the church of the
ascension
in the city of
new york
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Thursday, March 5
Psalm 46 / Hebrews 4:1-10 / John 3:16-21
I have to admit that I was not thrilled to see John 3:16 assigned to me for the Lenten Devotional. For me, it conjures up the images of pop culture and televangelism (e.g., the "John 3:16" sign at football games, bumper stickers, TV preachers). When I hear it used in the context of evangelism, it seems like a warning. It's as if God has sent a warning: Believe in Jesus, or face the consequences. However, the next verse (John 3:17) surprisingly warns against condemnation. "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world." That verse is comforting because it disarms those who seek to use religion to condemn others.
The rest of the passage focuses on truth. Those who live by truth follow God and are in the light. These verses remind me of the importance of transparency. As our organizational systems (e.g., corporations, government) become larger, we need to remind ourselves that transparency from our leaders is a necessity. It is easy to follow the short cut and hide things in the darkness, but the lack of transparency makes corruption and dishonesty easier to hide. Part of being a leader involves welcoming input and providing others to discover the decision-making process. Unfortunately, today's leaders see that as a waste of time and money.
Some questions to consider. How can we demand more transparency from our leaders? How can we lead our lives by following the truth and light? How can we as a parish encourage evangelism without the condemnation?
— Steven Hubbard
I have to admit that I was not thrilled to see John 3:16 assigned to me for the Lenten Devotional. For me, it conjures up the images of pop culture and televangelism (e.g., the "John 3:16" sign at football games, bumper stickers, TV preachers). When I hear it used in the context of evangelism, it seems like a warning. It's as if God has sent a warning: Believe in Jesus, or face the consequences. However, the next verse (John 3:17) surprisingly warns against condemnation. "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world." That verse is comforting because it disarms those who seek to use religion to condemn others.
The rest of the passage focuses on truth. Those who live by truth follow God and are in the light. These verses remind me of the importance of transparency. As our organizational systems (e.g., corporations, government) become larger, we need to remind ourselves that transparency from our leaders is a necessity. It is easy to follow the short cut and hide things in the darkness, but the lack of transparency makes corruption and dishonesty easier to hide. Part of being a leader involves welcoming input and providing others to discover the decision-making process. Unfortunately, today's leaders see that as a waste of time and money.
Some questions to consider. How can we demand more transparency from our leaders? How can we lead our lives by following the truth and light? How can we as a parish encourage evangelism without the condemnation?
— Steven Hubbard
