A New Kind of Christian Part 5 - A Vision for the Church

This is the final day of Post-Modern Christianity week. I hope it has been interesting and thought provoking. I hope you enjoyed my observations as much as I enjoyed reading A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren. I will end today with the post-modern vision of the church. I think you will find that it is very similar to the early church. In fact, it is somewhat built off of a statement from the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in one, holy, catholic, apostolic church…” Though the idea is wholly McLaren’s, I have reworded some things and packaged it somewhat differently.

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The church does not exist for the benefit of the members. The church exists to equip members for the benefit of the world. To accomplish such a feat, it requires equal parts of community, spirituality and mission, all of course in the context of working with one another, always in view of the Kingdom.

Community—we create a place of belonging where people learn to believe the good news, belong to a group that is learning to live by that good news, and become (together) a living example of it. We are unified and connected to one another, maintaining the humility and gentleness necessary for unity to flourish. We accept anyone whom Christ accepts, without favoritism or judgment.

Spirituality—this is the “holy” part of the creed. But it is not just about individual spirituality, but communal. Our failures and our successes affect the church. What we experience with God in secret must be shared with the community. We read the Bible together, always listening for insights and input of others. We pray as a community, our individual prayers merging with our brothers and sisters. We worship and celebrate together, cherishing God’s faithfulness to His people. In these and other ways, through private and communal spiritual disciplines, we become set apart, holy people. We become disciples, not just followers.

Mission—this is the “apostolic” dimension of the church. Spirituality and Community naturally flow into mission. Since our needs (spiritual and physical) have already been met in through the other two, we are not free to focus on the needs of the world. We can serve instead of being served. We can reach out to the sick, and not the healthy.

The Kingdom—these three aspects of the church focus on manifesting the kingdom of God, the reign of God, and the reality of God’s will being done on this earth. The church is the catalyst for bringing about the Kingdom. A “successful” church is not the end goal. Rather, the goal is for every Christian to be sent out as an agent of Christ (priesthood of all believers), an agent of the Kingdom to bring peace between God and His creation.

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Notice there is little new to this model, and the fact that it is a model makes it more modern than post-modern. But I suppose it is more of a vision than an exact plan on how to do things. You may think that this is not original at all. And perhaps you are right. But I ask, how many of our churches actually embody such a model? How many of our churches reflect Jesus’ teachings and the practice of the early church? Few to be sure.

But if our churches were to buy into this vision, I think we would see a marked change in their effectiveness and the impact of the Kingdom in this world. Each church may fulfill and go about these ideals differently, but I believe the end result would be the same—unity and the bearing of much fruit. Christians would make a difference, cease feeling like hypocrites or useless. Their faiths would not be futile, but have purpose and vitality. The church would no longer be an exclusive club of sorts, but a life-giving vessel in God’s hands. But perhaps it is just a dream. Perhaps it cannot occur. Only time and patience will tell.

Let me know if you think differently.

A New Kind of Christian Part 4 - Faith Foundations

At one point, McLaren compares faith not to a building with a foundation, but to a spider web with many anchor points. These anchors may be spiritual experiences, exemplary people we have come to trust, or guidance and teaching from a variety of sources. The great thing about a web is that it is both flexible and resilient. It can be repaired when damaged. It serves various functions.

And the Bible is also an anchor point in this web of faith. Though many people call the Bible the foundation, in reality, Jesus is the foundation, not the Bible. To be more specific, every passage from the Bible that has affected your life could be seen as not just an anchor point, but part of every thread on the web.

And when it comes to the interpretation of the Word, there are problems on both sides of the spectrum:

Conservatives treat the Bible as if it were a modern history book, encyclopedia or law code. But those sorts of categories were rudimentary at best, and you can’t discount the clear difference in what was written then and what is written now.

Liberals, though they acknowledge that the Bible is different from modern texts, still seem to judge it by modern standards. If something in the Bible doesn’t fit in with a Western mindset (objectivity, science, democracy, individualism, etc.) then it is dismissed as primitive or irrelevant.

McLaren suggests a third approach. Instead of approaching the Bible with our modern assumptions and expectations, we approach it more as humble seekers trying to learn whatever we can as we fuel our sincere desire to live for God and do what He wants. In other words, instead of reading the Bible, let the Bible read us. This approach is less aggressive but can be even more energetic and passionate. What if we honestly listened to the story to allow it to speak to us, not coming with our questions that we expect God to answer, but trusting God to use it to pose questions to us?

A New Kind of Christian Part 3 - Biblical Interpretation

Today’s topic is of special interest to me. I have long struggled with expressing my view of how I approach the Bible and then how interpretations might stem from that view. Systematic theology and wooden, literal views on the Bible have never quite settled well with me, especially as I gain a better understanding of the nature of the literature. Mclaren did what I could not. He worded this tension that I had between not having to believe every single word as literal without relativizing it. Interesting thoughts to be sure.

The conservatives are against reinterpreting ancient wisdom in light of contemporary fads or moods, and they’re against weakening the strong, unchanging backbone of the faith, fearing that we’ll be left with a kind of jellyfish spirituality that has nothing to cling to.

Meanwhile, the liberals are against pitting faith against honest scientific investigation and turning faith into an anti-intellectual enterprise. They’re against the resistance to free inquiry and against the privitization of faith. They think that conservatives have retreated to their own private sphere, worrying only about their own personal salvation, leaving the world at large to go to hell ecologically, culturally, and in terms of social justice.

Both sides are against something worth being against.

Often conservatives will say that the Bible is the foundation for everything, and tampering with the foundation causes the whole structure to come down. Thus often the view, from the conservative point of view, is that the liberals are throwing out the Bible and everything that does not appeal to them. Yet, conservatives do the same thing, often unaware:

Conservatives don’t impose the penalties of stoning to death for those who disobey their parents.
They don’t exclude from the worship service anyone whose genitals have been mutilated.
They don’t teach that it is a sin for women to wear jewelry or have a short haircut.
They don’t follow the example of many OT characters such as killing infidels, having many wives, or killing their enemy’s babies.

And why not? Because they approach the Bible with a particular framework that keeps them from applying the Bible literally in such situations. The difference between the liberals and the conservatives is the interpretive framework. But the conservatives often seem unaware of such a framework, and think they are rigorously applying the Bible literally. Thus, when conservatives argue about the Bible’s absolute authority they are arguing about the superiority of their traditional framework through which they read and interpret the Bible.

This does not mean that the Bible is not authoritative. But real authority lies in God, who is there behind, beyond, and above the text, not in our interpretations. The authority is not in what I say the text says, but in what God says the text says. Our interpretations reveal less about God or the Bible than they do about ourselves. They reveal what we want to defend, what we want to attack, what we want to ignore, what we’re unwilling to question. The issue to be considered does not revolve around a book that we can misinterpret with amazing creativity but rather with the will of God, the intent of God, the desire of God, the wisdom of God—the Kingdom of God.

The Bible says of itself, that Scripture inspired by God and authoritative. It is useful as well—to teach, rebuke, correct, instruct us to live justly, and equip us for our mission as the people of God. That is a very different approach than how many take the Bible. We want the Bible to be God’s encyclopedia, God’s rule book, God’s answer book, God’s scientific text, God’s easy-step instruction book, God’s little book of morals for all situations.

But think of a math book. It is not valuable because the answers are in the back. It is valuable because, by working through it, by doing the problems, but struggling with it, you become a wiser person, capable of applying those truths in a variety of ways.

When we let go of the Bible as God’s answer book we get back something much better. It is a book that calls together and helps create community, a community that is the catalyst for change in this world. It becomes the family story—the story of the people who have been called by the one true God to be his agents in the world, to be his servants to the rest of the world. It is an ancient book of incredible value for us, a kind of universal and cosmic history, a book that tells us who we are and what story we find ourselves in so that we know what to do and how to live. It is the story of faith, produced by faithful followers, for faithful followers. It expresses the experience of a few people with the Almighty God, that informs, encourages, and instructs contemporary believers who are creating their own experiences.

A New Kind of Christian Part 2 - Debate

Debates in the church occur on what McLaren calls the “line level.” I have found his insight into this matter to be quite helpful:

There are all kinds of positions on an issue along this line, with the most extreme positions being on the ends. The issue often is, “Where is the right point on the line?” So people pick and defend their points. Each person’s point becomes the point in his or her mind. But what if the point-defending approach is, pardon the pun, pointless? What if the position God wants us to take isn’t on that line, but somewhere up above it?

This illustration really struck a chord with me, being one who is often sucked into debates. I try to be in the middle, and see both sides of the argument. But in reality, I need to not just be in the middle, but be up above the debate. For unity to occur among our people and in our churches, we need to transcend the normal level of debate. Jesus did it all the time. Take for example the discourse with the Samaritan woman. The debate began with where people should worship. She cited two points on the line in the form of two mountains—here on Mt. Gerazim or there in Jerusalem. Back in those days, this was not some arbitrary matter of debate. The location of the very presence of God was at stake. But Jesus would not pick one or the other. The answer to such a question was on a different level, for God desires worshipers in Spirit and truth regardless of the mountain. Thus both mountains are acceptable just as both sides are acceptable. Neither is right and neither is wrong.

This sort of thinking often scares modern people who desire absolute truth, clear boxes and lines, and standards of correct and incorrect. But I ask, is that Biblical? Jesus came to fulfill the law, and by that, it seems, to take the law (and the interpretation of it and the Bible as a whole) to a higher level. The Pharisees would have made great modern believers because of their desire to pigeonhole and make a framework to work within. But even the Bible is full of exceptions, not always clearly delineated rules. I, of course, am not advocating any and every view, interpretation, or belief. But, there are so many debates that, if taken to a higher level, would be far more productive. Think how differently a conversation about Calvinism, charismatics, pacifism, inerrancy of the Bible, women in leadership, and homosexuals would go if it was not about proving someone wrong but instead focused on moving to a higher plane.

A discussion of how the Bible fits into these discussions will have to wait until tomorrow.

A New Kind of Christian Part 1

This week is officially “Postmodern Christianity week” here at the Second Call. I just finished reading through A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren. Basically he is the spearhead behind a new “movement” called the emergent church. I had an entry earlier about this movement. This emerging church is the first real attempt that seems successful in bringing the church into the postmodern world. The book is actually more of a dialogue between two people, one is a struggling pastor and the other is an aged Jamaican, ex-pastor, high school science teacher. I didn’t like the extra personal stuff in the dialogue, so I have mined out the best concepts for this prose entry. But I did like the real questions that a man steeped in modernity had for someone struggling to bring postmodernity into the world. I have had the same questions as I struggled with my own faith in the last few years. This entry compares the difference between the current church and the emerging church. (note: his comments are italicized)
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Moderns often feel the need to put everything into nice neat categories, which is part of the problem. They believe that they could create a nice framework that would pigeonhole everything. But if you try to categorize this postmodern church and you succeed in creating a postmodern framework, I think you’ve just sabotaged it. We’re talking about a new kind of Christian, not the new kind or a better kind or the superior kind, just a new kind.

At various times he likens this transitional period to the time when the world went from the medieval to the modern period. It was difficult to be sure. But eventually, people realized that if they did not move forward, they would be left behind. McLaren poses two striking questions:

Will you continue to live loyally in a fading world, in the waning light of the setting sun of modernity? Or will you venture ahead in faith, to practice your faith and devotion to Christ in the new emerging culture of postmodernity?

Great thinkers like Luther both embraced and facilitated the change from medieval to modern, and yet remained true to the past. That is the tension and the greatest difficulty. How do you move ahead without alienating and ignoring all that has gone before you? If your desire is to forge ahead, McLaren gives a few things to keep in mind:

Don’t put your confidence in the institution of the church; put your confidence in God
Be open to new ideas and new interpretations of the faith
Don’t be too quick to criticize
Expect things to be messy
Keep going back to the Bible, but not with the standard interpretations blinding you to new interpretations
Try to sort out tradition from the real essentials of the gospel

Whether you are postmodern or not, I think those are guidelines are important in dealing with people in general, and especially people in the church. He concludes this sort of thinking with a challenge:

I want you to invest your lives not in keeping the old ship afloat but in designing and building and sailing a new ship for new adventurers in a new time in history, as intrepid followers of Jesus Christ.

How much are you building and how much are you maintaining? Are you beating the same old path down or are you blazing new ones?

A little rest and relaxation

I’ve finished reading through Leviticus, and though most find it pedantic, I am intrigued by the minutia of ways to properly approach God. One of the main points that is stressed revolves around properly balancing work and worship. That is one reason God instituted the Sabbath day: “There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD” (Lev. 23:3). Yahweh required that one day be set aside as an act of worship to Him. But more than that, it was a day of refreshment for the people.

Even the entertainment industry realizes the necessity of such a provision. I just saw a great commercial today. It features a sophisticated man sitting in a chair. All the walls behind him have Rx on the, and he says:

“The pharmaceutical industry applauds this nation’s obsession with career advancement. Thanks to your inability to balance life with work, sales are through the roof. Indeed 45% of Americans don’t use all their vacation time—a proven cause of stress induced illness and depression. So stay the course. As long as you are committed to all work and no play we’ll provide happiness in the form of a pill.”

The commercial ends with cool shots of roller coasters and families having fun, and the statement: “Logon to UniversalOrlando.com.”

From Leviticus and the Universal commercial, I am reminded of a few things. God has set up the system so that we do not spend out entire lives selfishly working. When we do we become ineffective. More than that, God does not receive the proper attention that He deserves. We try to make up for our overly stressed lives with drugs to give us more energy. Or perhaps worse, we substitute giving God our best with giving him the best we can spare.

But the Sabbath day was meant to be a rest from the trials of life so that the Israelites could focus on God’s faithfulness to them. It was meant as a day of refreshment—physically and spiritually. And though, as Christians, we do not have a Sabbath day, and I don’t equate church with the Sabbath, if we do not have these times dedicated to God for Him to refresh us, we will end up giving Him a contrived substitute. So let us remember to keep the Sabbath, and keep our relationship with God fresh.

Relief Reluctance

I saw a special on MTV the other day about the aftermath of the Tsunami in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Thailand that was very well done. But it got me thinking. There have been two major disasters in the last few years that have had an impact on me—the terrorist hijack bombings on 9/11 and now this tsunami. Both times I have felt compelled to do something to help out. And I suppose it is fine to send money and pray, but I really have felt led to do more.

As I saw the MTV special, there were college kids in Thailand helping sort through the rubble to rebuild. I thought, “Why couldn’t that be me?” Then I remembered: I have a kid now. I have a wife. I have a job at the church. All these responsibilities are my top priority. I don’t begrudge them, because they do bring joy to my life. But I can’t help but think of Paul’s advice to those seeking marriage: “I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:32).

It is not just marriage, but growing up, becoming an adult, living in the real world that bring about responsibilities that often hinder our ability to serve those in need. And I wonder, is the system flawed? Are we too engrained in our own selfishness that being an adult means being unable to really help out? Or do we just make excuses?

Either way, every time I see aid going to help out disasters it makes me think: “Why isn’t that me?”

Entertainment and Evangelism

I have always been a big fan of The Simpsons. It is (in my opinion) the most relevant and thoughtful show on television. The commentary that it makes on society is insightful and desperately needed as more and more people act without much aforethought.

If you missed the new episode after the Super Bowl, you missed a classic. There was plenty going on such as decrying the outbreak of showboating and taunting. But the forefront of the show revolved around the result of when religion meets Hollywood. The reactions that came from “The Passion” were varied and often at odds. Some thought that Jesus finally got the recognition he deserved. Others thought anti-Semitism was never crueler. Still others were offended that anyone dared to ruin entertainment with some sort of actual moral influence.

With this in mind, Homer was asked to do the Super Bowl halftime show, and after having no ideas, enlisted the help of Ned Flanders (token Jesus Freak). Together they told the story of Noah in glitzy fashion. The reaction was not good. Boos echoed from the crowd. But the cleverness of the show was the commentary from the news desk:

Ken Brockman (Anchorman): “All over America today, viewers were outraged by the Super Bowl halftime shows blatant display of religion and decency.”

Mother on the street: “You try to raise your kids as secular humanists, but these showbiz types keep shoving religion down our throats.”

Little boy: “Mommy why wasn’t I baptized?”

Mother: “You see. You see!”

Homer: “I thought America was hungry for meaning. I should have just sent a crocodile into space like I originally planned.”

Yes Homer, perhaps you should have stuck with the crocodile. But it leads me to wonder—how do you reach an individualistic society that requires a laissez-faire attitude regarding morality and decency? Should more movies like “The Passion” be made without regard to who may be “offended” by the gospel? Or should do more following the advice of Saint Francis and “Preach the gospel. If necessary, use words.”

An interesting quandary. Any thoughts on the matter are appreciated.

Life as I know it

Well, I had something planned for today, but my day yesterday was wiped out with therapy, and the first church league playoff game. So I thought I would fill you in on my current situation. The therapy is for my back (not my mental state). I currently have a pinched nerve caused by arthritis in my lower back. The only hope for a solution—work it out through the physical therapy. Not a lot of hope there. I have been going for a few weeks and doing my painful stretches, and it has not gotten better. Of course, I do still play basketball, which probably doesn’t help matters, but I am too competitive to stop.

Speaking of which, I will now stop playing basketball because we lost our opening game by 3 points. Quite a barn burner I suppose. Now, I don’t like losing during the regular season, but I can handle it. But in the playoffs, when it is 1 and done, I get very frustrated. It is so final. I mean, that is it. I’ve got nothing until next December except pick up games with dog. Not so fun. Oh well, that is the way it goes.

On the Elijah front, he had another “well baby” visit yesterday. He is 28 inches long (95th percentile) almost 19 pounds (75th percentile) and a pretty good sized head (75th percentile). He does have an ear infection, but we received some drugs to help clear that up. Carrie and I are worried, however. The flu has hit our state, and is nearing our region. Carrie’s proximity to children and possible exposure has our guards up. I suppose there will be plenty of hand washing for the next few weeks.

Check back tomorrow for some good stuff from The Simpsons.

A Foggy Death

On Saturday, I was perusing the site of my undergrad Alma Matter (GLCC), and I noticed the weather on the right hand side. It read, “Light Freezing Fog.” I had no idea what such a weather pattern looked like. It both scared and bewildered me. Then my thoughts turned to the awful reality of the situation and certain questions filled my head:

What the hell is Light Freezing Fog!?!?
Is that where the air turns so cold that the moisture in your lungs freeze like in “The Day After Tomorrow”?
Were all of my friends in Michigan in danger of dying such a horrible death?
Was this a sign of the end of the world?




It is now Monday, and there are no reports of instantaneous death from breathing this menacing fog, but I stay vigilant. Global warming is no joke people. Don't be fooled by the Michael Creightons of the world. It's going to happen. Though many say the world will end in fire, I think it will really be in ice. Be ready.

Nothing today. I'm sick with a cold, and worn out. Elijah was a tad fussy yesturday. What are you going to do? Have a great day and weekend.

Paying for Oxen

Now, I am not one who thinks that allegorizing the Biblical text is a good thing. It often causes bad interpretation and completely removes the original context from view. All you have to do is read literature saying that Song of Songs is about Jesus and not about sex to know what I am talking about. That being said, when I read the following text from Exodus, my mind could not help but be moved to an allegorical interpretation. So, while it is not a good interpretation of the text, it is a good lesson nonetheless. Sorry in advance for those who find me deplorable and a traitor to my education.


“If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned. The meat cannot be eaten but the owner of the ox is in the clear. But if the ox has a history of goring and the owner knew it and did nothing to guard against it, then if the ox kills a man or a woman, the ox is to be stoned and the owner given the death penalty. If a ransom is agreed upon instead of death, he must pay it in full as a redemption for his life.” Exodus 21:28-32

When I read it, I couldn’t help but see myself in that bit of law. No, I don’t own an ox, and have never seen an actual goring. But, replace “ox” with “sinful nature” and reread the text. I have committed sins against others (not murder, but that’s not the point). I know that I have a tendency to sin, but yet at times, my sinful nature wanders around unfettered and unabated, wreaking havoc wherever it goes. And the consequences of sin are clear—death. Death of both the sinful nature and my physical body is the sentence handed down.

But then a third party comes in to arrange a settlement. God intervenes and reaches a settlement on behalf of his people. Death, for me, the offender, is no longer the sentence. Death must still be paid out, but it is His Son that dies. And death must still come to the ox, my sinful nature, since it is the offender. All that discussion of “death to self” in the NT is not just talk. It is necessary to make the ransom binding. The sacrifice is not just on God’s part, but on ours as well. And the result—our redemption; our salvation. Praise be to God, who has paid our ransom!

In my never-ending battle to receive recognition, I have succumbed and gotten involved in another effort to pimp my blog. I doubt it will help me think clearer or more profoundly, but perhaps more people will read my drivel.

Passing the Buck

My background is in the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. No matter where I go, someone often has something bad to say about the Catholic Church, or specifically the pope. They can’t understand why one man makes decisions, dispenses theology, becomes “god” for the followers. And yet, it seems that the criticism of the Catholic Church might be better directed at the Christian Churches as well. No, there is no infallible Pope, but there are many church members that look to the Senior Minister for all of their spiritual growth and direction. At some point, we look not to God, but to man for answers to spiritual matters. But such a thing is nothing new. It has been happening since the Yahweh revealed Himself to the Israelites. From Exodus 20:18-21:

“All the people, experiencing the thunder and lightning, the trumpet blast and the smoking mountain, were afraid—they pulled back and stood at a distance. They said to Moses, 'You speak to us and we’ll listen, but don’t have God speak to us or we’ll die.'
Moses spoke to the people: 'Don’t be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you won’t sin.'
The people kept their distance while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.”

Now granted, the sight of God revealing Himself would have been unbelievable and scary. But one might think that the faith of those in attendance would be bolstered. Instead, it caused wavering on the part of the Israelites. They were invited into the presence of God to receive His Words, and they retreated. They didn’t want any part of God. “Don’t have God speak to us. You do it Moses.” And so, Moses went up and got the Law.

That wasn’t what God wanted. I don’t think He wanted to present His Law to them through a third party. He wanted to do it directly, face to face. As Moses said, this would cause awe in the people. Perhaps they would be less likely to sin if God Himself presented them His requirements. But they wanted no part of it, and Moses dutifully did his part, and in the end, the Israelites did not respond to God’s Law as He wanted.

And in our churches, I see members who don’t really want to be in the presence of God. Perhaps they are scared of what will happen, of what God will ask of them. Perhaps it is just easier to allow others to deal with God while they reap the benefits. Perhaps in their eyes, the work is not worth the reward.

I don’t know what keeps people from really interacting with and experiencing this amazing God. But when we rely on others to do all of the interacting with God, we miss the deep reverence and awe. We fail the test. And perhaps, we end up failing God by being more prone to sin.

Clean Clothes

One of my goals this year is to read through the Bible in its entirety. I have selected the Message Version to accomplish this goal. I have finished Genesis and half of Exodus, and have some thoughts I would like to share the next few days. The first is on worship.
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Imagine that you received a letter in the mail. The envelope is coated with shiny gold. The actual card inside is also coated with gold. It is simply an invitation, with the words:

“YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED
TO MEET WITH GOD IN 3 DAYS.
PROPER ATTIRE REQUIRED.
NO RSVP NEEDED. SIMPLY SHOW UP.”

Imagine what it would be like to actually meet with God. Imagine entering into the presence of the all-powerful God of the universe. What would you wear? How would you act? What preparations would you take beforehand? This was precisely what happened to the Israelites after they had left Egypt and were headed towards the Promised Land. From Exodus 19 in The Message Version:

“Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to the people. For the next two days get these people ready to meet Holy Yahweh. Have them scrub their clothes so that on the third day they’ll be fully prepared, because on the third day Yahweh will come down on Mount Sinai and make his presence known to all the people. Post boundaries for the people all around, telling them, ‘Warning! Don’t climb the mountain. Don’t even touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain dies—a certain death. And no one is to touch that person, he’s to be stoned. That’s right—stoned. Or shot with arrows, shot to death. Animal or man, whichever—put to death.’

On the third day at daybreak, there were loud claps of thunder, flashes of lightning, a thick cloud covering the mountain, and an ear-piercing trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp shuddered in fear. Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God. They stood at attention at the base of the mountain.”

Every time I read this passage I am struck by the preparations God required and then they took to meet with the Holy God. First, they scrubbed their clothes for 2 days to get rid of all the dirt they had accumulated on the trip thus far. Then they posted boundaries on where to go and where not to go. They also abstained from sexual relations (not listed in my condensed version above). And what was the result? They arrived in God’s presence and His full power was put on display before them. It caused the people to shudder with fear.

Here’s the point for me. Most people, myself included, just show up for the worship service. Perhaps we bathe and put on nicer clothes, but our attitudes have not been examined. The stain of sin has not been removed. Church turns into another appointment on the calendar or a routine to go through each week. It is not what the Israelites experienced. It is not truly basking in the presence of God. It is not a time that is full of awe, wonder, and maybe even a little fear when God shows up, if he does at all.

And I wonder, is it because we don’t make enough preparations? Do we spend time in repentance beforehand? Do we concentrate on the fact that we are entering into God’s throne room? Perhaps if we took a little more time before “church” getting our minds, souls, bodies, and spirits ready, and not just putting on clean clothes we might experience something amazing this week in worship. It might not be lightning and thunder, but God might show up in power, and knock our freshly cleaned socks right off.

Who is my Neighbor

I ran across the following statement in Thoughts for the Quiet Hour. This is from A.P Stanley. I have wanted to use it for a while, but have not found an occasion until now. It is of course based on the question posed to Jesus in Luke 10:29, “Who is my neighbor?”

“Who is your neighbor? It is the sufferer, wherever, whoever, whatsoever he be. Whenever you hear the cry of distress, wherever you see anyone brought across your path by the chances and changes of life whom it is in your power to help—he, stranger or enemy though he be—he is your neighbor.”

In light of the Tsunami in the Far East, such a quote takes on even more meaning. Couple this with a special I saw on ESPN about the many professional athletes that did contribute quite a bit of money and support.

MLB $1 Million
Michael Shumacher $10 Million (he lost his bodyguard in the tragedy)
Kevin Garnett $100,000
Tiger Woods $100,000
Ben Rothlesburger donated the Game Check of his first playoff game ($18,000)
Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, and Jalen Rose pledged $1000/point scored in a game
In total, $37 million were donated from the sporting community.

I look at these contributions and I don’t know what to think. Honorable? Yes. Desperately needed? Of course. Consistent? I don’t know. I look at Kobe Bryant and Jalen Rose, and I don’t think, “Humanitarian.” I don’t think, “One who loves his neighbor.” Am I being too hard on them? Perhaps. But they have a forum to send a message regularly, not just at times of crisis, and I think they fail regularly.

Are they Christians? I don’t know. But it teaches me about how I live my life, or at least how I should. It shouldn’t take tragedies to have us show love. It shouldn’t take the bombing of buildings to return us to God. It shouldn’t just be the big events in life that point us to God. God is in the little things. He is in the ignored coworker, classmate, and stranger. He is in anyone who you come across who is in need. Love is an ongoing action that cannot be confined to cataclysmic moments. Where there is suffering, little or small, there must be love to counter it. Where there is a neighbor, there must be compassion.

What? I can't hear you! The TV's too loud!

I know that I rant quite a bit here at my site. It was not intended to be such a blog. But I have to vent to someone, and quite frankly, my wife gets sick of it. So here goes another one.

I enjoy watching TV. There are quite a few shows that I am a big fan of (Lost, Alias). I also have a decent sound system to watch these shows with, though I have had to tone it down since the birth of Elijah. Loud noises hurt little ears. Now, for some reason, certain shows, in fact most shows make it difficult to hear the dialogue without turning the sound up a little bit. That is no problem, because the music, sound effects, and other noise don’t usually get too loud.


But then the commercials come, AND THE SOUND LEVEL INCREASES DRAMATICALLY. It is like I just walked into Grand Central Station. The volume level difference is incalculable. I have to have my finger ready on the remote or I can guarantee that a sleeping baby will be startled awake, not to mention the damage to my own ear drums. In addition, I get frustrated when a show has a dramatic moment followed by a loud commercial hawking their annoying product. Why are commercials so much louder than the shows? I suppose it has to do with advertising, but it is annoying nonetheless.

The same things happen when I switch stations. Imagine a sound scale. One channel is set at say, a 5 and then the next station a 3, and then a 7. Up and down the volume goes with no telling when it will stop or be set at the appropriate listening levels. Can somebody please level the volumes? If I can do it when recording a CD from MP3s with a $50 program, I have to believe that TV stations can do it too. I understand that volumes fluxuate depending on scenes in shows, but this fluxuation is intolerable. Or perhaps, someone could come up with a chip for a TV that helps with this. I set a range that I want the volume to be at, and no matter what the show or station I flip to, the TV automatically adjusts.

Until such improvements occur, I must remain vigilant on the remote control, careful to enjoy my entertainment at the appropriate levels.

Drug Problem in America

By reading the title of this post, you may have assumed that what would follow might focus on teenagers and marijuana, crack, crank, speed, etc. But no, I have noticed a new problem that plagues our culture. Prescription drugs are taking over America. Everywhere you look, there is a commercial advertising a drug, a pen or a pad of paper hawking that same drug, a program sponsored by a drug, or a racecar with the drug on the side of the car.


But with all these drugs and their advertisements, I don’t know what half of them cure. And the other half, well, they are for Erectile Dysfunction. If you were an alien visiting planet earth, you might think that the biggest medical problems facing our society were not Cancer, HIV, or Influenza, but an inability to perform sexually. Do we need 15 pills (whose names I can’t pronounce or remember other than Viagra) to cure such a “disease”? Are we having problems reproducing that this sort of research is top priority? I don’t think so. 6 Billion people can’t be wrong.

I suppose what bugs me most though, is the price of prescription medicine. If you don’t have insurance but have any sort of illness that requires medicine, be prepared to take out a loan. Perhaps the most appalling part involves deception by the pharmacies. They and the doctors get kick backs by the drug companies to pander particular pills. My wife (who used to work in a pharmacy) tells me that for the majority of prescription medicines, there is a generic brand that is stamped at the exact same plant as the name brand stuff, only without the name on it. And these generic pills are sold at a fraction of the cost. The only catch—you have to ask for them. So next time you get a script written from your doctor, ask the pharmacist about generic drugs.



I have never been a drug guy. I don’t take anything for headaches, muscle tightness, or anything else. I tend to think the body is made to heal itself, and with a little help from nature we will eventually get better. But our immediate satisfaction and gratification society will not stand for that.

Lately, with my back problems, they have prescribed anti-inflammatories which have not particularly worked. Actually, I took Celebrex, which they took off the market after the linked it to heart attacks and such. Another reason why I don’t take drugs. But there are times when people who have serious diseases need medicine, and can’t afford it. This is a travesty and a gross oversight mostly because of the drug companies and those people who pop a pill at the first sign of problems. But I didn’t here much of this discussed during the presidential election. After all, things can’t be so bad. Look at the happy people in the drug commercials. Obviously, everything is better with drugs.

Friends and the Church

I preached this past Sunday. Technically, the topic I was given was “friends” but I tweaked it and talked about the role of individual in the body of Christ. Here are some of the high points (devoid of my illustrations).

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The church is a group of friends who care about more than just knowing names, but who care about helping them in any way.

The church is a part of the kingdom of God. The kingdom is a place where people have value regardless of their inadequacies. The kingdom is a place where there is joy in the Lord. The kingdom is a place where there is love. And our hope is that such a place can be found, not just in heaven, but here on earth. It is a hope that keeps a firm grip on the promises of God. His promises keep us going even when we want to let go. We hold on to the promise that God is making us better people. We hold on to the promise that God is making the church a place that people want to be. His promises will keep us from just dropping the reigns. God is faithful. He has been faithful to this church in the past and will be in the future, if we hold on.

Though it is easy to love the loveable, how about those whom no one cares about? God calls us to love them even more. Jesus displayed this friendship wherever he went, accepting the outcasts, losers, prostitutes, sickly, and discarded people in his society. A victorious church is a friend to all, and prods one another forward with love.

And it may seem easy to give up on the church and on each other. We see it all the time. Why do people give up meeting together? Perhaps they leave the church when they get offended. Or, they have lost the hope of finding a place that they can be accepted. Or, maybe they don’t like what is going on. But when we focus on the big picture of the kingdom we can look past offenses. We can see the good that the church is doing and work to reform the bad. God has had the reason and the opportunity to give up on us but he hasn’t. He has been faithful and given us hope. And our response is to be faithful back to Him.

If you miss connecting to the body of Christ, you miss Christ. There is no healthy relationship with Jesus without a relationship to the church. Church is not a building with pews and an organ. The Church is you and the church is me. And if you think that you are doing church by coming once a week for an hour, you’re missing it. You’re missing the body of Christ. You’re missing a healthy relationship with Christ.

A living, breathing congregation is the only place to live in a healthy relationship to God. As Christians we are responsible to both be involved in such a congregation and make such a congregation victorious. If there's something wrong, we should look in ourselves and ask, “Am I being the kind of friend God desires?”

"Lord, I want to be the person You called me to be so Your church can be all You want it to be."

Consumer Vortex

I believe one of the greatest flaws in American society is the greed of our people, often seen in the commercialism. Everything has a retail angle to it. Such a mentality is epitomized in Gatlinburg, TN, the host of our annual teen convention.


If you have never been to Gatlinburg, let me tell you what you are missing. There is barely enough room to walk on the sidewalk. But don’t try to drive when there are big crowds, because it will take you forever. Restaurants, shops, novelty stores, cabins, cars and hotels are everywhere. The number of worthless stores that line the main street is astounding. The prices that are charged for necessities like food, water, and fudge make the depression inflation seem like a steal. And the things that nobody needs, well those are priced just right so that they seem reasonable to unwitting patrons.

I don’t understand why people from my church go there…for fun! I got angry just being near it. That is why at these conventions I tend to stay near my room. Take naps. Play poker. Steer clear of the commercialism vortex. Of course my kids love it, which is where I get the most frustrated. Here I spend a lot of time and energy trying to teach my kids not to be materialistic, and I am foiled by some lame hat shop that peddles the dumbest looking hats around. You know these kids won’t wear those hats again after this weekend. My archenemy is a town!

I suppose I can put up with it, because I know what it will be like going in. The town will not change. But, what I can’t put up with is the vortex taking over the convention. Why do I walk in and see all these booths with all this Christian crap? My kids don’t need to blow $15 on trucker hats that say “I only like Christian boys.” They sure as hell don’t need a John Deere hat that already has been cut to make it look more “authentic.” Then you go on to the stupid t-shirts that make fun of sinners, “Satan,” and more.

It all makes me sick to my stomach. But I suppose we make up for it by taking a collection up for the Tsunami victims and another collection to allow students to fill their “good deeds” quotient by going to Mexico for a week. I guess I just see mixed messages and don’t see how we can teach our kids to allow God to do amazing things in their lives while teaching them it is okay to waste the resources they have been given.

Dream Wild

Having just returned from our annual excursion to Gatlinburg, TN with around 3500 youth, I have a few observations and thoughts that I would like to share over the next couple of days. Some good. Some not so good.

The first thought stems from the theme: “Dream Wild.” I loved the theme. It was taken from Ephesians 3:20 in the Message Version: “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!” The goal was to empower these teenagers to take seriously their usefulness in God’s Kingdom. It was more than this sort of simplistic (and I would say erroneous) thinking that is spewed to students like, “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything,” or “If you try hard enough, you will succeed.” I am sorry, but that sort of thinking is wrong because it doesn’t take into account our human limitations. I will never play a professional sport, no matter how hard I train and work. I will never man a flight to the moon because I have bad eyesight.

But, when we talk about Kingdom matters, our limitations can be thrown to the wind, because we have supernatural aid. We can Dream Wild because we have a God who accompanies dreams with abilities. He causes the mumblers to be eloquent, the screechers to be singers, the lame to walk, the blind to see, the despondent to have hope, the outcast to be accepted, the loser to have purpose, and all of us to have a part in His wonderful Kingdom.

This sort of thinking is the gospel. It is good news to a depressed, pessimistic world full of hatred and bitterness. It is good news to me as I deal with roadblock after roadblock in my ministry. It is good news to those of you who have given up on the church, on your marriage, on your family, or on your life.

And so I ask, what is your wildest dream that only God can fulfill? What do you want to see happen if you could reshape your life?

Wild Weekend

I am leaving for the weekend, taking my youth group to the Tennessee Christian Teen Convention. Please be in prayer for me, not just because of a weekend with teenagers, but because my back is in seriously bad shape. I missed my church basketball game last night (Central Holston CC), and am probably out for the season. If I can’t walk well, I doubt basketball is going to happen. Possibly a bulging disc but we will wait and see. Thanks.

Coinage

I wrote this little essay probably 8 years ago, and I still believe it. I have changed some of the grammer and diction to make it more readable, but the main content remains the same. I still despise American Wastefulness.

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Do you remember the days when you could get a piece of gum for a nickel or a dime? Or, you could get a really great piece of candy for 25 cents or even a plastic miniature football helmet? These days, you might as well not enter into a Walmart with anything less than 50 cents if you want to come out with anything good. Or, how about the arcade? Before, it was standard—25 cents per game, and 25 cents to continue. Now, you need at least 50 cents to even turn on the game, sometimes even a dollar. Before, there was a need for pennies, and nickels, and dimes. Kids would save them up in the hopes of getting some trinket. But you can't buy anything anymore with some paltry coins, and paying with change gets you annoyed looks by the high school cashiers who have a hard enough time with simple x + y=z algebra that this counting the change may take all day.

I am personally sick and tired of filling up a huge bucket with useless pennies, nickels and dimes when all they are useful for is flicking at someone. Times have changed, and the coinage system is as relevant as the Grunge Era to the Millennial Generation. Most of the time coins end up on the carpets of floors and cars, only to be sucked up by the vacuum cleaner. Then they block the vacuum hoses, causing even more frustration. Let’s get rid of these annoying pocket noisemakers since they serve no purpose except raping the ground of its last few precious resources. We don’t use them enough to make them worth stamping, especially since their fate is only to be lost again. Maybe keep the quarters, but lets stop the madness and stop the change production.

This brings me to my next reform that goes hand in hand with the abolition of coins—get rid of lame pricing. Don't charge me 99 cents for a hamburger, then add on tax so that the grand total comes to $1.03. I understand the need for tax, but include it in the price. I will happily pay $1.00 and go on my way. This has to be a give and take system. If something costs 97 cents, round it up to a dollar. If it is $1.03, round it down. Get rid of the change, and standardize everything with bills (ideally produced from recycled paper). Make a 1/4 and 1/2 dollar bill. It may actually teach the Grand Theft Auto playing, OC watching, higher learning haters of America some sort of competence in basic math skills. Continuing to mass produce coins that are not used, just because this is the way we have always done things and because we like little heads of people in our pockets is ludicrous.

Technology is advancing, driving up the price of goods, so why can't the method of purchasing the goods also advance? So we lose the excitement of finding a shiny penny for good luck - well I'm sorry to break it to you, but finding a penny that is heads up will no more affect the outcome of your day than throwing salt over your shoulder, avoiding black cats, or shunning ladders. Let us move forward into the next phase of Capitalism, and cease senseless coin stamping and product pricing.

What God did for me in 2004:

First and foremost, he has continued to bless me despite my pessimism and waywardness.

He has sent me a healthy, perfect little baby that continues to grow and bring me joy each day.

He has allowed Carrie and I to be able to afford staying home with Elijah for the first 4 months of his life without worry of making the rent, putting food on the table, etc.

He helped me through one of the busiest times in my life—15 masters credit hours, a Thesis to write, and expanding church responsibilities.

He has caused the youth group I serve to grow and expand despite my inadequacies and failures.

He has put me in a place where I can use my talents and passions (preaching, teaching, praise) to serve the church.

He has given me a vision of the church and the kingdom and an accompanying passion to strive for it.

He has blessed me with a loving church that has embraced and adopted Elijah as one of their own, making the transition to both parenthood and stay at home fatherhood easier.

I am sure there is more, but these came to mind at first. I would love to hear what God has done for you in 2004. Little brings more glory to God than personal testimony.

New...

With a new year comes a new look for my blog. I hope you like it and that it is easy for you to read. I personally like the wider frames to type in. Speaking of new, here is what is on the horizon for the year 2005:

I will become a stay at home dad for my new son Elijah while my wife returns to teaching 5th grade. I relish the opportunity, but am wondering how I will be able to train him up and give him the necessary interaction while also trying to juggle my hectic youth ministry schedule and other duties at the church.

I am in the process of writing 2 dramatic worship services. One is based on the Lord's (Disciple's) prayer. The other is a Passion play using the Stations of the cross as vignettes. The dates for their debut are yet to be determined.

I am also going to seriously look into getting a lesson series published. I have a few to choose from, but think that the ones on the Beatitudes are best.

Finally I have purchased and begun to play the Tin Whistle, and hope to be as good as Brian Carter soon (This is of course a dream and will never happen on any instrument).

Tune in soon as I take stock of my past year a la Shannon's example. Hope the past year has treated you well and the next year allows for many opportunities for God to be praised and glorified.

A Christmas Story

I have a busy week getting ready to make the big trip to Alabama for Christmas with the whole family (brothers and sisters and those in-law along with the 3 nephews). So, I am posting a story that I wrote this year. It's sort of a different take on the Christmas Story. Let me know if you like it, think it stinks, think it could use something, etc. It is a little long, so, take your time. You can download it in Word format from my website (at the bottom)if you like along with a nice Christmas Greeting. Hope you enjoy.

The Innkeeper’s Indwelling Grace

Most of the people hate tax season. It serves as another reminder to the Israelites that they are a conquered people, forced to give allegiance and tribute back to Rome. The whole idea of forking over their hard earned money to some dictator just so he can line his pockets seems ludicrous. For the Israelites, the Roman promises of “Bread and Circuses” was merely taxation and entertainment at their expense. It is no surprise then, that the tax collectors are among the most hated in their society.

And in order to get ready for tax season and avoid imprisonment or further fines, they have to get their houses and finances in order. They have to take time off of work. They have to travel back to their homeland. They have to make reservations or impose upon some family member. And of course, they have to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. It is all such a big hassle for them.

But there are some beyond the tax collectors that love tax season. There are some that can’t wait for it to come. It doesn’t come all that often, but these people plan their whole schedules around it. You see, these people rake it in. They profit quite a bit from tax season. Take for example Sar. His name means “prince” but as an innkeeper in the lowly city of Bethlehem he is far from royalty. He is not much to look at. Not overly pretty. His face is covered by a brown beard with graying tips. Thin cheeks from years of scratching by can be seen under his facial covering. Teeth a greenish-yellow from years of smoking on a pipe occasionally appear behind his cracked lips. Despite his appearance though, he is decent with his hands. After all, he did convert his home into an inn after his farming took a turn for the worse. Sar may seem like an average Israelite, but unlike most Israelites, Sar looks forward to the tax season.

You see, the hotel business in Bethlehem is, to put it mildly, slow. Most times, he could expect one, maybe two guests a week. Most are on their way to Jerusalem but arrive in Bethlehem late at night. They decide to stop, not wanting to go the rest of the way and increase the risk of getting jumped and robbed. If it weren’t for its proximity to Jerusalem, it is doubtful that anyone would stop by. No, this town doesn’t get many visitors coming around. The King David Shrine and museum is about the only tourist attraction, and everyone knows that it probably isn’t authentic. I mean, they are trying to sell the actual pebble David used on Goliath for 25 shekels. That’s right, 25 shekels! Of course they have been selling these same pebbles since the Bronze Age, so one has to think the pebbles they pass off as real fool no one anymore.

No, there is nothing to do here in Bethlehem. Even the name of the town is not really exciting—“House of Bread.” Unless you are a baker or you really love grain products, they don’t have much to offer. No, the town basically just lives in the past, struggling to get by. And that is why people like Sar love tax season. With the influx of visitors he makes enough in one week to live on for a long time. People come from far and wide back to the homeland they have abandoned. They aren’t happy to make the trip, but the law is the law. So, when they come, Sar’s inn, “The House of Bed” sells out. And boy what a party do they have. He figures, the better time the people have, the more likely they will be to come back and not go to the competition. It seems to be working. He hasn’t had an empty room during tax season for many years. Everyone knows, if you want a room at The House of Bed, you better make your reservation early.

Well, almost everyone knew. This past tax season, a couple arrived in Bethlehem without a reservation. They stumbled into the inn late one night, probably 3:00 in the morning. The innkeeper woke with a start, angry that he was disturbed from his nice, warm, straw cot by the sound of their banging on the counter. This couple was a sight to behold. As the innkeeper wiped the sleep from his eyes, he took in the situation. Here, a somewhat poor man and a pregnant woman who was probably not his wife stood before him. Sar assumed that the child was illegitimate. Sar wanted to laugh at the situation if it weren’t so sad. Before him stood two of society’s outcasts who had made no plans ahead of time and yet expected to find a comfortable place to sleep and probably give birth.

This man who looked to be in his 40s was in bad shape. His beard was not neatly shaved, but grew up in tufts all around. His clothes were dusty. His eyes had dark circles about them. His hands were worn and calloused from manual labor. And his body was clearly worn out. Fortunately for him the counter was there to hold him up or he would have fallen over.

Strangely enough, he was with a pretty, much younger girl, though she too was looking quite weary. And for good reason. Her belly looked like it was about to pop. She had to be fully pregnant. Though her attractiveness and her pregnant body shape stood out, what really drew people to her was her eyes. Though her eyes looked tired and were red from what had to be many tears of pain, they were kind. Her eyes belied the pain of her circumstances with something that he had not seen in a long time.

Well, the man, after taking a short drink from his water pouch, hoarsely mumbled to the innkeeper, “Can we have a room?”

Sar laughed wryly, “Sure. It will only cost you 100 denarrii.”

The man’s eyes widened. “100 denarrii? That’s a third of the year’s wages. I can’t afford that!”

Sar shot back, “Well, that is what it will cost for me to kick one of my good paying customers out of their beds and into the streets. We’ve been booked solid for a year. You can’t just waltz in here at tax time and expect a room. And don’t expect to find a place anywhere in town, neither. You would think that 100 denarii is a steal compared to what some of these places will charge you.”

The man replied, “Do you not have anything for us? Look at my wife. She needs a room.”

“Are you kidding me?” the innkeeper sniggered. “I won’t have you disturbing the rest of my guests with her screaming and yelling. This is an inn, not a nursery. You’ll have to head south to Tekoa if you want a room.”

The man’s shoulders slumped even further down as he turned and looked at his wife. “Can you make it 10 more miles?” The woman, through a mouth clinched in pain smiled, and nodded.

As they were walking out the woman turned and gave a nod of appreciation to the innkeeper. It was then that he realized what was so mesmerizing about her. Her eyes and her whole demeanor were full of grace. Though he had treated them rudely and cruelly, she still had the grace to respond with affirmation.

Struck by such a response, he ran out and stopped them from leaving. “Wait, wait, wait. I don’t have a room. And I hate to even offer this to you, but you seem to be in dire straights. I have a cow stall just up the way there. It is shielded from the wind, there is plenty of hay in there, no one will bother you and you can scream as loud as you want maam.”

The man thanked him and the woman gave him a grateful smile as they slowly set off for much needed rest and shelter.

As the week went on, Sar was caught up in the activities of tax season. Being counted, figuring out the appropriate tribute to give to Herod, keeping his patrons happy—he almost forgot about that couple out in the stall. That is until they came to check out—the man, his wife, and their new baby boy. Though still tired, they had a light about them that could not be quenched. The man set his money pouch on the counter and asked, “How much do we owe you?”

Sar was speechless as he looked at the bundle in the woman’s arms. That little baby had the same aura about him that his mother did. In response, all he could mumble out was, “No charge.”

The man replied, “Thank you for all you have done for us. May the grace of Yahweh rest upon you. Shalom.” He left a denarii on the counter and walked out. His wife followed with that same warm smile upon her face as she looked down upon her newborn son and murmured to him, “It’s time to go Yeshua.”

It took the innkeeper about 5 minutes to regain his breath. He was struck by this strange family. How could they seem so content in their awful circumstances? They had little money, she was an embarrassment to her family and community, the child would probably be labeled a bastard, and they could well have died making this trip. Yet, here they were, unable to mouth a disparaging word.

All he could think of was a Scripture from his days at the synagogue:
“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Yes, peace and grace in the midst of turmoil. This family possessed such qualities and carried them around for all to see as though they were a bundled up child.

The words of the man reverberated in his ears: “May the grace of Yahweh rest upon you.” Somehow, Sar felt like it already had.

The Death of Christmas

It’s official—Christmas has been ruined for me. The joy of gift giving, and lights, and all that crap has been turned to deep cynicism. I get irritable, angry, and downright hostile during this season. Many reasons could be identified, but the straw that broke my back came from television.

I have always enjoyed songs of the season—classically done Christmas songs (you can refer to my post on Christmas specials for more on that). But here I am, enjoying a show on TV, and I am bombarded by ridiculous renditions of these songs. I am sorry, but a punk version of “Joy to the World” is not an improvement.

But there is always something worse, like taking a Christmas Jingle to hawk your crappy product. Yes, I am talking to you OLD NAVY!!!
You can’t make leg warmers more appealing just because you change the words to “Jingle Bells.” Though I have never purchased anything from Old Navy, I have begun a personal boycott that I will NEVER buy anything. Their normal commercials piss me off. But this latest travesty is intolerable. I don’t intend to bring down this corporate giant. I don’t expect anyone to join me. I just want to sleep at night knowing that I don’t support such blatant disregard for anything sacred just to sell some more worthless crap probably made by oppressed Taiwanese children. Nobody needs your products. I sure don’t want any of them. And I don’t appreciate you ruining Christmas for me. Bah Humbug!

Desperate Indeed

ABC, in my opinion, is destroying the competition with the lineup the have at night. Most people have heard and watched enthralled as “LOST” has captured the attention of the viewing public. But I have taken notice of a different show. “Desperate Housewives” has gotten rave reviews by critics and shocked responses by conservatives. Here is a show about lustful mothers and wives, wayward teenagers, suicide, divorced families, cheating spouses, etc. And on the surface, there is a lot of vice that is put out there for the world to see. But I do not see that vice is being glorified and projected as normative. Rather, these women struggle to make it through the day and the pressures of life. And often, they fail. They succumb to temptation. They are forced to lie and cheat to cover up their past sins. And they enter into a downward spiral that seems to have no end. But somehow, some way, they get relief. They have friends that support them. The last two shows have ended with Jerry Springer Final Word moments that have really impressed me. Listen to what the mother who committed suicide yet still provides a dialogue from beyond the grave says:

“There is a widely read book that tells us that everyone is a sinner. Of course, not everyone who reads this book feels guilt over the bad things they do. In contrast there are those that assume more than their share of the blame. There are others who soothe their consciences with small acts of kindness or by telling themselves their sins were justified. Finally there are the ones that vow to do better next time and pray for forgiveness.”

“People are complicated creatures. On the one hand able to perform great acts of charity. On the other…capable of the most underhanded forms of betrayal. It’s a constant battle that rages within all of us. Between the better angels of our nature, and the temptation of our inner demons. And sometimes, the only way to ward off the darkness is to shine the light of compassion.”

That is some deep stuff, even if it is from a show that is popular probably due to the overabundance of attractive actresses. I am interested to see where this all leads. Will they be forced to endure the consequences of their actions? Will they receive grace? Will their past transgressions be covered up and ignored, sending a message to the viewer that you can do whatever you want as long as you don’t get caught? I don’t know.

But in the midst of this story resides a spiritual element that cannot be overlooked. The women are desperate for more than just sex. They are desperate for stability, salvation, and compassion. And in the end, I believe they reflect more of humanity than we like to admit or are comfortable with. But the needs are there, and the "light of compassion" has already come.

Spiderwoman

When I was growing up, I collected comics, mainly Punisher and Spiderman. So, when the Spiderman movies came out, I was interested. I saw the first one, and it was decent. But then I saw Spiderman 2, and I have to say…IT BLEW!!! It was one of those movies that you thought would never end, but you had already wasted too much time not to finish it out. The following are the reasons why I encourage you not to watch Spiderman 2:

Having grown up on the comic, I know that there is a relational element to the story. Peter was always dealing with Mary Jane, her relationship with him and Flash Gordon, his relationship with Aunt May. And though such relationships play into the storyline of the comic book and the Peter’s actions, in the end the story is mostly about a super hero. Well, not so in the second movie. Probably 90% of the movie was relational drivel. Most of the dialogue was as follows:

Mary Jane: “Peter, I just don’t get you.”
Peter: “I’m sorry” (Just tell her)
MJ: “Don’t you see that I love you?”
PP: “I…don’t love you” (Just tell her)
MJ: “You don’t love me?”
PP: “No.” (What are you doing?)
MJ: “I don’t understand you.”

At which point some cataclysmic event happens to break up this wonderful exchange. The worst part is that this seems to happen the entire movie!! Oh, the drama. I’m sorry, but I deal with teenagers all the time, and when I watch a movie I want to get away from reality, especially when I am watching a movie about a superhero. Enough is enough. We know your life is hard Peter. Get over it and fight some crime.

Anyway, there were some redeeming qualities in the movie. Aunt May’s speech on what a real hero is was great. She said that there is a little hero inside all of us, and what really distinguishes a hero is that s/he is able to sacrifice their own ambitions to help others (a paraphrase). Quality stuff. Also, the animation was great. It didn’t look overly cartoony, but attempted to maintain the semblance of actual filming.

So, you are welcome to disagree with me about the quality of the movie. But, if it were up to me, save your money for “Electra.”


PS - If you want to download a Spiderman Template for your blog, go here: http://spiderman.sonypictures.com/bugle/weblogs/downloads.php

Charity Work

I am taking the day off of my blog, but I am working nonetheless. I am doing some pro-bono work for my friend Fabian's Guest Blogger Week. I submitted an article about American Arrogance that you can read (when he posts it) at www.fabiansworld.blogspot.com. So, go support his bizarre blog.

Survivor Strategy

I will admit to the world, on this blog today, that I watch Survivor. I give many reasons for why—I like taking in the beautiful settings, I get ideas for youth group from the challenges, I get caught up in the drama and intrigue, or I just like seeing if I can guess who will be voted off. But, mostly, I like thinking of how I would play or act or react in certain of the same situations.

Lat night Chris one by both lying and acting like he was everyone’s #1 guy. It was unbelievable to see how this guy, who was up against 6 women who all at the outset wanted only women in the final, could get them to turn on each other and eventually they consumed each other. This left him to stand alone when the dust settled.

Anyway, it got me to thinking: “If I were on Survivor, how would I play?” Every time they flashed my picture and my name, right under it would read “Minister.” My ideology, conduct, and relationship with Christ would be on center stage for all to see. Would I be caught up in the game—the backbiting, the lying, the slander, etc.? Because seemingly, that is how the game is played and won. Or would I have integrity and be sent home the first night?

Well, what follows would be the strategy that I would start the game with. It may work. It probably would not.

I would change the mantra of the game from “Outwit, Outlast, Outplay” to “Outwork, Outlove, Outpatience.” These are not just glib phrases to sell Christian T-shirts, but qualities I desire and would have to work on.

There would be no treaties or alliances for me. If I happened to agree with others who were voting a certain way, then so be it. I would cherish friendships, not agreements.

I would seek to develop true relationships with the people. Can you imagine the first night sitting around an unlit campfire and doing boundary breakers? I think it would be awesome!

I would be careful to listen before reacting or speaking. Too many of the players refuse to actually listen. I am guarded anyway, so I think this would be my best play.

When it came to voting, I would use the following criteria:
1) Did the person in question mess up a challenge for the team (performance)?
2) Does what the person brings to the team outweigh what s/he detracts from it (cohesiveness)?
3) Is the person in question divisive (unity)?
4) Are there real opportunities to be Christ to this person down the road (witness)?

And when I decided on a person, I think I would tell them before the vote. Not in a mean vindictive way, but tell them what I was thinking. That would probably come back and bite me, but you never know. And when there was a problem among the team, I would look to be a peacemaker instead of resolving it with gossip and power plays. I would use encouragement rather than guilt or condescension.

I think that this way of playing has a chance, because if you get people to really trust you, and if you invest in them they will want to keep you around. Of course, like the Kingdom, this is an ideal. And, I will probably never audition to be on a Survivor, but you never know.

The Post -Modern Church

I read an article in Christianity Today that really fleshed out some of my observations about and dissatisfactions with the current church. You are welcome to read it in its entirety here But the comparison of the worldview of Evangelicals (which I equate with Modernity) with that of the Emerging church (Post-modern) is very eye opening. So, let me summarize the two views first, and then make some observations.

Evangelical Worldview

Fundamentally, the Evangelical Model is concerned with getting yourself “saved” or improving your life. The Christian life first focuses about you and your needs. Once your needs are met, then you think about how you can serve the church. Then, if there is anything left over, you ask how the church might serve the world.

“One of the greatest enemies of evangelism is the church as fortress or social club. It sucks Christians out of their neighborhoods, clubs, workplaces, schools, and other social networks and isolates them in a religious ghetto. There it must entertain them (through many means, many masquerading as education) and hold them (through various means, many of them epitomized by the words guiltfear). and This Christians are warehoused as merchandise for heaven, kept safe in a protected space to prevent spillage, leakage, damage or loss until their delivery.”

The Emerging Church Worldview

In this view the gospel and evangelism is not primarily informational but relational/missional. That is, imparting information about how to be individually saved is secondary to inviting people into relationship with a King and with members of a Kingdom whose foremost concern is wholeness for a broken world, rather than an insurance policy for eternal destiny.

It’s not about the church meeting your needs. It’s about you joining the mission of God’s people to meet the world’s needs.

When it comes to Salvation and Election, it is not about who gets to heaven; it is about who God chooses to be part of His crisis-response team to bring healing to the world. The gospel starts with God’s concern for the world (“For God so loved the world that He sent His Son”), in which God creates a community called the church, comprised of persons who stop (repent of) being ‘part of the problem’ and choose instead to join God as ‘part of the solution’—thus simultaneously entering a mission and a community in which one is accepted by grace, through faith in Jesus. Church is not a place one attends but a community to which one belongs. The church is God’s people chosen to demonstrate that love to the world.

I suppose what intrigues me is the shift of focus from self to the world. As a minister, if the world is my focus, I will refuse to limit the focal point of my preaching and teaching to the "needs" of saved and elect insiders, but instead keep the cries of the least, the last, and the lost alive in the ears of the “insiders.” Songs too have a different tone to them. Instead of thinking of how I am in a great relationship with God, we should sing songs of justice and compassion, of mission and hope, of the glory of a God who loves, not just me, but the whole world. In so doing, sermons and songs concentrate not on a self-centered gospel but on a world-blessing gospel. This concentration reminds me of God’s covenant with Abraham. It is not just blessings for Abraham for his benefit, but so that he and his descendants can return the blessing to the whole world.

And though many might agree with this sort of church, how we go about “reforming” our churches is often skewed. If we are a self-centered church in America, it is because our programs and theologies are perfectly designed to produce such a church. It has been said that the greatest obstacle to the coming of the kingdom of God is the church, preoccupied with her own existence. I am not saying we should do away with the church, but the Kingdom is bigger than the church. And until bringing healing and restoration to the world takes prominence over our own selfish preoccupation, the Kingdom will remain an ideal.

‘Tis the Season

You may call me a scrooge, but I can’t stand Christmas much anymore. Maybe it is the commercialism combined with my cynicism. Or maybe I need a visit for Christmas past, present, and future. Whatever the case is, I can guarantee that I am not going to get into the “holiday spirit” based on the crappy Christmas specials that are out there.

I remember when Christmas was marked by Christmas specials that were of high quality. They involved orchestras and singers of renown ushering in the season with classic renditions of old Christmas favorites. But those such memories are all in the past, and I wonder if they will ever become present events again.
Let me just rattle off a few of the highly touted Christmas specials:

A Nick and Jessica Christmas
An American Idol Christmas featuring Rueben, Anastasia, and that first chick we forgot about
Dr. Phil’s Christmas featuring Vanessa Williams and JOJO
And last, but certainly not least, An intimate evening of Christmas merriment with Clay Akins

I’ll tell you what, nothing says “Christmas spirit” like JOJO and American Idol. I am so sick of these people getting Christmas specials just because they are famous, and then proceeding to butcher classic songs. So I propose the following stipulations that one must meet in order to garner one’s own Christmas special:

• You have never competed on American Idol
• You have had a career (that consists of doing music more than 10 years and putting out more than 3 albums, none of which are a “Best of”
• You are world renown for actually being able to sing well, not just picked by American idiots (I suppose that is similar to #1, but applies to the Billboard Top 40 as well)
• You promise not to butcher the songs by doing awful renditions including numerous “runs” up and down the scale just to prove that you can hit notes

Though not comprehensive, I think it is a good start. You are welcome to add your own stipulations to the list. Hopefully, if followed, we can put the “mas” back in “Christmas.”

Another Christian Christmas

Now I know you are all looking for that last minute Christmas gift for loved ones. And for those of you who are buying for Christians, perhaps you feel obligated to buy a “religious” sort of gift to keep up your standing in the community.


Well look no further. I have found the perfect gift—a new Bible. No doubt many of you are saying, “How unoriginal.” But you haven’t seen this Bible. Nothing says, “I have been sucked into the vortex of Christian commercialism” like an Alligator skin covered Bible. That’s right, you read correctly. Just take a look at the picture. But the best part is the advertisement that goes with it:

“Because its more than just another book. He reads it everyday. He takes it on every trip. He will not part with it easily…he needs a Bible as enduring as the Word it contains.”

God knows I would take extra special care of His Word if it were wrapped in faux alligator skin. So don’t fret this Christmas. Let your gifts reflect your level of spirituality. Then others can boast, like you do, that they really take their Bible seriously.

PS - any other jank Christian Christmas gifts of interest are welcome to be posted here.

#^%^@$$&^$%@#

I just don’t get it. I don’t get what is acceptable and what is unacceptable for TV, especially cable TV. The more I watch different channels, different shows, and different genres, I got more and more frustrated and confused. Let me give you a few examples.

I was watching the best of Eminem on MTV2, and his song, “The Real Slim Shady” comes on. You know the one: “Will the real slim shady please stand up; please stand up; please stand up.” And as it goes on they mute out various words, but then they mute the word “clitoris.” Last I checked, “clitoris” was a technical, medical term, and not crude slang. The same thing goes for “penis” (though I can’t think of examples currently).

Then, I am watching the movie “Showtime” with Eddie Murphy and Robert De Niro on TBS. He says “Bullshit” probably 3 times in the first hour. I have also heard “asshole” used on cable TV. Now last I checked, those were slang and pretty much unacceptable by FCC standards. Yet, these stations had no problem airing them. Also, I hear songs that use the phrase “God damn” but God is muted while damn rings out.

Let me say, I don’t have a problem with censoring or not censoring these words. I will admit that I am desensitized to them at this point. I But what I do have a problem with is the hypocrisy of another government agency. They came down so hard on CBS for the Janet Jackson incident. They kick Howard Stern off the air for his words and antics. Yet these other things go along unchallenged.



Just be consistent. Either go for clean air, and take out the “swear words” or let them all go. And don’t go editing out real words while leaving in slang. It makes no sense! If someone can explain why there are different standards and why some things are allowed and ignored while others are so stringently regulated, I am listening. Oh well, I guess if I just watch PAX all the time I have nothing to worry about.

Free iPods for everyone!!

I know we have all gotten various emails, claiming free stuff if only we do something – forward an email, subscribe to something, etc. And those have turned out to be hoaxes or pyramid schemes—I for one never got my Outback gift certificate or my $100 from Microsoft. And, I have mocked and ridiculed those that believed they would receive such freebies for doing nothing. But, something has come across my inbox that cannot be ignored.

I was watching my normal geek show, “The Screen Savers” on TechTV. The 2 hosts both decided to see if they could get free iPods based on an add they saw. So, they tried it. Sure enough, one got his free iPod a month later, and the other 2 months later. Here’s basically how it works. You go to the site using the link I provide, sign up for a service, get 5 people to sign up for a service, and you get a free iPod of your choice. I know what you are thinking: “Sign up for a service. Sounds like a scam.” Granted, that is how the people make their money. But, the services are actually pretty good. If you have ever used NexFlix (an online DVD rental) they have a similar service through Blockbuster that you can try for next to nothing. I personally got the Video Professor’s CDs about Photoshop. It cost my $6.95 for shipping. I returned 1 of the 3 CDs within 10 days. I keep the other 2 and have fulfilled my obligation. So, to say that the iPod is free may be overstating it. But a $250 iPod for $7 is pretty dang good. Plus I got the tutorials.



Anyway, all this is to say, I would love for you to help me get an iPod by enrolling yourself. Just follow the link below to get started. Let me know if you plan on getting on board. Then others can be your enrollees so you too can get a free iPod. Thanks for your time. Let me know if you have any questions. You are welcome to check it out for yourself at www.freeipods.com. But if you decide to do it, use the link below so I get the hookup.


Get your free iPod!!!