Free at Last - Point 2

But in order to really accept our new life, we have to also understand that we are Forgiven in Christ—Free from Guilt (vs. 13-15):

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Most people like an underdog. We like seeing the losers win occasionally. Nothing illustrates this more clearly than the Boston Red Sox. They were losers for so long. They couldn’t overcome the Yankees. I mean, think about all those years of failure. All those years of defeat. But when they actually won it all, the amount of revelry was unbelievable. They were celebrating their victory. They had parades where millions turned out to celebrate with them. They were celebrating their present and their future. The past was forgotten. And if it was brought up, it was to show how far they had come.

That is the very picture that Paul lays out. We were the Red Sox. We constantly lost. We could never beat our rival—sin. But then Christ came, and the championship was and is ours. He cancelled the written code that stood opposite us. He took our past history, and nailed it to the cross. All our failures are gone. There is no need to bring them up. As the classic by Queen states, “We are the champions, my friends. No time for losers cause we are the Champions...of the world.”
Right? We are the champions. We even have a parade. Paul says that Christ made a public spectacle of them. That references a Roman General when he would enter the city in triumph after a great victory. In such a parade, the Prisoners of War would be displayed as part of the procession. When Paul says that Jesus “disarmed” the powers and authorities, it has the connotation of discarding the enemy like a raggedy garment that you just throw away.

We can’t celebrate true freedom if we carry around those sins with us like a nasty old garment that just needs to be thrown away. Jesus is leading a parade that is celebrating God’s grace. We’ve been forgiven. The past is null and void. The guilt of our sins has been nailed to the cross. We are living a new, free life, no longer slaves to sin. People can bring up your past all they want. They can talk about what a hypocrite you are. How they know the real you and what you used to do. But they don’t understand that you are the current reigning Champion. All that failure before doesn’t matter. You have won because of Christ.

Free at Last - Point 1

I think our passage gives 3 ways we can truly be free in Christ—how we can truly be free at last. The first step is to return to the basics. Paul tells us to be Founded on Christ—Free from Philosophies:

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

Paul has in mind a specific worldview when he writes this passage. The people of that day viewed the world as though it consisted of falling atoms. These atoms are very structured, precise, and easy to follow. Unfortunately, what happens is “the swerve.” These atoms sometimes veer off course, and if the hit you, it is bad news. It is very similar to astrologers who look to the stars for guidance. So what do you do to avoid the collisions? Well avoid pain of course. Seek only pleasure. Don’t worry about serving a god or gods. Get rid of any and all agitation in life or things that could lead to any stress.

Popular culture is telling us what we need or don’t need to have a good life—wealth, happiness, a fit body, a certain stance on issues. They try to align the stars in their favor at every chance, hoping to avoid any sort of bad times. But you don’t need to figure out your astrological sign and outlook. You don’t need to get good karma. You don’t need to get your yin and yang straight. Instead, Paul gives us different advice when it comes to living in this crazy world. He says “Be rooted and built up in Christ, not in the traditions and philosophies of man.” It’s that simple he says—be founded on Christ. And he goes on: “The most important thing you need to know is that you have put to death your sinful nature and have been raised a new person in Christ. All the extras that people try to put on aren’t important.” For the Gentiles of that day, the Jewish Christians were encouraging circumcision as a sign of their faith. They sounded intelligent and knowledgeable. We see the same today. Studies come out and professionals tell us how to live. And that sound like they know what they are talking about. After all, she has a degree in psychology, I guess she must be right. But Paul is clear: watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions and practices.

But Paul says such things aren’t necessary. All we need to know is found in verse 12: we’ve been buried and raised again through faith. Our sign of life is our baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit. That’s it. We don’t have to be in alignment with the stars. We don’t have to buy into these philosophies that crop up. We just need to be rooted and founded on Christ. Then we will be free from the newest fad or philosophy that comes along.

Free at Last - Introduction

I preached yesturday. This week will contain the points of my sermon. Hope you enjoy.

Free at Last—Colossians 2:6-23

Most of our houses have rules that are laid down from the outset. No running or playing with the ball inside. Brush your teeth after meals. Use a coaster. Be home by 11:00. Call me if you go somewhere. No friends over when we aren’t home. Don’t play in the street. Eat your vegetables. Pick up after yourself. The list goes on and on. All these rules are intended for some purpose—to keep you safe, out of trouble, help you grow, etc. But parents usually don’t convey that information. When asked “Why?” what is the response? “Because I said so!” Not very convincing, even with the paddle in hand.

Some houses are stricter than others. Some houses feel like a prison with all the rules and the things that are not allowed. Of course, most teenagers always feel like they are living in a prison, regardless of how lenient the home may be. They long to break free from these arbitrary rules that really don’t make sense and live with freedom. And at some point, parents have to let them go. Well, at least they are supposed to.

When I go to my parent’s house, I often feel like I have been transported back to high school. They want to know where I am going; when I’ll be back; and it better be by 11:00. Okay, I am a grown man. I don’t need my parents telling me when to be home. Though the rules may have had their place in the past, it is time for them to let go and let me live free. They don’t make sense any longer. These rules that at one time helped keep me from harm are now making me feel like a prisoner—locked up for life with no hope of parole.

Sometimes the Christian life can feel the same way. When we are young Christians, just learning the way, it is good to have structure before we are thrown to the wolves. But when we become more concerned about keeping rules than living free in Christ, we are like a 40 year old with a curfew—destined for frustration.

Jesus is greater than the Temple

"At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”
He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:1-8.


Jews also had expectations of what should and should not happen. And what if I told you that Jesus was a bad Jew. He was looked down upon, judged to be a big sinner, and ostracized because he didn’t follow the Jewish religion to the letter. There is a little document called the Talmud. It basically expands the laws and clearly lays out how people are supposed to be good Jews. One aspect is the way in which they celebrate the Sabbath day. No work is supposed to be done. I mean none. They were not allowed to walk more than a mile. They were not allowed to prepare food. That was to be done ahead of time. They were not allowed to light a fire in their homes, but could keep a previously lit fire burning.

So, when the disciples were gathering food on the Sabbath instead of eating already prepared food, they were not practicing Judaism correctly. So the Pharisees let them have it. But Jesus isn’t impressed. He told them they were full of it. He gave an example of David and his companions doing something even worse. They entered into the temple and took the special bread. That is what happens when religion takes over. We loose the ability to be free in Christ. We care more about the ritual than the relationship. The Pharisees didn’t care if the disciples were hungry; they wanted to make sure that their traditions weren’t broken. Their traditions weren’t even from the Bible. They were made up. And many of ours are the same.

We all do things without thinking about it. We drive to familiar places and don’t remember how we got there. We do things without really considering the impact. In the same way, we think that doing a few ritual type things is what makes one a Christian. But that is dead wrong. God doesn’t care a whole lot about the rituals if the rituals aren’t being done to draw close to Him. That I what Jesus means when he says, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” It is what Jesus means when he says that He is greater than the temple. A relationship is greater than a religion. God desires a heart that longs after Him, not that just goes through the motions and actions that are expected. God wants a relationship with you, not your religion. If our religions they aren’t done to cultivate a relationship with God, then why are we doing them?

You can spend the rest of your life living a religion—going to church, singing songs, taking communion, offering up halfhearted prayers. But if you are just going through the motions, without any goal of drawing close to God, you are missing out. You are just doing busywork. God desires a vibrant relationship with you. He wants to provide you with a life-transforming, destiny-changing experience. It results in a definite commitment to the crucified and risen Savior, which establishes an ongoing personal relationship between a forgiven sinner and a gracious God. Rituals may help that relationship. But when the fulfilling the rituals becomes the end instead of the relationship, we turn into a bunch of emotionless followers who are aimlessly driving around with no clue how we got there.

Anger Management - Part 2

This is the second part that discusses dealing with pent up anger and frustration that arises from minsitry. Yesturday I was mistaken in the author. It is actually Ed Rowell who is a teaching pastor at The People's Church in Franklin, Tennessee.

Unresolved anger is a spiritual problem that won't get better without a spiritual solution.

Discover why I need to be busy all the time. When I overbook my life, I get stressed. When I get stressed, I get insomnia. When I get insomnia, I get cranky. "So why not just work fewer hours?" some uninformed person might ask. Because I have to, that's why. Why? Because most days I enjoy the work of ministry. Because my staff colleagues are counting on me to help lead our church toward a preferable future. Because there's a whole lost world depending on me to save them. And because there are voices from my past, telling me "You're lazy," or "You'll never amount to anything."

Anger is a byproduct of a life with skewed priorities. Jesus modeled for us a rhythm of periodically retreating from both people and process long enough to recharge. In Mark 6:31, Jesus said to his weary disciples, "Come with me by yourself to a quiet place and get some rest."

Practice what you preach about community. Give more than lip service to the necessity of community. Change happens when we allow others into our lives. We could whine all day about the difficulties of building trustworthy friendships with our parishioners. There are some people either in your church or in your community who are willing to like you in spite of your vocation. As hard as it may be to connect with others, we'll never get our anger under control alone. I can choose to seethe in solitude or to change in community.

Give up the occupation of people pleasing. A friend recently experienced in his ministry a rebirth of sorts. When I asked what had happened, he responded, "After a dozen years in ministry, I discovered it wasn't my job to make or keep people happy." Pursuing purpose instead of popularity allows me to keep focused in spite of criticism. If people don't like me, it makes me sad (after all, what's not to like?), but it no longer angers me. As long as my life is invested in pleasing God, as long as the ones who know me best love me most, I can deal with rejection from the masses.

Let go of unresolved hurts. Forgiveness is the harder road, and one that must be taken intentionally. Living our lives on cruise control will only take us down the Interstate of bitterness. I must consciously forgive even the slightest of slights if I am to maintain good emotional health.

Once I accepted the problem as my own, that put me in control to do something about it. As I enter the middle years of this race called ministry, I struggle to throw off some ugly souvenirs of anger I picked up along the way. I'm more committed than ever to finishing this race with my faith, character, and family intact. I refuse to allow anger to rob me of experiencing joy along the way. And I reject the notion that change is too hard, or that it's optional. With the help of my small group, my family, and the Holy Spirit who resides within me, I'm hopeful that I'll finish the race having set aside the anger that has hindered me thus far.

Anger Management - Part 1

An article about anger was emailed to me from a friend of mine. It is written by Jim Wetterau out of Raleigh, North Carolina. Whether you are in the paid ministry or minister in your church, often with the opposition of people, I think you will find this article insightful about the anger that builds. It is called, "Why am I angrier than I used to be?" I have edited it for length. The first part is aobut identifying the problem. The next will be about the possible solutions. Hope you enjoy.

The anger complex
All agree ministry is more complex than we ever bargained for. People's lives are more broken than even ten or fifteen years ago. The personal cost of doing ministry is higher than anyone ever dared tell us. Petty issues that once would have received only a fleeting thought now get under our skins where they fester. Imaginary conversations with the objects of our anger get nasty or even violent. But the reasons for a growing anger go far beyond these realities.

More responsibility, less support. We feel this awesome responsibility to transform a world increasingly hostile to the gospel, yet the people who are supposed to help us become the very obstacles we must overcome to reach that world. People with a casual or insulated faith and the incipient universalism of our day frustrate anyone called to do the work of an evangelist. We stand alone against the world, and the world appears to be winning by a big margin.

Accumulation of petty anger. Every day we ingest minute amounts of conflict and disrespect. No big deal, we think. Just blow it off. But we don't. Instead it gets buried in our liver and 20 years later, we go ballistic over some kid skateboarding in the parking lot and wonder, Where did that come from?

Midlife realizations. "Midlife is when the skepticism of youth collides with the cynicism of old age." By the time a pastor gets enough experience to be wise, he or she has also picked up enough battle wounds to be angry. Most of us never attain some unspoken goals. Perhaps it's the expectation of a comfortable income, or the dream of a particular size or style of church. The invitations from book publishers and conference planners still aren't coming, and the seminary still hasn't honored us as alumnus of the millennium.

Coming to terms with unrealized hopes is part of our maturation process. Often, when we scuttle our dreams, God gives us a better one.

Luck is...luck

“Everybody’s dealt a hand. Tiger Woods looked at his hand and said, ‘Cool. I can hit a golf ball 400 yards.’ Someone else said, ‘Darn I’m only ever going to be 4’11”.’ And somebody else said, ‘I can’t believe I’m to going to be hit by a bus on my 21st birthday.’ Luck. Luck is luck, its…All that you can do is keep going.” --Scene from “Ed”

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. --John 9:1-3

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” --James 1:17

“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.” --Psalm 150:6

Life’s not perfect. We don’t understand why some are blessed in certain ways, and others seem cursed. The combination of the will of God, living in a fallen world, and the unexplainable blessings that come from above lead us to see God in the light of one who overcomes the evils of the world with his love and grace. If something good happens, it is from God. If not, it is a consequence of sin, which God can still redeem. And our response is simple—we should keep going and praise him.

Whose side are you on?

And then this, while Joshua was there near Jericho: He looked up and saw right in front of him a man standing, holding his drawn sword. Joshua stepped up to him and said, “Whose side are you on—ours or our enemies’?”
He said, “Neither. I’m commander of GOD’s army. I’ve just arrived.” Joshua fell, face to the ground, and worshiped. He asked, “What orders does my Master have for his servant?”
GOD’s army commander ordered Joshua, “Take your sandals off your feet. The place you are standing is holy.” Joshua did it. (Joshua 5:13-15 MSG)

In God we trust. God bless America. God please help our team win the game.

Every time I hear these sorts of statements, I cringe. We speak and live as though God plays favorites. We think God is concerned about the outcome of some mundane sporting event. We assume that since America was founded on “Christian morals” that God has more concern for us than other nations. We think that God’s blessings on America should come no matter what. After all, we are far superior than the other heathen nations.

This same arrogance existed among the Israelites. They had assumptions about God’s presence in their lives and actions. But Joshua’s encounter with this spiritual soldier caught my attention. One would think that Joshua’s question, “Whose side are you on?” would emit a response of, “Yours. Go. Be victorious. We will be with you.” But it wasn’t. The Commander said he wasn’t on a side. He wasn’t overly concerned about the battle that was about to take place. Even when Joshua pressed him for a word from Yahweh, the soldier didn’t give Joshua any marching orders or even a word of encouragement. He gave him the same word that Yahweh gave Moses—“Holy ground requires holy action.”

Instead, he cared more about holiness than victory. His concern was making sure that Joshua was approaching God properly. Here in the midst of this pivotal battle with one of the most fortified cities in the Promised Land, Yahweh seemingly had other things on his mind. Maybe I am stretching this but here is what I learn about God:

God is not a national God. He is not on the side of countries. There are not pagans versus the chosen ones.
God is the God of goodness. He is on the side of whoever is right. He is also concerned about how we come before Him and how we treat one another more than he cares who wins a game, which country is the most affluent, etc.

Our prayers and wishes should change. Asking for blessings is not necessarily bad. But asking that we are holy and pleasing before God in everything we do is what should drive our prayers and our actions, not some sense of divine allegiance.

Has anyone seen the ark?

“When you see the Covenant-Chest of GOD, your God, carried by the Levitical priests, start moving. Follow it…Look at what’s before you: the Chest of the Covenant. Think of it—the Master of the entire earth is crossing the Jordan as you watch.” Joshua 3:3,11

For the Israelites, the ark of the Covenant symbolized the presence of God. When it was placed in the tabernacle, God would descend and enthrone himself between the cherubim. I suppose the ark was more than a symbol—it was a reassurance that God had not left them. In all their battles and travels, the ark led the way. Or perhaps, more literally, God led the way and the people followed. No matter what the opposition looked like or how tough they seemed, the Israelites could look to the ark and be reminded that the “Master of the entire earth” was with them.

We don’t have an ark. We don’t have a physical symbol of the presence of God. And so it may seem far more difficult to engage in difficult tasks. But reassurance still remains. The presence of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct dwells among us, if we would only listen and respond. When we sense the presence of God moving and pushing forward, we need to follow. It may take us to places that are not comfortable. It may take us to places that are difficult. But through it all, we should be reminded that the God of the universe is leading the way. It is He that will direct, command, and ultimately win the battle.

The Wideness of God's Mercy - Part 2

Often, people point to Jesus saying, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” to show that only belief in Jesus can get you into heaven. But that isn’t what Jesus says. Jesus says that through Him people get to the Father. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is what makes the way for God’s children to return to Him. But could it be that there are different ways for people to return to God and upon seeking Him they find that Christ’s sacrifice has already removed the enmity that existed, even if they didn’t know it? Who will say that the ancients, especially the Jews, are not in heaven? Why not? Because they didn’t know about Jesus? How about those who have never heard of Jesus? Does their ignorance then result in their eternal demise? I can’t believe that to be true. No, I believe God judges humanity based on their faithfulness and their attempts to live rightly. He judges based on our response.

I guess what has gotten me to considering this view of salvation and who is saved stems from a few things in the Bible. I find that people are “saved” based on various circumstances and actions. Hebrews 11 is full of people who were said to be faithful (and one can assume saved), and yet they knew nothing of Jesus. And what were they faithful to? Their revelation of God. There are people whom Jesus would encounter and whom Jesus would bestow salvation upon, and yet His sacrifice had not even been made. Look at the thief next to Him on the cross. All the man did was rebuke the other thief for his mockery. Yet Jesus seemed to promise him salvation.

I don’t believe this view makes light of Jesus’ sacrifice and by no means understands that all people will go to heaven (Universalism). Rather, it shows wideness in God’s mercy that returns salvation to Christ, and not so much to us. There must still be a response on the part of the human to seek God. And we seek God in various ways. In addition, we emulate Christ in various ways. But in the end, salvation is based on Christ’s sacrifice not necessarily on a limited view of a response to the gospel.

This is obviously a work in progress. Though I may speak as if I have bought into it completely, I have not. So you are welcome to critique the allegory or the conclusions drawn from it (in a nice way). But whatever you do, don’t just spout off the party line without considering what I am saying. Thanks. Look forward to your input.

The Wideness of God's Mercy

The following is an allegory about the wideness of God’s mercy. I wrote it to express a point of view that I am struggling through. I don’t necessarily buy completely into it, but it allowed me to get out my thoughts. So read it. Think about it. You might even comment about it. Tomorrow I will unpack it and consider the implications.

There was once a Father and His children who lived in a house. They lived a good life, full of love, content in the company of one another. The children were free to do what they wanted, but the Father asked that they stay on the property when they played and not wander off into the dark woods. He told them of the dangers of the dark woods. It was so dark that they would get lost, and getting back home would be difficult. The children agreed and spent many years playing around the house in the yard.

But one day, as the children looked out from their yard, they saw the dark woods and thought that it would be fun to leave and explore them. Though they knew of the Father’s warning, the children decided to leave the house and play in the woods. Upon entering the woods, they children got split up and lost. The woods were dark and thick, and they could not find their way back to the house. Many of the children spent all their time trying to find their way back to the house. Others gave up, laid down, and prepared for death. Some decided to make the best of it and began to enjoy living in the woods. One day, all of the children throughout the woods heard the Father’s voice calling them home. Some thought it was the wind and ignored the Father’s voice. Others knew it was the Father calling them home. Thus, they started back home again.

The oldest son, Yeshua, came from the house and called out to the woods. Some listened and followed him back. Some had a narrow path to follow to get there; others had to wade through some water; still others ignored the thorns that cut them. Others located the path they took and so following it was easy. Others chose different paths thinking they were better.

Those that heeded the Father’s calling headed back home again. Though they were all in different places in the woods and took different paths, they were all striving for the same goal—to get back home to the Father. Upon arriving, they found that there was now a wall around the house keeping them out. Seemingly there was no way to get through to the Father’s house. Yet, there was one section of the wall that was broken down with a gap large enough for the children to walk through. Standing by the gap in wall was the oldest son, Yeshua with a cross-shaped sledgehammer in hand. He had knocked out a hole in the wall. As the siblings went through the wall, they found on the other side of the wall the Father, with his arms outstretched, waiting to welcome back home again all of His children that heeded His call.

The Symbols
God is the Father on the porch of the house calling all people home.
The children represent humanity who are all in a woods outside the house.
The woods represent life, struggles, walking around in the darkness of sin.
Many will respond to God’s calling, and will come home. However, they will take different paths to get there. This represents various understandings (religions) about how to reach God. Some will follow the path blazed by Christ. Others will take other paths. All that respond to the Father’s calling will make it to God, but the way in which they get there is different.
For those who respond to God’s call, upon arriving at the house, they find a wall all the way around with only one way in. The wall represents alienation that comes from sin, and the gap in the wall is made by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Though some did not know about Jesus’ sacrifice or sin, Jesus still died for them and they have come home and are allowed into the house.
Many will not respond to God calling them home. These people will be banished to eternal darkness and out of the presence of God were there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Preview and review

Thought I would give you a preview of next week. I will be posting about universalism…sort of. There has been much discussion on the GLCC Forum about who is saved and not saved, purgatory, etc. So, I thought I would share something I have been thinking about for, say, 3 years. Anyway, I leave you with my classic reality TV moment from last week. This could be a new feature if you like it and if I find one every week. So, from Thursday’s Apprentice:

Donald: “Did you choke?”
Frantic woman: “I could have done better.”
Donald: “Did you choke?”
Frantic woman: “Yes, I choked.”
Donald: “You’re fired.”

I love that he made her say it before he fired her. Love the Donald! Have a good weekend.

Calvin was correct...sort of

I used to eschew the Calvinistic idea of total depravity and inherent sin. I thought that people were born into the world as basically good and the thought that we were born evil was anti-biblical. I still believe that, but I now adhere to a modified form of total depravity. Let me explain.

Lately, I have really been saddened by the state of the world and my contribution to it. I speak mostly of the proliferation of sin and the cycle of sin that the world just cannot break. My son Elijah was born and he was perfect. There was not a spot of sin on him. And to this day, he has not committed a sin since he does not yet know good from evil. But, he lives in a world of sin:

The Carter clothes he wears, the Nike shoes we put on his feet—these are more than likely made by under aged sweatshop workers who receive a pittance of a wage.
I drive Elijah around town and contribute to the pollution and the gas wars that are taking place, damaging God’s creation.

It goes on and on and on. We live in a world in which sin is inherent. It is everywhere we look. Our children are born into it. What is worse, they are raised thinking that it is acceptable. Considering the state of the world causes me deep sadness and outrage, but where is the solution? How can the cycle be broken? How can I feel like I am not sinning just by putting on clothes or driving around town? How can I be part of the solution instead of multiplying the problem?

Or is there a solution? Must we just be subject to frustration and groan with the rest of creation, waiting to be liberated from bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God (Rom 8:18-21)? I have to say, it doesn’t sound like the fullest life that Jesus talks. The slave child in Thailand. The mother with AIDS in Africa. The disfigured father in the Middle East. Where is their full life?

I don’t know what to pray for or what to work for or what to change. So I leave it in the hands of God, and ask for intercession through the power of the Spirit.

The Ultimate Rivalry

I love the auto correct function on Microsoft Word. Basically, it fixes your mistakes quicker than you even realize that you have made a mistake. I don’t even notice the vast majority of these corrections. I am either typing too fast or am looking at a book or something. The program just automatically fixes mistakes I make. You can even tailor the program to fix commonly misspelled words. It is great!

Auto Correct. It is a great thing. In the spiritual realm, we have the same sort of thing. We have an auto correct system. Check out a passage of Scripture from Romans 5:18-21 in The Message Version:

“Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right. But sin didn’t, and doesn’t, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. Because where sin increased, grace increased all the more. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that’s the end of it. But God is putting everything together again through the Messiah. Grace invites us into life—a life that goes on and on and on, world without end.”

When I read this passage I envision a spiritual rivalry as heated as the Red Sox and Yankees, Duke Blue Devils and NC Tar Heels, or UK and UL. The two teams involved are the “Worldly Sinners” and the “Kingdom Gracers.” This rivalry is as old as time, and for a long time the Sinners had been winning. But eventually the Gracers got a new GM and he started recruiting better players so that the Kingdom Gracers won the championship. And the Sinners, being sore losers, upped the ante and added more top notch players. But Gracers signed the ultimate player who was better than all the Sinners’ players put together. Now, even Sin’s best player, Death, cannot contain the Gracers star—Yeshua.

This is the same picture that That Scriptures says that every time sin tried to increase, grace increased all the more. Adam is the archetype for sin and the continuation of sin throughout humanity. That means over time, things have gotten worse it seems. Sin runs rampant in the land. We are in a bad situation. But where sin increased, God’s grace increased even more. Jesus is the archetype of forgiveness and grace. Every time we seem to draw further away from God, he comes closer with his forgiveness. God is the one doing the auto correction. No matter what you have gotten yourself into, God is there one upping sin with is grace. That is why “Grace is Greater than sin.” There is no sin that God can’t and won’t forgive. There is no mistake you have made or will make in the future that God can’t make right. Before we even commit a sin, God is there ready to forgive. Some people can’t comprehend that God would forgive murderers, and rapists, and awful people like that. But he does. Sin doesn’t have a chance against God’s grace.

And what is more, God also invites us into his presence for eternity. God wants all of us, despite our flaws and sins at his great party in heaven. That is why he has chosen to extend His grace to us. Sin’s biggest threat—death—has been destroyed by God. Though we might die in this life, God promises us a life that will not end. It’s all because of God’s Amazing Grace. His grace that is greater than sin could ever be or ever will be.

Buying some time

I am working on a couple of things to post about, but it has been slow going. In lue of any original thought by me, I have another great prayer for you today. It is awesome and challanges the way we pray and approach God to be more specific and tangible. Hope you enjoy.

Reform our deformed lives
The words are familiar to us and we are filled with yearning. So we say them glibly, passionately, filled with hope — liberty, mercy, freedom, release, grace, peace. We have some fleeting notion of what we must have in order to live our lives fully. And we have some wistful certitude that these gifts are given only by you, you with the many names ... you ... holy, merciful, just, long-suffering, forgiving, demanding, promising. We gather ourselves together to subsume our hopes under your rich names.

We name you by your name, harbinger of liberty: hear our prayers for liberty. We are mindful of those caught, trapped, held, imprisoned by systems of enslavement and abuse, by ideas and ideologies that demean and immobilize, by unreal hopes and ungrounded fears. We ourselves know much of un-liberty, too wounded, too obedient, too driven, too fearful. Be our massive way of emancipation and let us all be "free at last."

We name you by your name, power of peace: hear our prayers for peace. We dare ask for the middle wall of hostility to be broken down, between liberals and conservatives in the church, between haves and have-nots, between victims and perpetrators, between all sorts of colleagues in this place, and in all those arenas besot with violence, rage, and hate. We know we are not meant for abusiveness, but we stutter before our vocation as peacemakers. Transform us beyond our fearfulness, our timidity, our excessive certitude, that we may be vulnerable enough to be peacemakers, and so to be called your very own children.

We name you by your name, fountain of mercy: hear our prayer for mercy. Our world grows weary of the battering and the vicious cycles that devour us. We seem to have no capacity to break those vicious cycles of anti-neighborliness and self-hate. We turn, like our people always have, to you, single source of newness. Waiting father, in your mercy receive us and all our weary neighbors. Remembering mother, hold us and all our desperate friends. Passionate lover, in your mercy cherish all our enemies. Gift giver, in your mercy embrace all those who are strangers to us, who are your well-beloved children. Make us, altogether, new.

Hear our prayers for liberty, for peace, for mercy. Form us in freedom and wholeness and gentleness. Reform our deformed lives toward obedience which is our only freedom, praise which is our only poetry, and love which is our only option. Our confidence matches our need, so we pray to you. Amen.

Easter Us

I really enjoy reading other people's prayers, especially theologians that I respect. It changes the often stale study of God into something alive and amazing. The depth and richness of these prayers is founded in the honest and creative images of God. It makes me think of God, and as a result, pray with more vitality and less rigidity.

Below is a prayer from Walter Brueggemann called "Easter us." And though it is appropriate for Easter SUnday, if we proclaim CHrist's death and resurrection daily, then I believe it is just as appropriate every day. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Easter us

You God who terrified the waters,
who crashed your thunder,
who shook the earth, and
scared the wits out of chaos.
You God who with strong arm saved your people
by miracle and wonder and majestic act.
You are the same God to whom we turn,
we turn in our days of trouble,
and in our weary nights;
we look for steadfast love and are dismayed,
we wait for your promises, but wait in fatigue,
we ponder your forgetfulness and lack of compassion,
and we grow silent.
Our lives, addressed to you,
have this bitter-sweet taste of
loud-clashing miracles and weak-kneed doubt.
So we come in our bewilderment and wonderment,
deeply trusting, almost afraid to trust much,
passionately insisting, too timid to insist much,
fervently hoping, exhausted for hoping too much.
Look upon us in our deep need,
mark the wounds of our brothers and sisters just here,
notice the turmoil in our lives, and the lives of our families,
credit the incongruity of the rich and the poor in our very city,
and the staggering injustices abroad in our land,
tend to the rage out of control, rage justified by displacement,
rage gone crazy by absence, silence, and deprivation,
measure the suffering,
count the sufferers,
number the wounds.
You tamer of chaos and mender of all tears in the canvas of creation,
we ponder your suffering,
your crown of thorns,
your garment taken in lottery,
your mocked life,
and now we throw upon your suffering humiliation,
the suffering of the world.
You defeater of death, whose power could not hold you,
come in your Easter,
come in your sweeping victory,
come in your glorious new life.
Easter us,
salve wounds,
break injustice,
bring peace,
guarantee neighbor,
Easter us in joy and strength.
Be our God, be your true self, lord of life,
massively turn our life toward your life
and away from our anti-neighbor, anti-self deathliness.
Hear our thankful, grateful, unashamed Hallelujah!
Amen.

Walter Brueggemann, March 29, 1994

The Sum

I began a new series this week in youth group called “Greater than.” I will be exploring various spiritual concepts that are greater than we are used to, have experienced or even expected. This is the first.

Have you ever heard the saying, “The sum is greater than the individual parts”? I saw this concept clearly portrayed during the Olympics. We sent the best individual players to represent the US. This included with basketball. We sent the pros from the NBA. Most of these players average over 20 points a game and are recognized as the best players in the world. But we didn’t win the gold medal. Though our team was made up of the best individual players, our team was awful. They did not play well together. Instead, a team of less talented players who worked well together won. The point is simple: though individually a team should be better, if they don’t work together they will not succeed. The sum is greater than the individual parts.

The Bible contains the same sort of idea: “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ…But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12, 24b-26)

We are called “The body of Christ.” In other words, we as individuals, when put together, make up a body that Christ uses. We only function correctly when we work together. We only live as the body of Christ when we see each other as having worth and importance. We don’t all bring the same thing to the body. But we all have something and are also called to actually bring that something. Then, we are called to respect one another for what we do bring.

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 just coming, singing a few songs, hearing some guy talk, and then heading home. Church is about friends. It is about fellowship. It is about glorifying God together. And it is about giving of ourselves to the body. It is not necessarily about what we get out of it either. Now understand, if you decide that you want to skip church you will be okay. Notice, YOU will be okay. But you are forgetting that about what you bring to other people. When you commit to coming to the body, you are not just committing your time for a certain period, you are committing yourself to other people. You showing up clearly says that you care about the rest of the body.

Much can be done for God’s kingdom and for one another when we commit to each other and work together without concern for what is wrong with each other. You may not be beautiful by the world’s standards. You may not be smart. You may not be flashy. But you are important. And alone none of us is as effective or as good as we are together. The sum is greater than the individual parts.

All Backwards

I grew up in the era when I would go to youth conferences and various speakers would decry rock music, saying that it is of Satan, and then having the audacity to also say that if you play the songs backwards you will find a hidden, Satanic message. I had 2 questions at the time that have never been answered
“Who had the idea to play a song backwards?”
“Who actually undertook this ‘ministry’ to play the songs backwards and decipher the lyrics?”

Well, regardless, I never bought into that sort of drivel in high school, being able to detect propaganda and grandstanding when I heard it. But I guess I was just too immature to realize the truth of their words. Now, for the first time I am a believer. The internet has changed my life. A guy has done the legwork and cleared up the blurry edges. The technology has caught up with the idea and we have irrefutable proof that all these songs that we thought were so benign are actually breeding scores of Satan worshippers across the world.

So make sure your families are only listening to CCM, because God forbid they get brainwashed.

PS - For those who don't know me this post is written "tongue in cheek"

Ripped from the Bible

I don’t know if you have heard or not, but it is coming. What you ask? A terrible destructive force of Biblical proportion. Literally. It is as if someone stole the story line right from Exodus. I spent all weekened having my basketball watching interrupted with stupid teasers for a movie about (drum roll please)…LOCUSTS! “If you hear the buzz, it’s already too late!” Give me a break. USA spent last weekend showing all the worst of the natural disaster movies. Decent actors and actresses somehow get signed on to these awful movies, but that doesn’t help terrible, predictable storylines that include some of the stupidest human behavior I have ever seen.

All this is to say, I don’t know why people have such an interest in these movies, and I don’t know why the writers and producers think that they can make me or any other viewer afraid of a locust. I mean seriously, if they are coming, how about some insecticide? A couple of planes flying over with some spray and the problem is solved. And even if it wasn’t, I don’t see how a grasshopper is getting into my house (even my house which has more holes in it than The DaVinci Code.

Unless (switch to dream mode), the locusts were of biblical proportion, but not from Exodus. What if they were the locusts from Revelation 9:

“And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.”

Now that’s what I’m talking about. If it is so bad that people would rather die than deal with these scorpions, then you have a problem. Give me locusts that are genetically altered to be like the Revelation locusts, and I will watch. Until then, GET A REAL STORYLINE!!!

Setting the Stage

What do you need in order to enjoy God? What is it that you cannot do without when it comes to spending time in God’s presence?

Let me give you an example from the secular realm. People will say that they need weed to enjoy a conversation, need a Big screen TV with a killer sound system to enjoy sports and movies, or need certain kinds of toys to enjoy life.

These sorts of things that entice us turn into crutches that may in fact just take away from the simpler pleasure that exists. And perhaps this cultural phenomenon of incorporating all the extras to really enjoy something is making its way into our spiritual lives. So I repeat, “What do you need in order to enjoy God?”

I think of many things for myself. I need music many times. And not just any kind of music. I need:
well played music
in a style that I like most
with words that mean something.

I need revelation. To read the Bible just for the pleasure of encountering God is lost on me. I need something from it. Something insightful (perhaps to post on a blog). Something life changing. Something clever.

I need retreat. I have to get away to find God as if he cannot be found in all the noise of the world. It is too easy an excuse.

The more concentrate on “setting the stage” to encounter God, the more we are likely to miss him or become dependant on that singular experience. And in the end, God is replaced by our needs.

“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.
The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
Psalm 46:10-11

World Water Day

Today is World Water Day. On this day, “States were invited to devote the Day, as appropriate in the national context, to concrete activities such as the promotion of public awareness through the publication and diffusion of documentaries and the organization of conferences, round tables, seminars and expositions related to the conservation and
development of water resources.” Sounds like a lot of meetings talking about what is wrong without any action. Sounds like the majority of the board meetings I attend.

Despite my cynicism of the implementation of World Water Day, I think this is a great thing to shoot for, but beyond the scope of our experience here in the US. We don’t know what it is like to be without running water, or even an abundance of water. After all we have the largest amount of fresh water in the Great Lakes. We have technology that can send water anywhere at any time. We don’t know what it is like to bathe in the same body of water as the cattle, or to have to boil our water to avoid impurities. We don’t know what it is like to have to walk 5 miles every day to the nearest clean water holding tank. So I applaud and salute the efforts of this day and the impetus behind it.

But it got me to thinking. I hear about environmental things like this regularly, but I never hear how they are actually observed. Does anyone plant a tree on Arbor Day? I don’t. Does anyone still recycle? I do somewhat. Does anyone know how much waste is produced daily? It is a bunch.

All this is to say, we have failed God and His creation. It is our responsibility to each other and to God to help the environment flourish. I am by no means a tree hugger, but I don’t think everything should disposable either. It is a travesty to see how much we waste. But what is the solution? We are shackled by our own culture that cares little for helping situations, but they are ready to piss and moan when gas prices skyrocket and now it takes $50 to fill up their gas guzzling SUV. Most people only care about the environment when it affects their bottom line, i.e. their pocket book.

Our concern for the world around us goes beyond our selfish enjoyment of it, but goes back a divine mandate to care for it. Any ideas on how we can actually accomplish such a lofty goal would be appreciated.

Cold Season

Elijah got far worse before he got better. He refused to nurse, only taking his sippie cup. Then he would vomit up much of that. He would not be consoled, preferring instead to constantly whimper, occasionally bursting into cries. He would cough and sneeze, shooting snot and phlegm all over his face. Then trying to clean him up would only produce more wailing. His eyes were puffy and red; dark circles surrounded them. The only word to describe his state was “pitiful.” Yes, all who saw him were moved to pity for this little, helpless, unenviable baby.

But that was yesterday. Today is a different day. Today marks a new beginning. With the help of a lot of love, tenderness, and patience, Elijah is making a recovery and is back to being his jolly, robust self. He has endured his first cold and has won!

I can’t help but see this experience as a metaphor for God’s saving actions in the world. We wonder why anyone would love us, seemingly so unlovable. We look nasty; we act cruelly; we have few if any redeeming qualities. And yet When God looks at us, he is moved to pity for His children. He can’t help but love us despite our flaws and inadequacies. He can’t help but save us despite our helpless state. And though there is a sinful virus out there that inflicts hurt upon us, making us less than we really are, God is there helping us through it and bringing us out of it stronger, more grateful people.

Perhaps the metaphor is cheesy and a bit stretched, but that is what I have dealt with all weekend.

Not much today. I am tired. Elijah has been irritable. Perhaps teeth. Perhaps an ear infection. We will see.

Plus, I spent the majority of yesterday watching basketball, and I have to say—pretty disappointed. I hope today has better games. The drama was not there. None of the games came down to the wire except West Virginia v Creighton. And since that one ended after midnight, I could only enjoy the replay on ESPN. So, here’s to hoping that today is a better day of basketball.

Of course, yesterday was not a complete wash. As per tradition, I had Corn Beef, Cabbage, and Potatoes for St. Patrick’s Day. Wonderful.

I’ll have something better on Monday. Have a great weekend.

Seder what?

I have finished reading the Torah (first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible) and coincidentally last night our church experienced a Seder meal together. For those who have never eaten a Seder meal, it is a stripped down Jewish Passover meal somewhat reinterpreted in a Christian light. It was interesting to hear the Passover story retold in light of having recently read the Biblical account and the resulting laws and instructions. Unfortunately, Elijah was getting tired, so I had to leave after the meal, before the last 2 cups, the Aficomen, etc.

One particular interpretation I enjoyed was that of the second cup. Jewish people do not drink from that cup, because it represents the plagues brought upon Egypt and sin. And in the garden, when Jesus prays for the cup to be taken from him, he speaks of this cup. He asks not to drink it, knowing full well what it contains and what will result. Fascinating stuff.

All this is to say, an appreciation for the history, culture, and practice of the Biblical Israelites makes the New Testament come alive. You see why Jesus did some of the things he did, and why the Israelites responded as they did. We see why some of Jesus’ words were so controversial, and why his actions at times angered the religious leaders. I would go as far as to say that I don’t think we can properly (or perhaps fully) understand and interpret the NT without first gaining a profound respect and understanding of the OT.

Until next time, Shalom (peace, wholeness, wellness)

If it weren't for DOOM

Deuteronomy 24:16
"Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their parents. Each person shall be put to death for his own sin."

It seems that it is all the rage to pass blame around. Take for example our court system. Let’s say that you kill somebody. Obviously, it is not your fault. You couldn’t have committed such a heinous crime on your own. No, there are other factors to blame. It is your parent’s fault for not showing you enough love. It is your body’s fault for having the improper chemical makeup causing you to act out in improper ways. It is the Hollywood’s fault for glorifying murder. It is the rapper's fault for singing about his gat. It is the video game maker’s fault for encouraging violence.

The list goes on and on, but it seems that a winning defense can be built around blaming others for your own actions. But the Bible, especially the Law Code in the Old Testament is clear—we are responsible for what we do. I am tired of people copping out and blaming everything else. I don’t deny that our environments contribute to our personalities, or that our experiences play a role in our future decisions. I sympathize with those who have had to experience abuse or have seen things that people never should. But notice the verbs I used—“contribute” and “play a role.”

In the end, regardless of where we have come from or what has happened to us we still make our own decisions and we must be held responsible and accountable for them. Otherwise, I would like to see defenses in murder cases put the parents on trial, or Hollywood, or whomever or whatever else they think has caused the crime. Just as that sort of defense would be ludicrous, so too is it ludicrous to blame others for what each of us do. It is time for people to buck up, and take some responsibility. Only when we take responsibility will we be able to fully accept God’s grace and forgiveness, which is the first step in the process of growing into better people.

Don't Spurn an Edomite

Deuteronomy 23:7
”But don’t spurn an Edomite; he’s your kin.
And don’t spurn an Egyptian; you were a foreigner in his land.
Children born to Edomites and Egyptians may enter the congregation of GOD in the third generation.”

We live in a culture that encourages getting even, never letting anyone beat you, mock you, or look down upon you. With pithy statements like, “I don’t get mad, I get even,” we selfishly denigrate people with our justification of being previously wronged firmly in hand. And we even quote OT phrases like, “An eye for en eye” and think that somehow we are doing what is right. But God is not pleased. His desire is not for “justice”—at least not how we conceive of justice.

Imagine being an Israelite. There are many nations that have offended, wronged, and even hurt you. Let’s begin with Edom. They treat you like crap. They don’t help when they should. And they are even related to you (descendants of Esau). How can they call themselves brothers and sisters and act like that? It seems okay to treat family like dirt, especially if they aren’t going to act “properly.”

Then there are those vile Egyptians. You remember what they did to you and your ancestors. They took advantage of you. They enslaved you. Were it not for divine intervention they would have destroyed your life. Just thinking about them makes you want to lash out. Let’s hurt them and see how they like it!

But Yahweh picks out these two groups specifically and says, “Don’t burn with anger. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t spurn them. Instead, worship with them.” His reasons are not all that compelling. Bloodlines and occasional hospitality don’t make up for the years of hurt they have inflicted upon you.

But perhaps Yahweh has reasons beyond those. Perhaps Yahweh sees Himself in the way he wants you to treat them. Perhaps Yahweh wants to impart a little bit of the grace He possesses into your daily actions. Yes it is not easy to love those who have committed the first offense against you. But it is not easy to love you either.

A Community Challenge

I have been reading through Deuteronomy, and it strikes me that though we may often think that the laws are full of “do nots” that were instituted to keep the Israelites from impurity, there are also many other types of commands. We should keep in mind that the people were trying to form a society, not just a religion. As such, there are many interesting statements that are not prohibitions, but good guidelines for living in a community. From Deuteronomy 22:1-4; 23:24 in The Message Version:

“If you see your neighbor’s ox or sheep wandering away, don’t pretend not to see it. Take it back to its owner. If it does not belong to someone nearby or you don’t know who the owner is, keep it until the owner comes looking for it; then return it. Do the same if you find your neighbor’s donkey, clothing, or anything else your neighbor loses. Don’t pretend you did not see it. If you see your neighbor’s ox or donkey lying on the road, do not look the other way. Go and help your neighbor get it to its feet!”
“You may eat your fill of grapes from your neighbor’s vineyard, but do not take any away in a basket. And you may pluck a few heads of your neighbor’s grain by hand, but you may not harvest it with a sickle.”

Both this passages are simple, real life, applicable situations (in their context) that kindness and love could be shown.
If you see a stray animal, don’t just ignore it. Take some initiative and find out what can be done to rectify the situation.
If an animal is lying in the road, make sure it is not dead. Instead, see to it that the owner gets it moving again.
When you have a field, allow people walking by to sample to fruits. And those of you sampling, don’t take advantage. Enjoy one another’s good will.

The New Testament Church picks up this same concept when everyone shared everything, and cared about one another’s well being. A godly community is not defined simply by regulations and prohibitions. A godly community functions by extending love and kindness to one another. And until our churches can get past the 10 Commandments to the heart and soul of loving communities, we will continue to refrain from extending kindness, and the animals will continue to run wild.

A Good Cleaning

On Tuesday I posted about the bizarre language that we use in Christianity, and gave an example of how it can be twisted and manipulated for strange ends. I thought that might be the end of it. However, I have stumbled across a story from beliefnet.com that takes the cake. They call it “Mrs. Benny Hinn’s Moment of Zen”:

Televangelist Benny Hinn is threatening to sue the religious satire magazine The Door for the video clip it is distributing that shows Hinn's wife, Suzanne, preaching at their former church in Orlando, Florida. She says if you're a lifeless, blackslidden Christian, you need a "Holy Ghost enema... right up your rear end."

I have to say, nothing says “the Kingdom” like a Holy Ghost enema. Now, I am all for using metaphors and communicating the gospel in the vernacular of the day. But come on! Are you serious?

Well, until next time, keep your Jesus’ vampire blood on tap, and rectums immaculate.

By the way, the video of this gem is on that website as well.

Grow Up

There was once a show on NBC called “Ed.” It was pretty good show. But eventually the series ended. Well now they are replaying the series on TBS at 12:00 noon. So I occasionally take an episode in. The other day I was watching and was struck by the conversation between Ed and Carol. It was short, but went something like this:

Carol: Every 17-year-old kid wants to grow up and be a rock star. Most of them wise up and grow out of it.

Ed: Why are we always so condescending toward our younger selves? We should be looking back in awe of who we were. All that passion. All that fire. All those dreams. And then it all fades and people say, “That is just part of growing up.”

Now combine that with a short quote from Regan’s blog from the other day, courtesy of Doug Pagitt:
“We often say that we want the dreams of Solomon's Porch to reflect the dreams of the people in our community. We want that list to keep growing and changing with us. It was never meant to be stagnant.”

Perhaps the reason churches lose intensity or become stagnant and ineffective is because the dreamers stop dreaming. Or, perhaps their dreams have been squashed in light of practicality or tradition. When we hear phrases like, “It’s never been done that way before,” or “I don’t think the people are ready for that,” or “That sounds too hard,” it is like water tossed on the fire. It quenches the flames of excitement.

I appreciate the outlook of Solomon’s Porch where everyone’s dreams are important and they shape where that church goes. Granted, there are times when dreams and goals are unattainable, at least by human effort. I think that is why Jesus says things like, “The kingdom belongs to such as children.” Their innocence, enthusiasm, and joy are characteristics that mark the kingdom. They don’t know that something can’t be done. They just see the end result.

The passion of youth. It should mark the kingdom and all of our lives because we believe in a God that can do the impossible.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

So, I occasionally search Google for pictures to use in the Sunday Service at church. I put in things like “Jesus,” “Cross,” etc. Once, I put in “Communion” and I found my way to the most bizarre thing I have seen in a while. I have reproduced it for you below. But you can find it in all its glory here. Now I know that the concept of Jesus’ body and blood is a little weird, but this is taking it a little far. Ugh. I get wierded out just thinking about it. Let me know if you think this sort of theology is good for reaching the Goth group or not.


Communion

Jesus is a vampire. Living in my veins.
His blood is my desire. Strike the nail and let it rain.

Father, feed your children. We hunger for the feast.
Flesh cut from your body. That saves us from the beast.

Pleasure from your pain. Your sacrifice, our gain.
Strike the nail and break the vein. Let it rain.

I have the fear of God. The wrath and retribution.
A terror that will never hide. And has no absolution.

I want to be like Jesus. A vampire in the flesh.
Spare the children of my coven. And sacrifice the rest.

Strike the nail. Break the vein.
Bleed on me. Let it rain.

The Kingdom Come

I complain a lot about what the church is doing wrong, and the things that I wished they would do more of. But today, I want to share a great thing that has happened in the church that I serve. A need came up in our congregation, and we pulled together and rectified the situation.


A low to no income family live in a house that had a tin roof that was not doing the job of keeping the weather out. The rain would come in and was ruining parts of the house. They don’t have much money to fix the problem, so they just lived with it. One of our members noticed the situation and brought it to the church for help. We tried some government organizations, but the amount of red tape and the time it would take made it not worth the effort. So we just brought it to the congregation and asked for donations of money and time. The response was awesome. We raised the money for a new metal roof, and the men of the church put it on the house this weekend. I have a picture of the new house here. If you would like to see more you can see them on my website.

If only this church and other churches would focus on loving the poor among us, the backbiting and disputes that often crop up would fall by the wayside. When we are united in a common goal, those other things seem so futile and not even worth the effort.

More than that, people who only have a passing concern in attending church services came out en mass to help. It proves that to me that people don’t get involved with the church not because they aren’t good people, but because they are passionate about things other than hearing another lesson.

I hope that our church can continue to be unified, not just when projects like this come up, but in all things as we seek to glorify God together.

The Dream is Over

A few weeks ago I got an email from my brother with a proposition. At first I was startled he actually made contact. Once I got over that shock, I was then startled by the nature of the communication. He wanted to round up the family and audition for the next installment of “The Amazing Race.” Instead of 2 people, it would be 4—all from a family. He had in mind himself, my sister, my father, and me.

I have wanted to go on The Amazing Race since I saw my first episode, so I immediately agreed. I mean, traveling across the world to these amazing places in a competition is my idea of a good time. But, we couldn’t quite get our stuff together, and even if we could, “adult responsibilities” would really hinder being gone for a month, assuming that we would have gone all the way. So, we will not be entering.

But I would have really enjoyed that. Though my siblings and I have struggled at times to get along, we have made great strides in the last few years. I would like to think that it would be a well-oiled machine with good ideas and participation from everyone. With my ex-FBI agent dad running the show and the competitive nature of the siblings pushing us forward, we would be a force to contend with. Sure, there might be some conflict, but nothing that we couldn’t resolve. The audience would also be privy to some quality sarcasm I would think.

But it will not be. Maybe next time. If you hear of another family themed reality show, let me know.

Unity Sermon Part 3

Just as our relationship with God is restored, our relationship with one another is restored. The second type of unity resulting from the cross centers around who we are and impacts our relationships with each other: “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”

There is a new show on MTV called “My Super Sweet 16.” I can’t watch it for very long because I get so upset. It makes me want to punch something, usually a person. So I have to turn it off to avoid committing assault. Let me tell you why I get so enraged. Basically, the show follows around rich spoiled kids in the weeks leading up to their 16th birthday and portrays all the drama that goes with their birthdays. All of these kids throw these huge parties, I mean bigger than most proms and many weddings. These parties are complete with formal outfits, nice clubs and food, and over the top entertainment. Now, that in and of itself is too much in my opinion. No 16-year-old needs a party that costs $40,000. It is beyond a waste of money and time.

But that is not what gets my blood boiling. This show clearly portrays for all to see what is wrong with our society. These stuck up teenagers begin classifying everyone else. They form their own caste system. They of course are at the top. Under them are their friends that of course get to come to the party. Under them are the ones “privileged” enough to receive an invitation. Under them are those that are on the border that have to do something good enough to make it in. And of course under them are the ones who have no hope of getting an invitation—the losers, the uncool, the freshmen. And these kids go around taunting this bottom level group as though they are not even worth being alive. Just talking about it right now is getting me upset. I want to go throttle these kids and yell, “Who do you think you are? What makes you so special? All you have is a rich daddy!”

But the cross teaches an entirely different message. The standards of who is in and who is out were thrown out the window. The message of the cross is the equality and unity of all people. There is no successful and unsuccessful, rich and poor, best and worst, good and bad, cool and geek, popular and unpopular, healthy and cripple, strong and weak. We are all on level footing. There is no more racism, sexism, chauvinism, bigotry, hatred or envy. It is a new reality that God has chosen to implement. That is the gospel message. It should be great news to us! Amen? You see when we take such a notion seriously, it is not just words—it is power.
But such a message grates against our concepts of competition and fairness. It inverts the pyramid of success. We think that the best are at the top and blessed by God. The sinners are worthless, and at the bottom. After all I have worked hard to get where I am at. I have been good for so long. How dare you compare me with him. How dare you lump me into the same category as her. That was sure how the people in Jesus time looked at it. Jesus’ message of equality and unity enraged the leaders.

But take another look at the cross, because the cross showed everything that was wrong with the world. The Romans were threatened that their power was being infringed upon. The Jewish leaders were frightened that their hold over the people was slipping. The Jewish people were afraid that this Jesus would enrage the Romans and cause the ruin of their comfortable way of life. So these forces got together and took it out on this simple man from Galilee who talked of liberation for the oppressed, freedom for the slaves, healing for the sick, equality for the poor, and forgiveness for the sinners. They could not stand around while this crazy prophet upset the careful balance that existed. How dare he put everyone on level footing. But the only way to stop such a message was to kill the messenger. Killing him would put a stop to all this foolishness. But it did not put a stop to the message. Instead of ending it, they only pushed it forward. They ended up accomplishing the very thing they were trying to stop. Because the message is too powerful to be quenched.

Jesus message rang through loud and clear:
“Blessed are the physically repulsive, those who smell bad, the twisted, misshapen, deformed, the too big, too little, too loud, the bald, the fat, and the old.
Blessed are the drop-outs, the burn outs, the broken, and the divorced.
Blessed are the overemployed, the underemployed, the unemployed, the unemployable, the swindled, the shoved aside, and the replaced.
Blessed are the lonely, the incompetent, and the stupid.
Blessed are the emotionally starved or emotionally dead.
Why are they blessed?—because they are all riotously celebrated in the party of Jesus.”

My favorite show on TV is “Lost.” It is basically the story of 40 or so people whose plane that was traveling from Sydney, Australia to Los Angeles has crashed on an island. They are the only survivors from around 150 or so people traveling. And this band of survivors must figure out what they are going to do. Their hope of survival is slim to none. And so they must decide how they are going to live. This past week had some unbelievable theological themes. But the most important one was this—though their circumstance were dire, though their situation was bleak, though they had lost all their possessions and everything they were familiar with, and though they seemed to have no hope, in the midst of all that, they had something that most of the world would never have. They had a fresh start. One of the characters said it plainly, "On this island, everone gets a new start." They could start over. No matter who they were in their previous life. No matter what role the world forced them to play. No matter what people told them that they could or could not do. No matter how many times they had been beaten down, ignored, or mocked. No matter what they had done in the past, they got a new chance to be the people they always wanted to be.

That is the definition and picture of redemption. And that is the picture of the cross. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross brought unity between us and God. Once sinners, we are saved. Once forced to compare ourselves with everyone else, we are equal. We are unified. Though we were once enemies with God and with one another, we are now friends. Unity comes from the salvation of the cross.
Take another look at the disciples. The disciples could not understand why they were suffering. This was not what they signed up for. This was not the way it was to work out. Jesus was supposed to be victorious, not end up dead. But once they could see past the failure, once they saw his victory over the powers, they saw the hope. They saw that the teachings of Christ were true, that the old way of doing things was done. That a new age was here. So they came together and lived out the message the Christ had given to them. They continued to live out the message that was such good news to the outcasts.

And their message is our message. Maybe you found yourself in one of those scenes I described at the beginning. Perhaps you have doubted your worth in life. After all, everywhere we look we are told that if we do not have a perfect figure to go with a perfect appearance, if we are not the best looking, if we are not the most successful, if we are not the smartest, than we are worthless. But God has spoken loudly and clearly on the cross: “Those things don’t matter. Those things don’t matter.” Accepting His forgiveness is what matters. Living the life of acceptance and unity is what matters. God is calling us today to be reconciled to Him and to one another. It’s a whole new ballgame. And if you have never really believed that God accepts you for who you are, it is time to give all of that over to Him. He wants to take it away, and make you a new person.

Unity Sermon Part 2

When I look at the cross, I don’t see harmony. I see conflict. When I read the gospel accounts I don’t see a unified group of believers, I see chaos. At the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, followers of Jesus were down to a handful. Peter had denied him. The other disciples had gone underground. There was no unity. There was no expectation of salvation. Their hopes of a New Israel were little more than wasted dreams. It was over. The cross had destroyed everything.

But the story was not over. Acts 2 describes a group of people that were united in heart, mind, and purpose. It talks of thousands coming to believe in this crucified Jesus in one day. It describes perfect accord and amazing power among the believers. So what happened? What caused this transformation? How could this rag tag group of cast offs and never bes find unification? Why would thousands of people want to follow the teachings of some dead guy? Because the message of the cross spoke clearly. Christ’s sacrifice resulted in unity for all the world, and that was the message that brought them together, and changed their destinies. Because of the cross they were now a passionate group of believers, of one mind, one voice, and one heart. But all this talk of unity, what does it really mean? What does it entail? Well I see 2 types of unity that resulted from the cross. These 2 types of unity empowered the lowliest sinner and the highest government official to place faith in Christ.

The first is unity with God. Look at verse 30 again: “It is because of God that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” Christ has become for us the very things we lacked. In God’s sight we were unrighteous, unholy, lost sinners. And Christ’s sacrifice on the cross changed all that. It removed the barrier between us and God.

I love eating at LaCarrettas. The food is good. The prices are inexpensive. The service is fast. But it is always interesting to take the youth group there. I spend half of the time acting as an interpreter between the teens and the waiters. There is a huge language barrier. The cook comes to the table with 15 piping hot plates on his arm, and he states, “Special la Casa.” All the kids look around in bewilderment. They have no clue what was just said. As the plates sear the poor man’s arm, he repeats, “Special la Casa.” Again, blank stares. Finally, I yell out, “Who ordered the Special La Casa? Oh, wait, I did.” There is this language barrier. They don’t know any Spanish, and the waiter’s English is pretty much limited to the menu. And so we often reach an impass until someone comes along and helps out.
The barrier with God is more than speech though. It is lifestyle. God lives the life of holiness and we live the life of sin. And there is this obstruction that is keeping us from being able to interact in a meaningful way. But along came Christ. Because of what he did, there would no longer be a wall between God and us. No longer would we be forced to adhere to a bunch of laws, constantly worrying about what would happen if we slipped up. No longer was there this big separation between the Creator and the Creation. As Ephesians 2:13 says “But now you belong to Christ Jesus. Though you once were far away from God, now you have been brought near to him because of the blood of Christ.” Unity with God. What a blessing from the cross.

I want to do something that I don’t think we do enough, at least not in the right way - affirmation. We build ourselves up through our accomplishments, but we don’t let God build us up despite our failures. So I want to take some time to do that. Close your eyes. Go ahead, we are all going to do it. Close your eyes, and I want you to think of something you don’t like about yourself. Maybe it is a physical characteristic that you have always struggled with—you don’t find yourself attractive enough. Maybe it is a mental thing—you don’t find yourself smart or good enough. Maybe it is an emotional thing—you can’t let go of a memory. Maybe it is a spiritual thing—you can’t get rid of the guilt from your past. Think about that thing that makes you feel like you don’t add? up. Now I want us all to say, out loud, “It doesn’t matter.” Let’s do it again, and this time everyone do it. Ready? One more time, like you actually believe it. Open your eyes.

That is exactly what God says to us because of the cross. Whatever is in your life that makes you feel self-conscious or awkward, God says, “It doesn’t matter. You are my child, you are my friend. We are united by love.” What more could we ask for? Not much. But God still did more.

Unity Sermon Part 1

I preached on Sunday. I thought you might be interested in the content. Over the next 3 days I will post sections from it (it is too long for one day). Hope you enjoy.

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“Taking up the Cross: It’s a Whole New Ballgame”
1 Corinthians 1:17-18; 26-31

A man sits alone in the dark in his shabby apartment with a bottle of scotch in his hand. He has not showered or shaven for days. He has eaten only a hot dog today. His meals are mostly liquid. He remembers the time not so long ago when he was eating steak and veal with the finest wines. Money flowed freely. He was always surrounded by beautiful people. His success was unparalleled. But a few bad investments, and few failed businesses, and it was all gone. Now he has no one. Now he has nothing. Everything has gone away from him.

Two women sit across from each other during their lunch break at the factory. They form a startling contradiction. One is embarrassed for anyone to see her eat, and so she barely eats a thing, and her figure shows it. She is rail thin, and her bones stick out from her skin. The other scarfs down her food with an insatiable appetite, then looks around quickly to see if anyone noticed. She is overweight and looks as though she is ready to bust out of her skin. Yet both women are keenly aware of how much they weigh, and every day leave the table berating themselves for not having the perfect figure.

A teenage boy drifts through the halls considering the answer to a proposition from Calculus class. He almost stumbles into a much larger boy with a varsity football jacket on. He recognizes the football player as his longtime friend whom he used to chase bugs with and camp out in his backyard when they were younger. He almost says “Hi.” But before he can mouth the words, the football player knocks his books out of his hand and mocks loudly for all those around to hear, “Watch where you are going 4-eyes.” They all get a good laugh out of it and walk off. The boy is left to wonder, what happened when we entered high school? Where did all the good times go?

An attractive woman in a business suit walks into the board room, with her notepad full of ideas firmly in hand. She thinks, “This time, I am going to make them listen to me.” She sits down around the table full of men. The meeting comes to order. After a time, it is opened up for ideas for the new advertising line that they must come up with. She speaks up. “I had an idea.” Immediately she is cut off by her sexist boss: “I have an idea. Why don’t you go and get us some coffee and bagels. We could be here a while.” Flabbergasted and once again defeated, she skulks off, wishing she could stand up for herself.

Two men walk down the streets, enjoying a nice day outside. As they excitedly talk to one another about the success of their favorite basketball team, a police cruiser rolls up. The policeman jumps out and says, “Where you boys think you’re goin?” Before they know it they are on the ground, cuffed and bleeding with a boot sole firmly on their necks. “You stupid monkeys. Why don’t you go back to Africa?” And every day they deal with this racism they think that such a suggestion is not a bad idea.

A woman sits in a chair. Before her lies her soon to be ex-husband’s pistol. Her past had finally caught up with her. Her husband had found out about the past that she desperately tried to forget, but never could. The guilt plagued her every day, but she could never come to grips with it. Knowing that her husband would divorce her if he found out, she tucked it away, deep in her heart, only to have it fester, and destroy what was left of her heart. The guilt of what she had done was too much for her. Now the one good thing in her life was abandoning her. She had nothing to live for. That pistol was her only way out.

“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. No, Christ Jesus has become our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”

In the movie, “The American President,” the character played by Michael Douglas is the president. It was the morning of the day that he was to give the State of the Union address. But before he did, he did something completely unexpected. He addressed the media in a morning press conference and decided to tackle some issues that had been lingering. For too long the country had just placated and ignored the problems. The time for action was at hand. And so in this press conference he told them about his new approach and the new bills he was going to institute to help solve the problems. At the end of his press conference as he was walking off, one of his advisors said, “We have to rewrite the State of the Union.” And the Vice President replied, “Every Word. It’s a whole new ballgame.” They realized that everything they had assumed and thought would happen had changed. The dawn of a new day was upon them.

This week we begin a series about the cross, and the amazing changes that resulted from it. Specifically we want to look at how the early church viewed the cross. You see, the cross changed everything. It changed how they approached God, how they approached salvation, and how they approached themselves. Today I want to talk about one major change that the cross instituted. The cross, for all the divisiveness that came with it, brought unity. It changed the status of every human being, and completely flipped the way people approach each other and God.

Out of Action

Not much today, or for the rest of the week. Carrie and I are going away for our anniversary. If you care, you can check out the place here. It is a Minister's retreat center. Inexpensive, but relaxing. It is a great ministry.

On a separate note, I always hear about these images from the Hubble Telescope. Occasionally I see one and am impressed. Well, Space.com has taken some recent images and posted them on their site. I think they have tweaked them, but they are still unbelievable. Check them out, and tell me which is your favorite. I have mine posted here on the right.

Have a great weekend. Keep me in prayer since I am preaching on Sunday too.

The Disease is the Cure

I am not sure if you read the news last week, but the cause toward curing cancer has taken a major step forward. I was so blown away by this discovery I wanted to post about this last week, but at the same time did not want to interrupt my “Post-Modern Christianity Week.” So here goes. The following is taken from an article posted on wired.com:
“Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles have tweaked HIV to create a gene therapy that attacks cancer tumors in mice.

The UCLA AIDS Institute scientists genetically altered HIV and folded it into an envelope made of another virus called sindbis, which typically infects insects and birds. That turned the altered HIV into a missile that hunted down metastasized melanoma cells in the lungs of living mice.”

In case you didn’t read closely, and even if you did, let me repeat—scientists have used HIV to kill cancer cells. The two most scourges of cellular destruction are intertwined? Unbelievable. At my time as a chaplain in the hospital I saw some of the effects that HIV ravaged on the body. And to think, a benign strain of this awful virus can be used to cure another illness that does equally destructive things, well that boggles the mind.

Such a reversal of the normal nature of things reminds me of the passage in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57:
“‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

When Christ took sin upon himself, and he also became our death. He searched out the sin and death in all of us, and destroyed it. Christ has turned sin, death, and destruction on their head. They hold no more sway over us. God has achieved the unexpected (our salvation) by means of the unexpected (becoming what he loathes--He uses sin to destroy sin. God’s methodology may be unorthodox, but his love is even more astounding.

Roses Really smell like Poo-oo-oo-oo

On Saturday, Carrie and I celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary. Pretty impressive that she would stay with me that long. However, the proximity of this date to Valentine’s Day puts us in an interesting quandary. Do we celebrate both or not? Well, I made it clear that I will not celebrate Valentine’s Day. It is not that I am an old fuddy duddy, or that I am not romantic, but I have come up with the following reasons:

I will not let society dictate to me when, how, and in what ways I “should” show love to my wife.
I will not be railroaded into thinking that I am less of a person, man, or husband because I do not buy into their propaganda.
I do not think that overpriced chocolates and roses are necessary for love.
I do not need a contrived holiday to remind me to show love to my wife—it is an ongoing process that happens each and every day.
I do not need to be told that I must do something special for my wife on this day, when I do special things for her on other days.

With this reasoning in hand, my wife and I have made the decision not to celebrate Valentine’s Day. And we are better for it, especially financially. That picture of roses was taken by me yesterday. Instead of paying $40 for a dozen, I paid $10 for 2 dozen, and they are some of the most beautiful roses ever. How did I get such a deal? I bought them on Saturday when the place was doing anything to get rid of them. But I digress.

Anyway, in the context of the holiday and everything, the verse from 1 Corinthians 11:26 came to mind: “For whenever you eat this bread or drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” We normally hear that verse used at communion at the set time on Sunday morning. But I think that misses the point.
Whenever we partake in Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are proclaiming His victory. Whenever we take up our cross and follow Him, we are proclaiming His death and resurrection.

Just as my love for my wife will not be contained and relegated to a set time and practice, our love for our Savior should never be confined to just Sunday. It is an ongoing proclamation of Christ’s sacrifice, and that sacrifice that demands a response of love from us. Sure, Communion is included in that, but it by no means ends there.

May our love for God be shown regularly and in spectacular ways, unencumbered by tradition and not dictated to us by the world.