{W}hole - by Lisa Whittle: A Book Your Small Group Needs to Read and Discuss

I sometimes find myself cynical when hearing celebrity Christians speak or when reading contempary Christian books. Having learned in my early years about 'the faith once delivered to the saints' from writers like John Owen, Charles Spurgeon and C.S. Lewis, the writings of many modern Christian writers seem peurile and too spiritually sweet and syrupy for my taste. I like Christians who are gritty, honest and transparent; people who don't spiritualize away their weaknesses or act as if their lives are above the doubts and frailties that all Christians experience in their journey. The inspired Scriptures reveal to us weak men and women who find their glory in the power of the gospel. It feels to me like many modern Christians mistakenly believe spiritual power is found in never admitting mistakes.

Lisa Whittle's new book Whole satiates my appetite for a Christian book that speaks the kind of language that rings authentic. She rightly understands that "what happens between Jesus and us in the pages of our earthly journey is our greatest vehicle for showing people the God of transformation." That is our collective story. Or more precisely that is His story in our lives. Lisa's transparent and gritty confession of personal doubt, spiritual game-playing, and failure makes the message of Christ ring powerful. Her gift of writing enabled me to make the transfer from Lisa's own story my own personal experiences and the story Christ is writing in my life. {W}hole helps you understand how God designs the holes in our lives so that He can fill them.

The study questions at the end of each chapter, as well as the study guides, will spark the kind of discussion that grace churches cherish but religious people eschew. They are the kind of questions that get beyond the moral platitudes we so often hear in church, and for that reason alone, your small groups should purchase this book for an eight week study that will lead them to bridge the disconnect between one's confession and experience.

George Barna's recently surveyed fifteen thousand people nation wide, and in his new book Maximum Faith, he reveals that less than one in twenty-five people have ever experienced spiritual brokenness. The gospel writers spoke of Christ residing in "clay jars," meaning our lives--which are fragile and breakable--"to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us"  (II Corinthians 4:7). The story of our lives, and every one of us has a story, is a story of brokenness and the power of Christ transforming us through our brokenness.

{W}hole is worth every dollar you spend in getting it for your Sunday School class or small group. Get your copies today.

Finding a Way to Be Authentic With Ourselves and With Others

The post yesterday which linked to a FOX news special investigation on a Southern Baptist pastor, a personal friend of mine, had over 100 comments in a very short period of time. The sentiment of many was that my post should not have linked to the report and that nothing good or beneficial could come from discussing this pastor's visit to strip bars, how we could help him or his church, or the hurt and pain caused by this pastor's sin toward the people in the church he pastors, his family, and fellow Christians. Some felt I was too soft on the pastor, and others felt I was too hard on him. All I know is that I love this man, have personally offered to help him in anyway possible, and have challenged him to be forthright and open about his sin, taking complete and full ownership. I will neither dismiss this man as a Christian brother, nor will I act as if his sin did not occur. For far too long the Christian church has lacked total and complete transparency when it comes to our failures.

The Bible is inspired, God-breathed truth. God did not cover David's sin of adultery, though God did pay for David's sin of adultery through atonement. It's my opinion that the power of the gospel is only truly seen when the Holy Spirit brings people to transparency. Truth is, going to a strip club is not a sin. Police officers go there all the time to arrest people in fights. Dads may go there to rescue a daughter from stripping. A pastor may go there to bring accountabiliy to a dancer who is involved in his church's Celebrate Recovery program. All those things would not be sin.

But if a man were an officer, or a dad, or a minister entering a strip club to rescue or redeem a loved one--the man's loved ones would know in advance. He would tell them for his own protection and his need for their assistance. The man's wife would know, the man's small group would know, the man's friends would know, etc... The evidence that something is wrong in our lives is the inability to be transparent about it. That would include anything and everything in Christian ministry. If we can't be transparent about what we are being paid as pastors, something's wrong. If we can't be transparent about what we believe, something's wrong. If we can't be transparent about what we are doing, something's wrong.

Proverbs says the path of the righteous grows brighter and brighter like the rising sun (Prov. 4:18) but the wicked walk in darkness and do not even see that over which they stumble. At the heart of all stumbling for believers is our desire to hide, cover and conceal our lives--while at the same time presenting a cover mask that makes us seem different than the way we really are. The issue of my friend going to the strip club was that he lied about his purpose for being there (i.e. "I went there to help a person in our Celebrate Recovery ministry"), and tried to cover up the fact that he frequented strip clubs on a regular basis and paid his favorite strippers thousands of dollars. For too long we have enabled Christian leaders to lie by letting them off the hook when they lie.

For those who believe there is no redemptive value in "airing our dirty laundry," I offer the following letter, received yesterday and used with permission, as evidence that desiring authenticity and transparency in Christianity is something healthy.

"I've commented at least once on your blog as "Johnny D." I've been reading it for several months. I just wanted to say thank you ...

I prayed the salvation prayer in May of 1988, and I do believe that I really was saved. I spent a great deal of money & time evangelizing through the promotion and production of Christian rock concerts, and any other way I could think of to reach the crowd out on the edge. I was very serious about it all, and I even took several classes at Bible college. I prayed and witnessed regularly, belonged to a local Bible church, and considered myself called into pastoral ministry. I was wrong about that. Of course God was not.

About ten years ago I chucked Jesus and church and the whole thing. Some of that chucking was just immaturity on my part, but there were also legitimate reasons for my leaving. I will only say that a lack of authenticity by those around me really bothered me. I saw no real power of the Holy Spirit as we were promised, and that eventually led to me deciding against the Spirit's existence. Anyhow, I was just as guilty for all the things I looked down at other people for, but I was too immature to fully grasp that fact.

I know you're busy, so I'll just cut to the chase. God has called me back, and I've been listening. A part of that calling back has been your example, Tom's example (Watchdog), and the example set by others that post at the dog's blog. Many of those people at dog's blog have embraced me and have been praying for me. I'm still struggling with things such as how far do I go with my walk and talk. I'm kind of anonymous right now, but I do have some good people praying for me. I guess there is a part of me that is afraid of getting "burned" again, and I'm struggling to let that part of me go. I know that most of this falling away, if not all of it, is my fault, but I still am having a hard time with trusting God. I keep thinking things like, "If I proclaim my faith again to all my friends and family, what will I say if I find I still can't believe at some later date?" That sounds kind of silly to me now that I see it in print, but there it is. I have told my wife that I have been praying and reading Scripture again, but I think that she wants to see how serious I am before she makes any further moves or comments. She's a wonderful, beautiful woman, and we've been married 27 years. She told me that she hadn't fallen away as far as I had, but we both know that we haven't been living as Christians for a long time.

I think this note to you is part of the cleansing process for me - or I at least hope it to be. Anyhow, thanks again for your integrity and your leadership. You've made a difference in my life, and I hope that one day I can report to you that I have successfully come all the way back. That I have found a way to be authentic to myself as well as others. That I no longer worry about what others are doing. That I really have experienced the true power of God's Holy Spirit. I want that peace I used to have. My faith is a lot smaller than a mustard seed, but I do have some faith. I do want you to know that I love Jesus. That I have missed Jesus and praying, and that these past couple of months that I have been praying have been quite amazing. I have about a 30 minute ride to work, in the dark, so I get to just let it all go, out loud, and that has been very nice. Well, thanks for reading, and I'll be reading your blog.

Johnny D.

Johnny, I am praying for you. I think you are getting it. Your letter is authentic. Christianity is not composed of perfect people. It is composed of people who struggle with sin, just like those who don't know Christ. The difference is believers in Christ aren't afraid to tell people about our struggles. We acknowledge them. We don't hide them. Why? We have come to Christ, in whatever small amount of faith we possess, and we are learning to rest in His forgiveness and mercy. More importantly, we are beginning to realize that the same power that raised Christ from the grave is within us, changing us from the inside out.

Sometimes we chafe. Sometimes we rebel. Sometimes we grow cold. Sometimes we run.

But He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion, and for that, we are eternally grateful. For His glory and our good the work God has begun and is continuing in us sometimes even involves Him using ....

Television cameras and news reporters to break us.

In His Grace,

Wade Burleson

KOKH FOX 25 :: Special Reports - Pastor strip club investigation

KOKH FOX 25 :: Special Reports - Pastor strip club investigation

The above link is to a video that reports the results of a "Special Investigation" of a Southern Baptist pastor by the local Fox television news station in Oklahoma City. I watched the report and was bothered by two things: (1). The actions of the pastor, and (2). The actions of the reporter.

I have been in contact with the pastor, offering help to him and his family, and encouraging him to be completely truthful with his church and his family. As the pastor said, there is no justification for his actions, but I told him that his resignation letter to his church fell far short of the honesty needed to begin restoration.

That being said, there is nothing redemptive in the questions posed by the reporter. Sensational journalism may cause people to watch, but one wonders how this could be called "news" and what is accomplished by asking questions like "can you tear yourself away from the stripper and talk to us a bit?" or "are you stuffing church money into the g-strings of those strippers?"

The pastor is disqualified from being a pastor, and nobody can argue with that fact. What can be argued, however, is whether or not he is, maybe for the first time, ready to understand the true power of the gospel.