There’s been an interesting discussion about fundamentalism over on Todd Rhoades’ “Monday Morning Insights” blog. Read it for yourself here.

One individual posted comments at least four times staunchly defending the use of the terms Fundamentalist, Evangelical, Baptist, and Christian, which prompted me to offer the following comments (slightly edited here to in light of the different context):

The first two are a-biblical terms (i.e., they do not appear in the Bible) that have only come to have meaning in our culture in probably the past couple centuries. (The commenter’s own posting of the dictionary definition of Fundamentalism indicates that it is primarily a 20th-century label.) “Baptist” appears in the Bible only in reference to John the Baptist, and the term “christian” appears only three times.

While I applaud the individual’s defense of fundamental, evangelical theology, it seems to me that his emphasis on keeping tight hold on the labels themselves may be misguided. Paul provides us a good example in 1 Cor 9 when he speaks of becoming “all things to all men”. Perhaps a paraphrase of his words is in order: “To the Fundamentalists I became like a Fundamentalist, to win the Fundamentalists.” He goes on to say that among the lawless, he becomes like the lawless – yet without giving up his responsibility under Christ’s law (v. 21). I have a feeling that Paul – like his savior and mine – would likely walk into a bar, pull up a stool, and start a conversation with the guy next to him. He may even (gasp!) order a beer! The Pharisees (of which Paul was one) would certainly never do that, and many of the self-avowed Fundamentalists that I know would be right there with the Pharisees, wagging their fingers and saying, “tsk, tsk”.

So, if a non-believer sees Jesus in my life and experiences something of His grace from me, and still labels me a fundamentalist…or born again or baptist or Christian…I’ll accept that. But if I insist on labeling myself a fundamentalist or born again or baptist or Christian – and they DON’T see Jesus in me and DON’T experience His grace, then I’ve got a problem. I think Jesus is far more concerned with how I live and I how draw others to him than with what arbitrary, 20th- or 21st-century label I wear.

What’s a guy to do? With the advent of the internet, the ease of blogs, and the mass-distribution capabilities of e-mail, our ability to disparage people quickly and easily has risen to new heights…or rather, fallen to new lows. In fact, one could argue that e-mail is an online WMD (weapon of mass destruction). Should you decide to read on, let me note here that this blog is written from the perspective of an evanglecal Christian, who accepts the Bible as God’s word to humanity. A few years ago, I served on the board of a large church (not Saddleback or Willow Creek-large, but large nonetheless – around 3,000 people each weekend). During my three-year term, there was some pretty significant conflict revolving around the new Senior Pastor and a small group of people (maybe 1-2% of the congregation) who felt he wasn’t doing a good job. The board itself was divided, as well – and more significantly, though it was still a minority (maybe 25-30%) who voiced concerns. Unfortunately, the board chairman led the charge. It was a rough time – for the church, for the board, for the pastor, and for me personally. The pastor ultimately resigned (under some compulsion) after only two years at the church. Several times during my three-year tenure on the board, I received e-mails that gave me great concern. Many of those were between board members who chose that medium to discuss the relative merits and demerits of the pastor and what we as a board ought to do about the situation. At best, I think those were unprofessional and unhelpful. At worst, they were malicious and sinful expressions of division and disunity – even to the point of character assassination. One of the biggest problems with e-mail is the ease with which a simple communication can be disseminated broadly and to an audience it was never intended to reach. Whether it’s in the church, business world, or personal life, each of us needs to consider the possible impact of what we write getting into unintended hands. A common slogan during WWII was, “Loose lips sink ships.” Maybe we need to update that for the 21st century and apply it to e-mail. The reputations of good people can easily be destroyed by “loose fingers” on the keyboard – even when what those fingers write is untrue. Fortunately, there are ways to deal with people who cannot or decide not to control their tongues and typing. In the business world, someone who sends an inappropriate e-mail can be reprimanded or even fired. In the church, there are also appropriate means (see Matthew 18 and others). But what if the e-mail is anonymous? Several times during my tenure on the church board, I received anonymous e-mails. On the plus side, they generally were calling out the board itself for not shutting down the few who wanted the pastor gone. In that regard, I shared their sentiments – perhaps feeling them even more strongly since I was continuously frustrated in my attempts to do just that. On the other hand, a couple times they accused the board in general – and by implication each board member – of being too full of pride and “power” to “do the right thing” and step down from the board. Little did the writer know how many times I had written my resignation, only to be talked out of it by my father, by others on the board, and even by the embattled pastor.

At least once I responded to an anonymous e-mail, inviting the sender into dialog, to a board meeting, or even to a non-anonymous discussion via e-mail. My responses were, it seems, in vain. I have a lot of problems with people hiding behind the veil of anonymity. Perhaps the biggest problem I have is that they seem to believe the lie that they will not be held accountable for their words. Yet Jesus was quite clear that we are responsible for our words (see Matthew 5:22 and context).

So the question is, how should we in the church respond – if at all – to “virtual hate mail”? Todd Rhoades posted this at his MMI blog, and it created a fair bit of discussion. I would offer a few options…and welcome others.

-Delete. Some people favor this carte blanche solution. If the e-mail isn’t signed, it doesn’t get read. But what if it’s a positive comment? Or what if there is both positive and negative? What if the negative is written in a truly helpful, uplifting manner? There has to be some leeway here, I think.

-Read and respond. This is at the other end of the spectrum and has similar problems. I can waste a lot of time just reading what amounts to so much trash, let alone responding. And what if the message I’m responding to is just plain irrational? I’ve found it virtually impossible to have a rational, electronic conversation with an irrational, anonymous writer.

-Send a “canned” response. For example, “We have received your e-mail and would like the opportunity to respond to your comments. However, your choice to remain anonymous precludes us from doing so. If you desire a response, please provide your name …” [and whatever other identifying information may be appropriate, such as phone number or mailing address].

-One pastor I know has delegated the job of “screening” his mail and e-mail to help him avoid hearing too much of the bad stuff. His intent is not to look at life (cliché alert!) through rose-colored glasses; rather, he understands about himself that too much negative will hurt his ability to minister. This goes along with the public figures who don’t read the newspaper reports about themselves – they know that not everything they would read (good or bad) is true. I wouldn’t recommend this for everyone, but there’s some wisdom in it.

-Another pastor who was facing pretty significant abuse from a handful of people in his church went so far as to read some of the e-mails from the pulpit. Again, this isn’t for everyone or every situation, but it could be a good start for dealing with extremely negative, anonymous notes.

I’d like to know how others handle the problem of VHM – Virtual Hate Mail.

For the past 10+ years I have been trying to figure out what worship is. I’ve come to conclude with certainty that it is not limited to singing and praying, though it feels like that in some churches. Here, instead, is my working definition:

Worship is a response to an encounter with God.

Let me elaborate a bit. First, how do we encounter God? I think that happens in a wide variety of ways. We can encounter him in relationships, in circumstances, in nature, certainly in his word…. We can encounter him in his different roles or personalities; Isaiah calls God “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father.” My own standing before God also impacts how I encounter him: as a sinner in need of grace and forgiveness, as a sick man needing healing, as a wanderer needing direction….

These different ways we encounter God elicit in us different reactions. The book of Psalms is a wonderful anthology of a man who met God in all these ways. For David, an artist and musician, poetry and music became the way he worshipped. But Balaam also encountered God, and in a very different way – in the form of a talking donkey. No, God did not become a donkey! But he used a donkey to stop Balaam dead in his tracks – before an angel just stopped him dead! Balaam’s response was to fall face down in worship and fear. (See Numbers 22)

Worship is a Choice
Sometimes how we respond to an encounter with God is secondary to that we respond. I have three young children, and sometimes they just ignore me. It’s very aggravating! But sometimes I just ignore God, too, and how that must hurt him. How many times have I walked out of church and said something like, “the worship just wasn’t very good today”? I’m blaming the people up front when the reality is, I just didn’t worship. Most often, I have to choose to worship. (Sometimes, though, I think it’s a gut-level reaction, and that is usually when I encounter God’s magnificence, his almighty greatness.)

The Job of a Worship Leader
So what’s a worship leader to do? What is his task? First and foremost, the worship leader must be a worshipper. He must encounter God and worship him.

Second, the worship leader is responsible for leading the congregation into an encounter with God so that they can worship as well. I kind of think of this role as the butler at a fancy home – he greets you at the door and ushers you into the presence of the host. Or maybe she’s the tour guide who is sharing with you the wonderful and amazing truths she has found.

I recognize that my definition has its limitations, but I think it’s also pretty broad. And it takes worship away from the confines of a Church Sanctuary and brings it into everyday life. In a majestic cathedral I may encounter God as the infinite, Almighty God and recognize my terrible finiteness. In the privacy of my bedroom I may encounter him as Everlasting Father or even as Abba, Daddy, and I’ll crawl up into his lap and find rest in his loving arms. In a service of celebration and praise, I may encounter him as the conquering hero, and I’ll dance and sing and shout for joy. The important thing is not so much how I worship, but it’s that I worship – and that I meet God in a personal way.

How many times have you heard someone say, “All things work together for good”? You may also have heard that that verse (Romans 8:28) is one of the most misquoted verses in the Bible. But how often have you opened your own Bible to see what it really does say?

Sometimes in the midst of a difficult situation, it’s hard to consider any good coming from it. Whether it’s a car breaking down (again), losing a job, or having a loved one die, it can be hard to see the good, or even the potential for good.

With all the difficulties we’ve experienced over the past two years, I’ve often found myself asking God, Why? Why am I failing in my job? Why has my time on the church board been marked by conflict and divisiveness instead of effective ministry? Why, why, why?

I won’t pretend to have found answers to all those questions, but I have been driven time and again back to God’s Word in search of answers…or just reassurance. Recently I’ve been listening on the radio to an excellent series of messages by Chuck Swindoll on the book of Job. Let me share some of what I’ve learned….

1. God is in control. One thing that strikes me is that God is always in complete control. In the first two chapters that set the stage for the whole book of Job, we find Satan loitering in the throne room of heaven, just looking for some way to taunt God and belittle His creation. Notice that it was God, not Satan, who first mentioned Job’s name. It was God who gave Satan permission to test Job. It was God who put limits on what Satan could do to him. God was in control the whole time. Even Satan’s impact in the world is completely under God’s control.

2. We don’t always understand God’s purposes. I am convinced that Job lived his entire life without knowing the events described in those first two chapters. He probably never knew that he was basically a pawn in a cosmic chess game, the object of a wager between the King of Kings and the Prince of Darkness. Job wanted to understand; he cried out several times for the opportunity to face God. His so-called friends suggested a host of reasons for his suffering – all of them way off the mark and spoken without a hint of grace or gentleness. But even when God finally does speak to Job, there is no indication that He ever explains why He allowed the suffering.

3. God can handle our emotions, doubts, and questions. Spurred on by the graceless accusations of his guests, Job’s emotions flowed freely. He expressed his doubts and openly questioned God. He was angry about God’s silence. He longed for the days “when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house” (29:4). He accused God of afflicting him (29:11) and wronging him (19:6), of ignoring his pleas for an audience with God (24:1). When God finally does speak up, He definitely sets Job straight about being able to stand and defend himself before God, but He never condemns Job for his questions and doubts. In fact, God Himself defends Job’s words and condemns the words of his friends (42:7).

4. When in doubt, see Point #1. Throughout the story of Job, we see this broken, hurting man remaining faithful to God and confident in His control. Sometimes, all we have to hang onto is that confidence. We long to understand what’s happening; we yearn for some reason, some lesson we can learn from the difficulties; yet we are frustrated because we can’t see the reason or the lesson. That’s when faith kicks in. That’s when we have to remember all of what Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”