Daniel Rose: The Pastor Next Door

The sun was slowly setting over the horizon. The reds, oranges, and purples were magnificent. Our bellies were satisfied from the meal and the laughter was contagious. A cool breeze gently blew as we gathered on the deck with the Scriptures open.

We began reading…

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

As the words and ideas washed over us they filled our hearts and imaginations. We talked about the glorious grace that is lavished on God’s people. We marveled together at God’s great plan of redemption that has been in place from eternity.

In passing, I mentioned that this grace was a gift from God.

Logan, a 6th grader who is always listening, always questioning, and always perceiving asked, “Alright, alright, but what is the gift?”

That really is the question isn’t it?

It just might be the question.

The gift is, in a word, adoption.

When we place our faith in Jesus we are adopted into God’s family. We become part of this family that is chosen, loved, and forgiven. Think of it! We are wanted by God even though we have sinned against him.

By becoming a part of God’s family, by being adopted by our heavenly father, we receive “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” What are these? They aren’t listed anywhere, but, we can know these blessings include: grace, mercy, love, forgiveness, joy, life, and peace. The Hebrew word for this would be “shalom.” Which is being made whole. The word Paul uses in Ephesians is “redemption.”

The greatest gift that we have been given is to have been adopted into God’s family. Why? Because it means that we can live as ones who are chosen, loved, and forgiven.

About the Author
Daniel Rose is a husband, dad, and pastor of The Antioch Movement in Ypsilanti, MI. He writes at The Subversive Journey and you can can connect with him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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“Alright, alright, but what IS the gift?” was originally published in The Subversive Journey on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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Good morning! I hope that you’re well and that you are experiencing grace and peace. Today I opened Medium to find that The Subversive Journey had cracked 100 followers. Thank you to those of you have been here from the start. I hope that you will continue on with me and that you will continue to share the things here that you find helpful.

In light of reaching this little milestone here a couple of posts from the past that are still some of my favorites. Maybe you will like them too:

Baseball and Grace (February, 2015)

Baseball, Redemption, and a Hospital Room (May, 2009)

Thank you again for joining me on my journey!

The 100! was originally published in The Subversive Journey on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Read the responses to this story on Medium.

from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/the-100-eebcabb02b2f?source=rss—-bbc765b79ec5—4

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I read many articles and books about what it means to be “the Church.” As a pastor of a new congregation I think that I need to continue to refine and deepen my understanding of what the Church ought to be. A concept that consistently pops up, particularly in blogs, is that the Church is “called” to be counter-cultural. This idea is foundational to what many refer to as the “culture war” that has been raging for decades in the United States. To be faithful to the Church necessarily demands that you are in a posture that is “counter” to the culture, at least that’s how the thinking goes.

I am growing unconvinced that there is such a call.

What I am more convinced of then ever is that the Church is called to create culture.

As I continue to study and read the Scriptures and work really hard to apply their truths to my life I am learning that the follower of Jesus is called into life. We are called into mission. We are called into community. We are called into culture creation.

There is a calling out of darkness and into the kingdom of the beloved son.

There are enemies: our flesh, the world (broken human systems, injustice, etc, not other people), and the devil. We strive against these by setting our minds on what is good, holy, and righteous. We do not strive against them through destruction but ultimately through creation.

Is the Christian called to be different? Yes. But is the Christian called to be “counter”? I don’t think so, at least not in the active sense.

What do I mean?

Generally speaking the idea of being “counter-cultural” refers to taking action against the culture. This action usually is described as rejecting the unrighteous world around us. Typically, you see this by the “do-not” list that is either overtly or implicitly taught.

We see the “counter culture” war waged through the efforts of well meaning Christians who boycott certain companies. These attempts at being “counter-cultural” spill over into the way Christians engage their relationships. “Oh you do or believe in such a such? Well, you know you’re going to hell. And I can’t be around you.”

Some friends of ours were at the Michigan football game this past Saturday. Outside of the stadium there was a man and woman with a megaphone berating passersby with the message that they were going to hell and there was no message of grace. These people were clearly counter-cultural and they were also counter-gospel.

The Christian is not called to be “counter cultural” by taking action against the culture within which they live.

Christians are called to pursue a life that is marked by holiness. This means they are taking action to become something different. The identity of a Christian is not marked by what they are against but what they are for. The Christian is ultimately to pursue holiness.

As we pursue holiness we will necessarily have lives that look different from those around us. The holy life is marked by the consistent development of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. Paul writes, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)”

Paul emphasizes a change in thinking because it is by the renewing of our minds that actions change. When we begin to set our minds on the things above then we will begin to offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).

The Christian is called to be holy (which means set apart). As we pursue this calling we will look different than our culture in some ways. Yet, we will also reflect it in other ways. We will reflect our culture in the ways that it is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, and excellent. We will look different from it in the ways that it is untrue, dishonorable, unjust, impure, and unlovely.

As Jesus’ ambassadors to the world we are not called to be against his creation. We are called to engage it. As we engage with culture our hope is that we will create something true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, and excellent. We then trust that God will redeem those aspects of the culture that are untrue, dishonorable, unjust, impure, and unlovely.

No, we are not called to be counter-cultural. We are called to create culture and to be agents of redemption within it.

About the Author
Daniel Rose is a husband, dad, and pastor of The Antioch Movement in Ypsilanti, MI. He writes at The Subversive Journey and you can can connect with him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

If you found this post helpful, inspirational, or just OK make sure you click on the heart and recommend it!

Is the Church called to be “Counter-Cultural”? was originally published in The Subversive Journey on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Read the responses to this story on Medium.

from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/is-the-church-called-to-be-counter-cultural-180fcb1bdd92?source=rss—-bbc765b79ec5—4

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For most of my professional life I have often been told that I’m not approachable. You see, when it comes to things like Meyers-Briggs (ENTJ) or Strength Finders, my profile comes out as, “Jerk.”

When I served with a campus ministry I would often have to spend a great deal of time apologizing to the women with whom I worked alongside. It usually wasn’t anything that I particularly did. Yet, there was something there that created tension and caused some sort of break in our relationship.

After leaving the campus ministry I continued to work through this area of my life. What God began to reveal to me was that I was not “putting on love.”

I am very much truth oriented. My preference is for people to play it straight and give me the facts. I don’t like it when people beat around the bush. I don’t sugar coat anything. In many conversations I would simply drop the truth bomb, “it’s biblical, that’s why.” Which is the pastor’s version of the great parental saying, “Because I said so!”

I was not very loving. I missed out on half of the command from Paul in Ephesians 4:

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

No, I simply heard, “…speaking the truth…” and missed the love piece. In Colossians 3, Paul writes,

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

He reminds us that we must “put on love” above all else. We can do this only as we understand who we are in Christ. We can love well when we know that we are chosen, holy, and beloved. When we are confident in the love that the Father has for us through Christ then we can love well.

As we love well we will discover that it “binds everything together in perfect harmony.” What is this everything? It all that comes before! Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. All these work together in perfect harmony when we first put on love.

Will you put on love today?

About the Author
Daniel Rose is a husband, dad, and pastor of The Antioch Movement in Ypsilanti, MI. He writes at The Subversive Journey and you can can connect with him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

If you found this post helpful, inspirational, or just OK make sure you click on the heart and recommend it!

Put on Love! was originally published in The Subversive Journey on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Read the responses to this story on Medium.

from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/put-on-love-3f5935ccfb51?source=rss—-bbc765b79ec5—4

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We live in a time when there are congregations designed to meet every desire. Do you like contemporary music? Do you like traditional music? Do you like a young pastor? Do you like an old pastor? Do you like modern architecture or traditional? Do you prefer Sunday centric or mission centric? Do you…do you…do you…?

“Church hopping” and “Church shopping” are phrases that are now significant parts of the American Christian experience. Long gone are the days of aligning with a particular doctrinal standard and being a part of that particular congregation. Long gone are the days of being committed to church discipline and the like because, well, you just go down the street.

While much of this is owed to the individualism inherent in the Americanization of the church in the United States there is something deeper that I think we have largely lost.

Paul, in Colossians 3, challenges followers of Jesus to “put on” certain qualities as a result of their identity in Christ. One of these is “…patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

I think that we have largely lost this in our congregations. We, the people who ought to understand the most about forgiveness, lack the willingness to patiently bear with one another and forgive. Why would we? There’s another congregation down the street that will “meet my needs” more. Their music is better, their pastor is cooler, and the people are nicer.

I love how Paul assumes the existence of conflict within the community of faith. We are all broken and imperfect. None of us will do the right thing all the time. We will sin against other people and other people will sin against us. It’s part and parcel to being a human in relationship with other humans. Instead of patiently bearing with one another we too often pick up our Bible and go.

To be patient demands from us a strength and courage to step into conflict. We must turn and look at it straight in the face. Then, as we do, we extend forgiveness.

Are there times when fellowship needs to be broken? I think so. Particularly in situations of abuse. At the same time, we must also wrestle with the necessity that sometimes church discipline is necessary and is not abuse. In the same way that disciplining a child is not always abuse. In the same way that there is a clear line between sending a child to their room and neglect, there is a line between proper church discipline and spiritual abuse.

I long for the day when “church hopping” and “church shopping” are things of the past.

In that same passage in Colossians 3 Paul tells us that we are chosen, holy, and beloved. If we can begin to see other followers in that light it makes it just that much easier to patiently bear with one other extending forgiveness. Why? Because God is. God is patiently bearing with us and forgiving us.

Let us do the same.

from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/2016/08/26/im-taking-my-bible-and-going/

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Jesus is famous for saying, “The meek shall inherit the earth.” In Colossians 3, Paul says that the follower of Jesus must put on “meekness.” What is it?

Many think that meekness is the opposite of being a “matador” as Frank Underwood says,

But is that really what meekness means? If Jesus commanded us to be meek, I have hard time thinking that it has much to do with being a doormat. If anyone was not a doormat, it was Jesus. He’s about as strong and tough as it comes. So, while meekness has gotten a bad wrap in our culture, I think it means something else.

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary gives this as the primary definition of meekness: “enduring injury with patience and without resentment.” This sounds like Jesus. This sounds like Paul.

Could you imagine being a follower of Jesus and living this way? Choosing to endure injury with patience and without resentment. This takes strength and courage. This demands an extension of grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

We live in a time when every perceived slight sends people off the deep end. It seems as though many are offended all the time. There seems to be little that doesn’t offend. What we need is more meekness. We desperately need more people who are willing to endure injury with patience and without resentment.

Without resentment. That catches me up short. Often people will acquiesce to something but then they will resent the person that they have yielded to.

Where can we find such strength and courage? I think it comes from our identity. Who we are as followers of Jesus. If we could own and embrace the reality that we are chosen, holy, and beloved (Colossians 3) then we would have a basis from which to be meek. We must have a base from which to be meek from. This base is our identity in Christ.

from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/2016/08/25/meek-what-the/

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Over the last few months I have learned that the second greatest sin in my son’s teenage world is to “boost” (here’s the first great sin). There may not be anything worse than to be known as someone who “boosts”. If you’re like me you’re thinking, “I have no idea what those words mean.” To “boost” is to exaggerate your exploits. There are certain guys who boost about their lift or their forty time or the girls they talk to. The thing is, everyone knows the truth so they get called out and branded as a “booster”.

It turns out that the Bible talks about boosting. No really. In the Scripture it’s called “humility.” Humility is best understood as a right understanding of yourself. To be humble is to know who you really are before God.

Some people have in their mind that humility is the person who walks around saying things like, “I’m such a sinner,” or “I’m the worst of the worst, man I’m terrible,” or “I’m not worth anything.” Here’s the crazy thing, for the Christian, saying those kinds of things are actually pride. Pride is the opposite of humility. Pride is an incorrect view of oneself before God. Many people think that pride is just thinking too highly of oneself. But that’s not really it. It includes thinking too lowly of oneself too.

In Colossians 3 Paul says,

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

As we seek to follow Jesus we have to keep putting on humility. Every day we wake up and every day we put it on. Who are we before God? We are chosen, holy, and beloved. This is who we are. Do the followers of Jesus sin? Yes. That’s why we confess and repent. Are the followers of Jesus perfect? No. That’s why we confess and repent. Are we great? Not really, but our God is and he loves us.

Humility, true humility is living into this one reality: You are chosen, you are holy, and you are loved.

from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/2016/08/24/you-boost-so-hard/

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Nearly every time I have conversation with someone who is not a Christian about the Christian faith they say something like, “You’re not like other Christians.” I take that as a complement. Although, recently it has begun to raise some questions in me.

It seems like a lot of my friends who aren’t Christians don’t want to become a follower of Jesus because of their perceptions of “Those Christians.” Many of them don’t know any of “Those Christians.” They know me though and tell me that I’m different from “Those Christians.” So if that’s the case why let this caricature of “Those Christians” impact so much of your worldview?

I know this to be true: Most Christians are like me. Most of us are aware of our brokenness and most of us are wounded healers. That is, we come alongside not as those who have finished the race but as those who are fellow sojourners.

We see on TV and the Internet the worst of ourselves. Whether it’s Christians, Muslims, Police Officers, or Activists, it’s the worst half percent that get all the attention. What we very rarely hear of are those who quietly and faithfully live lives of character, integrity, and humility loving well and impacting their neighbors for good.

I am grateful that my friends see me as something different from the norm. What I’d like even more is that they would stop comparing me to a ghost, a shadow Christian. I’m here, I’m real, I’m in the flesh.

If you hate Jesus because of “his followers” then I’d challenge you to look around and ask yourself, “Are the followers I know like the caricature that social media memes created?” If not, then be honest enough to change your view.

If you say you’re a Christian then I’d challenge you to look in the mirror and ask yourself, “Am I a jerk? Do I have a martyr complex because people don’t agree with me? Do I pick fights?” If you do, then be honest, confess your sin, repent, and change.

from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/2016/08/13/youre-not-like-that/

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I have been reading the poetry of Amy Carmichael recently. There’s something about poetry that really grabs you in a different way than prose. It opens your emotions and your heart. For me it breaks me out of my intellectualism and gets my head out of the clouds and brings me back to earth.

As I read this morning there was a poem called, “Expectancy”, that captured something that has been rolling around in my heart and head. It gave words to this ever growing sense in me of the ever present “already but not yet” reality of being a Christian. As I wade through the section of Scripture about the exile of God’s people I am seeing so many connections to our own time.

Peter says that we are sojourners and exiles. Why? Because we are part of Jesus’ kingdom and his kingdom is not of this world. We wait for it, with expectancy. So, we live with the knowledge that the kingdom isn’t here yet. This tension is strong in my experience right now that I could cut it with a knife.

Carmichael, for me in this moment, has the words:

The mountains hold their breath;

The dark plain wispereth,

“Hush, O thou singing rivulet,

The sun hath not come yet.”

The dawn-wind bloweth cold,

On fen and fell and world,
And heavy dews the lowlands wet –
But he hath not come yet.

And now the silver star
That far can see, doth far
And farther call, “The time is set,
And he will not forget.”
 — — — —
Lord of the morning star,
Lord of the singing brook,
Lord of the peaks that to a far
And clear horizon look –

Lord of the delicate
Faith flush in lighted air,
I with all this would watch and wait,
Rejoicing and aware.

(As published in “Mountain Breezes: The Collected Poems of Amy Carmichael”)

The last two lines catch me up short: “I with all this would watch and wait, rejoicing and aware.“

May we ever be rejoicing and aware of the reality that “The time is set, and we will not forget.” It is the already, not yet.

from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/2016/08/11/expectancy/

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from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/2016/08/11/commitment/

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Much like everyone else in the United States, I have been wrestling with what to do in November. There are many voices and competing claims. It often seems that there is little hope of making a good and wise decision. When it comes down to casting a vote it seems as though whichever way one goes will be to bow down Nebuchadnezzar and his golden image (Daniel 3).

What do we do? What do I do?

I think that before an answer of “who to vote for” can be given we must first answer “who am I?”

Our identity determines how we respond in these kinds of moments. So who am I? Ultimately, I am who the Bible tells me I am because I am a follower of Jesus.

Peter offers us some help in the second chapter of his first letter,

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

— 1 Peter 2:9–12

Who are we?

• a chosen race
• a royal priesthood
• a holy nation
• a people for his (God’s) own possession
• God’s people
• recipients of mercy
• sojourners
• exiles

This is who followers of Jesus are.

There are a couple of things that I don’t want you to miss. First, the follower of Jesus is part of a holy nation. This holy nation is not bound by geographic borders. It is not bound by ethnicity. It is bound by faith, it is marked out as those who receive mercy. This holy nation is not our nation or anyone else’s, it can simply be known as the “Kingdom of God.” This is where the Christian’s ultimate loyalty lies, with the people of God in the Kingdom of God. We can not be caught up in nationalism or globalism.

Second, we are sojourners and exiles. We are not yet in our home country. We are much like the Pevensies in Narnia. Though Narnia felt like home and they became comfortable there, their real home was elsewhere. When the people of God were sent into captivity, exiled, they were told by God to make homes for themselves, engage in business, and live, yet retain their identity as his unique people. There is no difference now as there was then. This place we live in is not our home. It’s not where we really belong. We belong in the kingdom with our King.

How does this help? First, it centers us and orients us to where are loyalties ultimately lie. They are with Jesus and none else. He is our true North. The follower of Jesus must fix her eyes on the King and start there. Second, it frees us from the constraints of the expectations of others. We are free to follow Jesus. As we follow him we learn to embrace his reality.

When it comes to the arena of politics we can know with certainty this one thing:

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

– Romans 13:1

Whomever wins the election in our country or any other have been allowed to do so by God. This should give us great relief. There is nothing that surprises God. The one who wins is his man or woman for this time. Therefore, we are commanded to pray…

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

– 1 Timothy 2:1–4

Let us embrace our identity as sojourners and exiles by giving our loyalty to our one and only king, Jesus. Then, let us pray for those earthly leaders whom he appoints over us.

How should you vote? For whom should you vote? That I can’t tell you. What I can tell you is this: Pray. Study. Learn. Listen. Then, vote as one who knows that they are voting as ambassador for Jesus.

from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/2016/08/04/exiles-presidents-and-voters/

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How do you simultaneously love your daughter well, embarrass her and yourself? EASY! Dance in the Dad’s Dance at her studio in front of 100s. It was a ton of fun and I would do it again in a heartbeat. So, without further ado, here it is…

DANCE LIKE YO DADDY!

https://danielmrose.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Dad-Dance.m4v

from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/2016/08/01/dance-like-yo-daddy/

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Nearly eighteen months ago our family did something crazy.

CRAZY I TELL YOU!

It was crazy if you asked anyone but the four of us living in this home. We invited my Mom, our kids Mimi, to come and stay with us. She is a retired teacher who has given her life serving others, not the least of which are her three sons, three daughter-in-laws, and five grandchildren. Nearly two years ago it became apparent that her apartment would no longer be sustainable. The rent in her area was skyrocketing. A teacher’s pension just could not keep up. So, she swallowed her pride, we moved into the guest room, and she set up home in our master bedroom: Mimi’s Suite.

As this unfolded we had many people who worried. They were afraid that this would ruin our relationship.

We weren’t. Not even a little bit.

Growing up, my mom taught us that when people you love were in need you helped them. You helped them in any way that you could. Her mom, my Mimi, taught her that. When I was in high school we had to move out of our house due to a major water leak. Where did we move? We moved our four person family into my Mimi’s two bedroom apartment.

Surely we could move one person into a four bedroom home.

She has now moved out. Mom bought a beautiful little condo and is happy as can be.

Our family? We have a Mimi shaped hole in our lives now. While most feared that this would ruin relationships, this time did the opposite. It deepened them in ways that we would have never expected. There was much laughter. There were amazing evening conversations. My mom got to see and experience first hand The Antioch Movement, our church plant in Ypsilanti. Libby and Mimi would sew, cook, and cuddle. She passed on much to her granddaughter that she will never forget. Ethan and Mimi laughed and played and Ethan ATE well. He got those special moments with her that most grandsons never get and wish they could have had. Amy and Mimi developed an ever deeper mutual respect as two strong women who know their hearts and minds. They taught one another and challenged each other to be a little better.

Me and mom? We discovered that we were both adults. We learned how to speak truth in love to one another. I watched as she helped run kids and never complained. She embraced her role as Mimi in a totally new way. There were days when we ran her ragged, yet she kept smiling and laughing. I realized that there is great power in a generous smile and a gentle ear. These are two qualities that she has in spades. I knew that, but seeing it up close and personal was remarkable.

Our Mimi shaped hole will be filled with brief moments in the days to come. But they will be just that, moments.

from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/2016/07/21/when-mom-moves-out/

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Have you ever had a friend come up to you and quietly say, “Hey man, you have a booger hanging out…”? When they do that you know you have a true friend. Why? Because they are kind.

Kindness is something we want in our friends. We don’t want niceness. A nice person would try to ignore the booger, the kind friend would tell you the truth.

That’s the key difference between being kind and nice. A nice person will think, “oh man they have a booger, I don’t want them to feel bad so I will ignore it.” The kind person acts from compassion and makes sure you don’t walk around all day with that booger hanging on.

In Colossians 3 the Apostle Paul is trying to help us understand our new identity, who we are in Christ. He first tells us that we are chosen, holy, and beloved. Then he calls us to have compassion hearts. The next attribute he cites is kindness.

Kindness is the loving application of truth to a person or situation. It requires a person to speak truthfully into the life of another, but it is done from a place of compassion. When truth is applied through compassion (or you could easily say, love) it brings healing and offers the other person grace and mercy.

When we act kindly we are acting out in love. To be kind is to act. To be kind is to engage. To be kind is speak the truth in love.

What would happen if you began to live this way? What would happen if we began to live this way? If we could begin loving well through acting kindly we might just change the world.

For the follower of Jesus to be kind is not something we do once in a while. Kindness it to be a mark of our very being. There will be times when kindness is not what people want. They will reject you because of it.

Doctors face this all the time. If their patient is obese or smokes or is an alcoholic they have to give them truth. The doctor has to tell them what they don’t want to hear: eat less, stop smoking, stop drinking. The patients often times get angry or frustrated. Yet, the doctor has to speak this truth into their lives so that they can live and be healthy.

So it is in all of our relationships. We are to put on kindness as followers of Jesus and live the truth of this out every single day.

The next time you see someone with a booger in their nose, be kind.

from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/2016/06/21/to-be-kind/

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One of the great joys that I have in my job is flexibility. This means that I get to drive my kids around to their stuff. I also get to take their friends with us. As a result, I am in on a lot of the conversations that they are having. They are hilarious! When I was a kid we used to “dare”, “double dare”, “double dog dare”, “triple dare”, and finally “triple dog dare.” Today’s boys simply look deep into one another’s souls and say, “Bruh, you aren’t even cut enough to…”

When someone tells you aren’t “cut enough” that’s dropping a serious “triple dog dare” on them. You either put your tail between your legs and admit defeat or you go for it.

In Colossians 3:12–17 Paul lays out who we as Christians are to be. Who we are is based in the reality that we are chosen, holy, and beloved. How amazing is that? I mean think about that for half of a second. Our identity is not shaped by rules, laws, or fear of punishment. Our identity is based in God’s love for us. That in and of itself is mind boggling.

The first attribute he calls us to is to put on “compassionate hearts.” What does that mean? That sounds pretty soft, especially for men. We often think of compassion as something that women have. Not many men would naturally look at themselves and say that they are seeking to be compassionate. So what exactly is a compassionate heart?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines compassion this way, “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.”

From the outset we are to be others centered. The Christian, in the core of who they are, is to be one who is conscious of another’s pain and desires to act. Compassion requires great strength. It is not something that is for the weak or soft. Compassion demands from us action to step into the brokenness of the world to bind up the wounded.

This little phrase that Paul uses, “compassionate hearts” is very purposeful by including the word “heart.” The heart is the center of our being. Who we are is changed by our relationship with Jesus. A compassionate heart, a state of being, that drives us to care for and alleviate suffering is our new normal. It isn’t “radical”, it is normal.

When you see suffering what is your response? Do you want to alleviate it? Do you care? Do you want to step into the brokenness of this world and set things right? These are all signs of a person with a compassionate heart.

If you call yourself a follower of Jesus, have you put on the compassionate heart?

Are you cut enough to be compassionate?

from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/2016/06/20/are-you-cut-enough/

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When my brothers and I were growing up we were felt like we were held to a different standard. We would complain to our mom or dad and say, “But Johnny can say/do/act etc…” or “But Johnny doesn’t have to…” The response was always the same, “You don’t belong to Johnny’s family. You belong to our family. Your last name means something. When you’re outside of this house you represent the Roses and McGraths.” We were held to a different standard. We were held to the standard that our parents set because we were part of their family.

As a pastor I am around Christians much of the time. I have often found many of my brothers and sisters to be mean spirited folks. It always startles me. When I see them on social media they say nasty things to one another and also to those outside the faith. Typically, it is in the name of “speaking truth.” When I see these interactions, whether in person or online, I hear my mom’s voice, “That’s not how our family acts.”

Many people in the Church bemoan the “bad reputation” that Christians have in today’s media and culture. I think it’s often because we have forgotten who we are. We have washed away the demands of our faith and the expectations of what it means to be a part of this family. We have more closely aligned with political affiliations, both left and right, as opposed to our family. Our Father has a standard for his children and we need to remember what they are.

The Apostle Paul summarizes these expectations and standards in Colossians 3:12–17,

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

(Colossians 3:12–17 ESV)

You probably skipped over reading the Scripture (because let’s be honest, many of us do in blogs and probably books too (who reads books anymore?)) so I am going to list them out for us:

Because we are God’s chosen ones who are holy and beloved we are to put on:

Compassionate hearts.

Kindness.

Humility.

Meekness.

Patience — bearing with one another.

Forgiving one another as the Lord forgives us (think about the ramifications of this one!).

Above all put on love.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.

Be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

Teach and admonish one another in wisdom.

Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness t God.

Do everything in the name of Jesus, giving thanks.

That’s quite a list. It’s hard to live that list out. We won’t do it perfectly. That doesn’t mean though that we just throw our hands up and say, “Oh well…grace.” The “one another” statements above call us to engage with our siblings and invite them to the standard of bearing the family name. As we do, we will grow in grace.

Over the next number of days, I am going to unpack each of the things in this list. Perhaps they will serve as helpful reminders for each of us and what it means to bear the family name, “Christian.”

from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/2016/05/27/who-are-you/

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There are times when it seems like evil always wins. We read the news and see so much pain and suffering. It feels like bad things are always happening to good people. I find myself wondering when will we see the reverse? When will the good and the righteous finally experience victory?

As I read Psalm 112 this morning I was reminded that the pursuit of righteousness does eventually lead to joy.

“Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;

he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.

It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;

who conducts his affairs with justice.

For the righteous will be never be moved;

he will be remembered forever.

He is not afraid of bad news;

his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.”

Psalm 112:4–7

Even though it seems like darkness is all around us, when we pursue righteousness, the light will dawn.

In particular, I am thinking about the statement that the righteous man “conducts his affairs with justice.” What does this look like? How do we live like this? What does it mean to conduct our affairs with justice? How can we be just in all we do? How do we help others pursue justice? Do we have any influence at all?

As I ponder all this it makes think about something that my friend Todd says often regarding politics. He says that we might not have the ability to influence the whole nation or state or even city. But what we can do, is have an impact on our neighbor.

How do we conduct our affairs with justice? We do so by making small choices every day. These small choices will have a direct impact on our families, friends, and neighbors.

What choices do you need to make today to pursue righteousness and justice?

from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/2016/05/16/light-dawns-in-the-darkness/

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“At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises: Glory to God in the heavenly heights, peace to all men and women on earth who please him.” — Luke 2:13–14, The Message

This the fourth week of Advent is when we light the Angel’s candle which points us to peace. Peace is what was proclaimed by the these messengers from heaven as they glorified God at the announcement of the birth of Jesus. This same Jesus would, in a few years say, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.”

We live in a tumultuous world. The news is filled with pain and suffering and death. There are wars and rumors of wars. The very creation itself seems to be at unrest as earthquakes and tsunamis and hurricanes are regular occurrences. When you look at your social media it is much the same only more personal. There is little in our world that points toward peace.

Peace is the message that the follower of Jesus proclaims. In Ephesians 6 we are told to put on the shoes of peace to help us stand firm. This message of peace is foundational to who we are. Yet, we live in this time when to be a peacemaker or to cry out for peace is considered weakness.

Peace.

As we make the final dash toward Christmas morning, perhaps your life is like mine, lacking in some peace. We have a great deal of shopping left. Which means that we have even more wrapping left. The list of to-dos only seems to grow and grow. The kids are home from school so there are extra people around. There are more demands on time and energy than seems possible.

Peace.

Recently I’ve been thinking about Jesus’ stories about people missing out on things because they were too distracted. They weren’t ready because of all the stuff going on around them and they simply missed it.

How much of Christmas do we miss because we aren’t at peace?

Have you ever had that experience where someone made a promise to you and then they came through? What did you feel like? What if that promise came years and years earlier and was fulfilled when you were least expecting it? You would probably be filled with utter joy.

This is what the third week of Advent is all about.

The third week is when we light the “Shepherds Candle” which represents joy. Could you imagine being one of the young shepherds that evening? For your whole life you’ve heard the stories of Messiah coming from your father and grandfather. Now you’re out there trying to stay warm while you watch over your family’s flock, this thing that you do every night.

Then…

The skies explode in light and angels appear telling you that Messiah has come and where to find him! Your heart is bursting with excitement and you run.

When you get there, you find it exactly as the angels say it would be.

Promise fulfilled.

Overwhelming joy and proclamation.

On this this the third week of advent, we light the third candle, the pink one because light has overcome darkness.

Do you share the joy of the shepherds? A joy that demands proclamation that the Messiah has come?

This might tap your “joyful” muscle…

[youtube [www.youtube.com/watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaEH1e_DLm0?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=540&h=304])

Did you know that there was a “War on Christmas”?

Seriously, there’s a “War on Christmas”.

It’s occurring in most churches. It breaks out in many hearts this time of year. Christmas is when we go out and buy friends and family lots of gifts. We spend lots of money on things people don’t need and some don’t even really want. A few of us even go to church on Christmas Eve and that makes us feel spiritual about spending all that money.

When you look around at everything that we are inundated with every single day it’s clear what Christmas is all about. It’s about giving and receiving stuff.

The war that is happening is happening in each heart. Some are uncomfortable with the battle that is happening in their heart and so they look for an enemy on the outside. That’s when some go to “war” with the “world”. Bemoaning the fact that “Christmas” parties at schools have become “Holiday” parties or that “Christmas” is written as “Xmas”. They think this is the “War on Christmas”.

The real war on Christmas is what happens in our hearts every day throughout the year. We are at war with our own selfish and self-centered hearts. We battle within and it makes us uncomfortable. We don’t like to feel that way. When we are faced with those realities we can do one of two things. We can either embrace them, confess, and repent or we can stuff them and project.

Based on what I see in the media and news, I think most of us are stuffing and projecting.

The War on Christmas is not being perpetrated by “those” people, whomever they are. It is being perpetrated by us, whomever “us” may be. Our own hearts are at war with themselves.

The War on Christmas is real. It’s just not being fought where you think it is.

Originally published on December 11, 2014

The second candle we light in Advent is the “Bethlehem Candle.” It is the reminder of how the Bread of Life came to the House of Bread in humility. Jesus, King of the Universe, did not come to the world by way of power or exceptionalism but by humility. He was born in a hole carved from the side of a rock and his cradle was a hay filled trough.

This King of glory was completely ordinary.

This second week of Advent we consider the ordinariness of the glorious King. A helpless baby born to a young girl on the outskirts of a small town. He was nothing special to the unassuming eye. He was just a baby.

The King of glory was a just a baby.

The King of glory was poor.

The King of glory was nothing to behold.

The King of glory would have been considered to have little worth.

What do we do with such a King? How do we respond? How does this challenge us as we move forward into Bethlehem week?

We live in a world, not unlike the world Jesus was born into, where class and status mean more than just about anything else. We battle for status within the realm of social media, our neighborhoods, our jobs, our schools. Our lives are a constant attempt of “one upping” another.

Humility is something we run from.

What might it look like for me to embrace humility this week? I have been thinking about this for a few days and I’ve come up with something simple. In a conversation, choose to say, “You’re right” or “I don’t know” or “You’ve given me something to think about.” These little phrases begin to move us toward humility.

Humility is something that we have to actively choose to practice in our lives. It is not something that comes to us naturally. It will take work. We will be uncomfortable.

Sort of like lying in a hay filled manger…

If your first instinct is to use a tragedy to further your political preferences there’s a good chance you’re part of the problem.

Sunday night at our gathering we were spending time in Ephesians 4. During our conversation it struck me again how important it is for us to understand the difference between being “kind” and being “nice.”

Verse 32 says, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Paul doesn’t command us to be “nice.” He commands us to be “kind.” This distinction is very important for our relationships. This command to be kind ties back to verse 15, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…”

Kindness differs with niceness by the inclusion of truth. Kindness can be hard and can potentially cause pain.

I asked the congregation what they thought was the difference between being nice and being kind. My son said this, “If your friend’s hair is messed up, the nice thing is to say, ‘Your hair is fine.’ But, the kind thing to say is, ‘Bruh, you need to fix that.’”

Do you see the difference?

If we are going to be kind to one another it means that we must speak the “truth in love” to one another.

We live in an age of “niceness”. Being kind is a foreign concept because kindness may cause offense and causing offense is a great sin in our culture. Sadly, because we are trading kindness for niceness, we are losing much. Many decry the extended adolescence of our culture. This exists in large part due to our loss of kindness.

Because we are no longer kind, speaking the truth in love, we have stunted the maturation of a generation.

“Nice” is not something to sought after. “Kind” is. Kind is loving. Nice is self-serving.

Which do you desire? Do you want people to be “nice” to you or would you rather have people be kind?

Many people love Christmas. There’s a radio station in Detroit that has been playing Christmas tunes 24/7 for a few weeks. Christmas is nostalgic and beautiful. It tells the story of God the Son being born in humility to save the world.

Christmas is great.

But I love Advent!

There is something special about the building excitement and anticipation of the season. The Christian new year begins with the first Sunday of Advent, not with Christmas. This communicates something intriguing about our faith.

Advent plunges us into the already/not yet of our faith.

Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent, it is represented by the “Prophecy” candle. We read the following Scripture,

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’

(Jeremiah 33:14–16 ESV)

I am struck by, “the days are coming”. There is a certainty in what the Lord says. There is no doubt about the coming of the “righteous Branch.” King Jesus is coming. We can bank on it.

We live in a time when promises are not often fulfilled. The leaders of our governments tell us things and make promises all the time. But, they do not fulfill them. God’s promises, on the other hand, are sure. There is no doubt.

The first Sunday in Advent is the time when we are reminded of the promise of a savior and how God the father made good on that promise. It is also the Sunday that allows us to renew our faith in the hope of the Return of the King!

The Christian life is one of great tensions. Grace and truth. Mercy and justice. We live in the tension of these great ideas and concepts. Many of our theological debates center on which side is to have priority.

In Ephesians 4:17–32 we see that this tension goes beyond belief. The very actions of the Christ follower is a life in tension. In this section Paul admonishes believers to “put off” their old selves and “put on” the new self. What is fascinating is that the new self is in some ways the old held in tension.

Verses 26 and 27 say this,

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

(Ephesians 4:26–27 ESV)

We often think of anger as being inherently sinful. How can anger be OK? Aren’t we supposed to be nice? You can’t really be both can you? This tension of “be angry and do not sin” is an example of the inherent tension in the Christian life. There is a way to be angry and holy.

The key here is, “do not let the sun go down on your anger.” The tension is that of forgiveness. When we hold on to our anger too long it becomes sin and gives “opportunity to the devil.”

Anger apart from grace and forgiveness is not holy, but sin.

Paul summarizes this idea in verse 32,

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

(Ephesians 4:32 ESV)

Notice that Paul says “be kind” and not “be nice.” This is an important distinction. Kindness is imbued with truth. A good physician is not nice, he is kind. A nice physician will put your comfort above your well-being. A kind physician will always place your well-being above your comfort.

Kindness is a tension of truth and grace.

Are you willing to live in tension?