April 6, 2025

 Some of you may have watched the recent movie about the early career of Bob Dylan. I have been a fan of Dylan for many years enjoying his poetic style and simple yet detailed skill on a guitar. Sadly, his skill at activism and philosophy is not on par with his musical ability. One of his well known songs expresses a sentiment that is common today. Times are changing. Dylan looked at his generation and thought they would be different. His song was directed at the previous generation and was meant to warn them that things were changing (for the better in his mind).

Just like Dylan, there are those who today say that times are changing. Each new generation seems to think that they will be different and better than the one before them. As one considers history and the nature of man one truth is driven home over and over. Times are not changing. Sure we have more technology, we may achieve our purposes a little faster but the purposes always have been and always will be the same. Our basic human needs will always be the same no matter how we meet them.

Human nature does not change, and neither does the only source of fulfilment for our nature. Today there are many self proclaimed prophets predicting that churches and Christians must change in order to remain relevant to our changing surroundings. Books and lectures abound coming from so called leaders within churches of Christ claiming to tell us what we must do if we are to remain viable. Forget our distinctives they say, objectivity is a myth they say, the Bible is not full of truths to be believed they say, modernism is past and postmodernism has arrived. In short times have changed and we must change with them.

In response the preacher says “That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been.” “There is nothing new under the sun” Eccl 3:15; 1:9. God created us, he knows us, and what God says is relevant for all of mankind is: “all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God, The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord” Rom 3:23; 6:23. The date changes every day  and will continue to do so as long as God allows, but the need of the people will always be the preaching of the gospel 1Cor 1:21; Rom 1:16, Luke 21:33; Heb 13:8. 

For the church to mould itself to contemporary culture is not to remain relevant. It’s to become irrelevant. The very thing people need is taken away when Christians allow culture rather than scripture to dictate who and what they are. If we are to be meaningful to our contemporaries and God we must not alter God’s standards. Instead we must hold to them, as the only thing that transcends fickle human tendencies. So although I still like Bob Dylan (much to Nancy’s dismay) his assessment is misguided. People don’t really change unless they change their relationship with God. For Christians, following trends limits our ability to help them do that.

I have shared this note before but wanted to share an updated version in light of the new movie.

~ Kevin Cleary

March 23, 2025

A few years ago I read a short article by Steve Higginbotham which I found to be both memorable a little humorous and very thoughtful.

Often in life we fall into thought patterns that are not helpful. This may be because of personal biases or oversimplification or perhaps we have just conflated one idea we are comfortable and familiar with onto a topic where it really doesn’t apply well.

Steve’s article was a great challenge to consider our attitude and approach and ask if we may need to make some changes. 

Here is what Steve said:

No, the title is not a typo.  I meant to type “discipleshift” rather than “discipleship.”  The reason for the “shift” is to bring to our attention some “shifts” in our thinking and conduct that may need to be made in order to conform ourselves more perfectly to the will of God.

• When we view discipleship as just an event, and not a process, we need a discipleshift.
• When we view church membership as being more about having your name on a roster rather than having a function, we need a membershift.
• When our mantra for stewardship is “give till it hurts,” rather than “give cheerfully,” we need a stewardshift.
• When we are more proud of our American citizenship than we are our heavenly citizenship, we need a citizenshift.
• When we view Christian fellowship more as a function where our bodies are fed rather than a function where our spirits are fed, we need a fellowshift.
• When we view church leadership as being more about “calling the shots” than being out front, serving as examples, we need a leadershift.
• When we are more concerned about how our worship is received by our members and visitors than the way God receives it, we need a worshift.

Give it some thought.  Are there some “shifts” that need to take place in your life?

~ Kevin Cleary

March 16, 2025

During Jesus last long discussion with his apostles in John 13-17 He explained to them that he wanted to have the same kind of love for each other that He had for them. He tells them in John 15:13 what this means. Saying “greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends”. Jesus said this knowing that within hours he would be arrested, tried, and then crucified for His friends. However this obvious meaning is not all that should be made of this saying. Jesus lived not just those last hours but his whole life for his friends.

This is what Christians are called to do. It has been said that when Jesus calls someone he calls them to come and die. It is very seldom that this is a one-time act. Instead the Christian must chose daily to give up his or her life for Christ and for others as He did.
Giving up one’s life can and sometimes does mean taking a bullet or falling on a grenade in a selfless one time act. Most often though giving up one’s life is about placing the needs and priorities of others before your own. This is exemplified in the spouse who gives up everything to care for their ailing partner. Or the parents of a disabled child who face the rest of their lives knowing that the needs of that child will forever be first. I know of couples now where one partner has Alzheimer’s and must be cared for perpetually. It is these people who set a wonderful example for the rest of us and who exemplify Christ like living.

Let’s remember then that we have been called to follow Jesus in giving up our lives to God, and in that to those around us Phil 2:3-5. When selfishness and frustration creep in remember the Lord’s example.

~ Kevin Cleary

March 9, 2025

In his book “The Postmodern Condition” Jean-Francis Lyotard defined postmodernism as “incredulity toward metanarratives.” Incredulity means lack of belief or skepticism towards something. In this case the something is “Metanarratives.” A metanarrative is a big or all-encompassing story, a story which offers a unifying explanation for all human history. If there is no all-encompassing story we are left with only personal or local stories or perspectives. This rejection was motivated by the neo/ social Marxist thought that society can be broken down into classes and that these classes use metanarratives to gain and hold power over other classes. 

I bring this up to make a point and the point is that the Postmodernists threw the baby out with the bathwater. They saw some people abuse power and were right to identify that as a problem but wrong to think that the solution was to do away with universal truth. 

A studious individual will also notice that the claim that we should disbelieve metanarratives because they are all power grabs is a metanarrative and so this reasoning is self-refuting. 

One of the applications of the above faulty thinking has been to language and meaning. If there is no universal truth then there is no universal understanding and a written message may mean something totally different to everyone who reads it. 

For the Christian the problem with this is obvious because the Bible is obviously a written document and if the authority to determine meaning lies with the reader then I could decide that “stop” means “go” while you decide that it means “potato” and someone else could decide that it means “turn left.” If this is the case, repent and be baptized could mean: go out to a restaurant and order pizza or run backwards around the block. We are left in a position where none of us can know what is good or bad right or wrong outside of our own feelings. People are drawn to this idea because it puts them in a position of authority (Rom 1:25). 

What they don’t realize is that they too, like the founders of the idea, which is influencing them, have thrown out the baby with the bathwater. If we determine meaning than God’s love and compassion his justice and power can all be redefined. There is no justification in Christ and no redemption for mankind. We are all lost and hopelessly so because there are no directions. 

But of course, meaning is not defined by us, rather it is recognized. People know this which is why people stop at stop signs. So long as they do, they should also accept that they can read and understand God’s will and be expected to do it. 

~ Kevin Cleary

March 2, 2025

    Many of us know the Bible enough to find a story we remember or maybe to think of what book a particular reference is in. Some of us have phones that can search these things up for us and so maybe get a little lazy.

    One of the things that can make a big difference in our study and application of scripture is noticing the details.

    Jesus points out the tense of the “to be” verb used in Exodus to prove that Abraham Isaac and Jacob were alive. It would be easy to miss this key detail, and Jesus says the Sadducees were ignorant of the scriptures for missing it.

    Steve Higginbotham developed a short quiz about the resurrection a few years ago. Take some time to read the question and try to answer them. See how many you get right by looking up the relevant passages. Hopefully this is fun and encourages us to pay close attention in our Bible Study.

– In addition to the women who sought to anoint the body of Jesus with myrrh and aloes, what man also sought to do the same? (John 19:39).

– What did Mary Magdalene think Jesus was when she first saw him? (John 20:14-15).

– From what city did Jesus Ascend into Heaven? (Luke 24:50).

– Who commanded that soldiers be placed at the entrance of Jesus’ tomb? (Matthew 27:65).

– Where had Jesus appointed the disciples to go in order to see him? (Matthew 28:10,16).

– Who requested the body of Jesus? (Matthew 27:57).

– What was the name of one of the disciples with whom Jesus spoke on the road to Emmaus? (Luke 24:13-18).

– Who was said to be a “secret disciple of Jesus?” (John 19:38).

– What did they bind the body of Jesus in? (John 19:40).

– While the male disciples of Jesus did not believe the initial report of Jesus’ resurrection, did Mary Magdalene believe he had raised when she saw his body was gone? (John 20:14-15).

 

As we read scripture we find many lessons both in the overall picture it presents as well as in the small details. My hope is that this little challenge helps us to be more aware of the details and see what lessons we can learn.

 

~ Kevin Cleary