1 Corinthians 12 &13

I would like to turn now to 1 Corinthians 12-13 for a clarification of this love. In chapter 12 we learn much about how a body relation. We are designed to all exist differently; there is no ideal image of a follower of Christ. There is to be beautiful differentiation between members, for different purposefulness. None should consider himself higher or lower based on his difference from another. All have need for one another, and should never take on an attitude which prefers any gifting or personality. He even says that just as the body has parts which should be treated with modesty, so also certain roles should be performed behind the scenes. So we realize that a principle stands in that all men are designed to relate within the body differently, fill different roles, know God differently on a personal level, and do this so “that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.” (verse 25)
Chapter 13 is one all too familiar to Christians and others alike. This chapter is one devoted to love, which is most often heard at weddings. It is used to give an example of the intensity of the vows of marriage, and to remind a couple of the commitment and hard work upon which they will embark for the rest of their lives. A marriage is a relationship founded upon love as an action which often goes against all desire, a relationship which mirrors Christ and the church, one defined by sacrifice and submission. It is interesting to see that this passage which we gain so much insight toward this relationship is written after 1 Cor. 12. In fact, after they begin to understand this idea of differing roles in the body and unity through chapter 12, it ends by saying, “And I will show you a still more excellent way.”
This chapter on love which is so readily used to state the intensity of marital love is in fact written to explain the love every Christian should exhibit toward one another. This type of love which we so greatly value and idealize toward marriage is actually one which should fuel our relation toward one another. While marriage is far more intensive in requirement of this love, it is identical to the attitude I should have toward body members. Whatever love attitude I would take on toward my wife should be equally exhibited toward all fellow Christians.

Real love experienced by men and through human relationships is simply an outpouring of God’s love, a dim reflection of a universal human need and longing. That is the crux for beginning to understand the massive difference between what we call love and what true love is. Human love is non-similar to God’s love. It is even a polar opposite in some aspects. They should really be two different words based on how dissimilar they are. Humanity’s greatest longing is for a love it does not know, but nothing within it knows how to create this love. Truly, few ever experience the love they were designed to flourish within. A love built on man is self focused and rewards seeking when it is tested deeply. The only chance for real love to exist is to be wrapped up in God and allow His control and Lordship so that we can reflect a glimpse of Him. Rhett Barbour explained it in this way, “Love is evidence of being united with the Father.”
Love from God, termed reflective love from this point forward, is only available to be distributed when relating to God. A simple analogy for this is that one can only pour water out of a hose when it is connected to a water source. Therefore, a man can only give love if he is getting it, and he can only get it from God, or men connected to God.
Love should be a character trait. We know that God is Love. He does not simply love, He is love. Even if there was no one to love, He would exist as such. We also should be defined by love, not simply loving. It is not simply a purpose toward a specific person, but an attitude about existence which directly alters every perspective. It is evidence of Lordship at the deepest level. God tests our maturity and love for Him by how we love one another, his body (1 John 4:7-8;20).
This reflective love starts as a principle and perspective on existence. From this point it is very quickly made into an often painful practicality in literally every situation. We are told to do all to the glory of God. This means love in every simple, even seemingly non-relational action. I need to figure out how to eat and drink out of love, even when alone. Over time, this will eventually takes on a catholic unification. This means that if Christians are allowing this holy transformation, then the main component of who they are in Christ will also be the asset which makes them readily unified. Picture all Christians placed in a big box, and shaken about, randomly reassigned and surrounded by totally new brothers and sisters. If they are living to embrace love, then this doesn’t even create a hiccup in their capability to co-exist and flourish in building up one another and the kingdom of God. God comes between relationships that are purposed in love (Romans 15:5).
This type of love is not romanticized, but sacrificial. It requires submission to something we do not fully understand and will never be able to completely conform to. Submission is a relinquishing of personal will and preference. It can’t be romantically charged. To be a great man or woman is to be like Christ. To follow Christ’s earthly example is to be characterized by submission and sacrifice. To be a man of God, mirroring Him as a husband and leader requires total sacrifice of self to him and others.
As we increasing in love for one another, God is able to establish blamelessness and holiness in our hearts (1 Thess. 3:12-13). We are purified as we pursue to make God’s love realized in a practicality. This reflective love also holds within it the capability to build characteristics such as faith, hope, joy, and peace in those who are willing to embrace practicing it. 1 Corinthians 13:13 tells us that love is the greatest attribute, greater that faith and hope. If we recognize and wrestle through this truth, then we will begin to grow in these other ways as well; out of His love flows all else. Per example, Faith is realized when we know His love, for He who loves unconditionally and eternally could never steer us wrong, and etc.
We need to love God the same way that we should love one another. Our love is all the more validly poured back on its producer. To have the chief aims of dwelling in love and loving in reflection creates an entirely new relationship to God. This will make Him less confusing for many, encouraging them down out of their ivory towers to enjoy the warm grass and breeze with Him. It will take Him off of the examination tables of the church, who often eagerly seek to understand Him to the point of dissection, forgetting to know Him. Also we cannot simply feel out who He is, but we can love what we do not fully grasp, and gain in understanding through the Spirit and Word. There is much that comes to naught when love is the goal and realization. Intimacy is the ends we have opportunity for here.

Boot Camp Summary
Theory- We can begin to fulfill all biblical and spirit led roles for our lives. This is the only true source of satisfaction in life.
We are designed to live in rhythm. This is the key to creating a lifestyle atmosphere that promotes thriving in spirit led action. Many are led to give their all, but poor focus or lack of balancing factors prevents true long-term effectiveness. This means that people strive toward goals to which they have not been led. It also means that even if they are being led to a goal, living in a way that does not support this in every aspect will cause burnout in the long term. Men give there all to one thing alone until someone tells them to stop or they decide to quit. This is not ideal or effective.
God designed man to live in rhythm. He rested the seventh day. This is a picture of his role for man. Men are designed to tire. It is inherent that men should rest weekly, and God requires that all men find time of rest and enjoyment on a weekly level. None should be thus deprived.
When God created, he made night and day. Until only recently in history, it has remained true to the entire world that the day if for man to act, and by night there is little that can be done. This is a design of natural rhythm.
Because we can see that life is completely designed in rhythms and effectiveness is found in being purposeful in all things, it is only logical that we should begin to build lives that are intensely designed to fulfill goals that God has established for us as humans and individuals. Some of the general goals include worship, work, rest, creation, relation, family, etc.
Boot camp is designed to give young men the opportunity to submit their lives intensely, taking on a like-mindedness with Christ, in order to find this lifestyle that honors him. Submission is the first step toward suffering. Christ is the example for all men, and a man, specifically differing from a woman or child, is called to die daily for Christ and others. We as men need to be living lives in total submission to death of self. Only in honing this in with stable living will we find true manhood and Godly life.

The truth is that Christianity stands in stark opposition to the American mindset. This people has adjusted the depths of Christian perspective over a couple centuries to create a gospel which is only half of its original. We have lost so much of Christ's perspective, and we often accept and preach the opposite!

A good example of this is submission. The only time when submission is spoken of in America is when feminists are talking about how no women should ever have to partake in it. Even in conservative churches the best they can scrounge up is that a wife should submit and a husband love and serve. But what about Christ? I believe I have already spoken on this blog of Christ's submissive nature. From the moment he decided to take on human form he lived in constant submission, and it was through this constant deciding to submit that he experienced all suffering. In the same way, we must submit as an act of reverence to Him and so that we may partake in His suffering. The Bible pretty much requires it for proper living. But we don't really grasp that for the most part.

All this to say, in a short format, that we need to take a look at the Bible apart from any and all tradition. Traditions aren't bad, if they are directed by Scripture. If they are, then that need to be consciously acknowledged for any purpose to be found.

I guess I come to this point through the boot camp, learning so much about what the Bible calles us to in lifestyle. This isn't an area which seems to be addressed very often. We usually talk about what type of person we should be, and even what we shouldn't do, but not about the habitual lifstyle actions we should be forming. More on this later.

God is growing me in a direction that I have never heard of in a church! The only Christian lifestyle it seems similar to is that of the seasoned, passionate, Christ-centered missionary. Christianity in America is not usually lived out as the Bible instigates. Hallelujah for being taught to live more fully human before God!

Disciplship Boot Camp is intense.

I'm just finally getting some time to post about it now that its been in full swing for nearly two weeks.

I'd like to start where we have come to thus far in the journey, with some of the weekly requirements in more detail, as well as some of the highlights thus far.

On weekdays we have a curfew of 11pm, and we are all usually out of bed by at least 6:30am or so. We are beginning to build individual daily rhythms for ourselves, mine includes showering, time studying, prayer time, a slight workout (I use the term very loosely), breakfast, and some free time before I go to work, usually at 10am. Mondays also include Dinner via Dave McMurray's cooking, with confession and prayer for a while afterward. Tuesdays are my days to cook, and whatever comes out of that is followed by a Biblical Manhood class with John Herman. Wednesday is a free evening, thus my ability to write this post. Thursday is Dave Hansen's culinary exhibition, followed by time with the Boot Camp's creator and main schemer, Justin Carabello. This time also includes study and discussion of Elizabeth Elliot's Mark Of A Man, which we are speeding along through. Friday is another night or relative freedoms, and Satuday includes some type of service project, along with the possiblity of Shabbat meal at any willing family's house. Sunday's only requirement is the Gathering service in the evening.

We are also meeting more sporadically with people like Heath Hostetler, who is doing our financial training and budgeting, and April Pryor, who is teaching us more on building a rhythmic lifestyle.

Getting into this Boot Camp full swing has been alot like trying to learn how to drive a new vehicle. We still haven't figured out the tension on the brakes and gas. I was eager to come into submission to Godly leadership coming into this program, so the real point of learning thus far for me has been in finding purpose in things which are plotted out. It is hard for me to find myself sincere in something like a prayer I planned ahead for a scheduled time frame. But I know there is a way to be purposeful in this, so I continue to strive on in this discipline. Also, I have been realizing that I am so focused on the Boot Camp and all the good it gives opportunity for, I am forgetting the Holy Spirit. It is a dangereous thing to become confident in a rhythm. But a rhythm provides a greater depth of purpose, submission, stewardship, and dominion in life. So I consider myself blessed to be wrestling through this paradox so quickly into this process.

All that deep stuff being said, its just been a blast to live so purposefully and with to awesome/hilarious/diverse/Godly guys. Here are some photo's of some of our sweet meals together thus far! Enjoy!

Enjoying Dave Hansen's first meal of Brats and White Chicken Chili with Justin before studying The Mark Of A Man

Dave McMurray learning first hand how to fry up the Trout Heath just caught the other day.

So boot camp started about a week ago, and I hope to document the journey on this blog as regularly as possible, but limited internet access will hinder this greatly.

Here are some recent thoughts until I can provide more.

Suffering for Christ is something I have come to understand to some small extent in the past year. I understand it just enough to know I want it, but not enough to realize I wouldn't really if I knew it well enough! But the truth is, we should desire it because we know that our likeness to Christ is identifiable by our suffering for Him. But as of lately, God has been revealing the truth that submission is the key in partaking in Christ's suffering.

Eph 5:21 "submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ."

Any act of submission we come to should be seen in direct relation to Christ!It is revolutionary to realize that every action Christ took, from the decision to become human till resurrection was an act of direct submission. He submitted to a body. He submitted to knowing fully the glory of the Father and the greatness of what the earth could be and the salvation and restoration of the Father. At the same time, he knew the fullness of the falleness of humanity and the end results of the lives surrounding him. Yet he lived his life on constant submission to the will of the Father in His teaching, and in constant submission to others who always rejected or misunderstood Him. Jesus Christ was, and still is, the most misunderstood human being in the history of the planet! I cannot imagine having a perfect perspective on the world and every individual life and yet never being understood when I spoke.I say all of this to conclude with this. As I was realizing these things, I thought of my friend/roommate, Dave. He works with inner city kids in an after school program, where I used to volunteer daily. Those kids hate everything he says. They argue against him every time he tries to portray the Gospel to them. They will not accept his love, and mock and scoff at his perspectives on life. He gets pretty discouraged and loses focus sometimes, which makes total sense. But here's the point. Even if he never sees results, even if there never even are results (which I don't believe is true), he is living out a story that directly reflects Christ's ministry on earth.

His narrative in life right now perfectly reflects a small scale of what Christ's entire existence on earth consisted of!

What an intense mission, how much more purpose could we ask for!

Be encouraged in your hardships, whatever they may be, for the Father is reflecting Himself through you in such circumstances!

Truly, there is greater glory to Him in such a setting!