Control

Everyone knows a “control freak.” These people live their lives directing other people on how they should live, act or speak. It’s the housewife who is always in a bad frame and makes everyone else in the household subject to her moods, rants and raves until she gets her way. It’s the husband who criticizes and degrades his wife and children. It’s the boss, or superior who has just enough leverage to make those in the workplace miserable but not necessarily more productive. Controllers perceive themselves as being decisive and important, but in reality they are just selfish.

In anthropology the study of “social control” looks at both formal control (laws) and informal control (shame cultures, family structure and religion). Understanding social control gives insights on how people make decisions, which is vital in helping people in cultures make a decision to be a follower of Christ.

Religion has a strong control component. Pastors, priests and witchdoctors often use the fear of supernatural retribution to manipulate and control their followers. Whether the issue is wearing a burka, paying a tithe or not drinking alcohol, behind every rule there is a controller to enforce the rules. Controllers get addicted to their power and often abuse those under their authority. A classic example of control is in the following story.

At the end of one of teaching sessions in India a young lady raised her hand and asked this question.

“At my baptism my pastor gave a word of prophecy for each person baptized that day; everyone except me. I have been troubled for many years because I did not receive a prophecy. Do you think I should be re-baptized?”

As this student told me the story you could see the anguish she was feeling, almost to the point of tears. Almost every day her relationship with God has been negatively affected because of that day when the spiritual controller in her life did not bless her at baptism. I felt sadness for this dear girl, but even more, I felt anger. How tragic that some people have such power over others that they can make them feel alienated from God.

Control is a reciprocal relationship. The boss, wife or pastor can only wield their control to those who allow it. There are many people who stay in an abusive marriage, church or place of employment because they feel they have no recourse. If they do challenge the controller they fear being fired, excommunicated or divorced, a price they feel is too high to pay so they acquiesce.

Not all control is wrong and, indeed, a certain amount of control is needed in families, religion or companies to function properly. If there is no authority and control then the environment is left to chaos and anarchy. There is a fine line between leadership and controllers.

My response to my student was that, while she is to respect her pastor and those in authority, no man has the power to bless or curse. That authority belongs to God alone.

Keeping the Cynical Heart in Check

The other day a friend wrote me with a question. This person for many years was in the business world, and now is on full time staff of her church. She asked, “After so many years in ministry, how do you keep from being cynical?”

My answer was simple; I have been and remain cynical. Not only of the ministries of others, but mine as well.

I have been in full time ministry 41 years, first as a pastor in Texas, then a pioneer church planter in Kenya and now, over the past 20 years, a teacher and consultant for cross-cultural workers in several countries. I’ve seen a lot – the good, the bad and the ugly.

But wait, church work, missions and Christian ministry are not any different from any other profession touched by man. Companies are rife with waste and mismanagement; business leaders, government workers and the secular workplace are not immune from sloppy or unethical practices. I would suggest that, all things being equal, there are more reasons to be cynical of those who work outside of ministry. Churches, pastors and missionaries are an easy target for criticism because, in the mind of some, ministry should be above reproach, no, indeed perfect. There is a bit of arrogance by some outside of ministry work that somehow they “earned” their money and those in ministry are on the dole from the hard labor of working people. Though they, like all of us in this world, depend on others for their job, contract or subsidy, those who are in ministry should be more accountable.

How does one keep from being cynical in doing God’s work? I thought about this last week when in Ukraine. It was cold, I was tired and wondered, again, what is this all about? Is the work I do pleasing to the Father, or am I just doing this to justify my existence in ministry? In the grand scheme of things I wonder what impact my little efforts are having in a world of secularism, polytheism and Muslim radicalism. Cynical that anything I, or anyone in this world does, I found myself cynical of God’s management in all of this.

And then I read Hebrews chapter 3. The children of Israel were cynical of God and the leading of their pastor, Moses. As a result of their cynicism they allowed their heart to become hard, turned away from Him who delivered them from slavery and followed other gods. As a result of their cynicism they did not enter in God’s rest. Chapter 3 is all about warning against cynicism and trusting God, in spite of the situation we find ourselves. Why or how God works is not for us to judge.

Hebrews 3 is a reminder that we are not to micro-manage God. The Israelites didn’t like the way God was leading so they turned to other gods for a more hands-on approach for their lives. I can quit tithing to my church because I don’t like the way they are using “my” money; I can discontinue doing my ministry as a missionary, quit making appeals for donors to support our efforts in world evangelism because I can’t see its impact in reaching the 3.6 billion who have never met a Christian. Or, I could change my strategy; doing ministry that appeals to the fashion of present day missions that is tailored for more bang for the buck; gaining the approval of others rather than keeping to the task I believe He is leading.

When the heart becomes hard due to cynicism one will never know God’s rest when the really tough trials of losing a child or grandchild in a tragic accident, or losing every material thing in an instant due to natural calamities. We don’t have, or will we ever have, all the answers. And, while I will continue to be cynical of motives and ministry, there is a balance of the heart that must be guarded. I won’t follow other gods because I think I am wiser than Him. Skeptics die in the desert, those who continue to follow Him will enter His rest even while they are in the desert.

How Long The Road

Eighty-five degrees inside combats the sub-freezing air outside. It’s stifling and I long to crack a window, but I can’t. The swaying back and forth is both comforting and a bit nauseating. I feel the need to lessen the pressure on my bladder, but to do so means crawling down from my perch and stumbling, partly because of drowsiness, partly because of the swaying, down the hall into a gray and filthy toilet. The heat coupled with physical pressure in my lower abdomen win over my desire to just ride it out until daylight. I swing down between cots, hoping I don’t step on the two Russian women sleeping below and wonder why these rides can’t be, like in India, gender segregated. Having successfully competed my self-imposed assignment, I swing back up on my perch asking myself how many more years can I reasonably expect to perform such gymnastics?

Missions is more than merely presenting the Gospel to pagans. Paul, who slept to the sway of waves as a prisoner on his way to Rome, would understand. He, who had no place to rest his head, the One whose mission was redemption of those far away from God, certainly can relate. Skeptics of missions, those who scoff at the thought anyone should financially support someone to “see the world,” perhaps should experience the romance of sleeping on a bed of where the tailbone and hard wood is separated by a half-inch of foam or cotton mat. It wouldn’t make them a believer in the Great Commission, but it might dispel myth that this stuff is a luxurious cruise.

Back on my perch I am comforted that in just another five hours this leg of the journey will be over. Temporarily satisfied with my situation, I plug in my headphones to listen to my great uncle (not really) Clive Staples, lecture on apologetics and slowly succumb to the swaying and drift in a semi-conscious slumber. When I wake I will be in Livi, some mountain city near the border of Poland. Three days later I will make this trek again, the night train back to Kiev.

(This travel update sponsored in part by Beans4good.com)

Anthropology of Religion: Polytheism and Animism

Polytheism is the belief or worship of many gods/goddesses. Pantheism is the belief that many objects could possess certain powers, e.g. a tree, animals, river. Animism concludes that spiritual powers reside in inanimate objects like the wind, rock or clouds.

In all religions we find animistic practices, even in monotheistic religions of Christianity and Islam. In a India, a polytheistic religion that claim there at least 330 million deities, one can easily see a combination of practices of animism and even pantheism, as show in these clips below.

The first is a shrine, built to a deity, which I filmed on the side of the road outside the city of Nagpur.

In the center of Kota, Rajasthan there is a tree, which the people seemingly believe has some spiritual significance. Not only do they have garlands of devotion on the tree, but also have pictures of the greater gods of Shiva and Vishnu tacked to this tree.

Exploring New Training Ventures in India

My last trip to India was an exploratory trip. I have certain schools and organizations I teach at every year and those relationships were developed by my teaching there one time, just to begin the process of partnership. I scheduled these two trips for the express purpose of exploring what other schools or organizations I may partner with in the future.

The first stop was the Emmanuel Theological Seminary in Kota. This ministry is unique and has a rich history. Started by M.A. Thomas many years ago (he passed away December 2009), MA's vision was strongly for orphans. At one time they had over 2,000 orphan kids but persecution hit in 2006 and they are just now recovering.

I had the distinct privilege of teaching in their seminary at the invitation of one of my former students at SAIACS. Shibi was/is a brilliant student and I know she is going to be a great teacher and asset for any church or mission organization.

What made my second trip was without a doubt the students of Mission India Theological Seminary. Even though it was the end of the semester and they had more thoughts about going home than studying, they made my time outside of Nagpur a success.

There are a lot of good ministries in India. Knowing who we can partner with on long term basis is often difficult, but these trips at least help me determine God leading.