopt Reflective Christianity instead of folk religion which is made up almost entirely of cliches. As Dr. Olsen says, “Folk religion thrives on cliches and slogans that fit on bumper stickers and resists their critical examination even by…Scripture. Reflective Christianity, on the other hand, values critical, deep and thoroughly biblical thought. It values truth more than comfort and refuses to reduce the glory and mystery of God to bumper-sticker slogans
In the next few weeks we are going to look at some of these clichés and examine them in the light of biblical and historical Christianity.

Safety

The safest place to be is in the center of God’s will. It sounds really good doesn’t? It gives us a sense of security in a hostile world. But is it biblical?

We are a culture obsessed with safety and security. Last month for example the Consumer product safety commission issued thirty-six product recalls.  Often news stories play on this innate insecurity, and drive our fears to new heights.

Scriptural Context

In the 10th chapter of Matthew Jesus is preparing the disciples for their mission. He tells them who to go to,  what to say and what to do, how to conduct themselves and how to respond to various situations. He prepares them for the persecution they will experience and encourages them in the face of that persecution.

In these verses Jesus cautions them about the cost of following him. Following Jesus will cause conflicts with families and the world at large. This will be a problem if you  are trying to get along with everyone. Following Jesus involves a cross.

The conflict will come from various sources:

  • Those who don’t like what you stand for
  • Those who don’t understand
  • Those who disagree with you
  • The Enemy

We want safety even in our mission for God

We crave safety and security above all else. Who could blame us?
Our desire for safety and security could mean that we see the value of this present life. That is a good thing!
But sometimes this desire becomes an excuse for not doing what we know God has called us to do.  Sometimes it is a way to spiritualize our lack of perseverance when things get tough.

God is not necessarily concerned with our comfort; He is more concerned with our faithful witness in the midst of whatever circumstances come our way.
We have a tendency to think that if God has led us to do something then everything will go smoothly, it will be easy and everyone will like us. But that doesn’t square with the biblical witness.

Examples of tough times

When the Israelites came to the Promised land they had real battles and many of them died even though they were doing God’s will. Stephen the first martyr in the book of Acts, was doing Gods will when he was arrested for preaching. Paul was beaten, persecuted and even left for dead all while in the will of God

So what do we do when things get tough?

We continue to do what we have always done. We pray, read the word and continue to trust God as we live as disciples.

We ask questions to get at the reason for the difficulty. Is it something within me? Have I miscommunicated? Did I misunderstand what would be required? Could my perceptions be mistaken? Am I under spiritual attack?

We rely on our spiritual support group to help us weather the difficulty. The we simply persevere we go through the difficulty knowing that faithfulness to God is more important than anything else. We persevre just like the saints of old:

[Heb 11:34c-39a ESV ]  Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

A World in Conflict

Those who would follow Jesus Christ live in a dangerous world. That is not all there is. There is joy and meaning and purpose and excitement and heaven too!
God wants us to know that when we pledge our allegiance to him that pledge, if it is lived out, will put us in conflict with this world. That same allegiance gives us peace with God.
The last night Jesus was with his disciples before the crucifixion he warned them of the coming persecution and gave them a promise:
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

Pledging our allegiance to God puts in conflict with the world, but it also opens us up to the resources of God’s grace.

Prayer for Courage

Dear God, give me courage, for perhaps I lack it more than anything else.
I need courage before people against their threats and against their seductions.
I need courage to bear unkindness, mockery, contradiction.
I need courage to fight against the devil, against terrors and troubles, temptations, attractions, darkness and false lights, against tears, depression, and above all fear.
I need Your help, dear God.
Strengthen me with Your love and Your grace.
Console me with Your blessed Presence and grant me the courage to persevere until I am with You forever in heaven. Amen