"Anyone wishing   to save humanity   must first of all   save the Word." 

Jacques Ellul 

March 31, 2005

Further comments on the Sower parable

Spring is trying to break into our Southern New England climate.  I thought the timing of this Rough Cut on sowing, seed, and growth would be highly appropriate...Rough Cut essays are intended to offer fresh insight and corrective exegesis on Biblical texts that are often abused and misinterpreted (lifted from their context).  I can remember as long ago as my senior year in Bible College (Crown College, formerly called St. Paul Bible College), having a rather intense conversation with someone at my home Church on the parable in Mark 4.  Even then I thought the text wasn't about the human psychology or our hearts.  Although descriptive of how humans respond to the Gospel, the parable, to me, is about the Sower and His sowing.  The person I was arguing with was a well respected, honest, very spiritually mature Christian (even involved with the Evangelism Explosion Team).  But she wasn't arguing over the text, she was arguing that the famed and respected John MacArthur had to be correct in his interpretation.  In fact, she gave me a tape of his sermon on the Mark 4/Matthew 13 parable.  But, as I show in my Rough Cut, the respected radio preacher was wrong then and that particular interpretation of the Mark 4 parable is wrong now.  I just finally got around to writing on the parable.  I hope it is helpful to those who believe sound exegesis is important and convicting to those who are called by the Master-Sower to be disciple-sowers.

PS  If John MacArthur has changed his interpretation of this parable, I do not know.  He could have.  If anyone who reads my Rough Cut on the parable of the Sower and has email access to Dr. MacArthur, please pass it on to him.

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March 30, 2005

Jonathan Edwards: A life lived with eternity at stake

“How would this issue look if it really were the case that bliss or punishment for a literal eternity was at stake?”

Famous for the poignant, descriptive, and harsh sermon, “Sinners in the hands of an angry God,” Jonathan Edwards has provoked more biographical material than any other American.  For Easter, my wife gave me George Marsden’s 2003 and the most recent biographic work, Jonathan Edwards: A Life. (at CBD or Amazon) The book is thick.  Well, so was Edwards’ life.  Entered and finished college as a teenager.  He started just short of his 13^th birthday!  Pastored churches in Connecticut and Massachusetts.  Died at 55, soon after he accepted the invitation to be the President of Princeton (the College of New Jersey).  Jonathan Edwards was also instrumental in the Great Awakening that invaded New England in the 1700’s.  In fact, the revival broke out in his Northampton church as he was preaching a series of message entitled, “Justification by Faith.”  Edwards is also known for his book, defending the events of the Awakening (the revival), A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God.  Jonathan Edwards is also known as the forefather (his family tree) for 13 colleges presidents, 65 college professors, 3 United States Senators, 30 judges, 100 lawyers, 60 physicians, 75 army and navy officers, 100 preachers and missionaries, 60 authors of prominence, and 1 Vice-President of the United States—only to mention a few.  Marsden reminds us that, although at times, Edwards’ emphasis on the sovereignty of God and the urgency of salvation and living for the honor and glory of Christ seemed, at times, harsh and almost ruthless, in order to understand this life of Edwards and what it produced, we should ask: “How would this issue look if it really were the case that bliss or punishment for a literal eternity was at stake?”  As my wife and I contemplate a return to church ministry, this question stood out to me and shouted.

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March 26, 2005

Our son experiences a symbolic moment

Every once in a while, it's good just not to say anything...you'll notice there is no postings for Friday, March 25.  I slept in and went shopping with my daughter.  Later in the evening, our whole family went to our church's Good Friday service.  Our oldest and my wife sang in the choir.  It was--this can't be the right word--enjoyable.  Rather, I should say it was reflective.  A good reminder of the Gospel account of Jesus' last hours. At one point we were to take a red slip of paper found in our bulletin, write our name on it, and walk it up front and nail it to a large cross.  (Interesting--highly symbolic in a non-liturgical, anti-ritualistic Baptist Church.  They'd never let that be even suggested utilizing communion as the vehicle of symbolism!  But, I ramble and digress, that's not my point.)  Many went forward and I am sure for many different reasons.  I knew Amanda, my twelve year old, would go.  She likes talking to God.  Our youngest, Robert who is nine and still way too much in play-mode asked what they were doing.  I briefly explained and asked" do you want to go up with my ribbon?"  He said, "Yes."  I said, "This isn't a game or for fun."  I asked him to tell me first why?  He said to ask God to forgive my sins.  I wasn't concerned about his theology or even his level of seriousness and understanding.  I wanted him to experience the "act."  Writing his name--R O B E R T --on the red ribbon.  Standing in line waiting his turn, alongside his sister, Amanda.  To take the hammer in his own hand, along with a nail.  To hold the ribbon on the cross and hit the nail with the hammer.  To hear the banging.  I don't know how serious, internally, Robert was taking this.  But I wanted him to have the experience.  He did.  And we'll never know if this experience will connect with a future experience of God's design to move Robert even closer to Jesus.

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March 24, 2005

Where are the rescue missions a yard from hell?

“I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light” (John Keith Falconer, missionary to the Arabian peninsula, 1885).

I spent some time in an AmeriCares Free Health Clinic yesterday afternoon.  I talked with a doctor, two nurses, and someone there just to translate for the Spanish-speaking children and parents.  They were all volunteers.  The patients just kept coming.  I was in the way.  So I left.  But I was impressed.  I could not help but think of the countless testimonies I heard in Bible College chapel, then chapel while I was at Graduate School, and then later at numerous mission conferences that I attended earlier on in my Christian life.  My mind reminisced on the multiple testimonies from missionaries about schools and health clinics that were started and maintained in the farthest reaches and in the darkest places on earth.  All on foreign soil, in countries and among people I never had even heard of or seen.  I recalled the quote above that was used as a motivator to move us toward going into missions or at least supporting missions—foreign missions.  Yesterday at the AmeriCares Free Health Clinic I had two thoughts as my mind remember those former times:

1) Why here in America, where there are children with no healthcare, especially in the urban centers, are their no missionary outposts dedicated to setting up schools and health clinics?

2) I thought maybe, we are just not a dark enough place here in America to see such dedication and calling.

I am reminded and provoked by another quote:

“Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell” (C.T. Studd, one of the Cambridge Seven, missionaries to China, 1885).

Where are the rescue missions a yard from hell?  Maybe here in America we are living too close to the sound of chapel bells.

PS: If you browse into this Margin, and you know of or are a part of a free Christian health clinic here in the US, please email me and let me know.

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March 22, 2005

Montserrat, an active volcano, an active heart for the children

Here I was looking for something on Cuba and Christians missionary activity and a browsed into a short-term missions site where someone posted an ad for summer mission work on the West Indies island Montserrat (the first “t” is silent).  This small Caribbean island has been experiencing one of the earth’s currently active volcanoes, since 1995!  On a clear day, you can see it from my folk’s front porch on the island of Nevis.  This small mission seems simple enough…to help the island’s social services to give the island’s children a summer camp program.  Mission to Montserrat is collecting:

• Art supplies, paper, paint, Pastels

• Guitars (and other musical instruments)

• Batik supplies, canvas, fabric

• Cameras, film

• Tie dye supplies

• Sports equipment

You can also go as a teacher or support the mission financially.  Here’s the geocity website and email address, if you are interested…http://www.geocities.com/missiontomontserrat/

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March 21, 2005

The Passion of the Christ: “He really did this for us”

I didn’t see it when the Passion first appeared in the theaters.  Wasn’t opposed to going, just didn’t.  My tendency is to move away from hype and the trendiness of my peers.  Mostly, I felt that the church community saw the film through utilitarian eyes of faith—it would usher in a great revival.  I was glad for the numerous stories that had surfaced, testifying that the movie brought people to faith in Christ.  Actually, I only heard third hand reports from Christians who passed along conversion stories.  I haven’t yet heard a first hand account where someone saw the Passion and then asked Christ into their lives.  I am sure it happened; but I hadn’t heard one personal testimony to date.  In fact, many of my co-workers saw it—I haven’t seen any lives transformed, or changed.  But last night at Church, they showed the Passion.  As a family we decided to go—yes, all my children went.  They were all told they could leave the film anytime and go downstairs to one of the classrooms and play.  None did.  My daughter, 12, held my hand through most of the movie.  She told me, “It wasn’t the blood and the gory scenes that bothered her; it was that He really did this for us.”  As a movie, it was all right.  Lot’s of artistic license; but, I was fine with that.  What struck me: it reminded me that the Gospel story happened in time and space with real people, who felt things, real people played a part in the actual story.  I understand that it was Mel Gibson’s own hands that are seen nailing Christ to the cross during the crucifixion scene.  Gibson, as you know was the writer-producer-director of this film.  His decision for this anonymous cameo: "It was me that put him on the cross.  It was my sins who put him there."  This is a profound statement: the skeptic is still confronted by the vastness of evidence that a traveling rabbi in ancient Israel was tried, convicted as a traitor and blasphemer, and beaten and was hung on a Roman cross.  And the evidence also indicates that this rabbi claimed to be the long awaited Messiah.  It all truly happened in time and space—and every one of us is confronted with this fact.  What are we to do with it?

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March 18, 2005

Power of the cell is confronted

Sunday morning, pre-service announcement flashed from a PowerPoint presentation on to the large screen at the front of the sanctuary:

We will be worshiping our Lord in moment, please turn off your cell phones.

Now that’s funny.  I didn’t say inappropriate.  I am all for turning off our cell phones at any meeting, especially one in which we’ve gathered for worship.  It is funny to me: Cell phones are not about available access to us and to others, they are about power—a ringing cell phone means “I am importance enough,” or “what I do is important enough that I need accessibility 24/7.”  I know we sometimes simply forget to turn them off.  But its just ironic—that an announcement has to be made.  It reminded me of powers in conflict over supremacy: God vs. technological self-importance.  Not to mention it takes a modern technology to “flash” the announcement.  Neil Postman's work in Amusing Ourselves to Death and Technopoly are well worth reading.

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March 16, 2005

Sleeping through a revolution

Sleeping through a revolution is a bad thing.  It is good to consider what Martin Luther King, Jr. preached, “When change is happening, you need to get involved; otherwise you may sleep through the revolution.” In King’s last sermon before his assassination he reflected on Washington Irving’s story about Rip Van Winkle, who fell asleep for 20 years.  Before falling asleep, the story has us spy a picture of England’s King George III posted near an adjacent inn.  Twenty years later when Rip Van Winkle awoke, the sign has a picture of George Washington in its place.  King said, “There is nothing more tragic than to sleep through a revolution.”  Most of us remember the story, and if pressed for details, it’s the 20-year nap we recall.  But the remarkable part of the story isn’t that Van Winkle slept for 20 years, but that he slept through the revolution.  In that 1968 sermon, King painted three aspects of the revolution he was refusing to sleep through: racism, poverty, and war.  I am hardly a fit critic to offer my two-cents on these topics.  But as I was introduced to King’s sermon recently, my twisted mind went in two directions:  For some, like my fellow evangelical Christian community, we’ve napped through a four decade-long revolution; but for others, the tragedy is waking up after a 20 year nap (40 for this illustration) and noticing that little to nothing has changed.  I don’t know which is worse.

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March 15, 2005

My daughter experiences Washington DC

The highlight of my Washington DC trip was traveling with my daughter, Amanda, now 12.  She received permission from her teachers and principal to miss three days of school in order to accompany me to a community action legislative conference in Washington DC.  Amanda met Congressman John Lewis.  Amanda wrote her Black History Month essay on the Congressman.  (Congressman Lewis was one of the individuals who attempted crossing the famous Selma Bridge back in the 60's.)  She also met Loretta Sanchez, the Congresswoman from Orange County California.  Ms. Sanchez and Amanda both share the experience of being former Head Start children.  Although I was pleased that Amanda sat through sat through a number of the speeches and even walked the halls of congress with us on our Hill visits, I was most impressed with her volunteer spirit.  Throughout the National Community Action Foundation conference, Amanda gave her time to support and help the volunteers who made the conference possible.  Not only was she seeing good role models, she was being exposed to a very important side of life.  Once again, I am a proud father.  And honored to have some many of my peers take an interest in my daughter, to invest some of their time, perhaps for her future.  Who knows.  Maybe someday, we'll be visiting her on the Hill--or the White House.

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March 13, 2005

My return from Washington DC

There continues to be a war—against poverty.  It is in the national interest to build strong families, develop the capacity of every individual.  It is to the advantage of each American to ensure that each of our neighbors have access and the means to upward mobility.  And now in the face of terrorism and a global conflict without borders, it makes sense, national sense to address the issues of poverty in those rural and urban neighborhoods, if for anything to stem the tide of despair, contempt, and resentment on the home front.  But, I will hear, “some will abuse the system,” “some will never get out of poverty,” and “some will perpetuate the cycle of poverty.”  To this I say, of course.  And there are those who “abuse the corporate system” and there are those from the corporate world and among the wealthy that circumvent the tax system and the law.  So what do we do?  We identify the abuse and enforce the law, change the system, and make people more accountable.  We don’t suggest ending prosperity.  As for continuing the cycle of poverty: make it so it’s harder to do so; develop ways to prevent that.  I returned from Washington DC where I heard and saw how this Administration is changing the system, not to strengthen it so it might prevent poverty, but weakening it so that it will actually promote poverty, perpetuate poverty.  This is not in the nation’s best interest.  This week I am writing the President of the United States.  I will spend a little time and 37 cents to tell him that he is wrong.  If my fellow conservative Christian family still thinks it’s a good thing that the government gets out of the business of helping the poor and those with layers of disadvantage, they have that right.  But, where does the responsibility rest?  If it is the Christian community, then let’s see them step up to the plate.  But I believe the Scriptures sustain a duel approach to fighting poverty: 1) one it is the responsibility of the rulers to advocate on behalf of the poor (that’s national) and 2) it the Christian community’s responsibility to respond to the needs of the poor as a demonstration of the invasion of the kingdom of God (that’s personal).  I listened to the politics.  I listen and waded through the rhetoric—the phony and the real.  I listen to those on the left and those on the right.  Most of all I listened for the solutions, from the speakers and from my colleagues.  I spent almost every thinking moment pondering my next move…I am wondering if its time to move back to church ministry?  I wondering if I should make a more concerted effort to help churches learn and build the capacity to serve the vulnerable near their own churches (through consulting).  Enough ranting.

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March 8, 2005

Harvard Yard (the paperback is out)

At the book store this past weekend I noticed that the paperback version of Harvard Yard by William Martin was now available.  I am not given to promoting fictional material, but I do here for two reasons: 1) It is a good book and I like the way Martin blends the story of history with a contemporary history (okay, that's two); and 2) William Martin browsed my site a while back--he emailed me to say he browsed into the site while Googling to see what people were saying about his book, Harvard Yard.  Actually, another reason I enjoy his historical novels is his way of telling the story is very similar to the way we should read redemptive history and our current history...and see how they feed and enrich and make up one long story.  Also, I posted a quote from Harvard Yard that I still think is a great set of words and wisdom, especially for those setting out for college:

"When you're done in four years, you should feel satisfied, and mature, and taught, but most important, you should feel tired...Burn the candle at both ends.  Never tell yourself there's no time to direct a play or sing in a choral group or play rugby.  Take a course in gene-splitting if you're an English major.  If you major in biology, take a course in short-story writing.  Study Chinese.  Learn statistics..."

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March 7, 2005

How do we stay in the game?

In the midst of his sermon, Pastor asked a good question yesterday: “How will the devil take you out of the game?”   The traditional trio was given as an answer: the flesh, the devil, and the world.  Although these three have merit as an answer (or is that answers), the bottom line is always the Word—do we keep God’s Word.  The devil will do what he can to keep us out of and away from the Word.  My mind however, didn’t go in the direction of Pastor's question.  As soon as the question was asked, I re-asked it another way: “How will God keep you in the game?”  I had no brilliant insight…just the question itself was impacting.  My mind drifted throughout the narratives of the Scriptures.  I thought of David, Solomon, Jacob, a number of the kings of Israel, the nation of Israel, even the apostle Paul—and I thought, “God works hard to keep us in the game.”  Our problem is that we don’t necessarily like some of the ones God keeps in the game (in keeping with the game/team analogy here).  In fact, it appears God doesn’t even care if he keeps in those who don’t play the game very well, or appear sick, injured, weak, wrong background, etc.  Strangely enough, as the devil utilizes the flesh, the world, and the devil (i.e., his players) to take us out of the game, it is these very elements that we, ourselves, use to evaluate the game and those in the game (or I should say, those we want and don't want in the game).  Personally, I don’t think the devil’s primary goal is to take us out of the game, but just to have us play by his rules--to mess the game up--all the while looking as if we are on God’s team (in the game).

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March 3, 2005

"Tell them you love them"

“Tell them you love them.”  Over and over.  That was the final exhortation on the topic of fatherhood at the marriage conference.  Although I remember a great childhood, with so many wonderful adventures, I don’t recall my stepfather ever saying he loved me.  I never met my real father, and I was too old, once I found out whom he was, to really care nor sense a need.  It took a while for my mom’s third husband to tell me he loved me, but I wasn’t a child any longer by that time.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not picking on the fathers in my life, nor am I saying I am naive enough to think I haven’t been in some way damaged.  The point, at least for me, is to not repeat the sins of my forefathers.  Besides inventing new ones (new sins of my own), I have tried to make sure my daughter, and now my step kids, know I love them.  I am sure, that if you asked my daughter, “Does your father love you?”  She, without hesitation, would say, “A thousand times a thousand.”  I hope I am learning to communicate my love the same way to my step kids (time will tell).  But it’s more than words.  And I am far from perfect.  I am always praying—even when I pray with my daughter—to be a better father.  I have no profound insight, nor am I so experienced that I am an expert in telling anyone on how to be a good father.  But, I think I know the pathway, the trail that gets me there.  Paying attention, spending time, letting go at the right times, talking—it is amazing how much my kids just like that I talk to them.  I know one thing: when my kids are adults, I hope they’ll say, “Dad, I know you love me.”  They’ll say, dad gave it his best shot.  And, as for my daughter, I want her to know what love looks like so when a man comes into her life—later, much later!—she’ll know love when she sees it.

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March 2, 2005

Not alone: Evangelicals for Social Action

I am slowly moving through Jim Wallis' book, God's Politics.  Every other paragraph gets to me and I scream bias and simply republican-bashing, wondering when those on the left will get over losing two Presidential elections in a row.  And then, on the other paragraphs, I find myself joining in on the call to civic duty and for the church, especially the Evangelical Christian community, to have more of a prophetic voice.  In these paragraphs I find myself agreeing with Wallis.  Yesterday I was reminded of three organizations that reminds me I am not alone:

Evangelicals for Social Action led by Ron Sider

Christian Community Development Association led by John Perkins

The Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education led by Tony Campolo

The Christian obligation and call to social action, fighting poverty, and simply looking out for the disadvantaged among us are not just political issues, they are biblically defining issues.

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March 1, 2005

In the margins

This past weekend, my wife and I attended a Family Life “Weekend to Remember” conference in Newport, Rhode Island.  We’ve been twice before, so we’re alumni and attended the alumni sessions on Peace-Making.  This weekend was a good time for us as a couple.  Good men and women shared their life and marriage experiences with, I guess, closed to 800 people.  Each session gave us plenty to think about, and much to discuss as we seek to growth as a couple and a family.  For me, the best insights came during the sessions where the men and women met separately.  The topic for us guys was husbands and dads.  For the session of dads, the speaker was Dr Michael J. Easley, the new President of Moody Bible Institute.  I care deeply about being a good dad, so this was a good session for me.  Towards the end, Dr. Easley said one of the things he wills to his children is his Bible, so they can have and read the comments he made “in the margins.”  I have kept the Bibles I have used throughout my Christian journey of twenty-seven years: four, including the one I am using now.  Each one charts, through its “in the margin” comments, the stages of my Christian journey from the first years to college and grad-school to ministry to raising a family to work in the secular world.  That is what gave me the idea for this particular page on my website: In the Margins.  I am thinking and reflecting on things all day long, even waking in the middle of the night just to continue with the thoughts I had on a particular subject I had before going to bed.  As some have said, “my stream of consciousness.”  When I was younger, as a child, it wasn’t necessarily a good thing.  It was called motor mouth or constant comment.  Now, this habit has some maturity, and hopefully usefulness, so it’s seen more or less as a good thing.  This is the purpose of this page, In the Margins: my musings, ramblings, off-the-wall comments on almost anything that hits me and how it relates to the Christian life, church life, ministry, and our work in the world.  My “in the margin” comments found in my bibles, I’ll pass on to my kids (great idea!); but, here In the Margins, whoever has the time, gets my constant comments and stream of consciousness—and you don’t have to wait until I die.

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February 24, 2005

Thinking about a return to church ministry

Talk is so cheap.  Even mine.  Although I am in the trenches as a grant-writer and planner for a Community Action Agency, I am safe within the walls of my “ideas” of how “church” should be.  (Shoot, I can't even get my own church to employ some of my musing and ideas.)  Words’nTone as a site is intended to help raise Christian discourse and as a result put some weight back into our very culturally, often politically right-leaning, preaching that has succumbed to the process of individualization.  At least this site reflects my thoughts on wide ranging topics, many of which never seem to seep into our Christian discourse or preaching for that matter.  Rough Cuts and Gemara are posts, musings, and essays that highlight the importance of paying attention to Scripture.  Much of the rest of the site is most definitely a reflection—musings—on my part that seeks to connect the world and Christian thinking.  Part journey.  Part calculated input on matters I think the Christian and church community overlook.  (As my good friend, Eric Marx, used to say, "The stuff where the rubber meets the road.")  As for my book—Destroying Our Private Cities, Building Our Spiritual Life—I have a wide range of people reading it.  I am hardly famous, nor is the book a runaway best seller.  Nonetheless, I know that it is being read by those on the left, those on the right, conservative Christians, and socially liberal Christians.  Because of my place at the table—the table where we discuss and implement programs to serve our most vulnerable populations—there are many non-churched and socially minded men and women reading my lay-commentary on Philippians.  I am convinced a fair rendering of the text of God’s Word, where people can see how I “get” my interpretation will lead, even non-believers, to hear God’s Word and, hopefully, will result in responding to that Word.  This all leads me to what’s on my mind and a conversation I had with a Member of the Board of Directors yesterday at work.  I told her I had been thinking and discussing with my wife that it might be time to return to church ministry—and not just talk about how the church ought to be doing church.  I really don’t care what denomination, nor what kind of church (I don't think the Christian and Missionary Alliance will take me back), but I’d like to move back into church ministry and put feet on my thinking.  I’d like to see if a congregation will respond and apply some of the socially minded, yet Biblically based actions I have been espousing on this site.  I'd like to see if I cold guide a congregation who is more concerned about doing the work of ministry and applying the Gospel than growing numerically--just to see if we could let God take care of that like he did in Acts.  Just thinking about it right now.  Letting people know.  This spring I will be more intentional about looking into returning to church ministry and the pulpit.  My words need tone.

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February 22, 2005

Paths of the sea

At Growth Group last Friday we also talked about how the Bible has been instrumental in helping us understand our universe and world.  Again, another reason to view the Bible as a Book above all books.  One of my favorite stories is Psalm 8’s reference to “paths of the sea.”   Matthew Maury, an America naval officer and oceanographer (1806-1973), was nicknamed “the Pathfinder of the Seas.”  Maury was also a Christian man.  In his studies of the seas and naval navigation, he also was impressed with his Bible.  In a number of places he read, what at first seemed like just a metaphor, “paths of the sea.”  In his capacity as a naval officer Maury was occupied with charting the winds and currents of the Atlantic, the first time this was ever done.  Psalm 8 and Psalm 107 were instrumental in helping Maury to form his ideas.  He figured that metaphors, although figurative, had to still be based on some real referent.  Air currents and sea currents—i.e., paths—seemed possible since God’s Word described them.  In Psalm 8:8, the inspired poet recorded, “The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas.”  Simple, perhaps, but Maury figured if God said that there were “paths of the seas,” then there were indeed paths or currents to be found.  By taking God’s Word for it, he spent his life, dedicated to discovering and charting the currents in the Ocean (e.g., ah the gulf stream in the Atlantic, currents between the coast of Africa and what is now Brazil, etc).  He discovered the best routes for sea travel, literally saving time at sea, which resulted in saving lives and cargo as well.  Eventually his system of ocean currents and winds were adopted worldwide.  Matthew Maury, as a result of his faith and taking God’s Word as His Word, is even today recognized as the “father of modern oceanography.”  Another reason, I believe to trust our Bible to be an inspired document.  Long before a modern man (who lived in the 1800’s) came to chart the ocean currents, inspired Biblical authors somehow knew they existed.

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February 21, 2005

Thankful for our leaders' mistakes

At our Church growth group meeting on Friday, the conversation centered on how the bible seems to always out-live its critics.  I reflected on how there are so many intertwining parts that demonstrate an inspired author above the authors of the various parts.  Like the story line of Ruth which is a bitter story, but ends with David’s forefathers…then the David story in Samuel and Chronicles, which ends not so favorable either.  It ends with David reaping the results of bad decisions and sin, and passes his kingdom on to a playboy (Solomon) who eventually sets up the kingdom to be divided over taxes.  There a series of failures and setbacks, until eventually the land of Israel and its people are a pawn in the hands of multiple empires; finally entering into the New Testament era with Israel under the yoke of Roman rule.  But, we come to Matthew who starts his Gospel:

The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham

Matthew isn’t afraid of the sad history.  He continues the lineage by linking the birth of the Messiah to the interwoven parts—the good, the bad, the promise, the seemingly destruction of the promise:

Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah.

In the hands of another group, sect, or religion, the myths and legends of its leaders never reveal the shortfalls, sins, poor judgment, etc.  Under divine inspiration, we have a record of our leaders’ rather sinful-side—but we have the triumph of God’s sovereign promises to bring about His desired ends.  I find that comforting, not just because I want His promises to come true, but because I know play a part in this salvation history and I make way too many mistakes and bad decisions.

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February 18, 2005

The Real Face of Atheism

Let's be honest, atheism might not qualify to be a faith-based religion, but those who hold to an atheistic worldview certainly have a faith-based belief system.  Atheists, don't fool yourselves.  It takes an incredible amount of faith to actually believe that God does not exist.  Just because you don't like the Bible, or Christians, or some of the commands, or you are simply angry at a non-existent god, does not make God non-existent.  Nor does just saying "God does not exist" make it so any more than saying "God exists" makes it so.  The ascertains (of both) should be tested, challenged, and sustainable if true.  Two of my favorite "tests" can be found in the following:

1) the atheist must posit either a created world that came out of nothing all by itself, or an uncreated world that is eternal--now that's funny, and

2) the atheist's tenuous claim that there are sustainable moral codes of right and wrong in a world where God does not exist--now that's erroneous and dangerous.

Ravi Zacharias, in his revised edition on the problems of atheism, writes:

"Not all atheists are immoral, but morality as goodness cannot be justified with atheistic presuppositions.  An atheist may be morally minded, but he just happens to be living better than his belief about what the nature of man warrants.  He may have personal moral values, but he cannot have any sense of compelling and universal moral obligations.  Moral duty cannot logically operate without moral laws; and there is no moral law in an amoral world" (p 64).

The logical consequence of atheistic faith is a world gone wild, with no rules, and no hope.  Although we Christians don't always live up to it, the logical consequence of Christianity is a kind humanity, filled with charity and goodness, a livable world, with hope.  Let's hold atheists accountable for their beliefs: Let them give a reasonable defense for the hope that is in them (or would that be a reasonable defense for the non-hope that is in them?).  See my review of Ravi's book, The Real Face of Atheism (Review) and listen to my message, "What If God Has Not Spoken" (Listen).

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February 16, 2005

CDBG and faith working itself out

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), a federal resource that allows urban and rural community-based organizations and municipalities to move neighborhoods away from blight, away from economic disadvantage, and to de-concentrate poverty.  In fact, faith-based organizations can also tap into this resource.  There is no doubt; I won my first grant from the CDBG process on behalf of a faith-based youth employment program in the City of Bridgeport. ($100,000!)  Almost every year since I have submitted a CDBG application—from repairing windows to employment services for the homeless.  This resource is a great place for churches and faith-based non-profits to work on behalf of their surrounding community.  Church leaders should take the initiative to form a community group, apply for a 501 (c) 3 (through the state) for its non-profit status, and then find out the timetable for the City’s or Town’s CDBG process.  Each community that utilizes CDBG funds submits a Community Plan to the federal office of Housing and Urban Development in DC.  The faith-based community group can identify one or two areas, issues, or projects that they can address in its City’s plan, and particularly for the neighborhood the faith-based community group represents.  Playgrounds.  Free Health Clinics.  Improving a Neighborhood Center.  Building a new Neighborhood Center.  Fixing or creating sidewalks.  Repairing or installing streetlights (lamp posts).  Enhancing a jobs program.  After school homework help.  The list is endless.  These funds aren’t for building your church or church group.  But any church or faith-based community group that gathers together, identifies a community need, and seeks this funds in order to improve their community will be appreciated by the very one’s they seek to show the Love of Christ.  It’s not all about your church’s growth.  You don’t have to be a mega-church, or even a large church.  As a church (small, storefront whatever), this might be a great avenue to show your community you care.

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February 14, 2005

The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience

Ronald Sider.  I remember him as the guy who has to give at least three “I witnessed and led someone to Christ” stories whenever he speaks to an evangelical audience, just to validate that he, too, is an evangelical.  Now this is a while back, probably in the eighties.  I was in Grad-school.  I hadn’t developed an evangelical social conscience yet.  I was still in my privatized Christianity period.  You know, personal devotions, a prayer life, going to church every Sunday no matter what, counting my sins so I’d always be clean before the Lord; don't mention the social gospel, that was part of the liberal church we're against…I read some of Sider’s Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger and I discovered the evangelical social gospel.  I was told to be ware of guys like Sider.  “They are really liberals,” I was told.  After being a Christian for nearly twenty years with time as a Christian college professor and pastor, what I came to discover was the gospel has a social-side.  I discovered that human services, aid, famine relief, social work, education were not just Christian activities for missionaries overseas.  It finally hit me square in the face, I did not hold to the whole council of God; just a very white, middle-class, suburban, Bible-belt, privatized gospel.  Christianity Today posted an excerpt of Ron Sider’s new book, The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience.  I found it through www.worldmagblog.com. I was going to quote it here, but it’s all worth reading (you can find it here...click).  I plan on obtaining a copy of the whole book.  It bothered me to discover that, according to the likes of Barna and Gallop, Evangelical Christians are most likely to be the ones who believe it’s the poor's fault they are poor and the ones most likely bothered by an African-American moving in to the neighborhood.  Judgment day isn’t going to be pretty for us evangelicals.  We think we have the power now because it was our vote that tipped the scales for Bush’s reelection.  This is a false sense of power.  And if it is real power, it is earthly and easily corrupted, and destroyed.  I am ordering Sider’s book.  I need to work on my evangelical conscience.

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February 7, 2005

The influential evangelicals

Almost every issue of Time, Newsweek, and US News & World Report has some article or brief on how conservative Christians affected the outcome of the presidential election.  Some print media have made evangelicals the cover and main feature.  Yesterday I noticed Time’s cover while in the Stop ‘n Shop check out line:  The "25 Most Influential Evangelicals."  I checked.  I wasn’t on the list.  I probably won’t make the top 100,000 at this point.  Nonetheless, despite not seeing my name listed, I was pretty disturbed by most on the list.  Top billing was given to Rick Warren, “America’s pastor.”  I was pleased to see, and agreed with Time’s call on J.I. Packer, Mark Noll, Richard John Neuhaus, Chuck Colson, and Ralph Winter.  I expected (but respectfully disagree) Billy Graham and James Dobson, all who were on the list.  It scared me to see T.D. Jakes, Bill Hybels, Tim & Beverly LaHaye, Rick Santorum, and especially Rick Warren.  Scared me to think that a major media outlet considers these evangelicals as, one, leaders, and two, among the most influential.  The rest on this I don’t have personal or even casual knowledge of, but I did read their bios in the magazine.  What bothers me most is criteria for making the list seem to be

1) books sold

2) riches/wealth

3) and who they know

My first thought wasn’t Warren’s poor theology and very bad exegesis of Scripture (I won’t even go there!).  No, my first thought was, “Warren hasn’t been tested with time and endurance…Billy Graham…at least has.”  Although he has been around as a pastor for a while, 24 years apparently, Warren's popularity is recent and untested.  Here’s the total list (which will show more than 25 in count and some don’t live in America):

Howard & Roberta Ahmanson              David Barton
Doug Coe                                                  Chuck Colson
Luis Cortès                                                James Dobson
Stuart Epperson                                        Michael Gerson
Billy & Franklin Graham                          Ted Haggard
Bill Hybels                                                 T.D. Jakes
Diane Knippers                                         Tim & Beverly LaHaye
Richard Land                                             Brian McLaren
Joyce Meyer                                             Richard John Neuhaus
Mark Noll                                                   J.I. Packer
Rick Santorum                                           Jay Sekulow
Stephen Strang                                         Rick Warren

Ralph Winter

You can read the array of articles and briefs yourself: Evangelicals in America…click here.   Obviously, also interesting is who is missing from the list: Tony Evans, Jim Wallis, Os Guinness for example.  As mentioned, aside from a few names here, it scares me to think my niche of Christianity, my expression of faith is aligned with some of these names.  I am suspicious of the terms "influence," "influential," and especially the word "most" in conjunction with top selling, rich, culturally popular evangelicals...some on the list I would agree as one's being influential (Packer, Colson, Graham for examples), but so many are there because of other-than-Christian or -biblical factors like amount of money, size of book sales, who they know, and popularity.  Just think.  Wesley.  Whitefield.  Edwards.  Paul.  And we forget, they hung on a cross our leader.  I tell you, none of these men, no matter how great, godly, or conservative, none will face lions, let alone an old rugged cross.  Few will speak truth to power.  I fear for the evangelical Christian community who needs to count on such culturally molded icons like Rick Warren and Bill Hybels as the one's with the influence.  Heaven help us.

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February 4, 2005

Evolutionist and creationist, both people of faith

In Dover, PA, a court ruled that a sticker, placed on new school science books, had to be removed.  The sticker read: “…evolution is a theory, not a fact…[and] should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered.”  Seems fair.  Even positive.  Who’d complain?  Even one law professor said, “If you see that out of any context, you’d think it sounds reasonable.”  Not so, according to some parents who sued to have the sticker removed.  It is the word “theory” that bothered the parents.  They inferred, as they said the students would as well, that there would be confusion over the everyday use of the word “theory,” because it implies “hunch” rather than the scientific method of hunch, i.e., theory.  The parents, and apparently the judge who made the ruling, said the sticker was there to downgrade evolution and imply bias all for “religious” intentions.  As a Newsweek author, who writes on the subject of “Intelligent Design” (February 7, 2005) reminds his audience, “Evolution, which deals with events that no one was around to witness, will always be a ‘theory’.”  Well of course, evolution is a theory.  I’ll admit evolution is based on a framework of scientific observations and a series of guesswork based on what they consider scientific observations that builds their case for "the hunch," I mean their theory of evolution.  Let’s see: an evolutionist was not there to see how it all was created, but nonetheless, surmises and draws conclusions based on what he determines is evidence of some form of evolutionary process.  And we call that science or a scientific method that produces a theory on the origin of the species.  According to some, this kind of theory is closer to fact and is treated like a fact and are offended if a science book implies the theory of evolution is still, well, a theory.  But someone like me, who knows another scientific method for determining the soundness of documents of antiquity (that’s textual criticism, which by the way isn’t a “theory”) and finds that the Bible is, apparently, based on this method of inquiry, the most reliable book of antiquity known to man, which implies the Genesis creation story has a bases in fact—not just theory—I am considered a religious person.  I don’t mind the name-calling.  I don’t mind being called “religious.”  But this strikes me as humorous because the evolutionist wasn’t there at creation either and must take it by faith that his theory is correct.  And he isn’t religious.  Now that’s funny.

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February 2, 2005

Jesus always brings his friends

I read somewhere recently, “Faith in Jesus is always personnel, but it’s always public.”  A while ago now, at a youth retreat, I told a small crowd of about 100 teenagers, “The only time Christianity is a private matter is when you pray to accept Jesus into your life.  That’s the only time it’s private.  After that, your whole Christian life is public.”  At Rev Yordon’s farewell last Sunday (see Margins 1/31/05 and 2/1/05) he told of an occasion where he was enjoying some alone time with Jesus.  He found solace in the sanctuary of his tall-steeple church, a moment to reflect and be with his Jesus.  But then, he said people started showing up in the sanctuary.  More and more people.  He said, “The problem of trying to get alone with Jesus is, he always brings his friends.”

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January 31, 2005.

The pastor of the whole parish

My wife and I had the privilege of attending the last Sunday service officiated by Rev. H. Yordon.  He has been the pastor of a Norwalk, CT church for, I think, almost 40 decades.  I wish I could recap everything he said in his last sermon—my memory isn’t working that well these days.  I took two things away from this worship experience.  I share one today; the other tomorrow.  Rev. Yordon believed that, although called to one church, he was the pastor of the whole parish (i.e., the whole town).  In twenty-seven (27) years of being a Christian, four years of Bible College, two years of Seminary, ten years of church ministry, and six years of being in a Christian college-teaching ministry, I have only heard one other person actually say this.  Me!  I agreed with Rev. Yordon that the whole town is part of the pastor’s ministerial parish.  His scope of responsibility and ministry didn’t have borders.  This led to his idea of ministry: Along with Church building-centered ministry, kitchen-table ministry, and ministry at hospital beds, the pastor’s ministry extended beyond in picket lines, the Mayor’s Office, the School’s Superintendent’s Office, at rally’s, and before political leaders.  My mind kept thinking that much of church-work seems to be about making sure we evangelicals secure our lifestyles, maintain our distance from actual vulnerable populations, and justifying our upward mobile, American life.  Rare it is to see a pastor of a church actually seek to destroy existing cultural, political, and racial barriers.  More rare to actually become the conscience of a whole town.  I can hear the labels: that’s liberal church ministry; that’s the social gospel.  My retort: these labels are just an excuse to not do what is right; just an excuse to be selective of Scripture and preach not the whole counsel of God.

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January 28, 2005

Neil Boortz and his non-intelligent exclusion of the creation story

I don’t have an antenna on my mini van, so my radio selections are, well, limited.  NPR in some places, WNLK in even fewer places—that’s basically it.  At noon, if I am traveling for lunch or from or to a meeting I can pick up the Neil Boortz show on WNLK.  I am a talk show junkie and you should be able to tell from references to NPR and Boortz, I listen out of both sides of my brain: right and left.  I can get just as annoyed and bothered and, even, angry at commentaries from both sides.  (Why did I do this to myself?)  Yesterday, while Boortz was ranking on liberals, a caller pointed out that 80% (the real figure appears to be closer to 60%) of those who voted for Bush believe in biblical creationism.  The caller was making this comment, because in Boortz’s view voters for Bush are more intelligent than those who voted for Kerry and no intelligent person believes in creationism.  Boortz reasserted he opinion that only simple-minded, non-intelligent people believe in a biblical creation story.

I was fine—he can say what he wants, obviously—until he said he would not debate the subject on his show and that those who believe the Genesis story only go for the simple explanation, one that doesn’t need any kind of intelligence to understand science or facts…I was good until then.  I will debate Boortz any time, anywhere.  I will match his intelligence that believes time + chance + matter (wherever matter came from) = the human brain with my intelligence that believes in the story of Biblical creation.  What a foolish thing to say, namely that only non-intelligent people believe in a creation story.  Hardly an intelligent thing to say.  There are so many places to argue here.  But, I refrain.  I understand one’s desire to deny God’s existence; one’s capacity to favor an evolution theory over creation.  But what I don’t understand is this: I believe an all-eternal, pre-existing God exists, One who created the heavens and the earth, and humankind.  Boortz believes in evolution, which is fine, except he must also believe in an all-eternal “matter” that pre-existed creation as we know it.  He, in his intelligence, must decide where this pre-existing matter came from, or at least explain its eternal nature.

Plus, he must believe in chance.  Here’s the one thing that turned me from believing in evolution toward believing in the creation story: what are the odds that every step of the evolutionary process happened, and I don’t mean happened once?  Each stage of the process had to happen repeatedly and not repeated independently each time over a long span of time from each other occurrence.  Example: the first time the fish-like creature ventured out of the soupy-slim of the ocean to become a legged-creature who could breath had to be accompanied by at least one other of the same kind and really close to one another so they could mate and pass on the needed, evolved gene to produce other similar, more progressed legged-creature who breaths—and could find food!  And Boortz calls me non-intelligent.  Bring it on Boortz!

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January 27, 2004

Just two Einstein quotes

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious...It is the source of all true art and science."

"Perfection of means and confusion of ends seem to characterize our age."

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January 23, 2005

Without the shedding of blood

Islam has been know as a "religion of the sword."  Although, like Christians who were known through the lens of the Crusades and witch trails, this isn't all that fair of a depiction of Islamic belief.  Although, perhaps a religion of force and submission (which can translate by some into harsh measures of evangelizing non-Muslims), the Christian should be considering more how we are portraying Christianity to Muslims and the Islamic world.  There are great differences in how both religions--Islam and Christianity--view and approach God.  Just in case you are wondering, I don't take the position that YHWH, the God of the Hebrews and God of the Christians, is the same as Allah, the God of Islam.  They are not.  Frankly, if Christians are going to have an impact on Muslims--those living in the US, as well as, outside the US--major sacrifice, "even dying on a cross" (not necessarily a real cross of course, but certainly in principle), will be needed.  As long as Muslims associate Christianity with being American, this will always be a stumbling block to winning Muslims to Christ.  And, I believe the Christian community adds fuel to that belief.  Once, many years ago now, while I was at Teen Missions in Florida (not as a teenager, but as a representative of the Bible College I taught at), I had the privilege of speaking to a group of teens on "hard to reach" populations.  One year I spoke on the Islamic world of the Maldives.  The Maldives are a group of islands west of India in the Indian Ocean.  The Maldives are a 100% pure Islamic state.  Christian evangelism and church planting is against the law--punishable by death.  I told the teens that there are missionaries on the islands, but not the traditional kind: One was a wind-surfing instructor for a resort and the other a computer expert helping the islands construct and implement a networking system.  They knew the risks, but as they could and after they won some trust, they'd share their faith in Christ.  I mentioned, however, these missionaries and I knew that it would take the shedding of someone's blood before Christianity gained a foothold in the Maldives.  And not necessarily the blood of one of the missionaries.  It would take a convert to Christianity--a Maldivian Muslim convert who knew and would feel the cost of conversion; his or her blood shed in martyrdom would open the door.  I wonder if any of us are that willing and that understanding to be open to the possibility that it will take the shedding of blood for Muslims to see the love of Christ in American Christians?

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January 21, 2005

Emergency food and shelter

Thursday morning I joined the local Emergency Food and Shelter Board of the United Way.  I was new to the Board.  Basically, its responsibility is to distribute locally the funds from the national agency.  I listened to the various agencies, including the Red Cross and a local InterFaith Shelter, describe the influx of people with food, shelter, and energy assistance needs.  I was glad I was a part of an entity that had funds to support those working to alleviate and ameliorate these needs.  But my mind went back to my recent Church deacon meeting: One of the topics was the upcoming church budget for the annual meeting.  Now don't misunderstand me: these are good men, godly, and walk with Christ very faithfully.   At the EF&S Board meeting, I kept thinking why don't the churches have meetings and boards like this?  Why aren't we working to meet such needs?  Why can't my own church have a line item for energy assistance? Or, design an outreach program that addresses these local needs?  The same Bible that contains "The just shall live by faith" and "believe in your heart that God raised Him [Christ] from the dead, you will be saved" also contains "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (James 1:27).  Why aren't verses like the latter referred to in church mission statements or used to justify church budgets or outreach programs?

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January 20, 2005

Now we have celebrity Christian authors

I was barely a week old in the Lord when I found myself at a Boise, Idaho Christian bookstore.  Until that moment, I hadn’t realized there was such a thing as a Christian bookstore.  And, the amazing thing was, for the previous twenty years I had barely read a half dozen books—if that many—that were not required reading for school.  To put it bluntly, I didn’t read books.  But here I was in a Christian bookstore, in mid-July, 1978.  I was there to buy my first Bible, the one I’d carry around with me and bring to church and have morning devotions with.  After picking one out, the young Christian guys who brought me there told me I should read “this” and “this” and “this.”  I walked away with an armful of books—to read!  To be honest, I just thought reading Christian books was now part of the Christian life, part of my Christian walk.  So I didn’t question it, I just bought the books, went back to the barracks (I was in the Air Force at the time), and read them.  Books on prayer, revival, and the Christian life: A.W. Tozer, A.B. Simpson, Watchman Nee, the Navigators.  If these guys don’t sound familiar, it's because we didn’t have celebrity Christian authors in 1978.  What provoked these thoughts is an article in Newsweek (1/24/05), “The Almighty Dollar.”  Apparently, Christian books store are closing at a fast rate: the ’00-’02 retail figures indicate that Christian books retails decreased $1,000,000 in sales, while general retails increased their Christian products $1M.  “Christian book sellers say that Christian publishers are partly to blame.  Enticed by the prospects of turning Christian-community favorites into household names.”  (I can’t imagine A.W. Tozer striking up the deals that made “The Purpose-Drives Life” into a household name.)  Yes, now I can get most popular Christian titles at BJ’s, or Costco’s, Sam’s Clubs, Wal-Mart, and Barns & Noble.  I am not speculating on the future or trends in Christian retail here, but what did strike me was the concept of the celebrity Christian author and “turning Christian-community favorites into household names.”  The difference between the books used to disciple me when I first became a Christian in 1978 and the books given to newly born Christians now is, today, they read books by famous, household names who are making millions on self-improvement, “what do I gain,” “what’s my gifts,” “what the church should give me,” “finding me” books; whereas, in 1978 I was given books that were about serious discipleship, dying to self, sacrificial prayer-lives, carrying my cross, going to the ends of the earth for Christ.  It is not so much that secular retailers have “discovered the Christian market,” it’s that the audience of readers has changed.  Christians, frankly, are more mainstream, wanting to fit in the American life and have their Jesus, too. 

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January 18, 2005

It doesn't pay to be my prayer partner

The names have been changed, but the stories you are about to hear of real.  I have had more than three prayer partners in my life, but three serious ones that were purposeful, deliberately scheduled, and met regularly.  They are not in order of time.  You will soon see, it doesn't pay to be my prayer partner.  Barnabus was a college President.  I asked him if we could prayer regularly together--I wanted a mentor, even though I was not a young Christian any longer and one of his professors.  Not that he was ancient, but he was older and the product of a older tradition that was serious about prayer.  We had been meeting about two semesters, when he announced he was stepping down as President.  God's timing.  He was listening.  Andrew and I spent time almost weekly in prayer together during college (I was a student as was he).  We just seemed to click as prayer partners.  I needed a peer that was serious about prayer.  We'd meet in the chapel, our knees on the hard slate floor.  We'd ask God to make us more like His Son.  I think Andrew was listening and learning better than I.  But, now he is now pastoring a church in one of the smallest towns in the country (at least it seems that way).  It barely has 40 people in residence.  The town doesn't even qualify to be its own municipality for the Census (the town isn't listed).  I think God gives churches like these to those he trusts, those that could be given bigger responsibility, but knows it takes real Christ-likeness to pastor unseen and in humble places.  Andrew's heaven dwelling will be larger than Rick Warren's I am sure of it.  And, then there is John.  We were in the Air Force, in Korea, together.  A good place for a prayer life.  I was a younger Christian, but desiring deeper things of God.  John was too.  We'd meet in his room, lights just low enough so we could see our Bibles to pray through Scripture.  We'd pray a long time.  To stay awake, I placed my elbows on a cement, cinder block he had in his room--we called it the prayer block.  We were both new at this.  But we prayer--oh, did we ever pray.  Recently, after almost 22 years of losing touch since the last time we saw each other, I discovered he is now a major, a chaplain, stationed in, as he puts it, "little palace in Tikrit, Iraq on a nice overlook above the Tigris River."  He has seen 40 of his troops die and hundreds wounded.  His wife and girls waiting for his safe return.  He wrote in a recent email, "While we prayed back in [Korea], and asked for God to work in our lives and open doors of ministry--I would have never imagined this desert journey 24 years later."  Giving up the Presidency of a college, pastoring a church in a town not considered big enough to rank in the US Census, and getting stationed in Tikrit, Iraq--it doesn't pay to be my prayer partner.  One thing I do know, I prayed with giants, men who will be given many cities to rule in the age to come (Luke 19).

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January 17, 2005

What it takes to make worship click

There are some times when the singing and worship at church just clicks and it seems as if God is joining in.  Other times, it definitely doesn't click and it seems as if God is church shopping himself.  This was one of those Sunday mornings.  Usually, I'd be fair and say it's me, I am the one out of sync.  Which is probably the case all the time.  I recognize that.  But this past Sunday, we were singing one of those songs that is difficult to sing, the band has to play a little louder for some reason, and the words--a least in my opinion, which doesn't usually rise high enough to count when it comes to music--are not that great.  That's okay.  I take the time to think, or pray (sounds spiritual anyway), or I read the bulletin.  This morning I was browsing around the congregation when my eyes caught the sight of three of our more elderly ladies (who sit together) on the opposite side of the church.  Truly, this is a difficult song to sing and I was thinking, just the moment, before I spotted the ladies, "This is the kind of song that makes our older generation uncomfortable with contemporary worship."   No, really, I was just pondering that.  And, when I saw these finely dressed, older ladies, stalwarts of our church's foundation, they were clapping and singing and even reaching up to let the words lift up to the Jesus whom they were most apparently, with smiles on their faces, worshipping.  My concern for the older folk in our church broke into a million pieces and was quickly replaced with thinking, "now, that's just like God."  With a mild rebuke, I continued, "I am the curmudgeon here, aren't I?"  Now don't take me wrong,  I wasn't complaining about the worship (it doesn't have to be all about me, I know that), it just that sometimes it doesn't "work for me" and it doesn't have to.  I am okay with that.  But my assumptions about how worship affects other people was caught off guard.  (God likes to do that to me.)  So for the remainder of that song I don't like and tone I can't sing, I watched three ladies who have been practicing their faith and singing from their hearts for much longer than I have been a Christian.  Worship that morning began to click, and I saw God joining in.

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January 14, 2005

It Takes a Church

It Takes a Church…a newly found webblog (read Blog) was introduced to me by my good friend and growth group partner, Pete.  (Where do these bloggers find the time.)  I love the title.  And the content is wonderful, insightful, and a reflection of real time ministry of the author’s pastoring and church experience.  It’s kind of new, but worth visiting.  In his January 13^th blog post, it encourages pastor’s and Christians to “Blog, for Christ sake.”  I also can gather, this blog-site will be a serious, yet enjoyable morning coffee experience.  No, wait, I want you to read my stuff over coffee each morning!  Seriously, I recommend It Takes a Church…great start, worth your time.

PS My first comment on the It takes a Church blog...

A friend shared your site with me and its a great find...yes indeed, Blogging is an opportunity for getting the Christian mind into various subject matters overlooked by "mainstream" media. They fear us! But seriously, Bloggers should have been Time's choice for person of the year! Bloggers--from Deaniac-bloggers to Moveon-bloggers to Rathergate-bloggers to bloggers who passed on the Swiftboat message--proved to be those that had the most "impact" on the news this year. Shame on Time Mag for overlooking them...I will return...peace...

Check out my Rough Cut, Colossians 3:16: The Gospel-Driven Church...click

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January 13, 2005

Evangelical political influence, what's not on the list

Evangelicals are a popular subject, being found on the pages of almost every major printed media outlet on a regular basis.  Seems, at this point, like every issue.  The most recent US News & World Report has a major piece on James Dobson.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I am an evangelical (though some doubt this) and I agree on almost every point and issue.  Of course on the major issue of abortion, I am pro-life (and would be glad to debate the subject with anyone who is pro-choice).  The Dobson piece, as do most others, centers on the evangelical’s newly found political influence.  Again, I am hardly opposed to influencing politics and politicians.  What bothers me is what is not on the list of issues, concerns, and policies to be influenced or changed, namely the loud absence of advocating for the poor.  It seems to always be a two track, two issue agenda: banning abortions and banning gay marriages.  Frankly, the evangelical church would have a greater influence on cultural matters, especially abortion, if they offered another tactic in their war strategy: advocating for the poor, offering programs to help with employment, family struggles, addiction, HIV, preschool for disadvantaged families—you know the list.  Where are the evangelical leaders with strategies for urban issues, education, affordable housing, the working poor, children in poverty, etc?  For this lack and absence, I would argue that the influence our so-called evangelical leaders seek is only partially Christian (selectively so) and culturally a reflection, still, of our civic-religion couched in upper- and middle-class language.  The influence is to protect our way of life (what we gain), not a call for sacrifice, dying of self, on behalf of the unchurched (potential for loss).

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January 12, 2005

No more silos

9/11 woke up the U.S. government.  Finally, our leaders realized they needed to consolidate our intelligence and national security, moving away from the intel-silos to a system that merges them and coordinates their efforts.  Now, if they’d only get the other Departments to realize the same, especially all the Departments and even divisions within Departments that deal with human life and the lives of our vulnerable populations.  And I don’t just mean our Federal-level Departments; they are used here only as an example.  Case in point, in urban school districts where our children are failing and rarely at grade level, where the layers of (family) disadvantage are multiple—why aren’t the Department of Education and the Department of Social Services a coordinated system?  Guaranteed: almost every child who is struggling academically, socially, and/or has behavior issues during school is most likely in a family that utilizes some form of assistance or subsidy.  I envision a system that coordinates the efforts of the school system with the efforts of social services—in order to continue receiving benefits, parents, along with caseworkers, social workers, etc., must develop family plans (with benchmarks and monitoring) that involve the successful completion of school for their children and parenting skills.  And for the conservatives who don’t like the government, state, federal or local involved this way and using tax dollars, this type of effort is cost effective and will lesson the long-term costs associated with dealing with disadvantaged youth and then dealing with them as adults.  Furthermore, most likely this type of investment will actually have a greater chance of return.  Our present silo approach is killing us, making us vulnerable for further damage.

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January 11, 2005

Layers of disadvantage

As a grant writer and planner for human service programs (i.e., programs for the poor and other vulnerable populations), I am always on the outlook for concepts and ideas to use to advocate better and help solve problems more efficiently for those at a disadvantage.  I found one that I have just begun to unpack: layers of disadvantage.  I was reading a recent article in Newsweek and ran across this phrase.  Although since then I have discovered it’s not a new concept, when I first saw it, I thought, “How true.”  Right away I couldn’t help myself, but after reading it and saying it over in my head a few times, my mind wandered to the animated movie Shrek.  I will not go into details on the movie, but there you have a talking donkey and an ogre (Shrek) having a conversation where Shrek says something to the effect, “You don’t know me…I have layers like an onion.”  As someone in the human service arena, we are told and encouraged to view those we are trying to help as “whole people.”  This is where the layers of disadvantage come in: those we serve are whole people with layers of disadvantage that make them vulnerable and at-risk.  Programs that are allowed to look at a person as a whole and allowed a wider time-frame (i.e., period of service), and especially those that offer an array of support, have a greater chance at moving those they serve toward more healthy levels of sufficiency.  Programs that can address the layers of disadvantage will show better outcomes for these vulnerable families and individuals.  As a Christian and church member, here is another reason I believe we need to rethink our own ministries and patterns of discipleship, offering better assessment of the needs of our own families and individuals who come under our own sphere of influence.

Tomorrow: Layers Part Two, Getting away from Silo thinking

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January 7, 2005

Who is going to lead us?

Our daughter, Amanda, is a middle schooler, 6th grade.  She and I were watching West Wing, so I don't know if that is what provoked this or not.  It was the second half of the new season's opener: Amanda catches on that the episode revolves around three men who will be running for the Presidency of these United States.  Toward the end, one of the characters actually is pictured announcing his intentions to run for the oval office.  When Amanda heard this character announce that he is running for President, she abruptly says: "Who's going to lead us?  Who is going to run this city? Who is going to run this country?  All the kids at school just want to be pop-stars or do nothing.  Who is going to lead us?"  Something got to her.  She continued: "I want to do something.  That's why I think about being President, or helping others as a teacher or a  CSI person.  Someone has to lead us."  I didn't provoke this conversation (sometimes I do).  But, I am sure glad I talk to my daughter--all my kids--about these things.  Now, I see, she caught on and, perhaps, she is beginning to own her future and that her future is interconnected with a wider sense of community.  As long as she keeps asking the question, "Who will lead us?," maybe she will be her own answer to her question.

PS: When I came home Thursday evening from work, there was Amanda, almost 12, shoveling someone's driveway to earn some money.  Love it. Proud father.

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January 5, 2005

Budget season (for churches, too)

As usual, with budgets being created, our politicians will decide what's important to fund, and what's not.  The debates can get heated.   Here's the rub for me today: who is responsible to assist the vulnerable and the poor?  Some will always be poor and in need of assistance and some with just some help can make the rough road out of poverty--who is responsible to help?  For Christians, the obvious answer should be Christians.  But, that's not obvious enough to many.  To many, there is a belief that its the poor's own responsibility.  And to others, its the government's responsibility.  As a Christian myself, I see it as a national or community interest issue.  Each community, state, and even our Federal Government has an interest and responsibility in helping the poor.  Also, as Christian, I believe, irrespective of how the local, State or Federal Government does or does not take responsibility for the poor, it is always a task of the church to minister to the poor.  Jesus made that plain.  Even James, as he paints a picture of honest belief, one which "works," attests that ministering to the orphans and widows is a part of the "works" Christians ought to be involved with.  As governments--local, State and Federal--enter into the budget season, I am hoping that Churches, too, will consider their roles and how they spend dollars and how much of their income will actually go to ministering to the poor.

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January 3, 2005

Being 'crucified with Christ' is more than a metaphor

I am working on a Rough Cut on Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christian…”  In the process I have been thinking a lot of about what it means—ah, the purpose of doing a Rough Cut.  But seriously, its seems the sentimental notions of the traditional spirituality that utilizes such verses like Galatians 2:20 (and other cross related verses) is foreign to a modern and postmodern, 21^st Century culture.  My study made me actually, hold my older concepts of spirituality in abeyance.  If one asks those within certain traditions of spirituality what it means to “be crucified with Christ,” you will most likely receive an answer close to, “it means I am separated from the world.”  Nothing wrong with that—but what does that mean?  Obviously and hopefully my Rough Cut will delve into the answer, but here, I am thinking—what does it mean to live the crucified life, using no metaphors that need explanation, today, in the fore of the 21^st century?  If it means being separate from the world (which I am doubting that’s all or even close to what Paul meant in Galatians at this point), what does living separately mean?  What does it mean for today’s Christian to, as the Apostle Paul says in Galatians 6:14, “may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world”?  If an interpretation of being crucified with Christ moves a Christian away from the world so that one is not even “in the world,” I will hold that interpretation suspect.  If such spirituality takes away a Christian’s social responsibility and promotes a lifestyle that neglects such responsibility, one isn’t being crucified with Christ, but slothful, uncompassionate, a purveyor of false piety.  When such Biblical texts are simply metaphors and their definitions just clichés and further metaphors, odds are they are used to excuse one’s responsibilities as a Christian “in this world.”

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January 2, 2005

My family's choice for sending our contribution

The devastation is is becoming more apparent each day--over 100,000 perished and thousands more being affected by homelessness, no food, poor drinking water, and illness.  My wife and I thought about the numerous children not without homes, and many without a parent or even orphaned.  Those affected by the tsunami is beyond belief.  Ravi Zacharias, a leading apologist and evangelist, initiated about a year ago and human relief arm of his international ministry called Wellspring International.  His daughter, Naomi, is its International Director.  On December 31, I received an email from Wellspring, indicating they'd be directing some assistance and relief to affected areas in Asia.  One of their staff members from Chennai, India emailed the state-side staff:

"Many thousands of people have died and many are still missing. Mano's [my husband's] school student went to play cricket with his friends and all of them were pulled in by the wave and they died. They found the body and funeral was today. There are so many stories like this. The city is in chaos... Please pray for the situation and for the Lord of the creation to have mercy on our cities." (quoted from the Wellspring email).

Wellspring is organizing a project "to help refurbish smaller schools that have been devastated and destroyed to ensure that the education of these young schoolchildren is preserved."  They will also contribute to the food and clothing needs of families struggling to recover.  My wife and I have decided to contribute to this effort.  I encourage you to check out Wellspring's website (click here).

PS Another relief organization I can recommend is Save the Children who are providing emergency relief to the families who were devastated by the December 26th tsunami....click here

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