Inklings of Faith

I Definitely Do Not Believe in Global Warming...Because Hell Just Froze Over!

2010-04-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

Just to prove that there are a lot of Democrats that I love dearly, and that some of them are quite intelligent...

I was chatting with my father yesterday, a blue-collar kind of guy, a life-long Democrat, and fervent critic of many of my political views.

Yet he openly admitted to me that he was listening to Rush Limbaugh the other day, and he actually agreed with what Rush was saying about all this illegal immigration nonsense. I almost jumped for joy.

Back in 2008 campaign, I openly admitted that if the choice were between Hillary Clinton and John McCain, I would unapologetically vote and support for Hillary. My dad thought I had made a psychological breakthrough. Now it's my turn to hope for a conversion!

Love ya, Dad!

Fact Become Myth

2010-02-03T03:58:00.000-08:00

I encourage you to take an hour out of your lives and go to the following link:

http://www.kusi.com/weather/colemanscorner/81557272.html

It is a special report on Global Warming, shedding further light on the apparent deceptiveness of state-sponsored scientists and manipulative government officials (including Al Gore) that was initially exposed in the now-famous "Climategate."

I do not say that I am accepting this report's assertions uncritically. Nor do I have any opposition to Christianity's teaching that humans are called to be stewards (not subduers) of creation. We must act rationally rather than aggressively in attempting to make nature serve our purposes.

However, I do believe that we must get every perspective on this issue, rather than just trusting the dogmatic pronouncements of the scientific establishment. This is especially important in today's political climate. Our current president believes that he must utilize the increasingly untenable evidence of Global Warming as a mandate to inflict further harm on our capitalist system and surrender more of our sovereignty to international bodies, all in the name of fixing our climate and saving our planet. In this, he (and the rest of our leaders) must be held accountable to facts, and can not be given a carte blanche to implement politically an ideology that ultimately will be destructive to the American economic system and to our standing in the world.

Brown Win in Massachusetts is a Defeat for Democrats, but Not Necessarily a Victory for Republicans

2010-01-19T18:41:00.000-08:00

Republican Scott Brown has just captured the U. S. Senate Seat held for nearly five decades by the late Edward M. Kennedy.

Even one month ago, such a victory by a conservative in heavily Democratic Massachusetts was seen to be a statistical impossibility. However, a less-than-stellar campaign by Democratic nominee Martha Coakley, combined with popular angst over socialized health care already in place in the Bay State and the prospect of greater socialization from the Obama White House and the Democratic Congress, paved the way for Brown's surprise victory this evening.

But don't get cocky, GOP. As I state in my title, while this may be a resounding and telling defeat for the Democratic Party, this should not in any way be seen as a victory for the Republicans. The worst thing Republican politicians and conservative pundits can possibly do right now is get all "Limbaugh-esque" (i.e. arrogant) and claim this as a mandate for their cause. Why? Because they don't have a cause. Or if they do, they're not telling anyone.

At least since the Reagan era (and possibly earlier), conservative politicians are always energized by opposing something, and not necessarily by defending anything. In the 80's, Reagan was able to win two elections primarily by opposing big government at home and Communism abroad. In the 1992 election, George H. W. Bush's campaign was fueled almost exclusively by bitter attacks against Bill Clinton's character and lack of experience, without one peep about his own plans for governing should he be re-elected.

Despite their high rhetoric about a "Contract with America" after re-taking Congress in 1994, Congressional Republicans showed much more passion for impeaching a President who lied under oath about sexual misconduct. And in explaining their increasingly unpopular War on Terror, Republicans are much better at talking about evil Muslim extremists than about the American ideals that we are supposedly fighting to defend.

And then there's the conservative pundits like Rush, Hannity, and Coulter. All I hear from them is bitching and moaning, to the extent that I almost feel like taking ulcer medicine every time I listen to them.

But at the end of the day, what do Republicans really stand for?

They say they are Pro-Life, but they cloak their opposition to abortion behind vague phrases like "promoting a culture of life in America." When are we going to see a Republican politician with balls (or the feminine equivalent of gusto) who actually debates abortion with scientific facts and data, medical research, and philosophical principles, not to mention the well-documented psychological guilt and emotional trauma experienced by countless women after the termination of their pregnancies? And what are the Republicans doing at the grass-roots level to actually reach out to women with unwanted pregnancies, providing realistic alternatives to abortion, education, and community support?

They say they are the party of free markets and entrepreneurship (in contrast to those socialist Democrats), but for eight years we witnessed George W. Bush govern with as much of a statist agenda as our current President, refusing to veto even one piece of abusive Congressional spending, including those loaded with earmarks. Under the "conservative" Bush administration we saw the largest growth of the federal deficit, and for all of our criticism of Obama's reckless spending, we must remember that Obama was only taking his cue from his predecessor, who had already spent over $700 billion to bail out mismanaged corporations.

They say they are the party of smaller government, yet the Bush administration created a new federal Department of Homeland Security with an additional massive budget, a huge expenditure in government health care called Medicare Part D, and a further expansion of the Department of Education with "No Child Left Behind."

They say they are the party of the Founding Fathers. Yet the Founding Fathers wished to avoid getting involved in "foreign entanglements and wars," and we have been medling in the affairs of other nations for the past one hundred years, seeing our nation as a "global policeman" with the right to enforce its will on other nations, even those who do not want it. While this policy originally could be laid at the Democrats' door for both World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam, the Republicans have embraced that same liberal foreign policy since Reagan, and the current War on Terror is its fruit.

Conservatives today often criticize Barack Obama for his empty inspirational rhetoric that does not reveal his true intentions. But as I hope I've shown in the previous paragraphs, Republicans who voice that criticism are guilty of the deepest hypocrisy, for their rhetoric is just as empty (and less inspiring).

If the victory of Scott Brown is to have any meaning for the conservative cause, the Republican Party must seize the opportunity that it affords. They must stop merely attacking the Democratic vision and plan of governance, and they must come up with a truly conservative plan of their own. Otherwise, any vote they receive in the 2010 Congressional election will not be a vote for them but merely against Obama and his Party. I am not sanguine about their ability to articulate such a proactive plan, but here are just four humble suggestions from yours truly:

- Take the abortion issue off the national ticket, and give it to the states to decide per the 14th Amendment. This will reach out to many individuals who are basically fiscally conservative but who are turned off by the overt moralizing of the Religious Right.

- Make a strong case (with illustrations, pie charts, and commercials) about the total irrationality of the tax code as it currently exists, and argue that simplifying the tax code for all Americans is the most effective way to stimulate the economy.

- Go to war with Iran immediately and decisively. Iran is the real hotbed of all terrorist activity in the Middle East. Without Iran, the terrorists are nothing more than puny nerds with water guns.

- Revisit the arguments for term limits in Congress. We need to get career politicians like Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Arlen Specter back into the real world so they can actually live under the liberal policies they force down our throats.

Every Church Member Is On the Stewardship Committee (Or Should Be)

2010-01-13T05:37:00.001-08:00

Last night our church had our "big meeting" in which the members of our governing board (Administrative Council) and ministry teams (Commissions) came together to welcome new leaders to the group and to chart a vision for the church in 2010. I was charged with the responsibility of providing an opening devotional for this group. I began my remarks by stating that, considering the state of the world right now, each person in this group ought to view his or herself as a member of the Stewardship Commission.

I'm almost positive that every person in the room immediately drew the following conclusion (or at least a reasonable paraphrase): Okay, Pastor Jeff, we see where you're going with this. Money's tight right now, so let's cut back wherever we can and avoid any extravagances that we can do without. That way we can all be good stewards of our money right now.

Certainly a wise conclusion to draw at this particular time in our nation's economic life, but I didn't end there. I asked them to give me a definition of stewardship. One of the Council members (a Dave Ramsey enthusiast) replied: "Managing someone else's property." I tacked the following addition to her definition: "Good stewardship is managing someone else's property in an efficient way that maximizes the benefits of that property in relation to the owner's goals."

Then I took out my Bible and shared with them 1 Peter 4:10 - "Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received." The context of the verse is Peter's exhortation to all believers about to face some intense trial ("the end of all things"), urging that they live sanctified lives amidst pagans who indulge their sinful desires. Part of Peter's exhortation is that all believers become good stewards, but the property or currency over which they are stewards is the manifold grace of God. (Other translations read "God's grace in all its forms").

If stewardship is the call of every Christian, and if ultimately God's grace is the property, and if God's goal is that all may grow in His grace, then the question Christian leaders really need to be asking is, How can I manage my ministry responsibilities so that I may maximize the impact of God's grace in the lives of people? (Several commission members asked me to repeat that sentence several times so they could jot it down on their agenda sheets).

I cautioned the leaders that this kind of question requires more abstract thinking. It challenges commissions to look beyond their job descriptions and monthly task lists, and to think creatively about what form God's grace might take in their particular ministry, and how they can better maximize its impact. And the standard should be the same for every commission: Christian Formation, Worship, Finance, Sacraments and Visitation, Missions, and even Building and Grounds.

I recounted one episode involving a friend of mine on the Building and Grounds commission. Our church was hosting a huge outreach event which involved "bounce houses," cotton candy machines, and a huge sound system. (We obtained all of these items for free or almost free; people in my church have connections. Good stewardship, eh?) The night before, he and I spent several hours making sure that none of our activities would overpower the church's electrical system. We brought a couple extra generators just in case and tested all the equipment. Because he was willing to take that extra time with me to make sure our building and grounds were up to speed, the actual event went on without any problems, so that I and others could focus on meeting the unchurched people who showed up and start building relationships with them.

I ended my talk with the challenge that we can manage our money well, we can run a first-rate VBS program, and we can have a great worship service. But the only true test of a ministry's "stewardship success" is the extent to which God's grace is growing in the lives of people. Are we as a community working to that end? Are we talking about Christ with our non-Christian friends? Are we challenging our Christian friends to grow in their knowledge of the Word, and are we holding them accountable for their actions? And are the ministries we engage in truly helping or hindering that holy effort?

Finally, I asked the "members of the stewardship commission" to please stand so we could pray for them. Everyone in the room stood up.

The Blind Side

2009-12-28T13:40:00.000-08:00

Just got home from the movie theater, where I joined my wife and parents to see The Blind Side, which has received box-office success and decent critical reviews. It is the "feel-good drama" of the holiday season, but it is not at all superficial or cheesy.

Sandra Bullock is a wonderful actress whose work in the past has been overlooked. Initially I took her to be a "star" of comedy, action, and chick flicks, but she has since revealed a profound sensitivity and depth in films like Crash and Notorious. I feel that with this film, she is receiving long-overdue recognition, having already nabbed Golden Globe and Screen Actor's Guild nominations for this role. I hope to see her as one of the five Best Actress nominees on Oscar night.

The film's portrayal of committed Christians is overtly positive; it is the strong faith of Bullock's character (Leigh Anne Tuohy) that impels her and her family to take Michael Oher into their home. Their actions are among the most solid examples of specifically Christian compassion and social activism (as opposed to the many secular versions on the market today) that I have seen on film. No segment of society (the poor, the rich, Republicans, bureaucrats) is "demonized" or "blamed" for anything. (Well, there are a couple smart-assed low blows directed towards the GOP, but what do you expect from Hollywood?) The film's lack of cynicism is refreshing.

What I appreciated most about the film is the way in which Leigh Anne Tuohy's compassion for Michael Oher was not a generalized, detached sorrow for his lot in life. She invested in his life as an individual, intentionally struggling to understand who he was. And then she used what she knew about him to motivate him to excel in all areas of his life. The same could be said about her husband, her children, and the other Christian teachers depicted in the film. All of the Christians in the film are true witnesses of the way Christ loves each of us.

Props to director John Lee Hancock, the cast and crew, and the producers for having the integrity to put out such an inspiring film.

And extra props to Michael Oher for his life and his triumph. Sorry the Steelers got lucky and beat you yesterday... :)

The Grand Miracle

2009-12-24T17:39:00.001-08:00

"The Christian story is precisely the story of one grand miracle, the Christian assertion being that what is beyond all space and time, what is uncreated, eternal, came into nature, into human nature, descended into His own universe, and rose again, bringing nature up with Him. It is precisely one great miracle. If you take that away there is nothing specifically Christian left."

- C. S. Lewis

"The Incarnation is the eucatastrophe of human history. The Resurrection is the eucatastrophe of the Incarnation. This story begins and ends with joy."

- J. R. R. Tolkien

Light in the Darkness

2009-12-23T12:55:00.001-08:00

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned."

- Isaiah 9:2

This is a classic Christmas verse that we hear every year at some point during the Advent season. It has become one of those sentimental texts that hits our ears and somehow provokes a nice reaction in our hearts, without being absorbed fully in our brains. Darkness becomes light. A nice positive message over which we should rejoice, right?

Or is it?

Have you ever been in a situation of darkness for a long time, when your eyes have become totally adjusted to it and you're actually able to make your way around? What would be your initial reaction if someone immediately shined a light in your eyes? Would you welcome the light?

No! Whether you've just been awakened by someone turning on your bedroom light, or you're seeing approaching headlights while driving on a lonely, unillumined road in the dark... Your eyes are used to the darkness, and your first reaction is not to welcome it but to shield yourself from it, fearing its penetrating brightness. You must make a choice to allow your eyes to adjust to the light, in order that you might see the things the light reveals.

John's Gospel tells us that "Light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. All those who do evil hate the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed" (John 3:19-20). All humans live in a state of willful rebellion against their Creator. Until recently this was generally accepted as the doctrine of Original Sin. To such rebelliousness, the Divine light of truth is not something that is initially welcome, for it will expose those things which made darkness so appealing.

In American culture the Christmas story has become so "sanitized" that it no longer makes the impact that should be made by a bright light shining in darkness. It has become a cutesy children's tale, enmeshed in elements of paganism and commercialism, that does nothing to penetrate beneath the surface of our lives and shock us with a prophetic indictment that should accompany the proclamation of God's Word.

Can we reclaim the message of Luke 1, which tells us that the cultural, political, and religious establishment generally fails to grasp what God is really all about, and that we must be receptive to messages of Divine truth from unexpected places, from the fringe of life?

Are we willing to view Mary and Joseph in a different light...not as iconic, perfect saints but as a scared young couple willing to put everything on the line for the sake of the call God placed on their lives? Are Christ-followers willing to be more like that second option, instead of unfairly holding themselves and others to the standard of the first?

Can we discern a deeper meaning in the story of the Magi, whose faith in pagan religious practices and in their own wisdom led them to the evil dictator Herod, while it was the Word of God alone that led them to Baby of Bethlehem?

Is there a political message in the story of King Herod, who ruled with lies and fear rather than with truth and justice? Will the "Herods" of our day (of all political affiliations) learn to bend their knees before the true King of Kings and be willing to expose all their deeds to the light of Christ's truth?

Most importantly, are we willing to acknowledge that so much of what we define as Christmas today...commercialism, entertainment, obligatory gifts, and wanton busyness...that these things have nothing to do with the One whose birth we celebrate and whose life we claim as our standard of everything that is true and good.

May the light of Christmas break through the darkness of sin, injustice, and apathy, that we may truly sing, "Joy to the world! The Lord is come!"

Reflections on "The Sing-Off"

2009-12-19T04:42:00.000-08:00

This past week my wife and I became engrossed in NBC's new talent competition, "The Sing-Off." What an incredible display of vocal talent by very diverse groups of singers! You don't have to be a musician to appreciate how tough it is for a group to sing a cappella music well, and these groups have nailed it each night!

My two favorite groups are "Nota" (who have given a distinctively urban grit to a cappella music) and "The Beelzebubs" (who combine off-the-wall college-boy antics with superior vocal stylings, and they project the simple fact that music is just plain fun). Going with my gut, I'll predict that "The Beelzebubs" will take the grand prize, but I think "Nota" will give them a tough fight till the end.

Even though I am staying away from theology books until January 1, I've been reminded through my reading of secular books that anything can provoke theological reflection, for God has saturated every inch of His creation with clues to His character and truth. One only needs to seek, and he will find. (I think I read that somewhere...)

With that in mind, here is a nugget of theological wisdom that "The Sing-Off" has helped me to clarify:

The human voice is the only musical instrument that God made without any help from human beings, and it is without a doubt the most beautiful instrument of all. As my wife and I watched "The Sing-Off," we marveled at what those human voices were able to do musically, without any help from man-made pianos, guitars, or drums. And yet it is not so marvelous, when one considers that God specifically designed the human voice for the high and holy purpose of worshipping Him.

Our voices also have more power than any other instrument--for good or evil--to touch us on the deepest levels of our being. But therein lies a profound tragedy, for I believe that part of our rebellion against God is the misuse of our voices. In today's culture, so much of our speech and our singing is focused downward, towards the basest and most sinful elements of life. Ben Folds is one of the judges on "The Sing-Off," a very talented composer, pianist, and singer...and yet his songs are replete with gratuitous profanity, sexuality, and hedonism which make it difficult to respect the serious ideas that his lyrics (sometimes) contain.

Unfortunately, even Christians (including myself) have a way of misusing our voices: communicating anger rather than joy and peace, speaking words of judgment and hostility rather than words of grace and reconciliation. We raise our voices in these improper ways, and yet on Sunday mornings we do not raise our voices with the same level of intensity in our worship to God. That is, in my opinion, sinful, and it reveals the fallenness of the human voice and its need for redemption. If every Christian congregation sang with the same fervency and joy as "Nota" or "The Beelzebubs," I believe the world would be converted in no time.

Indeed, what Christian churches might learn from "Nota," "The Beelzebubs," and the other groups on "The Sing-Off" is how to incarnate an ensemble that resounds with the sonorous harmonies of the Gospel. For I believe if you asked any of those a cappella groups how they got to where they are, they would answer the following (in substance, if not exactly in form):

1 - Ensembles work only when each individual brings forth the best of who he or she is. Slackers, in the long run, will do more harm than good.

2 - Ensembles do not come into existence overnight. When you join a new ensemble, do not be too quick to judge if it does not perform exactly the way you think it should. Perhaps it is you who needs to alter your expectations.

3 - Becoming an ensemble is hard work: you must get to know and appreciate each others' voices, you must commit to learning your part of the score, and you must find a way to blend all the parts harmoniously, knowing when to hold back your own part and when to stand out.

4 - Becoming a good ensemble requires both task-oriented work (learning the music, perfecting the vocals, etc...) and relationship work (encouraging each other, learning to work together in a positive, affirming manner, etc...), and the leadership must be diligent in intuiting which type of work is called for.

5 - Coming together for rehearsal should never be seen as an end in itself. The purpose is always to go out and share the ensembles' gifts with others. If our music is only being heard by our own ensemble, why the heck are we bothering?

Serenity, Courage, and Wisdom

2009-12-01T02:22:00.000-08:00

"God grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

It has been over seventy years since that prayer was first penned by Neo-Orthodox theologian/ethicist Reinhold Niebuhr. Since then it has been adopted as the official prayer of Alcoholics Anonymous and is respected by individuals of different religious backgrounds...indeed, even by those of no religious background. The atheist philosopher Ayn Rand praised it as being "profoundly true, as a summary and a guideline: it names the mental attitude which a rational man must seek to achieve" (Philosophy: Who Needs It. New York: Penguin, 1984, p. 23).

Personally, this prayer ranks as #3 on my list of favorites, right behind The Lord's Prayer and The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. However, like all prayers (including the two aforementioned), The Serenity Prayer can take on the quality of a rote, formulaic mantra devoid of any personal meaning when uttered inattentively or without full understanding of its substance. Here is my humble attempt to shed light on the deep philosophical and theological meaning of the three separate statements in this prayer:

Serenity to accept the things we can not change. This seemingly simple statement involves the deepest issues of philosophy (specifically, the fundamental branch of metaphysics). For at its root is the acknowledgment that reality is what it is, that facts are what they are, independent of our own wishes or feelings. So much of the misery in human life comes from our psychological, emotional, or willful evasion of the plain facts of life, such as:

God is quite willing to allow a great deal of suffering to take place out of respect for our own free will
Human beings were made to be creative and productive, not to coast through life doing "as little as possible"
Actions (and inactions) have consequences whether we like it or not

No one else, and nothing else, can make us happy; we must choose happiness for ourselves and take responsibility to do those things which will make us truly happy

We cannot force anyone to see things our way or to believe anything they don't want to believe

These are fairly commonsensical notions, yet people consistently contradict them in their daily lives when they question God and His will every time tragedy besets them, or when they make irresponsible decisions regularly and then wonder why "life" treats them so unfairly. This prayer challenges us to examine and confess every negative attitude we hold, discerning whether that attitude is a legitimate gripe or merely a spineless unwillingness to deal with hard truth.

Courage to change the things we can. If the first statement addresses the metaphysical issues of life (God and reality), then this statement addresses life's moral issues (personal responsibility). While there are certain fundamental facts about life in general that we can not change, God has granted each individual the freedom of choice concerning his or her own life for which each individual is personally responsible. In making these daily choices, most individuals resort to their "whims" or "feelings" as guides for what they will do, or they default to habits which may or may not be good ones. Then, when the undesired consequences of these choices are made manifest, rather than confess their responsibility, those same individuals assert that it was a situation "beyond my control," or they blame their bad choice on their upbringing or their brain chemistry, or they want the government to save them from the consequences, or - my favorite cop-out - acquiescently asserting that "shit happens."

It takes real moral courage to move beyond this victim mentality, to look at every moral situation we encounter, and then to face squarely the following questions:

Which aspects of this situation are directly within my power to choose and change, and which are not?

Based on my God-given reasoning ability (and the advice of others when available), what are the logical consequences of each option I have to choose, and am I personally willing to bear responsibility for those consequences?

Which option and which consequences seem most consistent with the teachings of Scripture?

This is truly the only way to effect significant "change" in our lives.

Wisdom to know the difference. This final statement addresses the practical issues of judgment and discernment. In many situations, knowing the difference between what we can and cannot change is merely a matter of common sense. But ultimately, wisdom in any situation comes to us when the chief emotion of our hearts is reverence (fear) of God. In other words, our ultimate focus should not be on the problem we face, but on the One who provides us with ultimate meaning and hope for our lives. Put another way, we should interpret the specifics of life through the lens of the general purpose of life, not the other way around. To give two specific examples:

At this moment a major source of worry in my life are two individuals for whom I care a great deal, but who have been making a lot of unwise choices that are bringing upon them an immense amount of pain and depression. My worries impel me to rush head on to "save" them, to fix the situation and literally preach at them to make them see the folly of their ways. I confess that I have lost sleep over both of these dear people. Yet as I step back and allow wisdom to have her way, I see that both situations are things that I can not change and must accept with serenity. Both individuals are free agents who are responsible for their own lives and their own happiness: I can bring them to the throne of grace in my prayers, asking the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts. But I must let go of my worries, or my thoughts that I can do more than I actually can.
Historically, I have not been very good at processing my own anger. I often allow it to become bottled up inside of me, and then it comes out all at once when one little thing sets me off. In the past, I have been good at blaming that one little thing for my outbursts. But as I have matured in wisdom, I have come to realize that this is an area of my life over which I alone am responsible. While I certainly need to rely on the graceful, sanctifying power of God, I acknowledge that this is an area in which I needed to make a change...I needed to process my negative emotions in a more godly way.

In a nutshell, my challenge to all of us is to pray the Serenity Prayer, but let us not pray it in the manner of a pious platitude. Let us pray it, rather, fully understanding the nature of the serenity, courage, and wisdom that we are asking God to grant us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T05:35:00.000-08:00

For the Christian, and even for the Jew, this day is kind of unnecessary.

Seriously, those of us who claim the Biblical story as our own should not need to set aside one day of the year for giving thanks. Thankfulness ought to be the consistent emotion of our hearts, given what we believe about who God is and who we are.

The Biblical account avers that each individual is a sinner who stands (deservingly) under God's judgment. Ironically, however, the Bible also affirms the incredible reality that God Himself continuously takes the initiative in reaching out to us in reconciliation and love.

In fact, Scripture's unique message is that true religion never consists of human beings trying to take the initiative with God. True religion is always a humble response to what God already has graciously done on our behalf.

God took the initiative in creating us in His Divine image and charging us with the holy responsibility of being stewards of creation. He took the initiative in seeking us out when we fell short of His standards. He took the initiative in creating a community of people - the Jews - who were called to live out His will in the world that all nations might be blessed. And he took the initiative to dwell among us in the Person of Jesus Christ, bringing the definitive revelation of God's character and purposes, and the definitive act of redemption in the scandalous beauty of the Cross.

And what is our part in this? Simply to respond...to repent, believe, and live a life worthy of the love that God has so freely given to us. We do not come closer to God by doing anything, certainly not be taking any initiative with God.

In fact, the Bible reveals with total honesty the horrors that result when we humans come before God with a grasping ambition. We need only think of Adam and Eve going for the fruit of the tree, the building of the Tower of Babel, Abraham's attempt to "force" God to give him the heir He promised, etc... In the long run, anything we do apart from God's grace will give us little reason for thankfulness.

So enjoy today: The parades, the football, the time with family, the food, and the shopping (well, maybe not the shopping...). But in your prayers ask God to cultivate within your soul a consistent "attitude of gratitude" that transcends this national holiday. Certainly the Pilgrims - those whom we commemorate on this day - would agree with me.

Jeff's Oscars - Pre-1980

2009-11-05T12:16:00.000-08:00

For the years prior to 1980, I'll avoid personal commentary, and just list the year's winner, noting when I disagree with the Academy's final vote.

1979 - Kramer vs. Kramer (Jeff's pick: Apocalypse Now)

1978 - The Deer Hunter

1977 - Annie Hall (Jeff's pick: Star Wars)

1976 - Rocky (Jeff's picks: All the President's Men or Network)

1975 - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

1974 - The Godfather Part II (Chinatown is a close second!)

1973 - The Sting

1972 - The Godfather

1971 - The French Connection (Jeff's pick: Fiddler on the Roof)

1970 - Patton

1969 - Midnight Cowboy

1968 - Oliver! (Jeff's pick: 2001: A Space Odyssey or The Lion in Winter)

1967 - In the Heat of the Night (Jeff's Pick: Cool Hand Luke)

1966 - A Man for All Seasons

1965 - The Sound of Music (Jeff's Pick: Doctor Zhivago)

1964 - My Fair Lady (Jeff's Pick: Becket or Dr. Strangelove)

1963 - Tom Jones

1962 - Lawrence of Arabia (Jeff's Pick: To Kill a Mockingbird)

1961 - West Side Story (Jeff's Pick: Judgment at Nuremberg)

1960 - The Apartment

1959 - Ben-Hur

1958 - Gigi (Jeff's Pick: The Defiant Ones)

1957 - The Bridge on the River Kwai (Jeff's Pick: Witness for the Prosecution)

1956 - Around the World in Eighty Days (Jeff's Pick: Giant)

1955 - Marty

1954 - On the Waterfront

1953 - From Here to Eternity

1952 - The Greatest Show on Earth (Jeff's Pick: High Noon)

1951 - An American in Paris (Jeff's Pick: A Streetcar Named Desire or Quo Vadis)

1950 - All About Eve

1949 - All the King's Men (Jeff's Pick: Twelve O'Clock High)

1948 - Hamlet

1947 - Gentlemen's Agreement

1946 - The Best Years of Our Lives (Jeff's Pick: It's a Wonderful Life)

1945 - The Lost Weekend

1944 - Going My Way (Jeff's Pick: Double Indemnity)

1943 - Casablanca

1942 - Mrs. Miniver (Jeff's Pick: Yankee Doodle Dandy)

1941 - How Green Was My Valley (Jeff's Pick: Citizen Kane or The Maltese Falcon)

1940 - Rebecca (Jeff's Pick: The Great Dictator or The Philadelphia Story)

1939 - Gone With the Wind

1938 - You Can't Take It With You (Jeff's Pick: Boys Town)

1937 - The Life of Emile Zola (Jeff's Pick: The Good Earth)

And that's about as far back as I go, except to say that the Academy got it right in 1934 with It Happened One Night and in 1931 with Grand Hotel. Both great flicks!

Hope you enjoyed this stroll down Oscar lane!

No More Theology!

2009-10-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

At least for the rest of 2009.

I recently made the commitment that I would read no more books of theology for the rest of the year, and instead focus on reading books only for pleasure, including some that I've been hoping to read for a while.

Apparently some friends of mine--and indeed my own wife--do not believe that I have the self-control and will-power to avoid the temptation of sneaking a peek at the writings of Aquinas, Calvin, Edwards, or (God forbid) Wesley.

I usually make "reading lists" to keep me on task, so to prove to my friends that at least my intentions are true, here are the eight books I have slated to enjoy until the New Years' Day:

Walker Percy, The Thanatos Syndrome
Charles Williams, All Hallow's Eve
Agatha Christie, Death on the Nile
Dorothy L. Sayers, Clouds of Witness
Mickey Spillane, One Lonely Night
Henrik Ibsen, Rosmersholm
Edmund Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac
James Ellroy, Clandestine

So, to all you unbelievers out there, wish me happy reading!

C. S. Lewis on President Obama and the Congressional Democrats:

2009-10-28T05:25:00.000-07:00

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."

Jeff's Oscars - The 80's

2009-10-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

1989
Oscar's Pick - Driving Miss Daisy
Jeff's Pick - Glory
How was this film not even nominated for Best Picture, while the feel-good flick Field of Dreams was? Glory is one of the best Civil War dramas ever made, based on the first African American regiment of soldiers to go into battle. It is a poetic story of African Americans as moral and military heroes, an inspiring true account of men who learn to fight and die together. Compelling cinematography, visual effects, costumes, and music. And most compelling of all is Denzel Washington, who deservingly won the Supporting Actor prize for his flawless portrayal as a bitter ex-slave who transforms his hatred into grace.

1988
Oscar's Pick - Rain Man
Jeff's Pick - Rain Man
Very simply, this is a character-driven drama that would have either risen or fallen depending the portrayal of the two brothers, especially the autistic Raymond. Dustin Hoffman did not disappoint...he played the part to the hilt and rightly was awarded the Best Actor Oscar. Tom Cruise elevated his image above that of a Hollywood pretty boy, and the chemistry of the two actors is what made the film worthy of the Oscar. Well, that and the fact that the other nominated films left a lot to be desired.

1987
Oscar's Pick - The Last Emperor
Jeff's Pick - The Last Emperor
From what I know, there were at least a few historical inaccuracies in this epic film by Bernardo Bertolucci. But artistically, no other film made that year could hold a candle to The Last Emperor. The performances (especially by John Lone and Peter O'Toole), the cinematography within the Forbidden City, the exotic musical score, and the artistic direction all are employed perfectly to entertain and inspire.

1986
Oscar's Pick - Platoon
Jeff's Pick - The Mission
My rejection of Platoon possibly stems from my general dislike of Oliver Stone, his leftist politics and his revisionist approach to history. But acknowledging this bias, I still think The Mission is a superior film...and the folks at the Cannes Film Festival obviously agreed with me when they awarded it the coveted Palme d'Or. Things that stand out to me are Chris Menges' cinematography, Ennio Morricone's music, the theme of worldly violence vs. Christian pacifism, and Jeremy Iron's heartfelt portrayal of a compassionate Jesuit missionary.

1985
Oscar's Pick - Out of Africa
Jeff's Pick - Witness
Harrison Ford is definitely more of a "star" than an "actor," but I truly believe he deserved the Oscar for his portrayal of Philadelphia cop John Book. Witness, which contrasts the violent corruption of the city with the pastoral simplicity of the Amish, is a true achievement of director Peter Weir. At its heart is the innocence of an Amish boy (superlatively portrayed by Lukas Haas) who witnesses a brutal homicide, but who is also a witness to the world-weary John Book that there is another way to look at life.

1984
Oscar's Pick - Amadeus
Jeff's Pick - Amadeus
Milos Forman's film, which tells the story of the rivalry between Mozart and Salieri, is a brilliant account of an artist (Mozart) yearning to break free from the restrictive maxims of his day that stifled his true creativity, and a portrait of another artist (Salieri) whose burning envy of that creativity literally drove him mad. F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce both give impeccable interpretations, and it is a historical drama of the highest order. Maurice Jarre, who won the Best Original Score Oscar for A Passage to India, should have been thankful that Amadeus' composer (Mozart himself) was ineligible to be nominated!

1983
Oscar's Pick - Terms of Endearment
Jeff's Pick - Tender Mercies
Like 1988, this was a year dominated by "small" films...but I think Terms of Endearment is a little too small. Tender Mercies features a performance by Robert Duvall, who is, in my opinion, one of the greatest film actors of all time. It's a serious story about one man's repentance and redemption, and it relies on genuine emotional drama to keep our attention (in contrast with Terms of Endearment, which relies on the overdone humor of Jack Nicholson).

1982
Oscar's Pick - Gandhi
Jeff's Pick - E. T.
I thought Gandhi was an honest, not-too-sentimental attempt to honor a true hero, and it certainly deserved highest honors. But in this case, I'm going with sentiment and picking one of the first films I remember seeing in the theater at age 9, with my brother Greg and my friend Jeff Poerstel. I'll always look at E. T. through the eyes of a 9-year-old, and I'm sorry...it was just a great film!

1981
Oscar's Pick - Chariots of Fire
Jeff's Pick - Chariots of Fire
Everybody thought that the Academy would stay true to its leftist politics and its penchant for awarding "big" films by giving the highest honor to Warren Beatty's Reds. What a refreshing surprise that they broke form and honored a truly great and inspiring film that uplifts Christian commitment, heroic optimism, and individual integrity...rather than a film that glorified collectivism and "revolution." My favorite line of the film: "My arrogance extends only as far as my conscience demands." Amen!

1980
Oscar's Pick - Ordinary People
Jeff's Pick - Ordinary People
This film does the same thing that American Beauty did 19 years later: it exposes the superficial facade that hides a deep alienation and spiritual emptiness among American suburbanites. But Ordinary People does it much better. The plot is less contrived, the characters more realistic, and the ultimate message less morbid. And as for the performances: Timothy Hutton as a confused and angry teen, Mary Tyler Moore as a repressed and superficial mother, and Judd Hirsch as the compassionate counselor... just great acting! Kudos to director Robert Redford for a great film!

Jeff's Oscars - The 90's

2009-10-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

1999
Oscar's Pick - American Beauty
Jeff's Pick - The Insider
I enjoyed American Beauty mainly because of its open homage to other Oscar-winning films that I love, like The Apartment and Ordinary People. Its story and performances were a little overdone, in my opinion. The Insider, on the other hand, is an intense and complex story with a real issue of moral integrity, and it is executed flawlessly by director Michael Mann and actors Al Pacino and Russell Crowe. Again, Crowe should have one for this performance, not for Gladiator.

1998
Oscar's Pick - Shakespeare in Love
Jeff's Pick - The Thin Red Line
Terrence Malick is perhaps one of the most underrated directors in Hollywood, and I personally believe that The Thin Red Line is a masterpiece, both in its visual spectacle and its poignant script. Set during World War II, it contrasts the horror of modern warfare with the natural beauty of Guadalcanal and its native population. Even deeper, it allows the viewer to experience the internal conflicts and diverse perspectives of the American soldiers, most notably the character played by Jim Caviezel. A little slow-moving, yes, but well worth it!

1997
Oscar's Pick - Titanic
Jeff's Pick - L. A. Confidential
Oscar went with popular sentiment and voted for the "big" film, with 15 nominations and 11 wins. But seriously, L. A. Confidential stands with The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity, and Chinatown as one of the classics of film noir. Kim Basinger's win for supporting actress should have been met with, at the very least, nominations for Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, and Guy Pearce...all who deliver pristine performances as 1950's L. A. detectives. In my opinion, L. A. Confidential is the iceberg that should have sunk Titanic.

1996
Oscar's Pick - The English Patient
Jeff's Pick - Fargo
Again, the "big" film won. And what exactly was the point of The English Patient? I mean, other than it being a way-overdone love story? Ethan and Joel Coen made a great film in Fargo. Is it a thriller? A comedy? A crime drama? (Apparently it's even based on a real-life story). And the acting from Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, and Steve Buscemi was just plain fantastic. When The English Patient won, all I could do is sit in...total silence.

1995
Oscar's Pick - Braveheart
Jeff's Pick - Braveheart
Okay, so sometimes I think the "big" film should win, and this is one clear example. Gibson took a great script by Randall Wallace and then weaved in the scenery of Scotland, evocative music, fervid battle sequences, and earnest performances to perfectly express the emotional depth of that script. In the category of historical dramas, this film rates as one of the all-time best.

1994
Oscar's Pick - Forrest Gump
Jeff's Pick - The Shawshank Redemption
I had a tough time on this one, because I do love Forrest Gump and think it's a great film. But in this particular case, I have a bias towards any films that were made in a town where I lived, and Shawshank was made in Ashland, Ohio where I attended college and seminary. (The old prison still exists in nearby Mansfield). Plus, it's based on a favorite short story by Stephen King, and I think Morgan Freeman should have won Best Actor for this one.

1993
Oscar's Pick - Schindler's List
Jeff's Pick - Schindler's List
I think The Pianist is a better Holocaust drama (see my last post), but after years of being snubbed by the Academy for other great films (Jaws, E.T., and The Color Purple) they finally rewarded Spielberg's brilliance for this mature, passionate movie. The black-and-white adds atmosphere, John Williams' score sets a perfect tone, Ralph Fiennes is absolutely remarkable in revealing the psychology of a Nazi, and the last scene with the real "Schindler Jews" was a great sentimental touch.

1992
Oscar's Pick - Unforgiven
Jeff's Pick - Unforgiven
It's been a while since I saw this film, but I remember being impressed with how different it was from earlier Eastwood westerns. It seemed less about the violence (although there was quite a bit) and more about the reflective nature of Eastwood's character. Definitely not your typical western, but one thoroughly deserving of Oscar.

1991
Oscar's Pick - The Silence of the Lambs
Jeff's Pick - The Silence of the Lambs
If it's possible for a horror film to be psychologically deep and philosophically intelligent, this film does that and more. Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster deliver two of the best performance ever to grace the screen. Director Jonathan Demme uses ever frame of film to deliver symbolism and reinforce the bizarre nature of the plot. Every time I watch this film, I catch something I missed before.

1990
Oscar's Pick - Dances with Wolves
Jeff's Pick - Goodfellas
Yeah, I like Kevin Costner's film, but it was a little too "politically correct" for my taste. Martin Scorsese is a great director, and crime drama is his forte. This is one of the films he should have won the Oscar for (Taxi Driver is another), and not for The Departed.

Jeff's Oscars - the 2000's

2009-10-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

I am a movie buff, and I have been following the Oscars for at least twenty years. Like all democratic votes, sometimes we agree with the results, and sometimes we don't. In my opinion, some years Oscar has gotten it right, and other years it really missed the boat. So for the next few posts, here are my picks for "Best Picture of the Year" and how they square up with the Academy's vote:

2008:

Oscar's Pick - Slumdog Millionaire

Jeff's Pick - The Dark Knight

Don't get me wrong...Slumdog is a great film. But The Dark Knight brought powerful performances, philosophical insight, incredible cinematography, emotional depth, and cultural relevance to the popular superhero story. And it wasn't even nominated for Best Picture! Shame on you, Academy!

2007:

Oscar's Pick - No Country for Old Men

Jeff's Pick - No Country for Old Men

Oscar got it right, even though it had some stiff competition from There Will Be Blood. For my thoughts on this particular movie, check out my post earlier on this blog.

2006:

Oscar's Pick - The Departed

Jeff's Pick - Pan's Labyrinth

The Academy went sentimental and gave overdue kudos to veteran Martin Scorsese as an apology for overlooking his brilliant work in Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Gangs of new York, and The Aviator. However, choosing not on sentiment but actual cinematic achievement, I think they should have picked the (again, not even nominated) Pan's Labyrinth, an aesthetically brilliant and emotionally touching fantasy by Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro.

2005:

Oscar's Pick - Crash

Jeff's Pick - Crash

A brilliant script, fueled by intense performance (many of which deserved to be nominated), and addressing a very sensitive topic of racism with honesty, integrity, and even humor...I literally cheered when Jack Nicholson read the envelope!

2004:

Oscar's Pick - Million Dollar Baby

Jeff's Pick - Hotel Rwanda

Okay, Clint Eastwood is a great director, and Million Dollar Baby was a good movie. But yet again, the Academy didn't even nominate Hotel Rwanda, which was a movie bigger in scope and a much more profound message. Don Cheadle and Sophie Okenado give amazing performances.

2003:

Oscar's Pick - Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Jeff's Pick - Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Peter Jackson did as good a job as anyone could in bringing Tolkien's masterpiece to the screen. It's just a brilliant film.

2002:

Oscar's Pick - Chicago

Jeff's Pick - The Pianist

I don't think Chicago can hold a candle to some of the great film musicals of the past, some of which did not win Best Picture. Now, don't get me wrong: I have no personal respect at all for Roman Polanski and think he should stay in prison. But hell, he's made some great films (Rosemary's Baby and Chinatown, just to name two favorites). And The Pianist deals with the Holocaust in an honest, artistically humble, and historically precise way...rather than overtly sentimentalizing it like Spielberg did in Schindler's List. It is truly a masterpiece by a great director.

2001:

Oscar's Pick - A Beautiful Mind

Jeff's Pick - Gosford Park

I enjoyed A Beautiful Mind and think Russell Crowe deserved to win the Oscar for this performance, rather than for his bravado turn in Gladiator. But for my mind, Gosford Park combines a lucid theme, an incredible ensemble cast, a profound script, and magnificent artistry...all brought together by the beautiful mind of a humble but powerful director: Robert Altman. A favorite to watch with my wife!

2000:

Oscar's Pick - Gladiator

Jeff's Pick - Traffic

Gladiator was a visual spectacle...and a testosterone-packed guy film...and that's about the extent of it. Traffic probes the reality of drug trafficking and its effect on all segments of American society, and it is a sobering critique of the superficial means often used to address it (and other deep problems). It features another incredible ensemble cast, including riveting performances by Michael Douglas, Benicio Del Toro, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

More to come...

Inklings and Emergents

2009-10-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

I have made no apology about my obsession with The Inklings, whose writings have shaped my thinking more than any others (except--hopefully--for the Bible). I also attempt to keep up on what is current in Christian thinking and practice, not because I'm particularly interested in being "relevant" or "with it" but because we must follow Christ's command to read the signs of the times. For that reason, I also am interested in listening to the leaders of the Emerging Church like Brian McClaren, Dan Kimball, Spencer Burke, and Tony Jones.

I recently brought these two stands of thought together and came up with a remarkable observation: the two groups of Christian thinkers have some interesting commonalities, as well as some telling divergences.

Here's what I think:

COMMONALITIES:

1 - Both groups regarded themselves as an "informal conversation" rather than a formal, structured church ministry. Their conversation generally occurred outside the framework of institutional religion - in fact, more often than not, it occurs in pubs with pints of beer in abundance.

2 - Both groups are "trans-denominational," drawing from all backgrounds and theological perspectives.

3 - Both groups were critical of modern rationalism which confines all truth to scientific categories and all religious belief into a shallow, respectable "churchianity."

4 - Likewise, both groups were critical of the modernist view of God (almost Deism) and sought to reclaim the free, wild, sovereign Christ who shatters all of our pretentions and dares us to follow Him.

5 - Both groups prefered to use the arts (rather than systematic treatises) to communicate the Christian faith, seeking to engage the "intuitive imagination" (rather than just reason) of their audiences.

6 - Both groups had severe criticism for the institutional churches of their age for being more interested in self-preservation than in communicating Christian truth to people in contemporary language and in practical ways.

7 - Interestingly (but perhaps superficially), both groups were composed of white males. This is not a criticism of either group. It does, however, point to an irony in the Emergent movement, a movement which claims to represent a more diverse Christianity than that of the modern church.

DIVERGENCES:

1 - While the Inklings were made up almost exclusively of laymen, most of the Emerging Christians are either pastors or have served in some official capacity in a local church.

2 - The Inklings may have been deeply critical of the open heresy and sin in various Christian communions, but they were entirely supportive of (and indeed, loved) The Church as an institutional reality. On the contrary, most Emerging Christians are (at the very least) critical of The Church as an institutional reality, some of them opting to leave the church entirely. They stress the relational aspect of the Gospel almost to the point that they believe that the Institution is more of a hindrance than a means of furthering the relationship.

3 - The Inklings believed that their role was to bring the Church back to its basic faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and to fight against a watered-down, relativistic gospel that seemed prevalent in many denominations. Emergents, on the other hand, seem to believe that their role is to bring the Church into a greater engagement with American Culture, even as they present a very watered-down, relativistic gospel...even to the point of denying the exclusivity of Jesus Christ or His substitutionary atonement on the Cross.

4 - The Inklings followed the wisdom of the ancient and medievals writers who believed that, while our knowledge may not be 100% perfect, our minds are capable of reasoning, making judgments, and knowing the difference between truth and falsehood, right and wrong. Conversely, Emergent Christians are deeply suspicious of any truth claims and seem offended by any inference that a person must choose either/or.

5 - The Inklings, by and large, held a high view of the Bible and of the historic confessions of the Church. For them, these are not "living documents" to be updated in different cultural realities, but truth statements that confront all cultures and challenge people to repent and believe. Obviously, the Emergents have a much more watered-down view of Scripture and the Creeds, believing that nothing in Scripture is above culture. Therefore, cultural realities become the standard by which to interpret Scripture and the Creeds (rather than the other way around).

Well, that's what I think. What do you think?

Blessed Are the "Peace-talkers?"

2009-10-09T04:11:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama has been rewarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

Interestingly, the deadline for nominations for the prize was February 1, less than two weeks after Obama took the Oath of Office. Before becoming President, Obama's major accomplishments were serving as a "community organizer" alongside corrupt Chicago politicians, voting "present" for a majority of Senate roll calls, and authoring two memoirs glorifying his own personal history and experience.

So apparently in less than two weeks as an actual national leader, "somebody" felt he had accomplished enough to merit being placed alongside the likes of Theodore Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mother Teresa. (On the other hand, more recent Nobel Peace Prize winners include Al Gore and Jimmy Carter; apparently their standards have gone down considerably in recent years.)

Here is the reasoning behind the decision to award Obama:

Rather than recognizing concrete achievement, the 2009 prize appeared intended to support initiatives that have yet to bear fruit: reducing the world stock of nuclear arms, easing American conflicts with Muslim nations and strengthening the U.S. role in combating climate change.
"Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," Thorbjoern Jagland, chairman of the Nobel Committee said. "In the past year Obama has been a key person for important initiatives in the U.N. for nuclear disarmament and to set a completely new agenda for the Muslim world and East-West relations."
He added that the committee endorsed "Obama's appeal that 'Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.'" - KARL RITTER and MATT MOORE, Associated Press Writers

Translation: "We do not recognize that Obama has achieved anything for the cause of peace. But, he himself is a 'symbol for peace' and he talks about peace an awful lot. By the way, we endorse his politics (and you can shove that up your you-know-what, George W. Bush!)."

If being a symbol of peace, and talking about peace an awful lot, and "capturing the world's attention" is enough to win the Nobel Peace Prize, why not give it to actor Ben Kingsley for his riveting portrayal of Gandhi? Or better yet, why not give it to David Letterman, who finally humbled himself enough to apologize to (and thereby make peace with) Sarah Palin?

Only history can judge if Obama's national and international political tactics will achieve a lasting peace. People are simply unable to view their own times objectively, and they are not able to fully grasp all the consequences of their ideas, decisions and actions. Simply speaking the language of peace means, in the long run, very little.

For example, in the 1930's, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain adhered to an international politics similar to Obama's - to meet hostile forces without preconditions, to apologize for his own nation's actions, and to seek compromise or agreement wherever possible. None of this did anything to deter the aggression of Nazi Germany or prevent World War II. Can we honestly call Chamberlain a "peace-maker?"

On the other hand, the 70-year-long Cold War was effectively ended, at least in part, due to three individuals: Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Pope John Paul II. All three of them took a hard line stance against Soviet Communism, refused to apologize at all for their own positions, and (in the case of Reagan and Thatcher) strengthened their countries militarily in order to go to war if necessary. The result? The Communist bully backed down, the Soviet Union collapsed, the Berlin Wall was dismantled, and Western ideas such as freedom, justice, and Christianity are now openly proclaimed among the former Soviet peoples.

Jesus said "Blessed are the peace makers" - i.e., people whose concrete actions (of whatever sort) actually bring about peace in the world. (And as he said somewhere else, "The tree is known by its fruit" - i.e., not by its good intentions.)

On the other hand, the prophet Jeremiah criticizes people who "dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace."

And the Apostle Paul warns, "While people are saying, 'Peace and safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape."

All due respect to the Office of the President...but in my humble opinion, Barack Obama most certainly does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, and his receiving it is an insult to all true peace-makers.

Then again, maybe I'm making too much of nothing. After all, past nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize include Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini, and yes, even Adolf Hitler. Maybe it's not the honor everybody thinks it is.

A Conservative Alternative

2009-10-08T13:45:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I read an article written by Governor Bobby Jindal (R - Louisiana), which was published in The Washington Post. The article can be found in full here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/04/AR2009100402003_pf.html

I have been praying that the Republicans would cease their usual method of merely attacking the Democrats' health care reform agenda (ala Rush, Hannity, Coulter, etc...) or their equally odious method of kowtowing to the Democrats on all fundamental issues (ala John McCain and many, many others), and instead offer a rational, constructive vision for health care reform based on consistent conservative principles.

This article by Jindal is the first I've seen that seems a true answer to my prayers. It is intelligent and clearly outlined, and seems to be based on a desire to address the real concerns of the American people (rather than a discredited ideology and dubious special interest groups, as the Liberals' plan does). I realize this is just an outline, and I'm not saying I agree with every word of it, but it is nice to see this kind of proactiveness coming from the Right these days.

Many early analysis shows Jindal to be a frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 2012 Presidential election. I have seen him on TV only a few times, and I don't know his position on all issues facing our nation. But I intend to watch him with great interest in the future.

A Christian Horror Novel!

2009-10-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

Recently, I re-read Descent into Hell by Charles Williams. Williams was an "Inkling," friend and colleague of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, whose work spans literary criticism (of Dante and other medieval writers), theology (specifically on the religious meaning of love), church history, and...believe it or not, popular thriller novels (of which Descent into Hell is perhaps his greatest).

C. S. Lewis was once asked to list the top ten books that influenced his own theological perspective. Lewis included Descent into Hell on that list, and one can discern clear influences from that work in many of Lewis' own books, including The Great Divorce, Till We Have Faces, and The Problem of Pain (just to name a few).

The book is a thriller in that several of its characters experience supernatural visions or revelations which are indeed frightening. But in its basic theme, it asks and then attempts to answer a very deep philosophical problem: Can something be both frightening and good at the same time?

In the novel, the characters who most clearly "descend into hell" are those who live lives of utter detachment from the world and other people, and choose to love only the vanity of their own thoughts and ideals. Out of fear of an imperfect reality, they retreat into their own minds and neglect the need to be confronted with anything "other," thereby depriving themselves of redemptive relationship. Implicitly narcissistic, they love only their own musings and emotions and offer only bitter contempt for actual reality.

This reminds me of a quote from one of Williams' contemporaries, T. S. Eliot: "Hell is oneself, hell is alone, the other figures in it merely projections. There is nothing to escape from and nothing to escape to. One is always alone." In their desire to protect themselves from the imperfection of this earth and of other people, lost people unwittingly secure their own damnation. For the first step to salvation is to love what is outside ourselves, frightening as that may be for us contemporary Americans who have made self-love, self-reliance, or self-esteem the summum bonum of life. Indeed, to love (and be loved by) a God who is wholly other than us requires that we deny ourselves all together and seek Christ.

While occasionally a cumbersome read, the book is filled with delightful humor, poignant moments of grace, and raw truthfulness about our predisposition to sinful self love. I won't give away any more of the plot, and thereby rob you of a great read. But I will offer you Williams' conclusion to the question raised above:

"Salvation is quite often a terrible thing--a frightening good."

[P.S. - Since Halloween is coming up, I plan on reading another of Williams' thrillers, All Hallow's Eve, and Lord willing I'll have a post on it before Oct. 31!]

A Political Re-Run

2009-08-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

Today, in light of recent news in the American political scene, here is a "re-run" of a post that originally "aired" on January 5, 2008...a few days after the Iowa caucuses of the '08 Presidential Campaign. The Republican winner of those caucuses was Gov. Mike Huckabee, and the Democratic winner was then-Senator B. Hussein Obama. I specifically ask that, in light of the Democrats' insane attempts to literally force their health-care legislation on a skeptical American public, that you read the last two paragraphs. But definitely peruse the whole article, and memorize the second quote from G. K. Chesterton!

The other night, my wife Cherith and I were watching the results of the Iowa caucus. As usual, there were roaring crowds, enthusiastic candidates, and media pundits ready with their fast analysis of the results (which usually changes from day to day).

Obama, the Democratic victor, gave what was by far the most inspiring speech, focusing on the historic moment of the first African-American to win a presidential caucus/primary, and on the hope that he will bring as a candidate of change (although change to what, I haven't yet gotten from him).

The speech that caught my attention was Huckabee's, the Republican winner who seems to be championed by many Evangelical Christians. Certainly more "folksy" and less polished than Obama's, he made reference to a quote by G. K. Chesterton...one of my favorite writers and a major influence on all of the Inklings.

The quote was: "A true warrior fights not because he hates those in front of him, but because he loves those behind him." A great quote, which Huckabee proceeded to take totally out of context and misapply to his point.

However, Huckabee's use of Chesterton in a political speech made me think of another quote from Chesterton in his book, The Everlasting Man: "A despotism may almost be defined as a tired democracy. As fatigue falls on a community, the citizens are less inclined for that eternal vigilance which has truly been called the price of liberty; and they prefer to arm only one single sentinel to watch the city while they sleep."

A despotism is a tired democracy. What a statement.

I look around the US, and in many respects, a tired democracy is exactly what I see, even among faithful Christians.

I see religious conservatives wanting government to legislate their moral principles and allow Christian orthodoxy to intrude into the public sphere...rather than doing the hard task of building relationships, loving, evangelizing, and discipling those who are lost.

I see liberal-thinking Christians wanting government to demonstrate the compassion and justice of Scripture through government entitlement programs and universal health care, all the while using most of their budgets on congregational programs and structures that are often more culture-bound than biblically mandated.

I see the majority of Americans believing that government owes them something beyond being a source of impartial law, an enforcer of contracts among people, and a protector from criminals and foreign enemies...which was implicitly the vision of our Founding Fathers.

Government has gotten so large and has taken on so many functions, we would hardly recognize the very frugal and simple government that existed for the first 100 years of our nation. Ironically, when our national government was small and had limited functions, it was then that our local communities were strong and vibrant, because those local communities were empowered to do things for themselves rather than immediately relying on Washington, D.C.

Is America slowly on the road to becoming a despotism? Are American citizens really more interested in being "cared for" by the government, rather than trusting in God and relying on their own ingenuity and the willing generosity of family, friends, and churches in their communities? Is it even possible to return to the vision of a national government so eloquently stated by Thomas Jefferson: "...a wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned"? Or has government become yet another idol in which we choose to put our unquestioning faith?

In conclusion, a brief lesson of history: In 1933, Adolf Hitler, perhaps the greatest despot of the 20th century, was elected into office. He did not seize power; it was given to him by the people of Germany, and as he usurped more and more authority while silencing his critics, the majority of Germans (including the church) chose to do nothing.

I pray to God that never happens here, but something tells me He might feel like teaching us the hard way.....

Waves

2009-08-04T13:19:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I reconnected with a friend I hadn't seen in over 10 years.

He and I attended both college and seminary at the same time. We didn't exactly mingle with the same crowd, but we had a common interest in music and a desire to follow Christ. (At the time, we both were much better at the first than the second!). After seminary, he gave me the great honor of playing piano at his wedding.

For part of the day we went swimming in Lake Michigan. The weather here has been somewhat inconstant of late, and so yesterday we were able to enjoy an adventurous swim in incredibly choppy waters with waves eight feet tall (and taller) and a strong current that moved us as rapidly as a free-flowing river. At a public beach, they probably would not have allowed anyone to venture into such waters, but this was a private, swim-at-your-own-risk beach, so we went for it. Had my worrisome wife witnessed this behavior from her 36-year-old, out-of-shape, asthmatic husband, she probably would not have approved. (Sorry, honey).

Amazingly, while engaged in this ebullient activity, my friend and I also delved into deep spiritual conversation. (Yes, even while treading water between the crashing waves). We talked about some doubts and struggles of ministry, we reminisced about the many immature decisions we made as college students, and in general we shared an authenticity that I find only infrequently among fellow Christ-followers, both clergy and laypeople.

I had hoped that my day's retreat with my friend would bring some fresh word from God to reinvigorate my ministry. God did not disappoint. He spoke to me in the waves. Just like my heroes, the Celtic Christians, who often boasted of their ability to see "glory in the grey," I am thankful to God for letting me see deeper meaning -- His meaning -- in that time of swimming.

The Celtic saints also believed that it is in the wildness, unpredictability, and ambiguity of life that the life of God is most intensely felt. Immersed in those waves, God challenged me to live my life with more boldness and authenticity than I have to this point. Too often I have allowed fear and cynicism to define how to relate to the world, other people, and even myself. I am uncomfortable with mystery and mess. I do not assert myself the way I should for fear of rejection and failure.

Do I trust God enough to be at peace in the waves of life...to fully immerse myself, even without full understanding? Can I let go of the destructive belief that everything in life must conform to my neat, rational categories?

Driving home last night, processing all that had transpired, God clearly spoke to me that I am missing out on much of what He has in store for me because I have been afraid to simply venture into, and enjoy, the waves of life. I see with abundant clarity some changes that I need to make in my own life, so that I can be more at peace with myself and more effective at sharing Jesus with others.

Lately, I have been asking a lot of questions of God. In true divine fashion, He responded, not by revealing answers, but by revealing Himself. And I'm pretty sure I'm satisfied.

Thanks, God, for a true experience of καιρος.

And thanks Charly and Christina, for a great afternoon of fellowship, music, and waves!

Wise Words from a Pretty Boy

2009-06-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

First of all, a point of clarification: I am not the "pretty boy" referenced in the title of this post. I use that title to describe a young Hollywood actor, Chace Crawford, recently voted "Hottest Bachelor" by People magazine. His wise words, which I will quote later in this post, are an oasis of rationality in the inchoate worldview propounded by the cultural elite (include Hollywood, which makes his words all the more oasis-like).

In a nutshell, for several decades (perhaps much longer) Western culture has posed doubt to be the summum bonum of life. Our current cultural quest, it seems, is to rid our minds and hearts of any attachment to "absolute truths" as foundational to existence. This is the ultimate end of Western "individualism" - ridding our lives of any external, transcendant standards so that each individual may "define his or herself" however he or she wants, without any risk of accountability or judgment.

This can be seen in two current postmodern philosophies. Neo-pragmatism avers that the only standard of value in life is "what works for me." Deconstructionism propounds the meaning-laden theory that nothing means anything, so I can make anything mean whatever I want.

This is seen also in international politics, in which our current President seems utterly unwilling to take a clear moral stance towards the evil regimes in the Middle East, but only expresses his doubt about American goodness. In fact, it seems that any sense of absolute morality has been ejected from political discourse.

Hollywood recently put forth two films that explicitly address this topic.

The film Doubt, featuring riveting performances by its four cast members, superficially deals with a case of child-molestation by a Catholic priest. But the deeper issue in the film is the utter inability of people to have absolute certainty about anything. An older nun (superlatively portrayed by Meryl Streep) is the only character in the film who displays a sense of firm conviction about her faith; yet the climax of the movie comes when she despairingly cries, "I have such doubts!"

Religulous is comedian Bill Maher's satirical attempt to poke holes in the very notion of religion itself. In the film, he interacts with individuals who represent only the most absurd elements of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and other faiths. He does all of this to prove that religion is pointless, that those who endorse it are ignorant rubes, and that it is much better to live in perpetual doubt.

Sadly, this attitude is infecting the Church as well, with "Jesus Seminar" followers destroying the credibility of Scripture and with some (though not all) Emergent Christians expressing disdain for orthodox Christian teachings or for the exclusivity of Christ as the unique Savior of humankind. I still haven't decided whether these phenomena are the result of Christians' prideful unwillingness to submit to the authority of God's revelation, or the result of Christians' sad proclivity for desiring to be "with it" even more than they desire to be "with God."

In any case, it's my opinion that the following simple quote from pretty boy Chace Crawford ought to be seen as prophetic to all disciples of Jesus Christ:

Doubt your doubts before you doubt your beliefs.

I called the quote simple but it is, in fact, quite profound. Think of it this way: When you are confronted with a proposition that claims to be an absolute truth, and your initial reaction is to doubt that truth, today's culture would say that you should go with your doubt not just about that particular absolute but about all absolutes.

Chace Crawford's words give us a different piece of advice. When we doubt a proposition that claims to be absolute, we should first ask ourselves why do we doubt it? Is it because we have thought carefully about the questions raised by the proposition, and have we looked at it logically? Or is it because there is something deep within us that doesn't want to acknowledge its truth?

If we reject a truth claim, is it because we have found a more logical proposition to answer the questions is raises? Or does the proposition so unsettle us that we'd rather dismiss it than deal honestly with its claims?

The ancient and medieval philosophers put it this way: We should not seek to conform the truth to my own mind and soul; rather, we should seek to conform my own mind and soul to the Truth. It is objective truth that critiques me, not I who critiques objective truth. When I am confronted with a proposition that claims to be absolute, like 2 + 2 = 4, I have only two options: I can conform my mind to that truth and accept it, or I can live in rebellion against its reality. There is no middle ground.

We Christians--indeed, all human beings--have been seeking to find middle ground in matters of faith for too long. In reality, we have only two options: we can doubt the Christian faith and reject it (as much of our culture is doing), or we can follow Chace Crawford's advice to doubt our doubts, and live boldly (not apologetically) in the truth of the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Practical Significance of the Trinity

2009-06-06T08:08:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is Trinity Sunday, in which we acknowledge and celebrate one of the most distinctive theological tenets of the Christian faith.

Our confession that the Divine actually exists, and that we can know objectively true information about the Divine, distinguishes us from atheism and agnosticism. We distinguish ourselves from deism (as well as much of ancient pagan philosophy) by affirming that the Divine is a personal Being who continues to interact with the world He has created through revelation and miraculous acts.

However, we also classify ourselves differently from the pantheistic (or panentheistic) tendencies of Hinduism, Buddhism, and many current spiritual fads by affirming that the Divine is a transcendent Being who confronts all nature with His sovereign holiness. Finally, the Christian belief about God is at odds with Judaism and Islam in that, while we affirm God's unity, it is a unity that is expressed mysteriously in three distinct Persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

As a theological doctrine, the Trinity has been grappled with for centuries. Specifically, we owe a debt of gratitude to the great Cappadocian Fathers of the Eastern Church (Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, and Gregory of Nazianus) and Saint Augustine of the Western Church for their masterful attempts of expressing the life of the Trinity. Today we are seeing a remarkable renewal of trinitarian thought among both Protestant and Catholic theologians.

However, in honor of Trinity Sunday, I would just like to share a few brief thoughts I've been thinking about this doctrine's practical significance in the everyday life of the individual believer, and in the life of the Church:

First of all, the Doctrine of the Trinity reminds us that Ultimate Reality is relational in nature. The highest Truth in existence is not a static, bare fact to be analyzed or reasoned about: Ultimate Truth is the creative, dynamic interaction—the perichoresis—among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who exist in intimate communion with one another.

Perhaps this should give us a clue as to how we should “package” the truths of our faith. While systematic theologies and rational apologetics serve an indispensable purpose as part of the package, Christians must understand that living out the truths of faith in intimate communion with others, and in a dynamic and creative way, is perhaps the best way to communicate truthfully the nature of the God we represent, worship, and serve.

Secondly, the Doctrine of the Trinity implies that unity and diversity need not be contradictory terms, but that they together give us a deep insight into the nature of truth and reality. The three Persons of the Trinity are clearly distinct; there is, therefore, diversity within the Godhead. At the same time, the Godhead is inseparably unified in essence and in purpose; thus, there is also unity.

This extraordinary fact of the Divine relationship may have something unique to say about human relationships as well, especially in the church. There are those Christian denominations that call for a unity that is almost “uniformity”—a situation that allows for no originality or creativity in communicating and living out our faith. At the other side of the spectrum are those who champion diversity at all costs, to the extent it is nearly impossible to acknowledge or articulate what truly unites us (the Gospel) without being labeled “offensive” or “doctrinaire.” Our Trinitarian God can be a model for us as we strive to acknowledge and celebrate the rich diversity that exists within the Christian community, while also unapologetically confessing a greater unity because of the reconciling work of Jesus Christ.

Finally, individual human beings (both male and female) are created in the Image of God (Genesis 1:27). As an individual I am a multi-faceted creature, and my identity cannot be reduced merely to my body, or my mind, or my emotions. All three constitute distinct parts of one being: me. As the Trinity is three distinct Persons in one God, I must strive to harmonize the distinct aspects of my personality into the single purpose of loving God and loving others (Mark 12:28-31).

Loving others, I must show respect for these different facets of personality in every person I meet. I can never view another human being as merely a body to be exploited, emotions to be manipulated, or a mind to be debated. I must view each human being as a whole person…as my neighbor…and as C. S. Lewis once aptly remarked, “Next to the blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses” (C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory). May God daily grant me the ability to see His Trinitarian Image in my wife, my friends, my congregation members, and every person I meet, and may He give me the grace to love them as He loves them.

"Engaged With God" - A Biblical Look at Worship

2009-04-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

WARNING: Before reading this blog entry, read Psalm 96. This is an adaptation of a sermon I preached a while back.

As is true with many terms among Christians, the word “worship” can become a cliché without any significant content if we don’t stop to consider its true meaning.
- Jerry Solomon, pastor

I take that quote seriously, because I think that there is a lot of confusion in the Body of Christ regarding what worship really is. Each of us defines it differently and has differing expectations, but we don’t often ask ourselves how God defines worship and what He expects from us.

And I know this is going to sound a little weird, but in order to get into that, I’d like to tell you about I proposed to my wife Cherith. Guys, when you proposed to your wives, how many of you got down on one knee?

I didn’t get down on one knee. I thought that it was sort of old-fashioned. But here’s what I did: I cooked dinner for her, I had a fire blazing in the fireplace, I had roses for her, and then I took her to the top of Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh. We just sat down on a park bench there, and I took out the ring and proposed. By the way, it was late November and about 20 degrees outside, so when I said, “Will you marry me?” her response was “y-e-e-s-s-s.”

Cherith told me that I did everything perfect that night. But in retrospect, I wish I had gotten down on one knee.

Since then I learned what that symbol really means. It’s from the days when warriors were knighted. They would get down on one knee before the rulers of the land, and it was basically a sign of unconditional faithfulness, a sign of their willingness to fight and even to die for their beloved country. And when this symbol was transferred to marriage proposals, it was the man saying the same thing to his beloved: I pledge my unconditional faithfulness to you, and I am willing to fight and even die for you.

Now, the reason I’m starting out with this is because I see a parallel with the Bible. In my opinion, the entire Old Testament is kind of like God’s courtship with His chosen beloved, His people. It’s God and Israel coming into a deeper and fuller understanding of each other, Israel coming to a greater awareness of what God’s heart is all about. And then in an incredibly dramatic act, God kind of got down on one knee. Like a medieval knight...or like a man in love...He humbled Himself and showed the depth of His commitment to us His beloved by affirming that He is willing to fight for us and to die for us — in fact, that He did die for us. In spite of our sin and rebellion, He is committed and wants to be united with us for all eternity.

Some people say that the Bible is God’s love letter to humanity. I would challenge that by saying that Scripture is God’s proposal of marriage to His Church. We are the “Bride-to-be” - that’s one of the major biblical images of the church. We are engaged to God. The wedding date is set some time in the future. And in the meantime, how we respond to God’s proposal is worship.

I told you how I proposed. Now I’m going to tell you 4 things that Cherith did in response to my proposal — and I think these 4 things are common to most young ladies in love. And I want to suggest that these 4 things can help us to interpret what Scripture says about worship.

The first thing Cherith did after accepting my proposal was she got emotional and she told me how much she loved me. And in the months of our engagement, she very creatively expressed how much I meant to her. She made me some home-made greeting cards for every holiday known to man, as well as a few holidays that she made up just for an excuse to give me a card. She wrote me an “old fashioned love letter” on three pages of notebook paper. Nowadays you can just whip out your cell phone and text "I luv u,” but she took the time to do it right. She expressed genuine and heartfelt gratitude to me just for being who I am. You might think it gave me a big head...maybe it did alittle, but on the whole it was quite humbling. As a man who had been a bachelor until age 32, I can’t tell you how much it meant to hear who I am in the eyes of the person I love.

And if that’s any indication of how God wants us to respond to His proposal, then a huge part of worship is simply expressing to God who He is in our eyes...what He means to us. This is the sense of the first words of Psalm 96: “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise His name.” I think the first aspect of a biblical idea of worship is PRAISE.

Our culture has, in many ways, reduced worship to having music that I feel comfortable with, getting a sermon that addresses my felt needs, and that holds my attention for an hour or so. But if you look at Scripture, worship has very little to do with me...with us. We shouldn’t come to worship expecting to get anything for us; we should come to worship prepared to rejoice in God for all that He has already blessed us with. That is the biblical concept of worship.

But I’m afraid that America has become a place where it is easier to complain about what we don’t have or to act like a victim, rather than to take an honest look at the magnitude of what God has given to us. In preparing to write this, I did a little exercise. I sat at my computer desk with a blank page of Microsoft Word in front of me, and I challenged myself to take 20 minutes and list as many personal blessings from God to me. The result was an 8-page list with 30 blessings per page.

And that’s just what I was able to come up with in 20 minutes!

To praise someone is to recognize something that they are or something that they have done. That’s what we should be doing with God. Yet today, we look at everything we have and we see it as a deserved entitlement rather than as a gracious gift. We even see heaven itself as the rightful destination of everybody after they die, rather than a costly gift given only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. When we fail to see magnitude of what God has done on our behalf, what He has given to us, our worship will be inadequate regardless of the musical style, the technology, or anything else.

As a challenge to anybody who feels like taking it up: Next Sunday morning, before you come to church, take just 10 minutes, and make a list like I did, of all the blessings that you recognize in your life. And after church, see if your experience of worship was any different.

You see, to praise God requires that we adjust our attitude before we come to worship, rather than coming to worship hoping that God will adjust our attitude. As one of my seminary profs used to say, “We praise God not in the hope of receiving something from Him, but in the acknowledgment of what we have already received.”

But praise is only the first aspect of a biblical view of worship. And now I’ll go back to my illustration of Cherith’s response to my proposal.

After we returned home as an engaged couple, the first thing Cherith did was go to the phone and start calling people, telling them the good news: “He finally asked me!” She couldn’t wait to call her parents, my parents, her siblings, my siblings, and all of her girlfriends. And she didn’t just say, “Yeah I’m engaged.” She rehashed every single detail about it. And why? Because for Cherith, every time she told somebody about it, it was like she was reliving that moment for herself.

And I think that’s true not just of getting engaged, but of any meaningful experience in our lives...Marriages, family vacations, mission trips, births… When you talk about them with others, it adds a level of depth to your experience and somehow makes it more meaningful than it already was.

We look at the second part of Psalm 96, we see a similar theme: “Proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

If I can summarize this in one word, I would say PROCLAMATION.

Apparently worship isn’t just praising God and telling God how great He is, but it’s also telling other people how great He is too. It’s bearing witness to what you believe in the presence of others. Throughout the New Testament, one of the Greek words used for “worship” is aineo, and a real translation of that word is “to announce and to celebrate.”

We Americans have a “gentleman’s agreement” to kind of keep our religious commitments under wraps...mostly I think because we’re afraid of offending anyone or of looking like some “religious nuts.” But the truth of the matter is, if my relationship with God is just between Him and me...if I’m not testifying about that relationship to others...I’d say that relationship isn’t really all that important to me.

That would be like an engaged woman saying to her future husband, “Yes, we’re engaged, but I don’t want anyone else to know about it, and I don’t want to invite anyone to our wedding.” Does that sound like love? True worship isn’t just praising the beloved: it’s also proclaiming to others what the beloved means to us.

Some of the most moving worship services that I’ve attended included a time of personal testimony...when a someone, almost moved to tears, shares with the congregation the real experiences of God that they’ve had.

So worship includes both praise and proclamation.

But there’s a third element of our engagement with God, so let’s go back to my engagement to Cherith. After I proposed Cherith did what most engaged women do: she put on the ring that I gave her. And that was a sign to any other guy out there that might have been interested, that she put one above all the rest: that only one has the right to her total allegiance. So all those other guys would have to back off. I'm the man!!!!

Again, if we look at our Psalm for today, we see these words: “For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and glory are in His sanctuary.”

These are great words, but they say something that’s very challenging to us. They say that to worship is to put God above anything else in our lives that might claim to be a “god” to us. Anything else that demands our unquestioning allegiance must be put second. A biblical understanding of worship means that we show a PREFERENCE for God above anything else in creation.

And let’s be frank, folks. In America today there are many “false gods” that we worship without question. We worship the god of money; we let our money control us instead of us controlling it…and we think that if we just spend more and have more we’ll be happy.

We worship the god of sex. I recently heard a statistic that 35% of all Internet usage is pornographic in nature. That’s a sad statistic. And that’s just one statistic that proves that we as a culture are obsessed with sex and it controls us.

And those are just two of many false gods: I could mention the government, which people think is the solution to all of their problems. I could mention sports and technology. And this might shock some of you, but even religion is a false god for many people who spend more time worrying about the trappings of “church” than about nurturing a vibrant relationship with our Creator.

And what does Psalm 96 say? That all these other “gods” are idols (wimps, nothings) and that God himself is to be put above them in our lives. And so it is an act of worship when we say, “Yes, money is good, but because God is more important to me than money, I will order my finances in a way that is pleasing to Him.” It’s an act of worship when we say, “Even though our culture worships not just sex but deviant sex, I will practice it only according to God’s standard in Scripture.” In short, it is worship when we show a preference for God’s Lordship in our lives, and we say that all these other “false gods” are secondary and must be submitted to His authority. If we are engaged to the one true God, then we must put Him above everything else.

And now we come to the final point. After I proposed to Cherith, the 4th thing she did was to start planning for the wedding. She got a subscription to those Bridal magazines, she put together a huge binder with all her plans and details. You ladies know what I’m talking about. She had a vision of exactly what she wanted: the invitations, the flowers, the dresses, the photographers, the reception, the wedding cake. She was motivated by the desire to have everything beautiful and perfect on that day.

Let’s look at the last few verses of Psalm 96: “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.” The Psalmist is artistically imagining the beauty and the glory of that day when God returns to earth; he’s anticipating it and it’s moving him to worship, and to invite all creation to worship with him.

I’ve been saying all along that we, the Church on earth, are engaged with God. But the whole point of engagement is that it’s only a temporary state. Engagement is only a time of
PREPARATION.

I think the real reason there are so many "worship wars" in churches isn't because of the style of music, or because of the pastor's preaching abilities, or because of the technology utilized. It's because we as a culture have become so focused on the the here-and-now, that we are no longer able to envision the reality of the future in which we will stand before Jesus Christ as His bride, and enjoy intimate fellowship with God Himself.

This life, that we sometimes take entirely too seriously, is nothing but a preparation for the great wedding feast between God’s people and God Himself. So let’s just take a moment and envision that day.

Think about the greatest piece of music that you have ever heard, a piece moves you to tears. And then multiply that by ten million.

Think about the greatest sight that you’ve ever seen: maybe it’s a sunset or a landscape or a newborn baby or a work of art. And then multiply that by ten million.

Think about the most enjoyable and intimate moment you’ve shared with another human being. And then multiply that by ten million.

Think about one loved one who has already gone to be with God, who you would give anything just to have one more hug or one more laugh with.

You see, the real reason I worship is that I firmly believe the greatest joys that we can experience on this earth are infinitesimal compared to what is in store for us in eternity with God.

When God down on one knee, on that cross of Calvary, he was communicating to us very clearly that He wants to be with us for all eternity, and that everything that He is and everything that He has, He is going to share with us.

And that’s a promise beyond anything that we can ask or deserve. But when we keep our minds focused on that, and put all of this earthly stuff in its proper perspective, then we are preparing ourselves to truly receive everything that God wants to give us.

And that is the ultimate reason to worship!

What is the Church and its Mission?

2009-03-29T12:21:00.001-07:00

Here is a recent paper that I wrote as a part of my Covenant Ordination. It answers the question, "What is the nature and mission of the Church?" Obviously this is not a "compendium" on ecclesiology...just a handful of insights into my perspective on what Scripture says about the Church...

In attempting to articulate my understanding of the nature of the church, I find two images especially meaningful and helpful. The first is the New Testament (especially Pauline) image of the Body of Christ, and the second is the Evangelical Covenant Church’s affirmation of the church as a fellowship of believers.

The Body of Christ image is a vital reminder that the Christian church is not merely a free association of individuals, like a Kiwanis club or American Legion. It is an objective reality founded and built by Jesus Christ Himself (Matthew 16:18) and of which He is the head (Colossians 1:18). Since Christ is both its source and head, the Church can never be found to promote any human agenda (however good or noble), but it must humbly be the servant of His agenda: to reconcile the world to God through His atoning sacrifice on the Cross.

The Scriptural image of “body” also suggests that the church is not merely an institution, certainly not a modern corporation, but a dynamic and living organism graced with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit indwells each believing member and equips him or her with unique gifts and talents so that—like the distinct organs of the human body—each member might contribute uniquely to the body’s life, health, and growth (I Corinthians 12). I believe the church is at its best when each member’s spiritual gifts are acknowledged, encouraged, and utilized for the good of the whole body. The Spirit also calls individuals who—through the preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments—provide spiritual leadership for the church (Acts 6, I Timothy 3). This will be discussed in the paragraphs below.

While in the later Pauline epistles (Ephesians, Colossians) the Body of Christ refers to the universal church, it is clear that Paul applies this image to the local body in his earlier letters (Romans, Corinthians). Therefore it would seem that from a biblical perspective, in some sense the whole Body of Christ is present in each local manifestation of the church. Being careful to recognize the importance of the greater universal church, we must affirm that each congregation of believers is gifted by God with everything necessary to continue Christ’s ministry in its unique setting (Hans Küng, The Church, 292-312).

The Evangelical Covenant Church’s affirmation of the church as a fellowship of believers also finds significant biblical support. The Last Supper narrative in John’s Gospel reveals an intimacy between Jesus and His followers to the point that He refers to them as His “friends” and He commands them to love one another in the same way that He has loved them (John 15:9-15). The early chapters of Acts (see especially 2:42-47) reveal that this intimate friendship was continued by the early church, and Paul consistently reacted against churches in which intimate fellowship was disrupted by faction, false teaching, or sinful behavior. Clearly, the church is not merely an objective reality; it is also a deeply subjective experience of friendship and fellowship with God and with others (Course Reader, 153-154). Jean Lambert challenges us to avoid trivializing this concept through overtly emotional language or sentimentality, and that is why I think this image of church is best seen in creative tension with the more objective image of the Body of Christ (Course Reader, 155).

This sense of church as fellowship is distinct from the authoritarian, power-driven institutional model that has (unfortunately) often manifested itself as church. Christ’s lordship of the Church was secured to Him not through power but through submission and service (Philippians 2:1-11), and those who want to be great must also be willing to serve (Mark 10:42-45). The Greek term for fellowship (koinonia) means more than mere companionship; it is a partnership in which individuals come together and work for a vision that is greater than all of them (Course reader, 157-158; see also William Taylor, Partnership: Philippians. Christian Focus, 2007). Deep relationships are necessary byproducts of such a partnership, but they must not be allowed to distract from the purpose for which the partnership was formed. This is why I find the ECC’s term “mission friends” helpful: it affirms fellowship while placing it within the greater blueprint of the church’s mission in the world.

What is the church’s mission? I believe it is to continue the ministry of Jesus Christ in the world until His return. The practical aspects of this have been understood in many different ways. In my own life and ministry, it has been most helpful to understand the church’s mission in terms of Jesus’ three offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. (This approach is helpfully outlined in Mark Driscoll’s recent book, Vintage Church: Timeless Truths and Timely Methods. Wheaton: Crossway, 2008).

In its prophetic ministry, the church is called to confess the sufficiency and authority of God’s Word over all human wisdom and authority. There are objective truths in Scripture that must be upheld by the church, and these truths do not merely involve right belief (orthodoxy) but also right living (orthopraxy). In upholding these truths, the church must contend against the world’s false teachings that contradict what God has spoken explicitly in His Word. The church must also expose sin (both individual and corporate) for what it is: willful rebellion against the Creator and against our own nature as beings meant to live in relationship with Him. At the root of both false teaching and willful rebellion is the basic sin of idolatry, and here the prophetic church must intentionally combat all idols that lure people’s hearts away from God and His will. This is especially important in contemporary American culture, where the two most destructive idols (sex and money) have caused significant damage inside as well as outside the church.

In my opinion, it is in the prophetic ministry where the issue of ordination is crucial. I believe that every Christian is called to ministry in general, as I will address in the paragraphs below. What distinguishes the ordained minister is only the kind of ministry to which he or she is called: a greater investment in spiritual formation, biblical study, theological inquiry, and practical training, so as to bring God’s Word to bear on the vision and ministry of the local congregation. This call must be recognized and affirmed both by the individual and the local congregation through a process of prayer and discernment. Through Word (preaching) and sign (sacraments), the ordained person proclaims the truths of Scripture to the people and exhorts them to join him or her in living out those truths in a transformational way.

The priestly ministry of the church is a ministry of reconciliation and healing, of experientially living out the grace and love of Jesus Christ in community. It is in this sense that we can speak of a priesthood of all believers, since all Christians must actively participate in such a ministry for it to be fruitful. In this context, all boundaries that would normally divide (economic, racial, gender) are eradicated as all believers stand in solidarity with one another and with Christ (Gal. 3:28-29). As believers encourage one another, exhort and rebuke according to Scripture, and provide care and mercy in times of need, they are truly functioning as priests.

This area of ministry is so important and yet so misunderstood, and the American church in particular has been remiss in faithfully putting it into practice. Our individualistic culture has created a milieu in which genuine community-building is almost impossible. Too many people go to church only to have their own needs met, and many pastors are at fault for caving in to this and becoming (as Bishop Willimon calls them) “quivering masses of availability.” Yet, I believe the priestly ministry of the whole church is more likely to convert people today than any prophetic sermonizing, and Jean Lambert’s thoughts in Amicus Dei would seem to substantiate this (Course Reader, 161-163; see also Matt. 5:14-16). It is high time the church reclaimed the “priesthood of all believers” and put ministry back into the hands of the people.

Finally, Scripture makes clear that in His resurrection and exaltation, Jesus now reigns as king over all creation, and His church is called to proclaim this gospel to every culture in the world (Acts 1:8). Indeed, every church is an “outpost of Christ’s coming kingdom” (Driscoll, 10). This ministry involves the planting of self-sustaining churches into every people-group on the planet (see Winter and Hawthorne, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, 248); contextualizing the method of communicating the gospel so that all people may understand and respond in faith; prophetically denouncing worldly powers which—through their dehumanizing and destructive acts—exist in opposition to Christ’s rule; and working on behalf of the poor, oppressed, and children, to whom Jesus said His kingdom belongs.

This is the whole mission of the church. Every local body of believers must prayerfully discern how God is calling them to be invested in this mission at the local, national, and international levels, and they must invest both actively and financially. As Edmund Clowney wrote, “the congregation that ignores mission will atrophy and soon find itself shattered by internal dissension. It will inevitably begin to lose its own young people, disillusioned by hearing the gospel trumpet every Sunday to those who never march” (Clowney, The Church. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1995).

In conclusion, I believe that all three of these functions (prophet, priest, and king) must be present in church ministry for it to be wholly biblical. When a church excels in only one function, to the exclusion of the other two, it will weaken the church’s witness to a world that desperately needs all three. The world needs the truth that only comes from Jesus Christ; it needs communities of love and reconciliation; and finally, it needs the transforming power of God’s Kingdom.

Behind Every Great Man...

2009-03-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows how much I rave about C. S. Lewis, whose writings have influenced my Christian walk more than any others outside the Bible. There is, however, that old saying that "behind every great man is a great woman." This is especially true in the case of C. S. Lewis.

Although a bachelor for most of his life, in the mid-1950's he married Helen Joy Davidman. Born a Jew in New York City and living as an atheist for much of her younger life, she was - like Lewis - an adult convert to Christianity. Joy was a scholar and artist in her own right; she published a renowned book of poetry (Letters to a Comrade), a novel (Anya), and a lucid interpretation on the Ten Commandments (Smoke on the Mountain). She was honored, along with Robert Frost, with a national poetry award.

Since her writings are not well known, I would like to offer just a few quotes from her book Smoke on the Mountain. Although published 55 years ago, it has much to say to a fragmented church and disillusioned world today. (Please notice that she wrote these things a half-century before the pompous Emergent Christians suddenly claimed to have "discovered" them.)

On Idolatry: An idol is an inanimate object that can do no harm...So is a gun. But a man can do great harm with it. Idolatry lies not in the idol but in the worshiper. The real horror of idols is not merely that they give us nothing, but that they take away from us even that which we have...The more we look to material objects for help, the less we can help ourselves or ask help from the grace of God.

On the Name of God: The necessary corollary of the Third Commandment must be: Thou shalt take the name of the Lord thy God in earnest! We who have used the Name for unhallowed ends, from necromancy down to getting our own way in a family quarrel; we who have misused the power God put in flesh and coal, in wood and waterfalls, in solid matter and in empty space; we who have called upon God to bolster up our own vanity, or have NOT called upon Him to deliver us from prejudice -- we are all black magicians, and like Elymas the sorcerer, we have been struck blind for our sins and now grope in mist and darkness. Habitually, day after day, we have taken God's name in vain. Let us, if we can, teach ourselves to take it in earnest. It is high time.

On Sabbath-Keeping: Most of the ordinary people who lose their faith are not overthrown by philosophical argument; they lose faith because they are disillusioned by the churchmen they meet. One sanctimonious hypocrite makes a hundred unbelievers. One little knot of gossips tearing a neighbor's reputation apart on the church steps smashes the Sabbath to splinters. If we are to put it together again, we must be Christians indeed -- must show the rest of the world that a Christian gets something worth having out of his worship. It is not much use asking others to turn to God unless we set them the example. Let the church members behave like Christians seven days a week, and it is likely that the Sabbath will take care of itself. For how do you make a day holy? By seeing that it is holy already; and behaving accordingly.

And perhaps the most relevant to our current economic crisis, here is what Helen Joy Davidman has to say about stealing: The mother who teacher her child to slide under the subway turnstile rather than pay his dime; the athlete who sells his skill to the highest bidder; the rich man who wins applause through benevolent foundations that just happen to be tax-free, and the poor man who feels more comfortable with government support than with a job; the bribed policeman and the bribing bookie, the bribed judge and the bribing gangster, the bribed Congressman and the bribing industrialist -- are they getting something for nothing or aren't they? And who pays the bill? And what would Christ have called them? And anyone who promised to cure the ills of our time with easy hopes and facile solutions would be the most heartless of all.

Thank God for thoughtful, faithful women like Helen Joy Davidman, whose witness and leadership have spoken prophetically to the church and the world. May we heed her sound words and example!

Quit Hitting the Snooze Button, Americans!

2009-03-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

Last fall during the presidential campaign, right here on my blog, I quoted a phrase from G. K. Chesterton -- kind of as a warning to any honest American who happens to stop by and read my ramblings.

In the light of recent actions from our current president, his predecessor Mr. Bush, the mainstream media, and the U. S. Congress, I feel compelled to reiterate Chesterton's warning. I will make a more general political reflection in my next blog, with a proposed solution to our economic and political crisis that is certain to offend some people. For now, here are Chesterton's words of wisdom and common sense:

If there is one fact we really can prove, from the history that we really do know, it is that despotism can be a development, often a late development and very often indeed the end of societies that have been highly democratic. A despotism may almost be defined as a tired democracy. As fatigue falls on a community, the citizens are less inclined for that eternal vigilance which has truly been called the price of liberty; and they prefer to arm only one single sentinel to watch the city while they sleep.

Slowly but surely, the liberties and rights that we have cherished as being uniquely American are being taken from us by a "nanny state" that thinks it knows how to take care of us better than we do. The current "economic stimulus" is neither economic, nor will it stimulate. It is a political weapon, and it is aimed at you and me.

Wake up, Americans.

What We're Made Of

2009-02-19T09:48:00.000-08:00

If you believe the Genesis account of creation (and I do), then there are only two ingredients necessary to make a human being: The dust of the ground, and the Breath of Life. (See Genesis 2:7) Sounds pretty basic, doesn’t it?

The dust of the ground is the most common thing in creation. We can find it anywhere. Even in areas of the world where there is abject poverty and famine, you can find dust in abundance. I know that my wife finds dust all over our house...especially in my areas of the house!

The Breath of Life, on the other hand, can be found nowhere in creation. It is not common, it is holy. It comes to us only from God.

Without God breathing the Breath of Life into us, we would be almost nothing. But with God, we are the crown of all creation (see Psalm 8).

We are about to enter the Season of Lent, and it is a good time to reflect on the fact that we owe everything we have to God Who has breathed His own breath into us. It’s only because of Him that we live and move about, and enjoy all the blessings that we have.

I was raised in the Catholic Church, and I remember going to Ash Wednesday services every year, having ashes placed on my head and hearing the priest say, "Remember that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return."

As we eagerly wait for Easter to come, take a few minutes every day breathing in and out, and thanking God for that breath that has given you life. For without Him, you are nothing but the dust of the ground.

Woundedness and Love

2009-01-21T15:00:00.000-08:00

I recently read a story about a Hasidic Rabbi who was very well-known for his piety and devotion. One day he was unexpectedly confronted by one of his young students. In a sudden burst of emotion, the student said, "Rabbi, I want you to know how much I truly love you."

The Rabbi looked up from his books and asked his young disciple, "Do you know what hurts me, my son?"

The young student was puzzled and taken totally off-guard. He said to the Rabbi, "I don't understand your question. I am trying to tell you how much you mean to me, and you confuse me with an irrelevant question."

"My question is neither confusing nor irrelevant," rejoined the Rabbi. "For if you do not know what hurts me, how can you truly love me?"

I often wonder if that is God's response when I go before Him in prayer, worship, and devotion. I often want to rejoice in His attributes and saving acts and to thank Him for the many blessings He given to me.

On the other hand, do I allow my heart to break over the things that He cares about? Faithlessness, hypocrisy, division, injustice, hatred, and perhaps especially religiosity: all of these things deservingly receive bitter rejection from God in Scripture.

Can I truly say that I love God until I am willing to allow myself to be wounded with the same pain that He feels as He looks out on this fallen world?

I do not at all approve of the homosexual Episcopal Bishop Eugene Robinson, who gave an invocation at one of the many inaugural events this past Tuesday. Yet as he prayed, asking God to bless us with tears, sadness and frustration over the many ills that continue to plague this great nation, I found myself nodding in agreement. Sin continues to plague this world, and I believe that there is a level of spiritual maturity that can only be achieved when we see that sin through God's eyes and respond with the same sadness.

May God continue to tender our hearts to reject the fallenness of our world, and may that compell us to go forth with the only true source of healing: the Name and Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Imbibing God

2008-12-30T06:42:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve is almost upon us.

It's 2009! An opportunity for new resolutions, a chance to start over, an occasion to set our sights on the future. Right?

Bullshit.

As it currently exists, New Year's Eve is a commercialized, pagan spectacle that affords a rationalization for indulging in base passions like drunkenness and self-indulgent partying. Watch "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year" (or whatever it's called) and tell me if it is anything more than an expensive, glamorized frat party in Times Square.

Do I sound judgmental? I'm not intending to be.

In fact, I'm trying to interpret this merry-making in some kind of redemptive way. There is obviously some deep need in the human psyche that people are trying to fill with all of this hedonism that exists, not just on New Years' Eve, but all the time in our culture. Are people merely trying to escape the harsh reality of life? Or are they seeking some legitimate pleasure, only through the wrong means?

Once again, I turn to my master C. S. Lewis, and I find this in his "golden sermon," The Weight of Glory:

Nature is mortal; we shall outlive her...We are summoned to pass in through Nature, beyond her, into that splendour which she fitfully reflects. And in there, beyond Nature, we shall eat of the tree of life. At present, if we are reborn in Christ, the spirit in us lives directly on God; but the mind and, still more, the body receives the life from Him at a thousand removes. The faint, far-off results of those energies which God's creative rapture implanted in matter when He made the worlds are now what we call "physical pleasures;" and even thus filtered, they are too much for our present management. What would it be to taste at the fountainhead that stream of which even these lower reaches prove so intoxicating? Yet that, I believe, is what lies before us. The whole man is to drink joy from the fountain of joy. As St. Augustine said, the rapture of the saved soul will "flow over" into the glorified body.

If Lewis is right, and I believe he is, then every physical pleasure in which we now indulge ourselves, even the basest of them, is in some sense a shadow of what we are to experience in Heaven. The medieval saints were wrong in supposing that Heaven is nothing more than a "beatific vision": a detatched, objective gaze at God's essence for all eternity. For Lewis tells us that in Heaven, we will consume God, and be consumed by Him (though without losing our own identities), in the same way (though a million times greater) that people consume and are consumed by the hedonistic pleasures of this life. The merriment of alcohol, the physical joy of dancing and singing, the passionate glory of the sexual act...all of these, in some odd way, point beyond themselves when they are understood and enjoyed correctly. They are hints of a rapturous ecstasy that, God willing, we will one day experience for all eternity.

Our culture sends way too many messages of the pleasures of alcohol, partying, and sex. When people get "taken in" by those messages and indulge those pleasures, we often accuse them of having desires that are too strong. But we are wrong. Their desires are not too strong...they are too weak. They are desiring the shadows, the idols, rather than the Reality...much like a child who would rather remain playing in his sandbox than enjoy a vacation at the beach.

If "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year" (or whatever it's called) is merely a shadow of the joy and ecstasy that Heaven affords, then I hope and pray that I will live life knowing that even "our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18).

May we all "imbibe God" through Word, Sacrament, and Obedience in this life, knowing that He is the Consuming Fire who will intoxicate us for all eternity.

Purpose-Driven Idiots

2008-12-19T07:59:00.000-08:00

Because of the flood of annual responsibilities that beset me this December, I haven't been keeping up with the national news as I should. After all, Christmas is the season of "Joy to the World"... Why should I watch the news and become even more depressed than King Herod upon the arrival of the Wise Men?

Anyway, this morning my dad informed me about the latest of several controversies that have surrounded Barack Obama before he has even taken the Oath of Office: Is it his selection of another "moderate" for a cabinet position? Is it his relationship with the corrupt governor and political machine in Chicago? No, nothing so mundane...

Apparently Obama has committed the unpardonable sin by requesting an invocation from Pastor Rick Warren on inauguration day. Gays and lesbians are offended that someone committed to a biblical view of marriage, and who supported the controversial California Proposition 8 restricting legal marriage to heterosexuals only, would be invited to Obama's inauguration...especially when Obama "promised them so much." Some evangelical conservatives are upset that Warren is even associated with Obama. I think all these people need to chill out and listen to a good story:

During my sophomore year in college, my grandfather passed away right before finals. It was a traumatic moment in my life. After I found out, I told a couple of the guys in my dorm. One was a friend who happened to be Jewish. Later that evening, he came to my dorm room, expressed his genuine sympathy, and offered to pray with me.

Now get this: As a Jew, he rejects my fundamental belief that Jesus Christ really was the Son of God and the Savior of all humanity. But I was not about to indulge in self-righteousness or narcissism by pushing aside his prayer. He was a friend. He genuinely cared. And like any person of goodwill, he felt compelled to reach out to me. I don't need to agree with his theology, or anything else for that matter, to appreciate the genuine intent of his heart.

Fast-forward to today: I like Barack Obama immensely for his optimism, I think he is a good husband and father, and I am impressed with his ability to reach out to former rivals like Hillary and McCain for the sake of the country. But I disagree with him on many issues, and I fear that his economic plans will do more long-term harm than good. I think especially that his position on abortion is atrocious. In spite of this, I wish him goodwill and intend on praying for him daily. To those "conservatives" who decry Rick Warren for his association with Obama, I say this: Even if you regard Obama as your enemy, you are under orders from Jesus Christ Himself to pray for him.

As for the gay and lesbian community: We are a nation at war in the Middle East, and the financial situation in this country is worsening. Very few Americans can comprehend the weight that will fall on Obama's shoulders in one short month. The fact that gays and lesbians are complaining about such a petty issue (Rick Warren doing the invocation) at this time shows that they are not motivated by goodwill, but by their own anger and intolerance for anyone who would dare to disagree with them. That makes them just as bad as some of the "evangelicals" that they decry.

Hail Mary!

2008-12-16T10:07:00.000-08:00

As Christmas approaches, I engage in my yearly tradition of meditating on the Nativity narratives found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. For me, the compelling figure of Mary always jumps out of the text.

I was raised a Roman Catholic, a Christian tradition that uplifts the role of Mary to the point of idolatry. Some faithful Catholics argue that Mary is the "co-redemptrix." Utilizing what they call the Eve-Mary parallel, they argue that Mary's role in redemption is just as definitive as Eve's role in damnation. They draw the conclusion that Jesus and Mary participate together in effecting our salvation, that without Mary's crucial yes to God's will, we would have no Jesus and therefore no hope of salvation. With the help of allegorical exegesis, they also argue that Mary is now crowned Queen of Heaven, that she is worshipped along with the Trinity, and that sincere devotion to her is required of any faithful Catholic.

In my move towards Protestantism I shunned much of this dogma, but as I mature in my faith, I have come to realize that Protestants have an equally flawed view of Mary. If Catholics make too much of her, Protestants make far too little of her. They often see her as nothing more than a "vessel" through whom God worked, and they fail to uplift her as one of the greatest models of faith to emanate from the pages of Scripture.

I recently read an article by Scot McKnight, religion prof at North Park University. He examines Mary's wonderful prophetic hymn "The Magnificat" in Luke 1:46-55, and he asks the question: What kind of a woman would speak the words of The Magnificat when Herod the Great was on the throne?

It's an interesting observation: What kind of a woman would say that God will cast down corrupt, demonic rulers from their thrones like King Herod, and exalt a lowly peasant woman like herself? When the Roman empire oppressed the poor anawim (the lost and forgotten common people) with high taxes and struck fear into their hearts through terror, Mary had the boldness to assert that these proud rulers will be scattered by the strength of the almighty. When rich, pagan Greeks took control of their land and squandered the food and other resources, Mary knows that God will send them away empty while giving good things to those who are hungry. And while she is nothing but a teenaged girl, she has the chutzpah to believe that "all generations" will call her blessed.

Certainly Mary was not perfect and sinless, as some Catholics assert. She herself needed a Savior (see Lk 1:47). But Mary was a woman who understood that to be a follower of the one true God is to envision a radically different world, where service and humility are the marks of greatness rather than power and domination. She understood that God's will is not just that we accept His grace in our hearts and then wait patiently for the "sweet by and by," but that our calling is to activity in the world on behalf of the poor, oppressed, and marginalized people like Mary herself.

Even when told that she would be the mother of the Messiah, Mary did not merely sit back and contemplate her own blessing, but she immediately went out to be a blessing to someone else: her relative Elizabeth who was also pregnant. She understood that her calling was to live a life of radical discipleship, regardless of the cost to herself.

And in an age when many church leaders think that we must sell out to the culture in order to be "cool" and "popular," Mary understood that to be associated with Jesus is to endure shame and suffering (see, for example, Matthew 13:53-58), and to accept them as a part of one's earthly discipleship. Indeed, what shame and suffering must she she have endured to stand beneath the cross, witnessing her battered Son draw His final breaths, not for His own sins, but for ours! Much more shame and suffering than most of us would be willing to endure!

If you look at the whole span of Jesus' life, you see Mary at the beginning and at the end, and in both places she is faithful, courageous, and humble. If God truly rewards faithfulness and exalts those of low degree (Lk 1:52), then certainly Mary is exalted in Heaven, and we should exalt her on earth...not as a Savior, but as a model of everything that we should be in following her Son, Jesus Christ.

One Symphonic Voice

2008-12-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

So I'm sitting in my office this morning, and the sound of one of my favorite orchestral compositions is emanating from my speakers: Symphony No. 3 by Aaron Copland (arguably the greatest American composer). What makes this piece so compelling for me is that Copland took a very simple musical theme--introduced right at the beginning--and then he weaved that theme intricately through four movements of a diverse cacophony of sounds. The symphony takes you through every expression of human emotion, with the voice of every instrument in the orchestra carrying the lead at different parts. There are moments of irritating dissonance, rhythmic complexity, and triumphant tonality. Yet the discerning listener will not fail to perceive the one voice that speaks through all this diversity. And that--I would argue--is the beauty of the best classical music.

I see the same compelling artistry in that wonderful book we call The Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, there is one redemptive theme clearly intended by the Author...one Voice that speaks. But from its pages leap a rich diversity of narrative, poetry, wisdom teaching, ethics, and doctrinal statements. Its Hero is presented in four distinct portraits (movements?), each with its own particular nuances, but all of which focus on the Cross and Resurrection as the central theme of His life.

Swiss Theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar once wrote that Truth is symphonic. I'm not quite sure how to interpret that statement. I mean...I'm not a relativist. I don't believe that there are multiple ways to Heaven, and I think a huge part of our calling as ministers of the Gospel is to draw a sharp distinction between truth and error.

At the same time, I can't help but think that part of what has made the Bible such a compelling book is that it is shaped with all the complexity of a great symphony...its Author is more like a storyteller, artist, or musician than a philosopher or a dogmatist. Is it possible that, out of the diversity of voices currently present in the Church, God may just be able to craft a beautiful work of art? Is it possible that when we all focus on Jesus Christ and His Cross, which is the theme of Scripture, then we will play in harmony? That even the dissonance that sometimes exists within the Church may be a part of the Composer's greater plan?

May we all play our parts in the Symphony of Triumph, trusting in the Composer's wisdom to make His One Voice heard through us.

Let's Talk About Sex, Baby...

2008-10-24T12:32:00.001-07:00

Below is another answer that I submitted in my ordination paper, regarding the church's position on human sexuality.

If you want to hear an incredible talk on the Christian teaching of sexuality, go to the following link-- http://www.peterkreeft.com/audio/24_sex-in-heaven.htm -- and listen to the thoughts of masterful Christian apologist Peter Kreeft. It's worth the time!

Anyway, here's my own writing on the subject:

Articulate the Evangelical Covenant Church’s position on human sexuality. How does this inform your theology and practice of ministry?

In its stand on human sexuality, the ECC avoids two notions. The first is that the Bible calls for repression of the human sexual drive, that sex is (at worst) the product and proof of original sin or (at best) a necessary evil that is to be indulged only for reproductive purposes. The second notion posits no standards or limits on human sexuality, asserting that individuals alone must decide how to indulge their sexual appetites and that any Biblical injunctions on the subject are archaic, irrelevant, and inconsistent with human freedom.

In contrast to these false visions of sex, the ECC upholds the Biblical teaching that human sexuality is good—in fact, that sexuality is intimately tied to our identities as embodied persons—but that God has ordained a specific covenantal relationship to express human sexuality in a way that reflects His nature as an intimately loving, self-giving Being. That covenantal relationship exists when a specific man and specific woman come together as complementary partners and are united as “one flesh” under God. In this context alone, sex may be expressed in a godly fashion. Outside of that context, an individual must be willing to live a chaste life. Corrupted forms of sexuality are characterized either by the desire to dominate another (rape, molestation, pedophilia) or by a confused understanding of one’s own identity as a person (homosexuality, bestiality, adultery, incest). These perversions do not reflect God’s standards as laid out in both the Old and New Testaments.

Our culture’s current obsession with sex is, in my opinion, a cry of bitter and lonely people longing for intimacy. The way teens (and even adults) dress and treat their own bodies reveals their inability to respect themselves as individuals created in God’s Image. The church must expose these deeper issues and allow struggling individuals to express them in non-sexual ways, such as intimate worship experiences, healing prayer, spiritual direction, and even just authentic friendship. Spiritually mature individuals must model masculinity and femininity in a godly way for others. All Christian leaders must hold fast to God’s standards for sex, both in their teaching and in their personal lives, in order to maintain the integrity of the Church’s witness in the face of our culture’s rebellion and confusion.

Can't We All Just Get Along? (Yes, I really mean that!)

2008-10-15T05:59:00.000-07:00

I have become increasingly frustrated with the polarizing "blame game" that is taking place in America. Our political leadership, which is supposed to represent civil and honest discourse, is among the most guilty. I am sick of hearing everyone blaming George W. Bush for the problems of this country...or blaming the Democratic Congress...or blaming the "rich"...or the media...etc...

I think the American people are sick of it too.

I'm very disappointed with President Bush, but I don't think any intelligent American can honestly believe that he alone is responsible for America's economic crisis...just as I do not believe that Barack Obama is an unpatriotic Muslim who has been too influenced by people like Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers.

But there is a meanness about today's political discourse that has left me bitter.

I am not necessarily sold out on Rick Warren and his style of ministry, but I thought the one bright spot in this political campaign was the debate held at Saddleback Church, when both candidates confined themselves to issues and spoke intelligently, passionately, and admirably. They did not take cheap shots at their opponents, nor did they spend an inordinate amount of time blaming anyone else for America's problems. They focused on solutions, and they spoke and acted like gentlemen.

But aside from that, there has been a meanness and a childishness about this election season that is very unsettling.

Yesterday, I read some words by political pundit Mitch Alborn, and they really articulated what I have been thinking and feeling for a while. I hope you'll take the time to read them and ponder how we might communicate it to our congregations. Here's the link:

http://jewishworldreview.com/1008/albom101308.php3

God bless America!

"The Dundees" - ("The Office" as Ecclesiastical Allegory, take two)

2008-10-07T04:41:00.000-07:00

Introductory note:

In my previous post, I attempted to take a humorous jab at the "corporate" situation of the Church by comparing it to the screwball antics of Steve Carell and his cohorts on The Office. Certainly recognizing that there is much good in the institutional church, my intent was to illustrate that all too often, "institution" (the lifeless corporation) becomes prioritized instead of "church" (the living, dynamic, relational, Spirit-led Body of believers).

The Church needs some level of institutional framework in which to function effectively. I acknowledge this. But here's my problem. The institutional framework should be flexible and secondary, and its purpose should be to serve the living, dynamic mission of the Gospel which is primary. (This is the reality that is illustrated in the New Testament, especially in Acts). In the current situation of many denominations we see exactly the opposite happening: The institutional framework is rigid and primary, and the living, dynamic mission of the Gospel is now seen as flexible and made subservient to the ends of the institution. This is not merely bad ecclesiology...it is contrary to God's will for His people and, therefore, sinful.

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Now, back to The Office: In one of Michael Scott's (Steve Carell's) many attempts to revitalize the spirit of his underlings, he hosts a yearly award party called "The Dundees." These are awards given to various office staff in dubious categories such as "the longest engagement," "the hottest guy in the office," etc... Here are some "Dundees" that I would give out to people in the Church:

The "Dwight K. Schrutte Award" - Also known as The Assistant (to the) Regional Manager Award - This award goes out to those folks in our congregations who are nice to the Senior Pastor only because of the power they think will come along with the relationship. I'm sure we all have a few people like this who try to snicker up to us, who are undyingly loyal to us and constant "yes-men" (or "yes-women"), but only for the purpose of having a sense of their own power in the church. They are the Jameses and the Johns, who want to sit at Jesus' right and left in committee meetings so they can be seen with the pastor, but who have no desire to truly serve others and meet others' needs in a meaningful way. Plus, they're annoying as hell.

The "Pam Beasley Award" - Pam, the self-effacing secretary at Dunder-Mifflin, who constantly puts on the back-burner her true desire to go into graphic design and art. She's a gem of a person whose artistic talent could probably help Dunder-Mifflin's advertising department immensely, but who is never encouraged to pursue those gifts. This award goes to all those like her in the church who have oodles of modesty, whose "insignificant" work probably goes unnoticed 99% of the time, but who have gifts and talents that are totally underutilized. Perhaps those gifts were never encouraged, because we pastors are too focused on having our own gifts affirmed and we don't stop to look deeper at the hidden gifts of others. So this award goes to all those folks in the congregation who would probably bring new life, creativity, and vitality to our churches, if only we would recognize them and give them a chance.

The "Angela Award" - The anal, judgmental, hypocritical accountant at Dunder-Mifflin. This award goes to all those "church people" whose sole aspiration in life is to feel absolutely morally superior to everyone else, to hide their own faults with ruthless intensity, and to constantly find something wrong with everyone and everything. I know every church has them. I praise God for them. I also think he needs to miraculously remove the sticks from their rear-ends.

The "Jim Halpert Award" - Of all the characters in The Office, I identify with Jim the most: he's sardonic, cynical, and he sees with crystal clarity the failings of Dunder-Mifflin, but he sticks with it because he sees something beautiful there (Pam) that he just can't let go of. Perhaps I'm being a bit prideful in assuming that I'm like Jim. Perhaps I'm more like Angela, Dwight, or even (God forbdid) Michael Scott. That's for God and other people to judge, not for me. I just identify with Jim. I'm sardonic, cynical, and I see with crystal clarity the many inconsistencies and failings of the Church (including my own inconsistencies and failings). But in that Church I see something beautiful that I just can't let go of. I see my wife who reminds me daily of God's unconditional love. I see people like the Inklings, whose Christ-formed minds have made me ever passionate for truth and dialogue. I see saints who have mentored me and guided me through many of my struggles and who were faithful even when I was not. I see the story of Scripture which resonates in my mind and heart with deep truth and wisdom. And more clearly than any of these, I see Jesus Christ, Whose nail-pierced hands beckon me to come and pick up my cross and follow Him.

I pray that you all will stick with this frail corporation we call "The Church," and that you will cling to one promise: that we who have faith in Christ will do even greater things than He did. That's what He said....

"The Office" as an Ecclesiastical Allegory

2008-09-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

My wife and I have become addicted to the NBC hit show The Office. I admit, it took both of us a little while to figure out what everyone found so funny, but once we did we couldn't get enough of it. The new season just kicked off this past Thursday, and we can't wait to see the antics that unfold.

Like many in the Christian fold, I diligently try to be an able exegete of the cultural realities around us (although, I must admit humbly that I fall short when compared with Eric Park. http://www.chcumc.com/weblog/eric/ Read his post on Prince, especially the last hilarious paragraph. But I digress...)

Anyway, lately I've been noticing some pretty interesting parallels between the situation in The Office and the situation in much of the Christian Church today. I'm sure that some of what I write will come off as offensive, but I ask you to take my comments, not as an attempt to degrade the Church and those who work in it (since I'm one of them), but as a voice of deep love for it and a concern for its future. Here are some allegorized interpretations of some aspects of The Office:

DUNDER-MIFFLIN: A New York-based paper company whose best days are in the past. It has branch offices in Scranton and elsewhere, and does try diligently to add personal service in providing individuals and businesses with its product. However, it is dealing two new realities: First, most people are buying paper at mega-marts like Staples and OfficeMax because it is cheaper and because Staples and OfficeMax offer a smorgasbord of alternatives; second, paper is less in demand than it was in the past, because computers and other technology have rendered paper usage largely obsolete in areas where it was once a necessary commodity.

Does this sound a little bit like the American Church? Are we dealing with the reality that many people no longer want our product (our Message)? Or how about the reality that "successful" churches are those "mega-Churches" which are able to offer the Message at a "cheaper price" (i.e. less is demanded in terms of real discipleship)?

"CORPORATE": On the TV series, we rarely see the true executives of Dunder-Mifflin (known as "Corporate" by the characters), and their positions seem to have little effect on the day-to-day business of the Scranton branch. Their current vision for the company seems to be one of "status-quo maintenance" - keep marketing our product the way we always have, downsize and make cuts wherever we can, be the authority figures that we are. But nowhere do we see them attempting to think creatively about adapting to the new reality described above, no vision for new marketing strategies or even changing their product to meet new needs. Just holding onto the status quo and maintain the corporation...even as sales go down and less money comes in, even if we are no longer providing a meaningful service to the public.

How about many churches today? Do we see executive leadership engaged in a "maintenance mentality" when they should be challenging pastors and lay ministers to engage creatively in new types of ministry and in presenting the Gospel in different ways? Has the "corporation" of church become the highest value, even when declining numbers is evidence that its current structure may not be the most effective way to provide meaningful service to the world? When the Church in other parts of the world is growing, evangelizing, Spirit-driven and Christ-centered, has the American Church become so infected with a "corporate" mentality that it has little power to think outside the box and engage the new culture in a meaningful way?

"MICHAEL SCOTT" - The regional manager for the Scranton branch of Dunder-Mifflin (flawlessly portrayed by Steve Carrell). As a salesman, Michael was one of Dunder-Mifflin's best; he was truly gifted to connect with people and successfully market the product. But for reasons unknown, Corporate promoted him to his current administrative position for which he has no skills or passion. As an administrator he does not hold the employees accountable to high standards of productivity and performance; instead he throws parties to boost their spirits and create and atmosphere of "camaraderie" (which fail miserably most of the time). He hates making unpopular decisions or taking a stand on anything which might offend someone. In his administrative incompetence and failed attempts to be "popular" with his staff, however, he is unwittingly even more offensive.

When we're really honest, I think we can admit that at both the local and denominational levels, there are many people in administrative positions who should not be there. These men and women are surely gifted in many ways, as all believers are, but as individuals called upon to provide visionary leadership for the Body they are failing. They seem more interested in keeping everyone happy and creating an atmosphere of "camaraderie," when what might be called for is real prophetic provocation which (while offensive) might be just the thing to stir the ashes and create a fresh blaze. This is especially necessary in theological areas, where so many Church administrators are failing to take a stand on basic biblical issues for fear that they may offend someone. But it is also necessary in the area of church commitment and discipleship, in which we allow people to get away with the "bare mininum" in terms of their active participation, rather than making it clear that Christianity is not, so to speak, a "spectator sport."

Let me just reiterate what I wrote above: I make these observations not with the purpose of being offensive, but with a deep love and concern for where the Church of Jesus Christ is and where it is headed. When I look at this "ecclesiastical allegory" of The Office, it is a mirror in which I see myself as much as anyone else.

I think I will put the rest of my observations in a sequel post, because for right now, this thing has gotten long enough. (Don't say it, Michael...)

Signs of Hope are Everywhere!

2008-09-22T12:06:00.001-07:00

Here are some grim facts about reality today:

Gas prices are way too high... The economy is in serious trouble (especially here in Michigan)... The political dialogue in this country has declined to a level that would make our Founding Fathers ashamed to be called Americans... America is engaged in a war that, in my opinion, is no longer justified if it ever was... Too many teenagers are graduating from high school without adequate knowledge, direction, and confidence to make their way in the world... Divorces, teen pregnancies, abortions, and sexual depravity continues to pollute our moral landscape... And there is devastation, poverty, and injustice on every continent of the globe.

Our world is clearly flawed on some fundamental level. A person...even a Christian...could easily be tempted to throw up his or her hands and choose cynicism, despair, or indifference. God knows that I am often tempted to lean in that direction.

But then I return again and again to the writings of the Inklings and I find that, in spite of all temptations, I must choose a different attitude.

In his classic Orthodoxy, G. K. Chesterton distinguishes between three ways of looking at this world. The first is pessimism, (pretty much described above) in which one sees the evil, injustice, and inhumanity in the world and immediately concludes that the world is unredeemable. This pessimism, Chesterton writes, is not an option for any true Christian.

Secondly, one may choose what Chesterton calls "rational optimism," in which a person looks at the world around him or her through rose-colored classes, simply avoiding any engagement with the evils and injustices of the world, and merely settling for the way things are. While I'm sure we have all run into Christians like this, Chesterton would argue that this is also not an option.

The third option is what Chesterton labels "irrational optimism," and this is the true attitude to be espoused by the disciple of Christ. Irrational optimism is when the person sees what the world has become, acknowledges its fallenness, but still wills to see a deeper hope. The Christian believes that in spite of the wickedness and inhumanity all around us, the world is literally saturated with God's grace, beauty, and goodness. If we look hard enough, even when we are enmeshed in the worst that life can throw at us, we can find signs of hope, signs that God is still acting redemptively to fulfill His purposes in the world.

In Tolkien's The Return of the King, there is an incredible line that I think of often. It involves one of my favorite characters, Sam Gamgee, when he is in the devastated land of Mordor, exhausted from a long journey, with evil all around him. Here are Tolkien's poignant words:

"There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."

May God give us the wisdom to know that evil and injustice, in spite of their imposing presence in our lives, are nothing more than superficial Shadows that have been defeated forever in the Cross of Jesus Christ. And when confronted with evil and injustice, may God give us the "irrational optimism" to look deeper and to see His glory and grace...and then to go forth boldly with the spiritual armor to resist the Shadow and to do our part in restoring God's masterpiece of Creation.

Let Freedom Ring! (Another Ordination Question)

2008-09-10T13:46:00.001-07:00

One of the distinctives of the Evangelical Covenant Church is our commitment to "Freedom in Christ." What is your understanding of that freedom? What are its limits and responsibilities?

First and foremost, a Christian is free from the power of sin and death, by which the Devil holds this world in bondage. This freedom allows the believer to say "yes" to the power of obedience and life in Christ, which requires that the believer not hold up any of the world's values as his or her ultimate goal. Any worldly pursuit, however good or noble it may be in and of itself, must be submitted to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

The Christian is also free to acknowledge sin for what it is, in his or her own life and in the world. Because Christ has canceled the power of sin, His followers no longer need to ignore evil or cover it up with "fig leaves;" rather, we must expose it honestly in the hope that God might redeem it and ultimately use it for good.

Within the fellowship of the Church, Christ through His sacrifice gives us freedom from all the burdens of religious ritual and obligation. Instead of being held in bondage to any such institutional sacrifices, we are free to offer relational sacrifices: to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8). In other words, we are no longer in bondage to a self-serving religiosity, and we are free to serve God and others selflessly.

Finally, with receiving the gift of freedom comes the responsibility to extend freedom to others. This means that we must give individuals outside the Church the absolute freedom to disagree with us and to hold their own convictions, that we must never attempt to force our doctrines or moral precepts on unbelievers, even though we may respectfully disagree with them and challenge them in fair and open dialogue. Within the Fellowship of Believers, this means that in matters of secondary importance, we must humbly give others the right to disagree without breaking fellowship or causing unnecessary turmoil in the Body. We must follow St. Augustine's famous dictum: "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."

CREDO - "I Believe"

2008-09-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm finally back to blogging. I'll make no excuses for my lack of posts in the past month and a half. But I'm back.

As a part of my orientation to the Evangelical Covenant Church, I had to do an extensive "Statement of Faith" paper, responding to questions on issues of theology and practice of ministry. The questions are very direct and probing, and I only get a half-page (typed, single-spaced) in which to answer. Apparently they're looking to see if I can articulate my faith candidly and succinctly. I'll share a couple of my answers over the next few weeks. Here's one for you to chew on now:

While the Evangelical Covenant Church is "non-creedal," we have historically cherished the Apostle's and Nicene Creeds as worthy summaries of Christian faith. Using these as a guideline, articulate your personal theology for life and ministry.

I believe that God is the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of the entire universe, and that He has eternally existed as Three Persons in intimate communion - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The purpose of all creation in general, and of humanity in particular, is to reflect the glory and goodness of God and ultimately to participate in intimate communion with Him. Throughout history, God's chosen people have anticipated and lived out this ultimate purpose through their worship, witness, sacraments, and stewardship.

I believe that in the Person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God came amongst His people, born of the Virgin Mary. His ministry on earth is a model for His followers, a ministry characterized by a bold and relevant communication of God's Word, empowered teamwork, a compassionate and holistic concern for persons of all walks of life, and a prophetic provocation against the status quo of institutional religion. His death on the cross reconciles a sinful humanity to God, and His bodily resurrection from the dead frees us from bondage to the evil powers of this world. His followers live in the reality of that reconciliation and freedom, witness to that reality for the benefit of others, and wait in joyful expectation for the day when He returns bringing God's justice.

I believe that the Holy Spirit continues God's presence throughout creation and that He is the prompter of every genuine desire for newness and hope. He is especially at work in the Church which is one yet diverse, holy yet imperfect, and universal yet present wherever saving faith in Jesus Christ is confessed. The Church is a place of intimate communion for all believers, where the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed and practiced. Although all people face the reality of death, the Church lives in the hope of life beyond the grave, and therefore it is eternal life and not death that ought to inform our values, choices, and attitudes in this life.

Still Here...

2008-07-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let all my loyal readers (all three of you!) know that I haven't forgotten about the wonderful world of blogland. This last month has been a whirlwind as I spent my last week of ministry in Bakerstown co-deaning the Work Mission Camp up at Wesley Woods, then immediately left to come out here, and started work bright and early Monday morning. I must give kudos to my lovely wife Cherith for taking care of a great deal of the logistics so that I could spend my last week of ministry with my youth, serving Christ at a wonderful Christian camp.

Now I am slowly getting settled into my new position of Pastor of Worship and Family Ministries. I hope to write a more substantial post next time, but for right now, this is just to let you know that I did make it out to Michigan alive!

Peace!

In Memory of "Jaja"

2008-06-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

Today, June 6, is the birthday of my grandfather, Leonard Juniak.

Growing up in a Polish family, my siblings and I always called him "Jaja" which is the Polish word for grandpa.

Jaja passed away several years ago, but I still like to pause and think about him on this day because he was one of the greatest influences on my life.

He grew up during the Great Depression, he served as a navigator's yeoman in the Navy during World War II, and worked a mill job at PPG in Creighton for 38 years to provide for his wife and daughter (my mom). After my grandma passed away and he retired, he moved in with our family and became a second dad to me.

Jaja inspired my love of history by telling be stories about his life during the Depression and about some of his antics with other sailors during WWII. He also gave me my love of politics by trying to convince me that Harry Truman was the greatest president in history, while Richard Nixon is rightly referred to as a crook. He encouraged my piano playing by taking me to lessons every week, and he never missed a swim meet, band concert, or piano recital during my high school years.

He was one of that "Greatest Generation" of Americans who put family first, took pride in his work, was stubbornly devoted to his convictions, and was always willing to lend a hand to a friend or neighbor in need.

In the last chapter of Romans, St. Paul gives an impressive list of people who had influenced him and supported him in his life. Were I to write that kind of list, Jaja would appear right below my mom and dad, and to paraphrase St. Paul, "I thank my God at every remembrance of him."

Who are some of the human role models who have inspired you and helped to develop your character?

Movin' On Up to the East Side...

2008-05-29T18:15:00.000-07:00

...of Grand Rapids, Michigan, that is.

That's right, folks. After over 8 years of wonderful ministry here in Western Pennsylvania (5 in New Castle, 3 in Gibsonia), I regret to report that my wife Cherith and I are "pressing onward" in our ministry and will be moving to Michigan. We have prayed, sought the advice of trusted mentors, and believe that God has called us to serve in a new capacity. At the end of June, I will be leaving my position as Director of Youth and Outreach Ministries at Bakerstown United Methodist Church, to answer a new call as Pastor of Worship and Family Ministries at Saranac Community Church.

I can't say enough about my time at Bakerstown UMC. I have grown in my faith and in my professional abilities, and have had the opportunity to work with some incredible Christians. In particular, I need to give kudos to Rev. Mark Stewart for allowing me to partner with him in leadership. He is a gifted administrator, a gracious pastor, and certainly a valuable asset to the Western PA Conference (as I'm sure many of you know).

Unfortunately, my new position is not with the United Methodist Church. I do not in any way believe that God has called me away from Methodism. Rather, I see this new open door as an invitation from God to broaden my outlook of Kingdom ministry, and as a chance to utilize my major gifts of teaching, spiritual formation, and music for His glory.

I hope you all will continue to stop by this blog from time to time. I have loved being included in this conversation about our common goal of following Christ and providing leadership for His people, and I have been challenged by many of you. For that, I say a huge thanks!

There Is A Hope

2008-05-22T06:36:00.000-07:00

I just learned of a relatively new praise hymn written by the great Stuart Townend, the British musician who wrote my favorite praise chorus: In Christ Alone. This new praise hymn is entitled There Is A Hope. I viewed a video this morning on the Worship Together website. The music includes accoustical piano and a Celtic flute. That alone transported me to another dimension...maybe to a green pasture in Ireland, maybe to Middle Earth. Not sure where, but it was awesome!

The lyrics are rich, both spiritually and theologically. Here they are:

THERE IS A HOPE
by Stuart Townend and Mark Edwards
Copyright (c) 2007 Thankyou Music.

There is a hope that burns within my heart,
That gives me strength for ev'ry passing day;
a glimpse of glory now revealed in meager part,
Yet drives all doubt away:
I stand in Christ, with sins forgiv'n;
and Christ in me, the hope of heav'n!
My highest calling and my deepest joy,
to make His will my home.

There is a hope that lifts my weary head,
A consolation strong against despair,
That when the world has plunged me in its deepest pit,
I find the Savior there!
Through present sufferings, future's fear,
He whispers, "Courage!" in my ear.
For I am safe in everlasting arms,
And they will lead me home.

There is a hope that stands the test of time,
That lifts my eyes beyond the beckoning grave,
To see the matchless beauty of a day divine
When I behold His face!
When sufferings cease and sorrows die,
and every longing satisfied,
then joy unspeakable will flood my soul,
For I am truly home.

Lord Jesus, May I heed these words this day and every day. May my life be defined by a hope rooted in the truth of Your glorious resurrection. May my dissatisfaction with "life as it is" remind me that I am called by You to embody a vision of life as You would have it. And may I always look forward, knowing that by Your grace, You will indeed lead me home. Amen.

What Are You Reading?

2008-05-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I find that my brain starts to resemble a pile of mush when I go any length of time without delving into a good book. I find I function best when I am absorbing the creative thoughts of other people, or just enjoying a good story. I think I already quoted this on a prior post, but a professor of mine used to say, "Leaders are Learners."

Here's a list of recent books I've enjoyed:

THEOLOGICALLY DEEP:

Hugo A. Meynell, Postmodernism and the New Enlightenment. A Catholic philosopher, Meynell argues that "postmoderns" are correct in their critique of many negative aspects of modernity (for example, their scientism, their utilitarianism that results in consumerism, their naive attitude towards the darker human passions, and their uncritical contempt for traditional ways of thinking). However, he maintains that the alternative offered by postmoderns (especially Derrida, Foucault, Rorty, and Lyotard) is actually worse than the modern. He proposes a third alternative, a "new enlightenment," which strives to rise above the modern-postmodern debate by emphasizing the need for attentiveness, intelligence, rationality, and responsibility in all areas of thought. Definitely not an easy read, but one which greatly helped me to understand the core issues in the current cultural transition.

Kenneth E. Bailey, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes. Having spent a great deal of his life among traditional Middle Eastern cultural realities, Bailey offers a fresh perspective on Jesus and the four gospels for those of us who have been trained to see them only through a modern Western perspective. This is definitely the magnum opus of a first-rate biblical scholar!

John R. Schneider, The Good of Affluence: Seeking God in a Culture of Wealth. A religion professor at Calvin College, Schneider re-examines and critiques much of the contemporary Protestant understandings of wealth, poverty, and market-driven economics. He challenges the anti-capitalist exegesis propounded by Marxist and Liberation theologies, but he also takes issue with the "simplistic" views of capitalism that are presented by people like Hauerwas, Sider, and Blomberg. No matter what your political and economic views, I'm sure this book will challenge your assumptions about the Bible's teachings on economics!

PRACTICAL MINISTRY:

Mark Dever, The Gospel and Personal Evangelism. Senior pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., Dever presents a model of evangelism that is grounded in the proclaimed Word of God, but which also includes the necessity of authentic relationships. Perhaps the most illuminating chapter in the book is entitled "What Isn't Evangelism," which argues that much of what the church passes off as "outreach" is actually not central to the ultimate thrust of the Gospel message. A short and easy read, but definitely worth it!

Alvin L. Reid, Raising the Bar: Ministry to Youth in the New Millennium. In many ways, this book echoes the concerns of several of the excellent texts on youth ministry to be published in recent years. It too advocates a total transformation of how we do youth ministry. I recommend it simply because it focuses on three very basic factors: Pray Hard, Teach Scripture Well, and Live Authentically among the youth. These three factors are central. The other stuff, whether in its modern or postmodern package, is just icing on the cake.

Terry Wardle, Healing Care, Healing Prayer. Wardle is a professor at Ashland Theological Seminary (I have to give a plug for my alma mater!!!). I recommend this book because it skillfully combines biblical spirituality with informed counseling techniques. It is practical and has helpful resource lists for further reading. In having some deep conversations with my youth over the past few months, I have found myself drawing on its concepts and helpful illustrations. It also emphasizes the central role of the Holy Spirit in all healing that is truly Christian.

JUST FOR FUN:

C. S. Lewis, Prince Caspian. In preparation for the movie's release this weekend!

Elizabeth Kostova, The Historian. It was the title that drew my attention (you know, me being a history buff and all). As for the plot, all I'll say it: Dracula a la The DaVinci Code. Check it out!

So....What's on your reading list?!?!?

"What I've Done" - Sin and Responsibility

2008-05-06T07:55:00.001-07:00

Recently, the youth praise band here at BUMC introduced me to a song by Linkin Park entitled What I've Done. It's a single from their latest studio album, Minutes to Midnight, which was released exactly one year ago. That I am just now introduced to it reveals the sad truth that I am at least one year "behind the times" when it comes to much of popular culture. On the other hand, considering that I'm a child of the '80's, I guess I'm doing pretty well.

The music itself is an interesting mix of a hauntingly repetitive piano motif, juxtaposed with very raw-sounding electric guitars and percussion. But what caught me was the lyrics:

In this farewell
There’s no blood
There’s no alibi
‘Cause I’ve drawn regret
From the truth
Of a thousand lies

So let mercy come
And wash away
What I’ve done

I'll face myself
To cross out what I’ve become
Erase myself
And let go of what I’ve done

Put to rest
What you thought of me
While I clean this slate
With the hands of uncertainty

So let mercy come
And wash away
What I’ve done

I'll face myself
To cross out what I’ve become
Erase myself
And let go of what I’ve done

For what I’ve done
I start again
And whatever pain may come
Today this ends
I’m forgiving what I’ve done!!!

What I’ve done
Forgiving what I’ve done

If you preview the video on YouTube, you'll see that these words and music are intermingled with incredible visual images revealing the reality of sin in our world: drug abuse, war, terrorism, racism, pollution and environmental destruction, materialism, evil dictatorships, and nuclear destruction. Clearly, all of these images point to the consequences of our fallen human nature and our rebellion against the sovereign Lord of the Universe.

The typically modern view of sin (if sin is acknowledged at all) is that it is something out there, in the world, in society. We humans are essentially good, modernity taught us, and that the evil in the world is all of these external evils such as war, poverty, ignorance, etc... Sin can be overcome merely be combating these external evils and removing them from the earth, so that we humans can thrive with our natural goodness. In general, modernity tended to shy away from the "dark side" of human nature, believing that we are all in a natural process towards progress. Human reason and motivation are infallible and good, and they alone can save us.

This is certainly not the vision of What I've Done.

While the video depicts all of the external evils rightly abhored by modernity, the lyrics go to the heart of the issue by focusing on what I've done. The lyricist/singer has no illusions about his own essential goodness, or the purity of his motives. He takes full responsibility by acknowledging his own sinful actions, and he hints that mercy must come to him from somewhere outside himself in order that those sinful actions can be fully washed away. While he does declare presumptuously that he will forgive himself, he acknowledges that starting again and forgiving himself must come at the cost of great pain.

Authors such as Hugo A. Meynell and Robert Webber aver that modernity's naivete towards human evil has gone out of fashion among the postmodern generations. Contemporary people, especially the young, are not only more willing to talk about the evils inherent in life, but they are also willing to deal honestly with evil's manifestations in their own minds, hearts, and actions. "The power of positive thinking" and the "cult of self-esteem" has given way to a more realistic assessment of the individual person who, while having clear aspirations to the true and good, acknowledges the limits (even the corruption) of his own reason and volition.

The song What I've Done illustrates a significant scriptural truth, that the individual must fully deal with the log in his or her own eye, in order to see clearly and then deal with the speck that is in our neighbor's eye. It also suggests that our culture today is much more open to hearing a biblical view of individual sin and responsibility - a view which much of the church has failed to proclaim in our world.

Too few Christians are hearing from the pulpits a Word-informed anthropology which stresses the full weight of what we've done as individuals. We are rebels against a holy and righteous God, and we constantly set up false idols to fill the absence of His presence. Certainly, the world beyond the church is not hearing this truth. As it is, we are not giving people a true reason for being Christians in the first place: to receive God's incredible forgiveness and justification in Jesus Christ, to have our sins washed away in sanctification, and to live in the reality of His grace and mercy.

Clearly, Linkin Park (and obviously much of their fans) understand the need to face themselves honestly, to have mercy come to them, to have their sins washed away and the slate wiped clean, and to feel the joy of forgiveness. It's about time that we proclaim the whole Gospel without fear of offending others, so that those inside and outside the Church can be convicted of their sin and thereby return to the One who bore the pain of our forgiveness and Who accepts all of us in spite of what we've done.

Eucatastrophe in Action

2008-04-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of the BUMC Youth Band Eucatastrophe at the recent Battle of the Bands. A great evening of worship!

Anamchara - The Soul Friend

2008-04-08T06:46:00.000-07:00

"When I came to Troas to proclaim the good news of Christ, a door was opened for me in the Lord; but my mind could not rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said farewell to them and went on to Macedonia." - St. Paul, II Corinthians 2:12-13, NRSV.

For years I made the mistake of viewing Paul as a sort of Lone Ranger Evangelist who would go forth on his own, boldly and unapologetically proclaiming the Gospel to anyone he met, maintaining his own self-sufficiency even in prison, and simply breaking fellowship with anyone who had the guts to disagree with him (i.e. Peter, Barnabas). I hereby repent of this biblical error.

One need only to look at Romans 16 to see the incredible list of individuals on whom Paul relied for support, encouragement, and assistance in his ministry. Following Jesus' example of sending his disciples out "two by two," Paul always had a traveling companion during his missionary journeys, such as Barnabas, Silas, Titus, or Luke. Certainly the passion of his life was the proclamation of the Gospel, and he was very "task-oriented" in that; yet one cannot deny that for Paul, nurturing meaningful and proactive relationships with others, especially at a deep spiritual level, was a necessary component of his gospel ministry.

Just look at the above quote from II Corinthians: Paul had a Divine opportunity to preach the gospel in one of the biggest ports in the Roman Empire, where there were tradesmen and sailors from all over the known world. Yet in spite of this great opportunity to evangelize, Paul left them and went on, because somehow he got separated from his buddy Titus and had no peace of mind. Paul was close with Titus - he defended Titus against the circumcision party, he clearly trusted Titus enough to send him as a reconciler in the Corinthian debacle, and he traveled with Titus as well. Paul's friendship with Titus was close enough that, when separated from him, Paul did not have peace of mind about preaching the gospel.

In an age where "global communications" has made it possible to connect with anyone, anytime, anywhere, we are witnessing simultaneously the breakdown of meaningful relationships fueled by the narcissistic individualism which is the logical result of modernity. Many adults find it simply impractical or unnecessary to maintain deep, lasting friendships that can empower us on our journey through life. Friendships that do exist are often very superficial, not concerned with anything beneath the surface issues of life, certainly avoiding the deep emotional and spiritual struggles which all humans experience.

The Celtic Christians had a word for the type of friendship that Paul experienced and that we moderns avoid: Anamchara. It comes from two Gaelic words that mean "soul friend." Interestingly, this was not just a social convention; it was a religious practice. The Celtic saints believed that because we are sinners who can often deceive ourselves, true holiness can only be pursued in the context of a relationship with a trusted friend who is willing to hold us accountable in the deepest levels of our spiritual journey. I believe this is a profoundly necessary practice, especially when we realize that God is as concerned with our internal motivations, emotions, and thoughts as He is with our external behaviors.

I'm sure that all of us can recall times in our spiritual journey when we lacked the kind of loving accountability from a friend with whom we are totally authentic, and who is willing not only to affirm but also to challenge and confront us. When that kind of friendship was absent, I'll bet that we've all tended to fall into rationalizations, attitudes and behaviors that were not consistent with the high call of Christian discipleship.

I have been blessed in my journey to have such friendships: my college roommate Chad Geaslen, my seminary roommate Jeff "The Punk" Vanderhoff, friends and mentors Bob Morris and Ray and Gail Keffer. All of these individuals contributed to my spiritual growth and development by mutual sharing of heart and mind, so that I could be drawn out of myself and into the world of God and others. I thank God for all of them.

My prayer is that as ministers of the Gospel we are able to repent of the "Lone Ranger" mentality that so often plagues the professional clergy, in order that we can show real solidarity and support of each other as we shepherd God's people. It may not seem like the most "practical" thing to do. But then again, in a culture that places such a high value on superficiality, perhaps living the Anamchara is just the sort of counter-cultural act in which we Christians should be engaging.

Rockin' Worship, Part II

2008-03-31T19:03:00.000-07:00

So it's official: Eucatastrophe is #1!

That's right! The youth praise band of Bakerstown UMC took first prize in the first Battle of the Bands here in the North Hills! Over 200 youth gathered at Hampton Presbyterian Church to hear some great youth praise bands and to support the North Hills Youth Ministry Counseling Center!

I was so proud of my band members and the other youth of Bakerstown UMC... they displayed their passion, they got everyone excited, they were respectful of all the participants, and Christ was glorified in their behavior and their worship. What's more, some of my youth invited their unchurched friends, and they all wanted to hang out with us after the evening was over. I get the distinct impression that I'll see those teens again, and that our group will be able to continue to witness to them what life with Christ is all about.

It was such an incredible evening! Kudos to Brian Wallace, youth pastor at Hampton Pres., for organizing the event, and to the other bands that participated.

I agree with the comments of my brother in Christ, Jesse Siefert, who was at the event and who is the youth pastor at Whitehall Presbyterian Church. He said that God is definitely doing a work in this new generation of young people, and he believes that God is going to use them to make a difference here in Pittsburgh!

I heard that other United Methodist Church youth had a great weekend at Blaze in Downtown Pittsbrugh with 400 youth in attendance....even more evidence that Jesse's vision seems to be true.

Will you join me in praying for the young people in this area, that God's Spirit will move in their hearts and will challenge them to do great things in the name of Jesus Christ? Let that be our prayer and our passion!

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity." - I Timothy 4:12

Rockin' Worship!

2008-03-28T14:51:00.001-07:00

Okay, folks...prayer request for all of you:

This Sunday at 5:00 p.m., our youth praise band Eucatastrophe will be taking part in a "Battle of the Praise Bands" at Hampton Presbyterian Church in Gibsonia. Several youth praise bands in the area will be coming together for some friendly competition, in order to raise money for the North Hills Youth Ministry Counseling Center (http://www.nhymcc.org/). We will be playing some great praise songs like Let it Rise, David Crowder's No One Like You, and Fernando Ortega's Our Great God, as well as contemporary favorites like Relient K's Who I Am Hates Who I've Been and Hoobastank's The Reason (with a distinctively Christian slant on that last one).

I am so grateful for this opportunity. It will give these guys with whom I've worked so hard a chance to be seen and heard by people other than this congregation, to be a witness for Christ through their music, and to help a worthy Christian cause in this community. What more could I ask for?

I don't want you folks to pray that we win the competition (well, if you insist)...

Rather, please pray that God will reveal Himself through us, that we will worship well, and that we will be good representatives of Christ and of Bakerstown United Methodist. If you'd like to pray for specific band members, they are:

Nate Bodnar - Drums
Trevor Ditmore - Vocals
Zack Meuschke (grandson of Revs. Paul Meuschke and Ken McGowan) - Guitar
Derek Platt - Vocals
Alex Shipley (grandson of the late Rev. Ralph Shipley) - Bass Guitar
Eric Zarenko - Guitar
Jeff Kahl - Keyboard

Thanks for your prayers! I pray that all of you experience the same passion in your worship of Jesus Christ!

P.S. - If you would like to know what our band's name (Eucatastrophe) means, there's a post somewhere on my blog that describes it! Look under the heading "Inklings."

How Great Thou ART

2008-03-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

Jeff Vanderhoff's remarks in my last post (see below, "No Country for Jeff") have led me to reflect on movies as an art form. As is typical with nerds like me, I ended up pondering an even more philosophical question: What is art? And what is its purpose in our lives?

As Vanderhoff commented in my last post, he would much rather watch a good comedy that gives him a little escape from life, rather than a heavy movie like No Country for Old Men which seems to confuse and frustrate more than clarify and edify.

So what is the purpose of art? Why should we watch movies, listen to music, read books, attend plays? Is it to be entertained? To be instructed? Or to just escape from the "real world" for a while?

In general, I believe there are three views of the purpose of the arts in human existence. I know that we all can come up with many specific reasons for liking specific pieces of art, but what I'm listing are just broad categories about the arts in general.

First, there's the view that art is essentially a "handmaid of religion" - that the purpose of art is almost exclusively for religious expression, worship, and for giving glory and honor to God. In other words, art is justified by its faithfulness in representing religious truth. Simple totem poles, ceremonial dances, and mythical stories in the pre-Christian religions. Gothic cathedrals, passion plays and Gregorian chants of the Middle Ages. Even much of the contemporary Christian music business today. All of those would be examples of this first philosophy of art.

Secondly, there's the view that, fundamentally, the purpose of art is to entertain...that art exists for the sake of the audience. The justification of art is, therefore, its ability to reach people subjectively. In this view, what is being said/portrayed is much less important than how it is being said/portrayed. Most of popular music/literature/art falls into this category, although there are excellent exceptions (U2, The Beatles, etc...). Take pop music for example: most of what is actually communicated is trivial, pedantic, and vulgar, yet it is presented with such fanfare and sensationalism that the audience is simply taken up in the experience of the "show."

Finally, there is the philosophy that art is the concretization of the artist's fundamental views of life: that in the specific media of music, painting, literature, etc..., the artist is communicating a basic understanding of human existence, inviting the audience to enter into that understanding, perceive, and enjoy. In this view, the audience can not sit passively and expect pure entertainment. They must engage the work of art with their mind and heart and, in doing so, attempt to discover the major themes that are actually being communicated.

Take two of my favorite films: Hugh Hudson's Chariots of Fire and David Fincher's Seven. In my opinion, each film presents a certain view about the nature of humanity. Chariots of Fire presents humans as having all the potential to be heroic, to live with integrity, to maintain their core beliefs even in the face of opposition, and ultimately to achieve great success. Seven, on the other hand, presents human life as being hopelessly depraved, in which even those with the best intentions are doomed to either failure, cynicism, or despair. Both films use their stories, characterizations, and cinematography flawlessly to present these views. Neither film is "entertainment for its own sake;" but each, in my opinion, is brilliant in what it seeks to achieve.

In Genesis we are told that God is a Creator, and that humans are made in His image. Therefore, I believe that it is in the nature of human life to want to create, to express our deepest longings and beliefs, and to share those with others. I thank God for the brilliant artists, past and present, who have added much to my mind, heart, and life.

No Country for Jeff

2008-03-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

So two events happened in the past two weeks that prompted these reflections:

1). On March 2, I turned 35 years old, the age which many people associate with the beginning of the male mid-life crisis.

2). This past weekend, I splurged with some of my birthday money and went to see the movie No Country for Old Men, which recently took top honors at the Academy Awards and which features riveting performances from Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, and Kelly MacDonald.

If you want to read a first-rate review of this film, go to Eric Park's website and check it out. I won't even attempt to equal his analysis of this incredible flick, but I do wish to comment on the three major characters.

1 - First there's Llewellyn Moss, a young man who unexpectedly happened upon a suitcase filled with money at the scene of a botched drug deal. With no moral framework that would help him to do the right thing (turn the money in to the police), impulsively he decided to keep the money for himself. Throughout the course of the film he reveals his propensity for making stupid, spur-of-the-moment decisions that end up doing more harm than good. He even puts his relationship with his wife second to doing what is necessary to keep the money. Llewellyn represents opportunism at its worst.

2 - Then there's Ed Tom Bell, the old sheriff who represents not only law and order but also a sense of decency and morality that was typical of an older America but seems to be fading. Ed Tom even hints that he once had a high hope in God. And yet that hope has long since disappeared for Ed Tom, who observes a culture around him that has no more use for his moral and ethical ideals. Rather than resisting the trend towards moral decay, I sense that Ed Tom chooses instead to wallow in cynicism and merely wait for retirement and death.

3 - Finally, there's the serial killer Anton Chigurh, who I think will go down in history with Hannibal Lecter and Norman Bates as one of the finest villains ever portrayed on film. For Anton, life is senseless and arbitrary, almost a game of chance, and human beings are indistinguishable from cattle if they deter him from his goals. He values nothing beyond his own survival. I'd characterize him by his nihilism. Is he crazy? Evil? Or is he the only person who knows what it takes to survive in a world where there is no objective standard of truth and goodness?

So here I am, 35 years old, looking out at the current culture in which I find myself, and in many respects, these three characters represent the only three options that a secular agenda could offer us. Opportunism, cynicism, and nihilism -- what else is there in a life where God is seen as irrelevant, where truth is reduced to opinion, and where morality is relative?

None of these three options is appealing to me. I pray to God that the moral universe implicit in No Country For Old Men is not the moral universe to which we are headed. There are many signs that it's happening. But there is hope.

Just like there was hope in the movie, embodied in the character of Llewellyn's wife, Carla Jean, beautifully portrayed by Scottish actress Kelly MacDonald (who, in my opinion, should have been nominated for an Oscar). In spite of her husband's opportunism, she shows unconditional love and faithfulness to him. In spite of Sheriff Ed Tom's cynicism, she puts her quiet confidence in his ability to uphold law and order. And when she is face to face with the serial killer Anton's nihilism, she poignantly pleads with him to realize that he is capable of making a better choice.

I pray that in this country of ours, all Christians can have the character and faithfulness of Carla Jean. For those may be the best things we have to offer.

Serious Business

2008-02-11T18:48:00.000-08:00

I was reminded recently of quotes by two of my favorite writers:
"Man cannot exist without having the capacity for laughter." - St. Thomas Aquinas
"Joy is the serious business of heaven." - C. S. Lewis
For some people, having a sense of humor is as easy as choosing a presidential candidate. OK, bad example. Let's try that again. For some people, having a sense of humor is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Now for the record, I do derive much enjoyment from my wife, from working with youth, from reading for pleasure. But if you've read any of my blogs, you know that I sometimes view life with a degree of seriousness that would make the prophet Jeremiah look like Jerry Seinfeld (not that there's anything wrong with that...).
My tendency to dwell on the negative in certain situations, or to over-analyze, is well-documented by my friends and family. Part of it is undoubtedly the result of my status as the oldest-child with the over-achiever syndrome. Perhaps some of it is that Catholic guilt of my upbringing, which I learned while kneeling in the confessional booth or looking up at Jesus' accusing eyes from the crucifix. I'm sure a professional psychologist could unearth tons of unconcious motivations as well.
So what's my point?
I've come to realize that a crucial spiritual discipline in my Christian walk is the discipline of having a sense of humor. I don't think you'll find that anywhere in the writings of Richard Foster or Henri Nouwen...certainly not a systematized discipline advocated by any theological tradition. But that doesn't negate the fact that it is spiritually necessary for me to simply sit back and have a good laugh, to acknowledge that there is nothing on this earth so important that it should fully take away the joy of living as a child of God.
Thomas Aquinas actually argued that the sense of humor is one dimension of the Image of God in human beings; it allows us to rise above the struggles of life and see all of this world with a sense of levity and hope. Likewise, Chesterton once wrote that "laughter has something in it in common with the ancient winds of faith and inspiration...it makes people forget themselves in the presence of something greater than themselves; something that they cannot resist."
How do I attempt (with varying degrees of success) to integrate this discipline into my life?
First, I try to watch some TV just for the sake of the humor. Shows like The Office, Seinfeld reruns, and Mad TV are at the top of the list.
Second, in my journaling I try intentionally to recall the lighter moments of the day: a humorous observation, a sarcastic comment from our incredible church secretary, or my own stupid mistakes that I'm able to laugh about now.
Finally, I try to surround myself with friends who breathe real joy into my spirit, who allow me to take my focus off of my burdens and just be Jeff.
What are some practices that bring joy and laughter into your heart and life?
May God keep us all in the serious business of joy and laughter, so our spirits never become so heavy that they fail to rise in worship of Him.

Feeling God's Pain

2008-02-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

During this season of Lent, I am focusing my devotional reading of Scripture on the minor prophets. It's a section of Scripture I haven't read in a while, and so I decided to delve into the words of individuals who may not have written as much as guys like Isaiah and Jeremiah, but whose message to us is just as important.

So I started reading through the first chapter of Hosea. Right at the beginning, God does the unthinkable: He orders His prophet Hosea to marry an adulterous wife and to conceive unfaithful children. The reason? "Because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord." Apparently God wanted Hosea to feel the kind of gut-wrenching emotions that God Himself must feel when His people abandon Him, prostitute themselves before the lifeless pagan gods around them, and ultimately beget children who are faithless.

If I were Hosea, I don't know what my resonse would have been.

You see, I have a couple close friends of mine who experienced this firsthand. They married women, they loved them, but over the course of the marriage, the women's hearts changed and they engaged in adulterous relationships.

In both cases, my friends expressed a willingness to reconcile, to go to counseling, to try and rebuild the trust and intimacy and start fresh. But their wives would have none of it. They had made up their minds ahead of time and chose to sever the relationship rather than work things out. In one case, my friend's wife walked away with half of the financial assets in the marriage, even though she contributed very little financially.

I saw what that situation did to my friends. I saw grown men crying like babies, heart-broken, shocked, angry, filled with both love and hatred. My one friend has three boys, and despite the counseling they have received, I'm sure the scars of that experience will always be with them.

All because one party in the marriage chose narcissism, self-gratification, deceptiveness and unfaithfulness over commitment, truthfulness, communication, and reconciliation.

I reflect on this, and then I think... Is this what I do to God every time I sin? Does God's heart ache like my friends' did when I make my self-interest, rather than God's glory and righteousness, the motivating factor in my decisions? And on a more corporate level: how does God truly feel about the church's relationship with the pagan gods of our culture today, or the church's sometimes selfish agenda? Does He view us as adulterous?

Biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann argues that pathos is absolutely crucial to prophetic ministry: the ability to feel, and to energize others to feel, the heart of God that cries out against apathy, numbness, and unfaithfulness. The people of God must be exposed to a candid expression of the way in which their individual and corporate sin has betrayed God on the very deepest levels. This requires more than theological savvy or administrative gifts: it requires a discerning heart driven by a life of rich prayer and disciplined spirituality, as well as a courage to speak deeply and truthfully about unpleasant things. (See Brueggemann, The Prophetic Imagination)

If the experiences of my friends (and of Hosea) are any indication of God's reaction to His people today, I believe that this season of Lent offers us a unique opportunity. I pray that through my reading of the minor prophets and through my prayer life, God may invite me into a deeper understanding of His heart, and also a courage to know how most effectively to use that understanding in a way that is productive and energizing.

May our Lenten journey give us a fresh understanding of the lengths to which God will go, and has gone, to restore us adulterous people to our rightful place as His Bride, the Church.

Sobering Facts, Real Opportunities

2008-02-01T11:28:00.000-08:00

Recently, Dr. Scott Sunquist (evangelism/mission prof at Pittsburgh Seminary) challenged me to read a book as a part of an independent study I am doing with him. He intends to use the text in his regular Evangelism course next year, and I think he's using me as a sort of "guinea pig." The book is entitled Unbinding the Gospel: Real Life Evangelism by Martha Grace Reese. Meant as a study for church leaders, the book is a result of a four-year study which focused on developing effective evangelism in mainline churches. With endorsements from the likes of George G. Hunter III, Brian McLaren, and Richard Peace, it is definitely a text that commands attention.

For this particular posting, I am choosing deliberately not to comment on the theological implications of Dr. Reese's study, other than to make one observation. Reese notes that theologically conservative Christians have a natural motivation to evangelize, because they still believe in a literal heaven and hell, and therefore are concerned about the eternal state of people's souls. Theologically liberal Christians, according to Reese, must find some other motivation for sharing the Christian message with others, and that can begin only when liberal Christians are able to answer truthfully the following question: "What difference does it make in my own life that I am a Christian?"

This is a question that many mainline Christians (indeed, many mainline denominations) have been incapable of answering of late. Unless (or until) mainline Christians can make a strong case for why belonging to their denomination is any different than belonging to the local Kiwanis or Rotary Club, their evangelism will always fall short.

Here are some of the sobering facts that Reese shares about mainline denominations:
From 1960-2000, mainline churches as a whole have lost almost 20% of their members. However, looked at as a percentage of the American population, mainline church membership has dropped almost 50% in 40 years.
From 1972-1993, the percentage of Protestants in the U.S. remained fairly stable at 63%. However, by 2002 the number had dropped to 52%.
Only 3% of adults born between 1910-1919 were raised without any religion in their lives. 14% of adults born between 1980-1984 were reared with no religion, and 27% of adults born in those years say they have no religious preference. America is clearly becoming a less "religious" country.
Mainline churches are failing at helping new people become Christians. While new Christians are joining the faith in mainline churches, the vast majority are our own children or new spouses.
Very few adult baptisms and affirmations of faith are made in the six major mainline denominations.
I know you're probably sick of reading about the ills of the mainline churches. You're probably also thinking (and I agree with you) that "numbers" are not necessarily an indicator of anything. That said, though, I think it's important to recognize that evangelism is something that many Christian leaders (myself included) are simply not well-equipped to deal with. Either because of time limitations or other priorities, we simply do not give significant attention to spreading the Gospel beyond the walls of our church.
I think it is great that evangelism is now a required course of all candidates for ordination in the United Methodist Church (hence my independent study with Dr. Sunquist). I also think it's great that creative new churches in are springing up in our conference with a distinctively evangelistic and missional focus: think Hot Metal Bridge, Radiant Life (at Pittsburgh Mills) and Eighth Avenue Place which Keith McIlwain describes in his latest post. Hopefully these are signs that the winds are changing and that God is challenging mainliners to make the Kingdom, rather than the Church, priority #1.
My prayer for today is that God will make me more intentional about sharing Christ with others, and in communicating to the congregation of Bakerstown UMC a simple but significant strategy to be more about spreading the good news of Christ beyond our community. Will you join me in praying for that kind of renewal?

Retreat Re-Cap

2008-01-28T13:25:00.000-08:00

Great photo of the Jumonville Cross, eh?

That's the effect of an extreme fog that fell over the camp on Saturday night.

But the fog was no damper on the workings of God's Spirit this past weekend! We had an incredible weekend of worship, fellowship, and bible study. God really did a work in our hearts, including my own.

We celebrated the 16th birthday of one of the guys in my youth group....But the angels in heaven were celebrating this weekend for another reason! Three of the youth committed themselves to Christ for the first time on this weekend! Praise God! I spent some time in prayer with each of them individually, and I know that their hearts were sincere. Please pray for Eric, Trevor, and Chris, that God will strengthen them and pour out His grace into their lives as His children.

A handful of other youth recommitted themselves to Christ, confessed some personal struggles and sins, and affirmed the significance of this Christian community in their lives. One of my seniors, Derek, challenged all the youth to really be witnesses in their schools and extracurricular activities, and not to be intimidated by peers and adults who hate the Christian faith. Another senior, a very shy but very deep girl named Alana, made cards for each youth and chaperone, encouraging them in their faith.

I especially thank my fellow chaperones, Greg, Jane, and Penny, who gave up a whole weekend just loved all these great teenagers!

Thank you, Almighty God, for meeting us at Jumonville and reminding us of Your all-embracing love and grace!

Walking Up To The Cross

2008-01-23T08:14:00.001-08:00

This weekend I'll be taking about 30 senior high youth up to Jumonville for our annual Winter Retreat. It is a spiritually rich time when the youth turn off their iPods, TV's, cell phones (at least most of the time!), and try to focus on the still, small voice of God. In spite of the fact that I'm currently suffering from some kind of bronchial infection, I still intend to be the bravehearted youth pastor and spend an incredible weekend!

For the teens, the highlight of the weekend is when we all walk up to the big cross at the top of the mountain. Whether in the daytime or close to midnight, the spectacle is truly amazing. Hopefully it will not be too frigid or windy up there....

I love the imagery contained in the Jumonville cross, especially at night. At night, it is a solitary light amongst a sea of darkness. Anyone who drives down S. R. 119 at night can not fail to see it, and it is therefore a powerful, wordless witness of Christ's presence there.

In the daytime, from the cross you can see in the distance 3 states and 9 counties. You can see city life and country life, factories and farms, automobiles and trees. Taking that sight in, I always recall the magnificent Christological statement in Colossians:

"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see...Everything has been created through him and for him. He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together...He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross."

I thank God for providing a wonderful place like Jumonville where my youth can reconnect with God and each other, and at least for a time, remove themselves from the multiple idols that dominate our culture. Please pray that God will use me as his instrument in speaking words of truth and love to these incredible teens!

Help My Unbelief!

2008-01-14T08:45:00.000-08:00

The other day I had one of those deep theological conversations with one of my best friends. Even though he and I don't see each other as much as we'd like, the conversation immediately went past the superficial niceties of polite chit-chat, and we just shared our hearts and our thoughts about the deeper stuff of life. It was a blessed time and I'm grateful for it.

One thing became apparent during our talk: both of us struggle with doubt. This is not to say that we're "closet atheists" or anything like that. We're both devoted disciples of Jesus Christ. It's just that the profound questions don't go away, and we're not completely satisfied with the simplistic answers that we often get from others within the Christian fold.

Paul Tillich once wrote, "Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith." Looking at Scripture, I suppose I'll have to agree. John the Baptist, Jesus' mother Mary, Job, and the writer of Ecclesiastes all went through periods when their minds and hearts were plagued with doubt, although they wanted very much to believe. This sentiment is kind of crystalized in the one sentence spoken by the father of a demon-possessed boy: "I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24)

Yes, there are many times when I ask those deeper questions and my heart is unsettled with the answers. I have faith but not certainty. Call it a "Dark Night of the Soul." Call it a "Crisis of Faith." Call it whatever the hell you like. But I don't think I'm off the mark in saying that it is a reality that every human being faces, including the men and women in the pulpits.

Yet we are so conditioned in the church to preach "certainty." Modernity, with its emphasis on objective truth and inerrant reason, has trained us to give people answers...rather than affirming and honoring questions.

I don't claim to know the purposes of God. But Scripture does seem to indicate that when individuals go through bad times in their lives, God uses those times in positive ways in the lives of other people. I think of Joseph's words to his brothers after they recognized him as the Pharoah's steward: "What you meant for evil, God meant for good."

Job went through the doubt of suffering, but it is now a testimony for all of those who suffer that God may have a greater purpose in suffering.

Jesus went through the doubt of Gethsemane, perhaps even questioning God's plan for Him, but it led to salvation for the human race.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer went through doubt while in a concentration camp and was ultimately executed: yet his life and martyrdom are modern prophetic witnesses against evil, against injustice, and against a Church that is more interested in compromising with the world than in redeeming it.

So when we go through these periods of doubt....maybe the best thing to do is share it with others. Instead of maintaining the facade of absolute certainty (which we do more to impress our congregations than to truly glorify God), let's admit that even we need help with our unbelief. Is it possible that our authenticity, and our willingness to work through peoples' questions, might be more meaningful and helpful than the "pat answers" that they have come to expect from us?

Of course, we can hope for certainty. But we will never have it this side of heaven, when "in our flesh we will see God." How my heart yearns within me!

Let's Talk Politics...

2008-01-05T10:08:00.000-08:00

The other night, my wife Cherith and I were watching the results of the Iowa caucus. As usual, there were roaring crowds, enthusiastic candidates, and media pundits ready with their fast analysis of the results (which usually changes from day to day).

Obama, the Democratic victor, gave what was by far the most inspiring speech, focusing on the historic moment of the first African-American to win a presidential caucus/primary, and on the hope that he will bring as a candidate of change (although change to what, I haven't yet gotten from him).

The speech that caught my attention was Huckabee's, the Republican winner who seems to be championed by many Evangelical Christians. Certainly more "folksy" and less polished than Obama's, he made reference to a quote by G. K. Chesterton...one of my favorite writers and a major influence on all of the Inklings.

The quote was: "A true warrior fights not because he hates those in front of him, but because he loves those behind him." A great quote, which Huckabee proceeded to take totally out of context and misapply to his point.

However, Huckabee's use of Chesterton in a political speech made me think of another quote from Chesterton in his book, The Everlasting Man: "A despotism may almost be defined as a tired democracy. As fatigue falls on a community, the citizens are less inclined for that eternal vigilance which has truly been called the price of liberty; and they prefer to arm only one single sentinel to watch the city while they sleep."

A despotism is a tired democracy. What a statement.

I look around the US, and in many respects, a tired democracy is exactly what I see, even among faithful Christians.

I see religious conservatives wanting government to legislate their moral principles and allow Christian orthodoxy to intrude into the public sphere...rather than doing the hard task of building relationships, loving, evangelizing, and discipling those who are lost.

I see liberal-thinking Christians wanting government to demonstrate the compassion and justice of Scripture through government entitlement programs and universal health care, all the while using most of their budgets on congregational programs and structures that are often more culture-bound than biblically mandated.

I see the majority of Americans believing that government owes them something beyond being a source of impartial law, an enforcer of contracts among people, and a protector from criminals and foreign enemies...which was implicitly the vision of our Founding Fathers.

Government has gotten so large and has taken on so many functions, we would hardly recognize the very frugal and simple government that existed for the first 100 years of our nation. Ironically, when our national government was small and had limited functions, it was then that our local communities were strong and vibrant, because those local communities were empowered to do things for themselves rather than immediately relying on Washington, D.C.

Is America slowly on the road to becoming a despotism? Are American citizens really more interested in being "cared for" by the government, rather than trusting in God and relying on their own ingenuity and the willing generosity of family, friends, and churches in their communities? Is it even possible to return to the vision of a national government so eloquently stated by Thomas Jefferson: "...a wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned"? Or has government become yet another idol in which we choose to put our unquestioning faith?

In conclusion, a brief lesson of history: In 1933, Adolf Hitler, perhaps the greatest despot of the 20th century, was elected into office. He did not seize power; it was given to him by the people of Germany, and as he usurped more and more authority while silencing his critics, the majority of Germans (including the church) chose to do nothing.

I pray to God that never happens here, but something tells me He might feel like teaching us the hard way.....

Intersect with God

2007-12-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

Many of you know that my home church, Bakerstown UMC, is located at an intersection on Route 8. For the past couple years, our leadership has been using the concept of "intersection" in the conversation of our church.

For example, last year, Pastor Mark preached a whole series of sermons on our new motto: Meet us at the Intersection.

Similarly, our newly-formed preschool ministry, which serves as an outreach to our community has the following tagline: Where Learning and Values Intersect.

I even refer to the youth ministry here as the "X-Factor" - with "X" serving as a dual image: the Greek letter chi in "Christ," and an "X" as a symbol for crossroads or intersections.

Our latest addition to this image is a new worship service, to which we are simply referring as "Intersect." We are hoping to target teens, college age, and young adults with a worship service that has a distinctly contemporary flavor. The service will include a large segment of time for praise and worship songs, but will also include reading and meditating on Scripture, and spontaneous prayer. We will also have an area set up in our balcony with prayer stations and leaders who are willing to do intercessory and healing prayer.

Our ultimate hope is that with this worship service, people of any age, but especially the younger folks of our community, will come to the only place where they can truly intersect with God: the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Please keep this new ministry in your prayers. It was Mark's daughter Lara who provided the initial vision for this ministry, and much of the work is being done by younger folks in our congregation who are really taking ownership of it. I support it enthusiastically and I believe that the Holy Spirit is working in it already.

I pray that the Lord blesses your ministries as well, and as we head into this holiday season, may you all sense the presence and power of the Ultimate Intersection between God and Humanity: Jesus Christ himself.

Preaching to the Choir

2007-12-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

For my personal devotions, I'm reading a book by Brennan Manning entitled A Glimpse of Jesus. Just today I came across a sentence that totally resonated deep within me...I felt like Brennan was personally describing me when he wrote that sentence. Does this sound like any of you?

"In preaching the Gospel I have been graced to speak fearlessly in the knowledge and conviction that the Word of God must not be fettered, compromised, or watered down; but in my personal life, my fears and insecurities continue to lead me voraciously to seek the approval of others, to assume a defensive posture when I'm unjustly accused, to feel guilty over refusing any request, to doggedly live up to others' expectations, to be all things to all people in a way that would make St. Paul shudder."

Thank God for men like Brennan Manning who have the insight to discern the destructive motives that often undergird much of our ministry work, and who challenge us to just "get over it" and live in the reality of God's grace.

Praying our Theology

2007-11-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

Austin Farrer (1904-1968) was Doctor of Divinity and fellow of Trinity College, Oxford. He was good friends with C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, and a member of their discussion group, "The Inklings." Although not nearly as famous as his friends, he was a published and highly respected theologian.

Recently I read a quote of his that deserves attention: "No doctrine deserves its place unless it is prayable, and no Christian deserves his doctrines if he does not pray them."

A remarkable insight, which reminded me of another quote by Saint Augustine: "The theologian is a person whose prayers are true."

Isn't it amazing how often in our personal lives, in our churches, and perhaps especially in seminary, we separate these two disciplines?

We often treat (and present) theology as a boring, cerebral enterprise in which only the "learned" can engage. We often use it as a means of confirming our own presuppositions, drawing distinct boundaries beyond which no "true believer" may go. And we certainly do not present it to our congregations as something that has any practical value for everyday life.

Conversely, how frequently are our prayers little more than sentimental "gift lists" offered up to a benign Deity Who (we think) should give us whatever we ask for? Does the language of our prayers ever represent a real recognition of Who it is we are talking to? Do our prayers express our hope in God's will, or are they mere expressions of our will?

After reading Farrer's quote and remembering Augustine's, I decided to share a couple examples of what my prayer life has included lately. I hope it'll inspire you to make your prayers good theology, and to make your theology a prayerful longing for intimacy with God.

INCARNATION: "Lord Jesus, at a specific moment in history, You poured Yourself out of the glorious heavenly realms and entered into the world of humans. Not just a generic humanity. You had a specific appointment among a specific people, with real hopes and aspirations, as well as real needs and hurts. You fully identified with those people, walking among the most desperately in need of help, You touched them, You visited them, You wept with them. I am Your disciple, Jesus, so help me to do what You did in this very specific appointment that I have among a very specific people. Take away my desire to remain in my comfort zones. May I so enter their world and identify with them that they may know, without me saying a word, that I love them unconditionally, and through me, may they come to know You as well."

THE TRINITY: "Almighty God, You who are not only One but Three, You have much to say to my culture that is so overcome with a mentality of individualism. If even You, the Ultimate Reality, exist in comunity, how much more important is it for us humans to exist in community? To draw strength and wisdom from our brothers and sisters? To exist in common purpose with others, even though we might have different personalities, functions, and distinctive gifts? Grant me the wisdom to know that in life, and in ministry especially, I can not pridefully act as a Lone Ranger, but must humbly recognize the need to depend on others."

Thanks for the Memory...

2007-11-22T08:33:00.000-08:00

This fall, Bakerstown United Methodist Church has been celebrating 175 years of ministry to our community! From our humble beginnings back in 1832, BUMC has had a constant vision and attitude of expanding God's Kingdom. Recently, our senior pastor Mark Stewart reminded us all of that vision and attitude, and we are moving forward with more exciting programs and ministries.

Last night, we celebrated our "Thanksgiving Eve" service as the final portion of our anniversary celebration, and it was absolutely incredible. Pastor Mark, our choir and new praise team led us in some incredible worship, DS Don Scandrol was in attendance, and Bishop Tom Bickerton gave a great sermon about the importance of constantly giving thanks. It was truly an incredible worship experience.

I'm a history buff, so I love learning about past events, whether they are the past events of a local congregation in Western Pennsylvania, or of the first European colonists in what has become the United States. Our past is riveting story. But especially as I have gotten older, I realize that studying and celebrating our past is mainly important for one reason: it can motivate us to look to the future. It can remind us of the faith, dedication, and ingenuity of our forebears, and it can challenge us to utilize those same qualities to be proactive in expanding God's kingdom today.

Think about the courage of those first pilgrims, who braved a rough Atlantic passing and set foot on a new continent, all so that they could worship God freely.

Think about the faithful men and women of the past who planted the seeds of faith that have germinated into the communities that you are now serving.

Then ask, how can WE make the same impact today?

Let us be thankful for our past... but let us also challenge ourselves to move towards a compelling future.

Eucatastrophe

2007-11-13T07:14:00.000-08:00

Strange word, huh?

It's a word that was invented by J. R. R. Tolkien, while he was creating the fantasy world of Middle Earth. Tolkien noted that the English language had the word "catastrophe," which Webster defines as "the final event of a tragedy" or "a momentous tragic event ranging from extreme misfortune to utter overthrow and ruin." As a Christian, however, he felt the need for an antonym to catastrophe, and so he got out his old Greek lexicon and found the prefix eu- ("good" or "well"). A "eucatastrophe" is a good catastrophe...or "a momentous joyous event ranging from extreme good fortune to utter victory.

There are many illustrations of eucatastrophe in Tolkien's books (and the movies), but two particularly stand out in my mind (and you can see the photos above):

1. At the end of the movie version of The Two Towers, defeat is at hand for the King of Rohan as he failed to defend Helm's Deep. Yet right when the small band of heroes seem totally overrun, they look up to the mountain and see Gandalf, the White Rider, bringing an army of soldiers (not to mention a great Sunrise!!!) and they totally annihilate the forces of evil.

2. When Frodo and Sam finally reach Mount Doom, Frodo is unable to part with the One Ring. When Gollum wrestles Frodo and finally gets his "precious" all to himself, it looks as though evil has triumphed. Yet at that very moment, the unexpected happens, when Gollum himself falls into the fires of doom, unwittingly dealing the final death blow to evil.

So why am I writing a whole blog about one invented word? Because as Christians, we need to believe in the "eucatastrophe." It is so easy to get caught up in the negativity, fatalism, cynicism and despair of the culture around us. Rather than standing FOR something, the majority of people in the world are content merely to be perpetual critics, finding something wrong with everything but offering no positive solutions.

But we Christians believe that a eucatastrophe actually happened in history! Just when it seemed as though the forces of evil had triumphed, on that Good Friday afternoon, it was at that very moment that they were being defeated by the foolishnees and weakness of a God Who can not be defeated even by human wisdom and strength. We Christians have a resurrection faith! We Christians have GOOD NEWS to preach!

And you know what? I still see eucatastrophes happening all the time! In my own life, there were times when I thought things were going pretty bad, and all of a sudden an unexpected blessing would come in, reminding me that God is still sovereign and that Christ is victor over all the powers of the Enemy. God is always surprising me with joy, even in the midst of a culture of despair and death.

What are some eucatastrophes in your life? How has God brought unexpected joy and victory into your life?

"The Birth of Christ is the eucatastrophe of human history. The Resurrection is the eucatastrophe of the Incarnation. This story begins and ends in joy." - J. R. R. Tolkien
Amen!

What Are You Reading?

2007-11-05T07:18:00.000-08:00

As one of my seminary profs likes to say, "Leaders are learners." Over the years I've tried to live by that and intentionally schedule some one-on-one time with a good book. Still, it is often much easier, after an arduous evening committee meeting or youth event, to simply plop myself in front of the TV next to my wife and view one of the latest installments of House, The Office, or Seinfeld reruns.

Still, I believe there is no substitute for reading a good book and, at least for me, it is one of the chief ways that God forms and challenges me for ministry. Here's a selection of some of the stuff into which I've delved over the past year.

MINISTRY-RELATED:

Tim Conder, The Church in Transition: The Journey of Existing Churches into the Emerging Culture. I really enjoyed this book because it avoids two pitfalls: It's not simply a how-to book ("Do these five things and your church will be postmodern"). It's also not simply a book glorifying churches that were started as postmodern. Rather, it challenges existing churches to reframe the conversation that takes place among their members so that creative transformation can happen.

Avery Dulles, Models of the Church. This is written by a Catholic theologian, and is filled with references to a plethora of other Catholic theologians I've never heard of and never intend to read. Still, I absolutely loved it. In presenting six distinct models of the nature of the Christian church, I believe this book will challenge pastors to rethink some of their own biased ecclesiological practices, and also to think outside the box about how they can "do" church even more effectively.

Norm Wakefield, Between the Words: The Art of Perceptive Listening. As pastors, we love to talk...whether it's in sermons, lessons, prayers, or at meetings. We are often esteemed as the voices of authority and wisdom in our congregations. But we are often poor listeners, and we do not present ourselves simply as people willing to listen to others. This book gives some great practical suggestions and techniques for improving our listening skills.

Brian J. Walsh and Sylvia Keesmaat, Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire. This book is an exposition of Colossians, looking at the practical relevance of its theology for the political, economic, and social realities of today. While I take issue with some (not all) of their methodologies and conclusions, I am glad to have read it, and I believe that Walsh and Keesmaat have added some valuable thoughts to an ongoing conversation.

JUST FOR FUN:

Dan Brown, Angels and Demons. This one has been sitting on my shelves for a couple years now. His theology (if you can call it that) aside, I think Brown is an exceptional writer and have enjoyed every one of his books. This one challenged me to really think about the relationship between faith and reason, religion and science.

Bernard Goldberg, Arrogance. First, a disclaimer: This book does not argue that there is a liberal "conspiracy" within the mainstream media. What it does try to prove is that the media elite of this country are so removed from the views, beliefs, and realities of people outside their own circles, they are simply incapable of having an objective, balanced perspective in reporting and editorializing the news, despite their own assertions to the contrary. This book is extremely helpful for ordinary Americans to interpret the content of their news sources....whether it's the New York Times or FOX News.

Scott Turow, Limitations. This is the latest book from a great writer of legal thrillers. While the plot is not as well-crafted and integrated as some of his past books, especially Presumed Innocent, I thought it was overall intelligent and enjoyable. I think it's a good illustration of Christ's precept that one must deal with the log in one's own eye, before one attempts to deal with the speck in someone else's. Overall, it addresses the "limitations" of human justice.

Fall Back...or Spring Forward?

2007-10-31T09:07:00.000-07:00

In case anyone has forgotten, this weekend we all turn our clocks back one hour as part of the "Spring Forward, Fall Back" ritual that occurs twice a year.

I, for one, always look forward to that extra hour of sleep that I'm able to get this time of year. And with working full-time, taking two seminary classes, and trying to be a good husband who spends quality time with his wife...I definitely could use that extra hour!

This morning on my drive down to PTS for class, I was also thinking about this in a theological context...no doubt influenced by early mid-life. As I look back on my life, I think about how many times I wished I had the power to turn the clock back on just one hour of my life. I think about how many times I've given Satan the upper hand and ended up causing a great deal of harm. I think of how many bad choices I've made that still affect my life today. I think about different directions I wish I would have taken in certain areas of my professional life. Is it just me, or do some of you wish we really could turn the clocks back on certain episodes in our lives?

So I was thinking about all this on my drive this morning down to the seminary. Interestingly though, after class as I was driving home, this particular, oft-quoted verse came to mind: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, I believe that meditating on the past has its uses: it helps us learn from our mistakes, it reminds us of God's faithfulness in past events, and it reconnects us with others who have inspired us on our journeys. Sometimes it is a good thing to "fall back."

But when "falling back" causes us to revisit old hurts, to punish ourselves or others for sins and mistakes long gone...then it is definitely time to remember the Gospel message of grace and spring forward in the bold belief that we worship a God who can make all things new.

So while we may be winding our clocks backward this weekend, let's remember to press onward in the amazing grace of Jesus Christ!

Be Selfish!

2007-10-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

"The Weight of Glory" is a sermon by my favorite Christian writer, C. S. Lewis. In just 16 pages, Lewis took my understanding of Christian spirituality to a whole new level.

In a gem of rhetorical irony, Lewis says that the problem with modern people is that they are not selfish enough. This may seem like an odd criticism, especially today with the idols of consumerism and self-interest all around us. But I think Lewis is right. We're not selfish enough.

"Indeed," Lewis writes, "if we consider the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling around with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us."

I worry about keeping everybody around me happy; I desire economic security, job effectiveness, intelligent dialogue with friends, and entertainment. My mind gets distracted with all kinds of thoughts, temptations, and insignificant details. And these things all may be harmless in themselves. But when I spend all my time obsessing over these things, rather than nurturing and growing my relationship with God....well, that's like a 16-year-old wanting to hang onto his dirt bike when he's being offered a convertible. It's settling for something less.

Guys/gals, I don't know about you, but I want to start getting more selfish. I want to desire God and all the infinite joy that comes with being in relationship with Him. Yes, there are challenges, struggles, and sufferings involved in the Christian walk. But as Saint Paul wrote in Romans, "I consider our present suffering as nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed to us."

I want the desire for that glory to empower the way I live my life now. I want to believe that God's vision for me and for this world is worth pursuing. And I want to challenge people who are immersed in this secular, materialistic culture of ours that they are settling for a mess of potage when they are being offered the birthright of children of God.

Personally, I'm recommitting my time to God. That will involve significant time every day in solitude, intercessory prayer for my wife, family, youth, congregation, and the world, and Bible study. I could very easily say that I don't have the time for this...that ministry, my wife, my job, my family all need my time. I'm sure I'll be tempted away from this. But I have to believe that this is the only way that I'll be truly effective at every other aspect of my life.

What about you? What are some ways that you all will try to selfishly desire God in your own lives?

A Plug...

2007-10-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

Hey brothers and sisters...

I'm making a plug on behalf of one of my good friends.

Matthias Media is an incredible Christian publisher, based in Australia, that puts out quality biblical resources for churches. I've read their stuff, which includes topical bible studies, great resources for evangelism and kingdom building, and pastoral resources on everything from sexuality and parenting to addressing the threat of Islam. All of these are from a solid biblical position, yet they're also hands-on, practical, and down-to-earth. You can check out their website at www.matthiasmedia.com.au/usa.

Just recently, they've begun to distribute their stuff in the States, and my good friend Marty Sweeney is one of the guys who's heading up that effort. He's based right up in New Castle, PA, and he's got a small warehouse full of their resources. If you're at all interested, e-mail him at marty@matthiasmedia.com.au. Mention my name so he knows what a loyal friend I am!

Seriously, check it out!

Cheers..............

Modern Day Fig Leaves

2007-10-17T14:15:00.001-07:00

In his book "The Eternal Now," Paul Tillich (I hope Zilhaver reads this) spoke of four ways that human beings attempt to run away from God. Like the fig leaves that Adam and Eve used to cover their nakedness, these are four ways that modern man avoids the responsibility of merely standing in God's presence nakedly, aware of our fallenness and our inability to save ourselves.

First, humans often use WORK as a hiding place from God. By focusing on our own competence, discipline, and production, it's easy for us to ignore God's voice revealing our weaknesses, inadequacies, and our need to be utterly dependent on Him.

Second, people avoid God by seeking FUN, or the ABUNDANT LIFE. I see it among both teens and adults today...the thought that seeking pleasurable experiences for "me" is somehow what life is all about (rather than doing the difficult work of becoming godly men and women).

Third, people avoid God by their CYNICISM and DOUBT. They look at the misery, pain, poverty, and death throughout the world...and they look at the hypocrisy among the faithful...and find it easy to believe that a God who would allow this is not a God worth pursuing.

Finally, we avoid God through RELIGION. I'm sure we all see this form in our congregations: people who would rather settle for old duties, superficial relationships, and committees rather than nurturing a vibrant relationship with our Creator. This is probably the worst of the four, because in some ways, it's the most deceptive.

I confess that I fall captive to all of these from time to time. I go through periods where my prayer life and Scripture reading are at a bare minimum, and I try to go through my days on my own steam. Those are the times when all four of these things become crutches, and I probably am much less effective in ministering to the needs of others.

The great thing is, Tillich notes that God can transform ALL of these into positive things IF we live in relationship to Him first. Work can be a fulfillment of our divine calling in the world; fun and the abundant life can give us a foretaste of the fullness of God in Heaven; cynicism and doubt can lead us into the depths of God's love; and religion can be a channel of a relationship that is already there.

What are some of your "fig leaves"? How do you flee from a vibrant relationship with God and try to fill up that emptiness with something else?

Love--A Tool of Satan?

2007-10-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

This past Christmas, my brother-in-law gave me what is undoubtedly one of my all-time favorite Christmas gifts: CD-recordings of C. S. Lewis!

For someone whose love for Lewis borders on idolatry, this was an incredible gift. The recording features his broadcast lectures that would later become his famous book, "The Four Loves." Hearing that very British, very professorial, very deep voice of Lewis literally brought tears to my eyes.

I had read "The Four Loves" in college, and learned much from its wisdom, but hearing Lewis actually speak these words...full of his insight, wisdom, and humor...reminded me why I admire him so much.

Lewis distinguishes between four types of love: three common to all humans (Affection, Friendship, and Romantic Love), and one uniquely valued among the Christians (Agape -- he pronounces it A-guh-pee).

Lewis makes a major point in this book: That human love, even the very best expressions of it, WILL in the end become demonic IF it is not surrendered to the Lordship of Christ. Our natural affections for our parents or children, for example, can end up doing more harm than good (eternally speaking) if we do not in some sense kill those natural urges in us and trust Christ to resurrect them into their proper place under His authority. Lewis gives an incredible illustration of this "unconverted affection" in another book, "The Great Divorce." It is a scene in which a woman's maniacal affection for her son was so great that she would rather keep her son with her in hell than submit that affection to God and allow them both to enjoy heaven. (A modern illustration of this would be the wonderful Doris Roberts character on "Everybody Loves Raymond," Marie Barone, who, though motivated by love for her sons, actually smothered them and turned them into faithful drones rather than confident, mature men.)

This may sound entirely theological with no practical relevance, but I think it's a very important thing for people to be aware of, especially pastors.

How often do we do things, motivated by what we believe are the highest feelings of love, friendship, or affection for someone else, but in which the actions themselves are antithetical to our commitment to Christ?

How often do I, out of "love" for a person, fail to rebuke them for some egregious error (or worse, outright sin) that they are committing and of which they are failing to repent?

How often do we, out of "compassion," fail to take a stand on the clear moral teachings of Scripture?

How often do we, out of love for our churches and denominations, try to stay positive and keep everyone happy, rather than speaking prophetically and addressing doctrinal laxity, ethical confusion, and declining membership?

We may be motivated by the noblest of loves, but in the end, if not submitted to the Lordship and Truth of Jesus Christ, isn't that love nothing more than a tool of Satan?

"The Least of These"

2007-10-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

I have been pen-pal and prayer-partner to a young missionary named Justin Grogg, who is working with youth and children in Huancayo, Peru...about a 7-hour bus ride west of the capital of Lima. Justin is a guy in his 20's from Fort Wayne, IN, and has been in Peru for the past year. It has been an honor and pleasure to provide prayer and encouragement for this incredible young man of God who left his family (including his fiancee) to go be a witness for Christ in an extremely poverty-stricken area of the country, where over 50% of the population lives on less than $2.00 per day.

Tomorrow is World Communion Sunday, and in Justin's most recent newsletter, he shared an experience that I feel is a great illustration of how we are called to share the "Bread of Life" throughout the world. What follows are Justin's words, and I pray that you'll be blessed by them as I was:

Matthew 25:40, “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

Earlier this month, I was walking just after I finished a run. As I walked, I passed by a lady who was dressed in rags. Under her rags, you could see that she had sores all over her body. Her hair was tangled and she was very, very dirty. As I walked by, she started yelling at me and throwing rocks (in Peru, to fend off the dogs, you throw rocks). I quickly jumped away, looked back and prayed for her and went home.

The next day, I was coming back from a little store with my bread for the day, and saw the same lady sitting on the curb just a few houses from mine. With the bread in hand, my heart quickly just poured out to her. I went to her, reached out and handed her the bread. Even in her mentally challenged state, I could tell she was extremely thankful.

As I reflected on this experience, the above verse came to me. When serving others here, I am not only serving “the least of these”, but I’m serving God too-what a blessing!! How much more would I stop and help “the least of these”, people in need I see every day, if I saw the person as God sitting on the edge of the curb dressed in rags. If I literally saw God dressed in rags and knew He was God on the curb, I would stop and drop everything in a heart beat, just like how Peter threw down the nets when he realized it was Jesus calling to him from the shore after Jesus’ resurrection. How much more would I give if I saw God in need, not a complete stranger. I want to encourage us when we see somebody in need, even a complete stranger, to see the person as God and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to fulfill the needs of “the least of these.”

Weekend Update

2007-10-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I don't mean the SNL version of "Weekend Update," although I will say that the above photo depicts an era in which that show was actually funny and worth staying up for. (On the other hand, maybe I'm just getting old and don't appreciate cheap, vulgar humor any more.)

Anyway, I promised everyone a brief summation of this past Saturday's kick-off of a new Young Adult Ministry here at Bakerstown UMC. So here are some of the highlights...

* Eleven couples, plus their kids, plus two or three "singles" showed up for a great dinner, fellowship and discussion. Everyone was in their 20's and 30's (which is kind of good, considering that's the age group we were targeting).

* I had a few of my youth on hand to take the kids after dinner, so their parents could actually enjoy an evening out.

* I shared a quick meditation which said, in a nutshell: Just like the people gathered in that room, the early Christians in the Book of Acts were all city-dwellers, working class/professionals, intelligent, most were probably aged 20-40, living in a land with declining sense of values and purpose, living in a culture with unprecedented advances in travel and technology. Even though the Roman Empire and Postmodern America are chronologically distant, these people were dealing with many of the same deep questions that we are today. So then I put forth the challenge: How do we create the same movement that the Early Christians did? How do we create the kind of authentic fellowship, prayer ministry, community service, and missional focus that the Early Christians had, right here in Bakerstown?

* We opened it up and had about 45 minutes of eye-opening discussion. One of the couples there said they had been attending the church for over a year, but never felt comfortable getting involved and haven't really met anyone else in the pews on Sunday. There just wasn't a sense of real welcome to them. While many of them seemed pleased with the new praise band the church has, we also found out that just because adults are young, doesn't mean they necessarily want a "younger-style" worship service. One couple said: "We see PowerPoint, videos, and rock music all week long. We don't want to see that stuff on Sunday mornings too." One guy said, "I'd just like to do more events like this: let's just break bread together or go see a movie. Let's just share our lives no matter what we do."

* Though a lot of planning went into the event, and I thought I gave a decent devotional to kind of set the tone and give some vision to it, I really believe the most significant part of the evening was just allowing conversation to happen. While I could have had a totally "planned" evening with games, activities, and a "sermon," I don't think that we would have heard the hearts of the people the way we did. At the end of the meeting, everyone seemed to suggest that those kinds of conversations needed to happen more, so we can just get to know each other better, to let our guard down, and let the Spirit lead rather than us.

* I went home with various feelings: I was hard on myself for giving a "boring bible study" when the conversation was what was really important; I was elated that we had a decent turnout and that they seemed excited to do it again. I was grateful to see that other young adults care about the ministry here and want it to grow; yet I was cautiously hoping that this will not become another "clique" in the church that doesn't feel the need to reach out to others.

So, there you have it in a nutshell. Thanks for your prayers. Keep me posted on your ministries and let me know what I can pray for as well!

Cheers.......................

Twenty and Thirty Somethings

2007-09-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

In just the two years that I have been here in Gibsonia, I have witnessed tremendous growth in the surrounding community. Ten years ago, the area around the church was, for the most part, still farm country. Today, our stretch of Route 8 is beginning to rival the Cranberry area in terms of new businesses, housing developments...and the need for churches to respond to this growth.

A new shopping center, including a Lowe's and a Target, opened right across the street. Many young families are moving within a half-mile of our property. Bakerstown UMC is in such a prime location and has much resources to do creative ministry. Yet our church has no ministry specifically targeting those twenty- and thirty-somethings and their families.

Until now. God has really laid the burden on my heart to do something about this.

This coming Saturday, we'll be hosting a dinner/fellowship night for the young adults of our church and community. We've gotten a good response to the RSVP request, and we'll probably get a few walk-ins as well. I am praying that it will be an incredible opportunity for people to connect with each other and dream about what ministry can look like here in the future.

Please join me in praying for this. More than anything, I am praying that this will not be just another programmed ministry for another "segment" (aka clique) of the church. Rather, my prayer is that God will use us to be change agents in the church and community, to spark a conversation that will challenge and change the way we think about being followers of Jesus Christ.

I am nervous and humbled, because this is stepping out of the boat of what I've been doing for the past ten years. Although I definitely have my own vision of where I'd like this to go, I'm trying to have no initial expectations, other than that Jesus will keep His word to us and that He will show up where we gather in His Name. I'll keep you all posted on what happens. Till then, cheers................

Time to Serve

2007-09-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

This past spring, my senior pastor Mark Stewart attended a large church initiative at a (naturally) large Methodist Church in Alabama. He came back charged up with a zillion new ideas and hasn't stopped sharing them with the staff, leadership and congregation.

One of the key things he has emphasized to us is the principle that in church, every member is expected to serve, and at the large church in Alabama, every member is bombarded with opportunities to share his or her gifts. Obviously this isn't a new idea...I think I read it somewhere in Paul's letters, maybe that Rick Warren guy talked about it in his Purpose-Driven books. But for some reason, when I heard Mark share his thoughts on it time after time, an insight occurred to me:

Why does this only apply to the adults of the church?

Here I am, spending 50% of my job with teenagers, attempting to disciple them to be faithful Christians and members of a church. Why should I merely compartmentalize their experiences of service to a summer mission trip and a couple work projects during the school year? Why shouldn't service be integrated into their whole church experience from the beginning?

So this past summer, after our mission trip, I met with both my junior and senior high groups and gave them a challenge: "If you guys and gals want to be members of the youth group this coming school year, you are expected to serve."

I had sign-up sheets with different categories and specific projects:

WORSHIP/THE ARTS: Be a worship leader when Jeff preaches; join the youth praise band; do the Children's message in Sunday worship; assist with Children's church; join in "Neon Buzz" (Youth Drama Team).

OUTREACH: Help develop youth group website; invite unchurched friends to youth group; help planning local work projects and the summer mission trip.

LEADERSHIP: Serve on SALT (Student-Adult Leadership Team); be a youth representative on COM; lead games or devotions at Youth Group (juniors/seniors only).

FELLOWSHIP: Be a Youth Group Historian (make scrapbooks of youth events); manage the Youth Group Facebook Page; attend the mid-week in-depth bible study.

Two things have surprised me. First, how willingly each youth there signed up for at least one thing. Second, they have (with some gentle prodding) basically kept their commitments. What's amazing is, I'm getting the sense that they are enjoying the fact that they have taken more ownership in the youth group. They no longer come to have ministry done to them by me and other adults...they are ministers themselves. They bring friends to youth activities, and I know part of the reason is that they take pride in the ministry into which they have invested.

Jesus was the Son of God and could do everything on His own, yet He willingly empowered His disciples, saying that they would "do even greater things" than He did (John 14:12). May those of us who lead have that same humility and faith in our flocks, even it means letting them do greater things than we do.

Homage to a Hero

2007-09-08T05:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, one of my favorite writers passed away: Madeleine L'Engle. Writing in the tradition of George MacDonald, C. S. Lewis, and J. R. R. Tolkien, she skillfully was able to weave Christian truth into her creative children's fantasies, influencing generations of young people.

I first encountered her in sixth grade when we had to read "A Wrinkle in Time" in Mrs. Gargano's reading class. Not only was I struck by her imagination, but also the fact that she quoted the Bible and referred to Jesus as the ultimate light who defeats "The Black Thing." After reading that book, my cousin and I actually started to write a few "fantasy novels" of our own...but don't look for them at Border's anytime soon!!

Like the Harry Potter series today, her books were often maligned by "reactionary" elements in the Church who did not approve of the "pagan imagery" included. In spite of this, she touched the lives of millions of young people (and even older people). I frequently have gone back to her books, just to be reminded of yet another writer who "baptized my imagination."

Just a few years ago, I found yet another book that she wrote: "Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art." I encourage all of you to read it; it has some great insights that could speak to our postmodern generation. Below are a couple quotes from that book that really stuck with me:

"Stories are in no way an evasion of life, but a way of living life creatively instead of fearfully."

"To paint a picture or to write a story or to compose a song is an incarnational activity. The artist is a servant who is willing to be a birthgiver."

"We all tend to make zealous judgments, and thereby close ourselves off from revelation. If we feel that we already know something in its totality, then we fail to keep our ears and eyes open to that which may expand or even change that which we so zealously think we know."

"There is nothing so secular that it cannot be made sacred, and that is one of the deepest messages of the Incarnation."

"We look into outer space, and because we cannot see a God we can touch, a God we can comprehend with our rational intellects, we invent new gods to take His place, all the little gods of technocracy, little gods who have eyes and see not, ears and hear not, hands and touch not, and who have nothing to say to us in the times of our deepest need."

"I do not understand this death, but I am learning to trust it. Only through this death can come the glory of resurrerction...It is not easy to think of any kind of death as a gift, but it is prefigured for us in the mighty acts of Creation and Incarnation; in Crucifixion and Resurrection. You are my helper and redeemer; make no long tarrying, O my God."

Madeleine L'Engle, 1918-2007

With All Your Mind...

2007-09-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, I love serving God. I love working in the church. I spend 50+ hours a week, investing in the lives of youth, young adults, people of the community...I love giving practical lessons in adult Sunday school on living out the Christian life...I am excited about doing work projects in the neighborhood, mission trips, outreach events...and I am passionate about God-glorifying worship. All the practical, day-to-day grind of ministry and life---believe me, I'm all for it.

But ya know what? I'm also a bookworm. I get inspired and empowered by reading that dense theology of Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Barth, Bonhoeffer...and even Wesley. My wife laughs at me because I'd rather plow through a philosophy book by Etienne Gilson than watch American Idol (although I was relieved when they booted Sanjaya off). And the spiritual writings of guys like Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, Richard Foster and Thomas Kelly have done more for my heart than any talk show, sitcom, or self-help book.

I was converted to the faith by a powerful sermon and a wonderful community of young Christians......but my faith was nurtured by the writings of C. S. Lewis and G. K. Chesterton, and when I was in the classes of atheist professors who tried to disprove everything about the Christian faith, it was Lewis and Chesterton who kept me anchored in the truth.

In "Mere Christianity," C. S. Lewis says that people warned him not to write a book on the doctrines of the Christian faith. "The ordinary reader does not want Theology; give him plain, practical religion." Yet Lewis' book is a classic defense of Christian truth that has maintained respect for over sixty years. Apparently plain, practical religion wasn't enough.

Even St. Paul, the apostle and pastor, gave much practical wisdom and ethical admonitions to his followers....yet his practical advice was always the logical conclusion of his theology. Why should we be humble servants? Because Jesus made Himself nothing and took upon the form of a servant. (Philippians 2:5-7) Why should we love others? Because Christ loved us and gave Himself as a sacrifice for us. (Ephesians 5:1-2) Why should we place Christ above all other authorities? Because He existed before God made anything else and is supreme over all creation. (Colossians 1:15).

Our world today has radically opposing worldviews (or metanarratives, or whatever), all competing for the minds of people....including the worldview that avers that there is no true worldview. In the intellectual confusion today---with multiple opinions, perspectives, and outright lies on the TV every night---how can we tell people to live out the Christian life without telling them Christian doctrine? So many pastors present doctrinal points in sermons in the most simplistic ways because they're afraid that people don't have the attention span, the intelligence, or the interest to grasp things like the Trinity or the Incarnation. If that's the case, why is the DaVinci Code (a book that has chapters full of dense historical and theological material) a bestseller? Why do I sometimes get 15-20 teenagers out for my in-depth bible study, where we really explore the text and look at doctrines like sin, grace, justification, and election? (Although I confess, for some reason I can't get them to enjoy supralapsarianism....)

One of my profs in seminary once said, "If Christian pastors do not engage the minds of their people, they will be at the mercy of those who do." Yes, a heartfelt relationship with God is important. Yes, obedience to God's will is important. And yes, we must preach in a way that our people can understand. But all of this stuff must be rooted in the reality of Who God is and what He has done on our behalf. That, for lack of a better word, is Theology. And we need it more than ever.

A Celtic Prayer

2007-09-01T05:34:00.000-07:00

I recently found this prayer in a book of Celtic spiritual writings, and I was really inspired. It's a great reminder of God's continued presence and sustenance in all of creation's wonder. It's also a challenge to entrust the care of my soul in the hands of that same God.

O Son of God, perform a miracle for me: change my heart. You whose crimson blood redeems mankind, whiten my heart.

It is you who makes the sun bright and the ice sparkle; you who makes the rivers flow and the salmon leap.

Your skilled hand makes the nut tree blossom, and the corn turn golden; your Spirit composes the songs of the birds and the buzz of the bees.

Your creation is a million wondrous miracles, beautiful to behold. I ask of you just one more miracle: beautify my soul.

(from Robert Van de Weyer, ed., "Celtic Fire.")

Christian Heroes

2007-08-26T06:32:00.001-07:00

As a history buff, I've always been fascinated by the way certain religious themes are played out with very different nuances in different eras of our past. Whether it is the Doctrine of the Atonement, or church administration, our forebears in different time periods have often reflected diverse understandings of these issues, while still attempting to maintain the integrity of the basic Gospel message.

One thing that has changed considerably is the image of the "quintessential disciple" - the heroic Christian ideal, so to speak. At different times in the life of the church, Christians have projected very different conceptions of what it looks like to follow Jesus with absolute consistency, in a way that deserves admiration.

For example, the early church existed in an Empire which was largely hostile to the message of the Gospel, and in that early time the MARTYR was seen as the hero of the faith. Not only Christ Himself but Peter, Paul, James, and early church administrators like Ignatius of Antioch were faithful even unto death, and as Tertullian once remarked, "The blood of the martyrs was the seed of the Church." By their deaths, Christian faith was preserved with integrity.

After Constantine, the church was beset with institutionalism, materialism, and nominal Christians who compromised on both doctrine and lifestyle. In that situation, the Christian ideal was the MONK who fled the temptations of the empire and went into the wilderness (or desert) to pursue a radical discipleship in solitude or in small, intentional communities.

In the Middle Ages, with the advent of the Crusades, the KNIGHT was the extreme disciple, willing to take up the sword and risk death, not for any personal or nationalistic pride, but for the sake of Christ's Church and the defense of the Holy Land. After the crusades, it was often the MYSTIC who devoted his/herself entirely to a life of spiritual contemplation.

The Reformation era produced the ideal of the REFORMER who, with prophetic voice, holds church doctrine and practice up to the umblemished standard of scripture, willing to risk excommunication and (at times) martyrdom for the sake of the Word of God.

Finally, the modern era seems to have upheld the MISSIONARY and SOCIAL REFORMER as the two types of Christian ideal. In both cases, their concern was not merely reform of the church, but the expansion of Christ's gospel through both evangelism and social action. Those who surrendered everything in pursuit of those aims have been greatly idealized in the modern church.

So after all this history, I just have two points to make:

1. Notice that Church Administrator has never been upheld as an ideal Christian vocation. Necessary, of course. Biblical, absolutely. But never the ideal. Why, then, do we in full-time ministry spend so much of our time, energy, and passion on administrative duties? If we are going to be leaders in the church who say "follow me as I follow Christ," should we not be more interested in modeling an ideal Christian discipleship than getting trapped in the quagmire of committees, budgets, business meetings, and worship planning? Can we not loosen our grip on administrating our churches, surrendering those responsibilities to trusted laymen and women, while we focus on living a more genuine Christian life among our people?

2. What do you think will be the "extreme disciple" of the Postmodern Church? I can think of two possibilities: The "worldly Christian" (ala Bonhoeffer) who lives in full commitment to the world and its systems but maintains complete Christian integrity; or, a "new monastic" who is willing to renounce the individualism and materialism of our day to live in intentional community with others. I'd be interested to hear more from you all.....but I think it's absolutely necessary to find "Christian Heroes" in our day.

Networking Opportunity

2007-08-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

This blog is actually an invitation to all of you--especially those of you in the Pittsburgh Area--to a new ministry opportunity.

A group of younger pastors, mainly out of Pittsburgh Seminary, have come together and created a new network called Emergent Pittsburgh. They have a passion for creative, incarnational ministry and converting the church back to the missional vision of God in Scripture. Check out their website at www.emergentpittsburgh.org.

On Monday, September 10, they are holding their monthly "Missional Cohort" at the Urban Fusion Cafe in East Liberty, from 11 am to 1 pm. It's a great opportunity to get together for lunch, pray, and engage in conversation about postmodern culture, ministry, and mission. At the September 10th meeting, I have the pleasure of leading the discussion on Celtic Christianity as an inspiration for creative ministry among postmoderns.

I know you all probably already have way too much on your plates, but I just wanted to put this out for anyone interested in meeting other younger pastors, enjoying some fellowship, and getting encouraged in our vocational calls. If you are at all interested, please e-mail me at jkahl@bakerstownumc.org, so I can get you directions to the meeting and also some information on the discussion topic.

Have a blessed week ministering in His Name!

Reviving an Ancient Practice

2007-08-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

For the past couple years I have been incredibly intrigued by an often-forgotten aspect of our past: Celtic Christianity. Recently, there has been an explosion of literature on that subject, and several of its spiritual themes are finding deep resonance with "postmodern" Christians. Indeed, I've found it to be incredibly valuable in my own walk with Christ, and I've used several of its practices with the youth of my church.

One of these practices is the blessing, or benediction. While not exclusively Celtic, it does find a unique usage in Celtic spiritual writings. The word "benediction" (which we translate blessing) actually comes from two Latin words: bene (good, well) and dico (to speak). In its simplest form, a "benediction" is simply to speak well of something.

We have often turned "benediction" (like so many other Christian practices) into a programmed, sanctimonious moment, in this case at the end of the service. It is something that only the minister does, and it is so formal and generalized that few people are truly "blessed" when it happens.

In perusing their writings, I've found that the Celts had benedictions for everything...family members, friends, new babies, the elderly, the cow they were milking, the birds outside their windows, the fish they just caught, the field they were tilling for harvest. They believed that everyday words and language were powerful, and they wanted to be channels of positive spirituality in the way they talked.

I have shared this practice with my youth several times. During retreats, on mission trips, or just in youth group, I will occasionally stand up and just start "speaking well" of each individual youth in front of the entire group. Sometimes I will tell them a spiritual gift that I see in them; other times I will praise them for a specific act that revealed Christ's love; other times I will make it more of a challenge for them to grow in some aspect of their lives. Whatever it is, I try to make it truthful and totally unique to each individual youth.

Every time, something incredible happens. After I am done giving the youth benedictions, without fail, they start to give benedictions to each other. During one retreat, I allotted approximately 20 minutes for myself to do benedictions, and the process ended up taking nearly two hours because the teens just wanted to keep sharing. A similar thing happened this past June during the Work Mission Trip to Wesley Woods.

Some adults might very well write that off as just touchy-feely, teenaged bonding experiences...but I disagree. Personally, I think it is an incredible alternative to what these teens see every day, including in our churches. I believe that in a world where so much of our conversations are reduced to pettiness, criticizing, fault-finding, gossip, and superficiality, it provided them with an opportunity to bless each other with deep truth and love. It enabled them to realize that Christianity doesn't just offer a free ticket into the pearly gates in the hereafter, but it also alters the way we should relate to each other in the here-and-now.

The Celts are right: words are powerful things. I am humbled by how many times I've inappropriately used words in my relationships, when they've been curses instead of blessings. May God give me the wisdom to use words rightly: to practice the spiritual discipline of benediction, not just on Sunday mornings, but in daily life, that I might truly be a blessing to others.

Psalm 19:14

The Life of the Beloved

2007-08-10T10:56:00.000-07:00

I just finished counseling one of my youth who is seriously praying about possibly going into some aspect of ministry...specifically either youth ministry or mission work. I definitely sense a potential call in her life, and I have known about her interest in ministry for about a year. Still, in preparing to talk with her today, I went through some old books that have been crucial for me over the years as I have discerned God's call on my life.

One of those books is Henri Nouwen's Life of the Beloved. In it, he compares the call of the Christian to the communion bread in Christ's hands. In the words of the Catholic liturgy, Christ took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples. The book has challenged me to ponder how Christ has taken hold of me, blessed me, broken me, and then given me to the world.

Took: When were you totally grasped by the grace and love of Jesus Christ? For me, it was back in 1990, when I attended a youth meeting with some friends. I had been a church attendee my whole life, and my parents were and are faithful believers. But that night I heard a talk about the meaning of the Cross, and a challenge to give my all for Christ just as Christ gave His all for me. Up to that point, Jesus Christ was a historical figure I learned about in church--that night He became a Person Who was longing to be Lord of my life.

Blessed: How has God blessed your life? Specifically, with what talents and gifts has God blessed you that He might use? Unfortunately, I don't ponder the many blessings of God as often as I should, but I am so overwhelmed by His goodness. He has healed me of some very traumatic childhood wounds; He entrusted my care and nurture to wonderful parents; He provided a great education for me so that I could become as effective as possible in doing His work; and perhaps most significantly, He led me to an incredible godly woman who is a constant source of love and support for me. On top of that, He has given me gifts of teaching, counseling, writing, and music, and I am in a ministry that allows me to use all of those gifts for His glory.

Broken: How has God broken you of your pride and selfishness, and how has He broken your heart to the needs of others? One of my greatest experiences of brokenness happened right after I finished my Masters' degree: I was in an automobile accident that left me in a wheelchair for nine months. During that time, all of my plans for the future had to be thrown out the window as I had to accept a temporary helplessness. God used that time period to allow me to address some issues with my family that had been festering over the years; He taught me how it feels to be on the receiving end of ministry; and He reminded me that my plans are never the last word. At the time I was miserable, but in retrospect, it was one of the most spiritually forming periods of my life.

Given: How does God intend to give you to the world? What specific blessings is He telling you to share with others? When I initially sensed God calling me to seminary, I believed that it was either for the purpose of future graduate work leading to a teaching career...or to do youth and associate work in the church. I've been doing the latter for the past twelve years and God has graciously enabled me to see some of the fruit He has reaped through my efforts. In all these years, I always stubbornly refused to believe that He was calling me to be ordained, even though I was hearing it from professors, friends, and even my parents. For the past year I have been slowly realizing that, once again, my plans should not be the last word on the matter, and I've been noticing a slow softening of my heart. After some serious prayer and dialogue with some very trusted friends and mentors, I am convinced that God has indeed led me to make the decision to seek ordination. I believe that through that process, God can continue to use me in more effective ways for His Kingdom through the church.

So anyway, those are my answers to Nouwen's challenge. I hope they'll challenge you to ponder how you've been taken, blessed, broken, and given by Christ for His ministry in the world.

Myers-Briggs Mania

2007-08-08T05:44:00.001-07:00

Of Horses, Carriages, and Drivers

2007-08-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

Over my week-long hiatus, I read an interesting parable that inspired me and thought I'd share it with you. Eastern in its origin, the parable involves a carriage which represents the human body, a horse which represents human emotions, and the driver which represents the human mind.

We can all assume that along the journey there will be bumps and obstacles in the road. But if there is a malfunction along our own drive, the common sense thing to do is to check out the carriage first. Has it been maintained? Are its joints rusty? Has it been used often or has it been sitting around idle? For safe and efficient travel, certainly the driver (mind) must be alert and the horse (emotions) properly trained...but if the carriage (body) itself is in bad shape, the journey will still be messy.

I am convinced that the times in my life when I am most effective, emotionally stable, and mentally alert are when I am intentional about taking care of my body: eating right, exercising, and getting real rest. This doesn't mean that physical fitness automatically leads to spiritual maturity, or that striving for fitness should become an idolatrous replacement for godliness. But the bottom line is, in the biblical view of humanity there is no split between body and spirit; we humans are united beings, and what we do with our bodies WILL have spiritual, mental, and emotional consequences.

As a person in full-time ministry, it is natural for me to focus on the driver and the horse in the story. But sadly, far too often do I neglect the maintenance of the carriage. There are only so many hours in the day, I realize, but if this thing currently occupying my seat is truly a temple of the Holy Spirit, then I need to treat it with the same reverence and care as I do the sanctuary at Bakerstown United Methodist Church.

I hope this challenges you guys as well, but here are three things I think we all need to commit to in order to be effective ministers: We need to make sure that our bodies are properly relaxed, nourished and exercised, so that our carriages can make the journey of faith more effectively!

And in the words of the old Nike commercial: JUST DO IT!

Serenity Now!!!!

2007-07-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

Those words, immortalized by Jerry Stiller (a.k.a. Frank Costanza) in one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes, are words that I've been saying quite a bit lately, and this coming week I'm hoping finally to enjoy their full meaning. I'm taking a full week off just to relax and unwind, and I have to say it is much needed.

Not to say that I'm suffering from the so-called "burn-out." At least, I don't think I am. But I am beginning to realize how much of my spiritual life revolves around my work in the church, and how little of it revolves around acknowledging my identity as a beloved child of God. It has been a sobering thought for me to dwell on lately. How much do I truly depend on my "successes" in ministry to feel spiritual? How much do I see the praise of the congregation as the justification for what I am doing...rather than simply being who God has made me to be and living that identity in honor of Him, regardless of what people think or how they respond?

Roman Catholic philosopher Josef Pieper wrote a great little book that has been helpful to me: "Leisure: The Basis of Culture." He argues that we live in a "work-a-day world" where everything is measured by its practicality and usefulness, and in such a world, there is little value placed on disciplines like contemplation, celebration, and communion. We see little point in simply being still and pondering the truths of God and the world, and as a result, we are like worker bees in a hive, whose entire value is wrapped up in their ability to produce.

I think of this and then I look at my ministry. Do I at times read the Bible only for its practical value of finding good material for sermons and lessons...or do I truly make time to let Scripture preach to my own heart and mind, regardless of whether it will immediately benefit my ministry? Do I say "yes" to every request for my time and energy because it is easier than dealing with possibly offending someone, or am I bold enough to draw a boundary and acknowledge my own need for Sabbath rest? Do I spend so much time encouraging my youth in the Lord that I fail to encourage myself as well?

My answers to the above questions often depend on the day that I'm asking them of myself. But they're definitely real questions that I struggle with. So I praise God that He has afforded me an opportunity to rest in His presence next week, to take the responsibilities of ministry off my shoulders. My prayer is that this week will ultimately make me a better husband, friend, and minister of the Gospel. But even that is using the vacation as merely a means to an end. Really, my prayer is just that I can enjoy some quality time with God and realize that it's enough.

Serenity now!

Thoughts on Teenagers

2007-07-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

I remember a while ago reading Jonathan Edwards' A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God. In a nutshell, it describes the outbreak of revival in New England in the 1730's, generally viewed by contemporary scholarship as the beginning of the First Great Awakening in America. Many historians (even unbelievers) have averred that this religious movement provided the spiritual drive that first gave the 13 Colonies a national identity and ultimately led to the War for Independence. The Awakening had political, social, and economic consequences which, I'm sure, Edwards never imagined while preaching in his church in Massachusetts.

Given my professional orientation at this point in my career, I am struck by one particular aspect of Edwards' Faithful Narrative. He continually gave attention to what the youth of his congregation were doing. He writes, "I proposed it to the young people, that they should agree among themselves to spend the evenings after lectures in social religion, and to that end divide themselves into several companies to meet in various parts of town; which was accordingly done, and those meetings have been since continued, and the example imitated by elder people." It was out of this initial leadership on the part of the youth that the revival began.

Later in his narrative, Edwards also writes, "Those of our young people that are on other accounts most likely and considerable, are truly pious and leading persons in the ways of religion. Those that were formerly looser young persons are generally, to all appearances, become true lovers of God and Christ, and spiritual in their dispositions." Apparently Edwards recognized that much of the impetus for, and leadership in, the Great Awakening came from youth.

It has been under two weeks since my youth group and I returned from our Summer Work Mission Trip. As one of my former blogs testifies, it was an incredible week in which the teens and chaperones worshipped our Triune God, became an authentic community of faith, and reached out their hands to others in love. I'm sure its impact will continue to animate conversations here for some time.

Since that trip, I've held two events for the youth: A Movie/Game Night, and my youth bible study where I take interested students into a deeper examination of the texts of Scripture. The youth have invited eight of their friends--some unchurched--to those two activities, and I had the incredible chance to meet them, get contact information, and invite them back for more activities.

I have read enough in adolescent culture and development to know that today's youth are extremely cynical, deeply distrustful of traditional institutions and authorities (and I've seen enough to confirm that observation) but that is only a half-truth, and I think it says more about our traditional institutions/authorities than it does about teenagers.

Youth are hungry for relationships, eager to make a difference, and searching for something into which they can pour their whole heart and soul. When ministers are able to model for them that Jesus Christ can provide the answer to all three quests, I truly believe they will get excited about it and invite others to be excited about it as well. I believe that youth will rise to what is expected of them. If we treat them as selfish adolescents who sit up in the balcony, pass notes during the sermon and giggle during the hymns, that's all we'll get from them. If we follow Jonathan Edwards' example and treat them as leaders who can grow in holiness and influence others, we might just find another spiritual awakening that can transform the church...and maybe our nation and our world as well!

Holy Hollywood!

2007-07-03T12:20:00.001-07:00

It seems as though the mighty movie moguls of Hollywood have found the Christian faith to be very marketable among the American audiences. Recent releases such as The Passion of the Christ and The Nativity Story contain explicitly biblical storylines, while The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings have overtly Christian imagery. Occasionally, a comical but still largely reverent parody of the Christian faith is made, such as Keeping the Faith, Sister Act or the recent Evan Almighty.

But throughout film history, several excellent movies have been made which, while not explicitly Christian in their content or purpose, nonetheless present themes that invite spiritual, even redemptive, discussion. Below is a list of 10 films that I have really enjoyed, and that I believe can promote such discussion. Some of them are R-rated, and a few have some objectionable content, but taken as a whole, each asks excellent questions to which, in my opinion, the Christian faith has the only acceptable answer.

There are probably many more films like this out there, but I've chosen these 10 just to start some discussion. If you can think of others, please add them!

1. Seven (1995) – Directed by David Fincher, starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman
Discussion Theme: What is sin/evil? What are the effects of sin in the world?

2. The Game (1997) – Directed by David Fincher, starring Michael Douglas and Sean Penn
Discussion Theme: What is the purpose of suffering and evil? Can evil ever be redemptive?

3. On the Waterfront (1955) – Directed by Elia Kazan, starring Marlon Brando and Karl Malden
Discussion Theme: How should faithful people stand up to evil and injustice in the world?

4. Places in the Heart (1984) – Directed by Robert Benton, starring Sally Field and Danny Glover
Discussion Theme: What are the essential components of true Christian community?

5. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) – Directed by Frank Darabont, starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins.
Discussion Theme: What is hope? How should people translate hope into action?

6. Chariots of Fire (1981) – Directed by Hugh Hudson, starring Ian Charleson and Ben Cross
Discussion Theme: What kind of loyalties should a person have when God is the motivating force in his life? Other than God, what forces motivate people to action?

7. Elmer Gantry (1960) – Directed by Richard Brooks, starring Burt Lancaster and Jean Simmons
Discussion Theme: What happens when techniques, “numbers,” and a business ethic—rather than changing lives—become the motivation for Christian witness?

8. Signs (2002) – Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, starring Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix
Discussion Theme: Can a person prove God’s existence? Are there really signs in the world that He exists, or is it totally a matter of faith?

9. Glory (1989) – Directed by Edward Zwick, starring Matthew Broderick and Denzel Washington
Discussion Theme: What are the marks of true Christian manhood? How can Christian men stand together?

10. Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003) – Directed by Peter Jackson, starring everyone.
Discussion Theme: There’s plenty to choose from. I just included this because I love the Elves and think it would be cool to be one!

Down from the Mountaintop

2007-07-01T06:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I survived a whole week up at Wesley Woods with all those energetic, hormone-filled teenagers. What an experience! I will limit myself to just a few observations, as I could undoubtedly ramble on for some time...

1 - Jesus Christ is just plain amazing! He was present throughout that week of ministry, I saw Him challenge, encourage, and uplift every single camper and counselor who was there. Our evening worship services were some of the best that I've ever experienced. And when we had a few unexpected emergencies (like when our beloved bus Shamgar broke down...twice) Jesus reminded us that He was in control of that camp and that He'd take care of everything.

2 - I had the opportunity to work with incredible, godly men and women whose love for Christ is contagious and who blessed me with their presence. Doug "Fluffy" Beitner is a wonderfully talented yet humble man who is an asset to Wesley Woods. Rev. Bob Zilhaver impressed me as a genuine pastor, and I hope he reads this and knows that I heard his words to me and am actively considering them. I absolutely loved working with Deb and Moki Decker every day...they have such joyful, generous spirits. And as for the chaperones I dragged up there: Ali Lapp, Dan Pouchot, Kevin McGrath, and Randy Lucas --- I just couldn't ask for better helpers, and I am so grateful for their commitment to the youth ministry at Bakerstown.

3 - I had the opportunity to witness 37 high school youth create a genuine spiritual community for a week, and also work together to do a small part in building God's kingdom on earth. Teens who I thought were shy unexpectedly came out of their shells. Others who I thought were kind of lazy literally busted their rear-ends to get the work done that needed to get done. And some of the "clowns" got serious about Jesus. I agree with my chaperone, Ali Lapp, who said that if there are more teenagers like these ones in the world, they can truly make our nation and our world a better place.

4 - The highlight of the week for me was being on Lake Erie at sunset on Friday evening, and participating in a baptism and communion service. The beauty of God's creation was matched by the beauty of the two sacraments instituted by the Lord Jesus...Everyone was literally immersed in a visible display of God's creative and redemptive love for humanity. No PowerPoint presentation, praise band, or sermon could ever recreate the transcendence of that moment.

So now I am down from the mountaintop, but I retain in my mind and heart a renewed vision of God's purpose for me, for those He has entrusted to my care, and for the church. And if I can summarize my current feelings in one word, it would be: GRATITUDE.

Soli Deo Gloria.

On A Mission!

2007-06-21T11:34:00.001-07:00

This Sunday I will be heading up to Wesley Woods to co-dean their Youth Mission Work Camp. I'll be taking 27 energetic, hormone-filled teenagers, plus 4 other chaperones from my church, up to serve God through serving others....painting, construction, roofing, landscaping....you name it! Please keep us all in your prayers!

And yet, as I've been mulling it over in my head the last few weeks, I've realized just how reductionistic the term "mission" has become in our lives. For most people in our pews, "missions" is that stuff that we support financially...that stuff that happens outside the church walls, in other countries, and usually done by trained "missionaries." But what happens inside the church walls...well, that's not missions. That's all about discipling the faithful who come every week to get their spiritual needs met and, hopefully, to get challenged as well.

Darrell Guder, professor of missions at Princeton Seminary, has written that in the Bible there are actually three distinct aspects of the church's mission in the world:

First, there's kerygma - proclaiming the Word of God, the good news of the Kingdom, that the world might know the objective truth of the faith. Paul winning converts at the Areopagus in Acts 17 would be a good example of this.

Then there's diakonia - reaching out to others with acts of service and unconditional love, allowing us (as the book of James might say) to show our faith by what we do. Peter and John healing the crippled man in Acts 4 is the example.

Finally, there's koinonia - authentically living out the life of faith in community with others, presenting an alternative method of relationships from that which the world gives. The description of the early church in Acts 2 is the example here....and notice what Luke says: because the early Christians lived this way in community, the Lord added to their numbers daily those who are being saved.

The bottom line is this: Christians have been reborn, and the earth is no longer our ultimate home. And yet, we are all called to be a city on a hill, so that all may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. Every believer should see his/herself as being on a mission. When we refer to our "work trips" as mission trips, are we somehow not doing justice to the fact that EVERYTHING the church does is "mission"....that EVERYTHING we do in Christ's name has the potential to bring the Kingdom of God on earth? Is it possible to communicate to our congregations that the way they relate to each other as brothers and sisters, the way they worship on Sunday mornings, the way they talk about their church in the outside world....all of these things are potentially missional moments that can give bring either glory or shame to the name of Jesus Christ?

May the Spirit of God convict us, and those under our shepherding care, to live every aspect of our lives in the intentional mission of our Lord!

Prayer 101

2007-06-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

I'm currently reading N. T. Wright's little book, The Lord and His Prayer, as a resource for a youth Bible study. It's an excellent book and I recommend it to anyone. Wright elaborates on how Jesus' original hearers would have understood the words of His prayer...that in its original context, the Lord's Prayer is actually a "risky, crazy prayer of submission and commission."

In reading it, I've become very convicted by how different my own prayer is when put next to the model provided by Our Lord. Actually, it is not surprising at all that in our individualistic, materialistic culture, Christian prayer tends all too often to focus on one clause in Jesus' prayer: "Give us this day our daily bread."

Of course, there is nothing wrong with submitting our requests to God, with laying before Him our specific needs and those of our loved ones. What is wrong is that often, we fail to do this in the larger context of expressing adoration for Our Father, expressing our conviction that His Name should be hallowed, expressing our commitment to seeing His Kingdom come to earth, and expressing our honest confession of sin and temptation.

As Wright comments, "We come to prayer, aware of urgent needs, or at least wants. It's tempting to race through the Lord's Prayer, as far as 'on earth as it is in heaven,' so that we can take a deep breath and then say, 'Now look here: when it comes to daily bread, there are some things I simply must have.' And then off we go into a shopping list. To do this, of course, is to let greed get in the way of grace....We owe it to ourselves, not to mention to God, to pray the prayer in a more integrated manner."

I suggest that churches often misapply the Lord's Prayer in their worship, their Sunday School classes, and in personal devotions. What if, instead of merely teaching our congregants to memorize Matthew 6:9-13, we actually did something more "risky" and "crazy"? What if we model and teach our congregations to express God's attributes in prayer? What if we preached that hallowing God's Name means so much more than merely refraining from curse words, but actively living holy lives as representatives of His Name? What if we challenged them to not merely see "heaven" as a distant, otherworldly reality, but as the standard by which we should live out our physical, economic, social, and political lives here on earth...and then to pray for God's strength to make the necessary changes in our lives? What if we reminded our congregants that they are sinners who need constant grace, and that they must pray not just for forgiveness for themselves, but also for the strength to forgive others? And then, after all this is understood and prayed for, submit our requests to God. We might actually see that some of our requests need to be reformulated that light.

If I understand Matthew 6:9 correctly, the Lord's Prayer is not necessarily what we should pray, but rather, how we should pray. May God give all of us the grace and understanding to take Jesus' practical guidelines and apply them, that we might grow in our relationship with Him and assist others in doing so as well.

Inklings of Faith

I Definitely Do Not Believe in Global Warming...Because Hell Just Froze Over!

Fact Become Myth

Brown Win in Massachusetts is a Defeat for Democrats, but Not Necessarily a Victory for Republicans

Every Church Member Is On the Stewardship Committee (Or Should Be)

Recommended Reading

The Blind Side

The Grand Miracle

Light in the Darkness

Reflections on "The Sing-Off"

Serenity, Courage, and Wisdom

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jeff's Oscars - Pre-1980

No More Theology!

C. S. Lewis on President Obama and the Congressional Democrats:

Jeff's Oscars - The 80's

Jeff's Oscars - The 90's

Jeff's Oscars - the 2000's

Inklings and Emergents

Blessed Are the "Peace-talkers?"

A Conservative Alternative

A Christian Horror Novel!

A Political Re-Run

Waves

Wise Words from a Pretty Boy

The Practical Significance of the Trinity

"Engaged With God" - A Biblical Look at Worship

What is the Church and its Mission?

Behind Every Great Man...

Quit Hitting the Snooze Button, Americans!

What We're Made Of

Woundedness and Love

Recommended Reading...

Imbibing God

Purpose-Driven Idiots

Hail Mary!

One Symphonic Voice

Let's Talk About Sex, Baby...

Can't We All Just Get Along? (Yes, I really mean that!)

"The Dundees" - ("The Office" as Ecclesiastical Allegory, take two)

"The Office" as an Ecclesiastical Allegory

Signs of Hope are Everywhere!

Let Freedom Ring! (Another Ordination Question)

CREDO - "I Believe"

Still Here...

In Memory of "Jaja"

Movin' On Up to the East Side...

There Is A Hope

What Are You Reading?

"What I've Done" - Sin and Responsibility

Eucatastrophe in Action

Anamchara - The Soul Friend

Rockin' Worship, Part II

Rockin' Worship!

How Great Thou ART

No Country for Jeff

Serious Business

Feeling God's Pain

Sobering Facts, Real Opportunities

Retreat Re-Cap

Walking Up To The Cross

Help My Unbelief!

Let's Talk Politics...

Intersect with God

Preaching to the Choir

Praying our Theology

Thanks for the Memory...

Eucatastrophe

What Are You Reading?

Fall Back...or Spring Forward?

Be Selfish!

A Plug...

Modern Day Fig Leaves

Love--A Tool of Satan?

"The Least of These"

Weekend Update

Twenty and Thirty Somethings

Time to Serve

Homage to a Hero

With All Your Mind...