Dear Bill

Chapter ten

Why, oh why, oh why do evangelicals evade the name of Jesus? That they do is obvious to anyone having ears.

When someone speaks that beautiful name I notice. A niece lately spoke the name three times in a short conversation; it was like friendly lightning flahes streaking through a cloudless sky. It said so much about her walk with Jesus.

It seems evangelicals can go months without mentioning “the name which is above every name” in conversation. And that includes pastors. Why, oh why, oh why? I have wrestled with this question for many years and still don’t have full understanding. But I do have some…. . There is such power in that name, especially if said reverently. Saying the name Jesus fervently throughout the day brings Him relationally closer. If you don’t believe me, try it. But the problem is….

The problem is that we don’t want more of Jesus, relationally speaking, than what we have.

We already have as much of Jesus as we want. If we wanted more we would have more. If we wanted less we would have less.

More of Jesus costs plenty, our very self. More of Him means less of ‘me’. Less self-rule, less self-importance, less self-everything.

Several years ago I wrote a series of articles entitled, “They Don’t Want Him!” A sample….

I was talking to a family friend – well truthfully, I was talking at a family friend – my mouth motoring pretty good, saying stuff like, “what is missing in the church is none other than Jesus Christ.” And, “I call Him The Forgotten One.” Etcetera.

She is a seasoned christian, this family friend, classy, her speech layered with grace, certainly not radical or opinionated. Had I gone too far, said too much? And then she responded:

“They don’t want Him! They don’t want Him!”

That’s all she said. What is she talking about? Who is Him? Who are they? Perhaps she hadn’t been hearing me. Days later – yes, days later – I got it.

Him is Jesus Christ. They are christians. (Yes, the born-again type, the only kind there is.) Wow! Even I had never said, or even thought, something so extreme. But she was right! “They don’t want Him!” is both the problem and the bottom line within evangelicalism and beyond.

I would add one word to “They don’t want Him!” Enough. They want Christ, but not enough.

Enough for what? Enough to seat Him (re-seat Him) on the throne of their lives.

But again, who are they?

First, they are not everyone. Some, praise the Lord!, want Him….. enough. Who love Christ more than life. Who is their life.

But they are definitely the majority. They are Joe and Jill Average Christian, family and friends, acquaintances and customers. They attend church, don’t swear or smoke or spit, and don’t hang with those who smoke and swear and spit.

They are the lukewarm, the spiritual sleepy, less than conquerors. For sure, they are as in as the fervent….. in God’s grace, in the family, in the book of life. As the faithful, they are never ignored by the Lord.

But life is a travesty. Not only will they – I am speaking of the majority! – miss their destiny, their high calling, they won’t even know, this side of heaven, what that destiny is. I think there are multitudes in heaven who would trade they places, consider it a privilege to enter once more the battle zone for men’s souls. You see, up there there is only fervency.

There is something wrong, and that something is a lack of want for our beautiful Jesus. The answer is conversion – again. The answer is not ahead – some experience not yet had or teaching not yet heard – but behind, an altar once a dwelling place, a fervour once kept. We know a viable relationship with Jesus is attainable because we once attained it. He was the centre and can be again.

When I made a decision to go back to my 1972 fervour for Jesus (chapter five) – that was maybe forty years ago – I forced myself to speak Christ. My reasoning was this: I know I speak the overflow of my heart; perhaps I can reverse the flow. In other words, perhaps I can fill my heart with Jesus by intentionally speaking His name. It seemed to work.

Speaking Christ does not come naturally in a world that rejects Christ and a church that neglects Christ. Mentioning the name of Jesus to evangelicals is like detonating small firecrackers, making them a little jumpy. (When I want to end a conversation I only have to change the subject to Jesus; my ‘victim’ will suddenly remember he/she has some matter requiring attention.)