Opening My Eyes

We gathered last night as a rag-tag group of followers.  We were imperfect, and are imperfect, yet we gathered in Your name and for Your glory.  We who are imperfect at work and school and home, gathered to here a word from You.

And the word was Vision.

Sight.  See.  Notice.  Watch.

We learned that revelation--seeing You and Your world--is key to being transformed.  We are not molded until we begin to see. We are not shaped until we see Your shape.  We cannot love until we witness Your love.  Our hearts cannot beat for You until our eyes are unveiled to Your glory; until we are in awe of Your beauty.

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I am sitting in my office this morning.  There is music playing from the computer I am using to type this.  There is a small space heater hidden under my desk warming my feet and legs.  I have a to-do list sitting to the left of me, my water sitting right next to the screen, and a stack of books over to the right.  I have things to accomplish, lessons to work on, people to email...

But...

But I cannot escape the need for Vision.  To see You, and to see You with Your eyes.  And I wonder, am I alone?  I wonder if there are others needing to be reminded of you, to see You with fresh eyes this morning?
What Vision of You do I need to remember today?

Is it the Incarnation?

In this moment do I need to remember that You went from perfection to human?  Do I need to remember that You crawled into my messy world and walked with me?  Do I need to remember that I am not above other people's messy lives, but that I, like You, can jump into the mess of their lives to help them see a better way?

Is it the Crucifixion?

In this moment do I need to remember that You--all powerful and everything in Your control--willingly gave up life itself (and You are life itself!).  That You sacrificed Yourself for me, taking on my sin.  Do I need to remember that true love is sacrificial.  It is not self-serving.  True love dies for its beloved.

Is it the Resurrection?

In this moment do I need to remember that You are more powerful than death, darkness, and sin.  That You are already victorious and reigning and that Your kingdom is already here and is still on the way!  Do I need to remember that the old system, the way the world does things, is not powerful against You and Your army of light.  That in the end I will be justified for choosing You and for living according to Your word.  Do I need to remember the power of Your victory?

Or is it the daily moments that you walked this earth?

You fed the poor.  You cast out demons.  You showed love to the prostitutes, the traitors, the violent, and the timid.  You cared for Your enemies, and you fed those without food.  You accepted homelessness to show people God.  You taught us that we are to do likewise.  That it is not Christian to pray for the destitute but do nothing to help.  You taught that we are not to look the other way when we see injustice and poverty and violence.  We are to step up and be like you.  Caring for both the victim and the guilty.

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Lord, help us to see You today.  Let my little world in office and home grow bigger as I seek to act like You.  Let me be a picture of You today, so others may see You through me.

Amen.

Reflecting on the Unimaginable

I have a hard time writing about tragedies.  In fact, I have a hard time processing tragedies all together.  I am a dweller.  I sit with a tragedy for days and weeks and just keep thinking that maybe, just maybe there was a way to prevent it.  Maybe if we would have just changed one circumstance, this never would have happened.

I find myself dwelling days later on the Connecticut shooting.  The weekend was full of opportunities for me to try to blame one circumstance or another, hoping that in placing the blame there it would somehow make things better--perhaps change future situations like this.

I wanted to blame the guns.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a big fan of the 2nd amendment.  And when guns are used to kill, it reinforces my desire to blame them.  I desperately wanted to write a post on Saturday about the need for gun reform.

I wanted to blame mental illness.  I wanted to say that he just couldn't help it, that he had no control over his actions.  It would be unsettling, even if it were true, but it would still give me some sense of closure.  We could call for more money invested in money for those suffering from mental illness, and we could move on.

I even wanted to blame the society itself.  The video games, the violent movies.  These things numb us more than we realize.  Perhaps this was the time to call for change in how Hollywood makes money, and how we entertain ourselves.

I wanted to blame all those things, but ultimately I couldn't do it.  I couldn't do it because deep down I know a truth that cuts the legs under the blame game:

Just because we have a reason does not mean we have an excuse.

Just because we have dangerous guns available to us does not mean that it is an excuse for anyone to pull the trigger at another human being.

Just because someone has a mental illness does not mean that they have an excuse to act violently toward another.  (In fact, to suggest that this is an excuse is to insult the many mentally ill who live happy, peaceful lives).

Just because we have a culture captivated with violence does not mean that any of us have an excuse to absorb this violence and allow it to desensitize us to the precious nature of live.

We want to make excuses, but in reality we have just one thing:  sinfulness.

My preacher said it very well this Sunday:  Sin is simple.  To take life, just like having an affair or lying, comes down to a choice.  A choice to do wrong.  We see tragedies like this because we live in a sinful world, and this world is very sinful itself.

And the truth is that no amount of gun regulations will stop violence.

The truth is that no amount of money being pumped in to the study and treatment of mental illness will stop violence

The truth is that no change by Hollywood wills stop the violent acts of others.

The truth, when it comes down to it, is that only heart transformation through the Spirit of God will bring an end to violence.  Only when the world realizes the true nature of Jesus the Messiah and places their complete and total life in his hands will we see an end to tragedies like this.

It is in the Messiah that we see the promise that people will turn their swords into plowshares.  That in Christ people willingly lay down their weapons of violence and choose a life of peace.

It is in the Messiah that those of all all mental capacities find healing and love and community.  Jesus healed, loved, and communed with those that society rejected and marginalized.

It is in the Messiah that we lose our appetite for violence, as we become desperate for the peace and hope and unity that is found in His church alone.


I am slow to remember these truths when tragedy hits.  But once I remember, it leaves me wanting to simply call Christians into action.  Be the loving, peaceful, hope for the hopeless, light to the darkness,  good news bearers of Jesus.

What I Will Vote For Tomorrow?

Talking politics is difficult, especially as a minister.

The whole "seperation of church and state" thing has made ministers sharing their thoughts somewhat taboo (even if some still do it boldly).  But I love politics, and I care deeply for the people in this country which God has placed me.  I want the best for America.  I want to be able to share with others what I think that vision should look like.  I want to vote based on my beliefs; not based on supposed "Christian" candidates or party lines.  Rather, I want to vote my beliefs in that I look broadly at the identity of the God who created me and look to his characteristics and cares for my voting path.

So I would like to share what I will vote for tomorrow.  Please understand that I am not going to tell you who I am voting for, but what; the ideals I support.  These are, if you will, the foundation of my voting research.  These are the things that I look at that have led me to choose some Democrats, some Republicans, and even some Libertarian and Constitution party candidates to support.

Foundations are important.  Ideals are crucial.  Before we can even begin to rightly examine policy options, we need to understand our foundation.  How someone wants to run medicare, or foreign policy, is a secondary question.  The real question is this:  What do I believe should define America?  What principles does God expect from our people?

In my time of reading Scripture, these are the ideals I have decided to vote for this year.  Please feel free to share yours in the comments:

1. Justice

    The Bible talks a lot about justice.  Jesus criticizes the religious leaders of his day for caring more about tradition than justice.  Justice is clearly in the heart of God.  In looking at candidates, I look for those that support justice for the truly oppressed, the truly victimized.

2. Life

     God consistently shows the value of the human life.  All human life is sacred.  This means I look for candidates that value the life of the unborn, the aged, the foreigner and refugee.

3. Compassion.

      Jesus life is a great display of compassion.  I want to look for candidates whose policies will reflect a truly compassionate heart.

4. Wisdom

     Proverbs paints  wisdom as crucial in the life of any God-follower.  Wisdom means doing things that are practically effective and smart.  Policies that make systems better, make good use of our resources, etc.

5. Moral Transformation

     The Bible tells the story of God transforming the lives of His people  I want to choose candidates whose policies support Americans living righteously.  Specifically, I want to see candidates that will weaken the pornographic and sex based industries.

6. Peace

     Jesus tells us that the peacemakers are blessed.  I want to see candidates that truly want to run our country in a way that leads us to be at peace with others.

7. Humility

     Jesus demonstrates great humility.  I want candidates who understand their frailty and fallibility   I want candidates who realize their need for help from others.

Those are my ideals.  That is what I am using to decide my ballot this year.  What is making the decision for you this year?

God Forgive Us, God Heal Us

I live in Indiana.  I am invested in the Senate race that is unfolding, that derailed earlier this week with comments on abortion and rape.

I have read the articles blasting Mourdock's statement, I have heard the outcry from women who hate that these men want to make decisions about their health for them.  I have heard the political positioning and posturing from left and right in the wake of the media storm.

And I, I find myself wanting nothing more than to rend my clothes and weep aloud.

God, how did we get here?

When did the life of women and unborn children become the fodder for politicians to energize their respective bases?  When did life become nothing more than a pawn in the big game of politics that our country plays?

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I am pro-life.

I am.  In every sense of the word.

I believe that human life begins at conception, and that we have a responsibility to nurture that life regardless of how it got there.  I believe we are called to selflessness, thinking of those who are the least (and what is less than the unborn?) above ourselves.  I realize that as a man I can never understand the huge impact this decision will have on the women who for varies reasons find themselves with an unplanned pregnancy.  I also realize, though, that my decisions are not to be based on my full understanding of the outcome, but my decisions are to be made to reflect the character of God.

I am pro-life in that I believe that human life is sacred regardless of gender, race or ethnicity.  I believe it to be our responsiblity to defend the life of those who are abandoned due to gender in China, cut down like cattle do to their ethnicity in Africa and elsewhere, and to fight against racism everywhere it shows up; overseas or in inner-city gang rivalries.

I am pro-life in that I believe that even when someone disrespects life, I must choose to respect it.  And therefore I stand opposed to retaliation, death penalties, and wars of all kinds.  I believe we protect life and weep when life is extinguished--even if that life has done so much harm.

I am pro-life in that I believe that disabilities do not dehumanize the life of those individuals, and that it is our job to care for the life of the disabled, whether from birth, from accident, or from age.  I believe we must honor the life of our senior citizens and not view their life as lesser because it is older.

Yes, I am pro life...

...and I hate that life has become nothing more than an "issue" to be used in our country's political scheme.

I see the way we pander to constituents and I weep.

I see the way we have changed the term "abortion" to "women's health issues" and I cry.

I see the way that politicians talk flippantly about rape as if its just part of life and I shake with rage.

God, forgive us!

And heal us.

Let us be people who honor the widows and orphans and unborn and born premature and sickly.  Let us act to defend the slave, the beaten, the sex-trafficked, and the marginalized.  Let us love those who are wrong the way you did, choosing to lay down our lives for the sake of thieves and murderers and bums and outsiders and abusers and users and all of humanity.

God, let us be like you.  Let us be like Jesus.  Let us defend life by laying down our own.

Apologizing for God

I have been convicted recently, and I want to share my struggle.  I can admit that I do think it is a sin issue, although I don't think I would have ever considered it such even a month ago.  However, the reality is that this struggle has hurt my relationship with God, and hurt my testimony to those around me.

I have been feeling the urge to apologize for God.

Sitting in a room with eager learners seeking real answers about the real God of the universe, I have felt tempted to apologize for what we find.

It's not that I am refusing to teach the truth of Scripture--I am much too convinced of the truth and accuracy of Scripture to do that...

...but what I seem to have lost conviction about was the goodness of God.

At the root, its about shame.

Shame, embarrassed to share the hard truths of the Bible.  The truth that the Bible tells the story of a God that is beyond our expectations and understanding.  The truth that this God does things that I can't defend or argue as good.  It has made me squirm to talk about how God has reacted to sin in the past, what he has called sin for all time, and so many more things that I can't begin to describe it.

And at the root is my culture, my generation.  Though better trained to know the truth, I am equally able to drown in the culture around me.  I find it difficult to separate myself, my identity, from the culture that surrounds me. The culture of tolerance and timidness; sarcasm and sexuality; activism and apathy.  This is MY culture, and it has a tremendous impact on my life.

And it broke me.  It led me into the lie that I can decide whether God is good or not, that I am somehow qualified to criticize the character of God.  The God who has created ten thousand suns and beyond, who knit my brain together and allowed it to think and work--I am going to try to criticize this?  I am going to try to apologize for his actions?

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A student sat in my office confessing a struggle; a sin.  Looking at me, they sought God's word on this issue.  What does the book say?  What does it reveal?

And I hesitated.

And that is when I noticed the destruction inside me.  That is when I resolved to make a change.  That is when I prayed for forgiveness, apologizing to God for how I had avoided Him instead of apologizing for Him to those around me.

And I felt his goodness around me, surrounding me and wrapping me in his truth and justice and goodness and love.

For part of the great truth of the gospel is that he is never far away, even when we try to make Him so.

And as I continue on this journey of being in love with the actions of God, the teachings of God, and the character of God, I ask--will you pray for me?

Have you ever found yourself apologizing for God?  What caused your hesitancy? I hope to hear from you!

Failed Experiments in Reading the Bible

Like I said yesterday, a large force in my ongoing faith journey is to try to discover how to read the Bible.  I love the Bible, I have come to believe that it is divinely inspired, and I believe that it will provide for me a normative pattern for faith.  However, how do we come to find that normative pattern?  What are the options out there.  Allow me to share a few before sharing the basic outline of how I think reading Scripture should be done.

• Traditional Reading of Scripture

A Traditional way to read Scripture is to read with one question in the forefront:  What is God saying to me?  The underlying assumption is that each verse of each book of the entire Bible is meant to speak directly, and oftentimes primarily, to yourself.  You will find this to be the most readily used method of reading Scripture within Protestantism.  It is also a major reason why there is such a pluralism of ideas concerning the Bible--we allow it to speak without any concern for context.  This reading approach is lazy, ignores the historical nature of what was written, and ignores the biases inherent in personal reading of Scripture.

• Tradition-Saturated Reading of Scripture

Tradition-Saturated reading, however, provides a very different foundation.  This reading approach leans heavily on the internal history of the church to define what a text should mean by looking at how it has been interpreted throughout church history.  This sounds brilliant, until we dive a little deeper.  The problem is two-fold.  First, a careful reading of church history will notice a MAJOR shift 300 years after Christ when Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman world.  Everything began to change, from church structure to military involvement.  Can we trust the tradition of the church to be consistent before and after this event?  Second, most of church history is filled with great church leaders arguing amongst themselves about theology.  Who will be authoritative?  Will you trust the writings of Augustine, Origin, John Chrysostom, or Jerome?  Will you listen to all the church councils, or only those that took place in the Western Church?  Do Western or Eastern fathers (who have VERY different outlooks on theology) get a place of more prominence?  This reading approach simply opens up the material available, while still standing on a foundation built with my own personal preferences.  Surely it will not do.

• Authoritative Reading of Scripture

Authoritative Reading of Scripture is simple to understand:  I am not meant to understand the Bible on my own, therefore I must rely on an authority figure to interpret for me.  Catholicism uses the Pope while Eastern Orthodox trust the gathering of Church Fathers, and today we even have a new form of this cropping up in Universities where professors have become the authority.  The problem with this, of course, is that you are simply trusting another's personal preferences instead of seeking out truth yourself.  What makes these men authorities?  Within Catholicism (and to a lesser extent Orthodoxy) this sets up a circular argument where the Pope is authoritative because it says so in Scripture, which he is only qualified to interpret (thus being the only one capable of telling you what the Bible says!).  Not a great way to promote honesty in study.

• Allegorical Reading of Scripture

This method is one that was used by most teachers in the Middle Ages, but has become increasingly popular within Evangelical circles.  We read the Bible, and allegorize the details so that we can find the "inner truth" of a passage.  David v Goliath not sounding too relevant?  What is the giant in your life?  Jesus calms a storm...what are the storms in your life that Jesus seeks to calm?  The problem with this should be obvious--it belittles the historical actions of Scripture in favor of deeper truth.  Does biblical truth exist outside of the actual events that revealed it?  Is truth purely an idea, or is it founded in actual events and actions?

• Historical-Reconstructive Reading of Scripture

This is a very scholarly method, and it is used by a great majority of the scholars today.  The goal, they believe, is to get behind the text to the actual events.  Mark was writing to a community of people, what was that community like?  Why does he weave the stories he does into the gospel he creates?  What makes his community different than that of Matthew or Luke?  Did Paul recreate Christian theology or was he a product of that theology?  These questions, while good to an extent, miss the point for any person of faith.  I have a lot more opinions on this, but would recommend that you read The Gospels For All Christians if you are interested in my stance by someone smarter than myself.

• Pure Historical Reading of Scripture

This reading is another version of the above theory, but with a different focus.  Can we get to the history of Jesus (or Moses, David, etc) by reading the text.  Can we understand who they were by using historical research outside of Scripture to help us interpret Scripture.  The problem with this is that it believes that history is the goal.  Understanding who people were is the ultimate hope of the text, not having a life-changing knowledge of God and His works.

None of these methods do justice to the Bible.  Tomorrow I will share the principles which, when combined, give us a great chance to read the Bible accurately and transformationally.

What reading style to you use?  What principles guide your reading of the Bible?

The Bible Is...A Story

Have you ever wondered why there are four gospels instead of just one?  Have you pondered why the Old Testament tells the story of the Kings of Israel and Judah, just to go back and retell them?  Why was the law written down twice in the first five books of the Old Testament?

The answer is simple, but it may make you slightly uncomfortable.  It is simply because the Bible is a story.

Out and In: the Faithful Promise

Abraham is more talked about in the New Testament than Adam.  Abraham is more talked about than David, Solomon, or any of the prophets.

Abraham, we could say, is important.

This wanderer, this nomad, is crucial to the faith we inherit.

And I noticed something amazing as I read the story of this man's calling:

"Come out of your land, out of your people, our of your father's household, and come into a land I will show you."

Out of and into...

Out of and into...

Out of and into...

Our English translations rarely do justice to this simple comparison.  This was more than just a simple call to leave a geographical position.  This was more than a statement of relocation.

This was a call to leave an identity and come into another.

Abraham's identity was changing.  He was no longer a person among his genetic heritage.  He was no longer constrained by his past geopolitical environment.  He was new.  He was in a new land.  God was creating a people and a nation that didn't exist yet.

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And in Christ there is no Jew or Greek, slave nor free, male nor female.  For out of many nations and peoples and identities we are now brought into one person:  Christ.

I Was Nothing But An Outsider

It was my sin that held him there, until it was accomplished...

...but it was my adoration that placed him there.

It was two days before Passover, two days before the feast and festival of Unleavened Bread, Jesus was in Bethany--right outside of Jerusalem.  His death was certainly coming.  He knew it.  Those who wanted him dead knew it.  Jesus was a dead man walking.

Mark shares with us that the chief priests were set on arresting him, but not until after that Passover; he never made it that long.  The plan fell together quickly from this time two days before, actions were set in motion.  Judas would betray...

...but why?

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Lent is a season traditionally used to prepare the Christian for Holy Week (Good Friday and especially Easter).  It is typically a time of self-reflection, a time to remember who you were before you were in Christ.  It is time for repentance and self-denial.

All good things.

Whether you and your church participate in Lent or not, I would like to propose something to you.  Lent, like the rest of Christianity is more about discovering Jesus than examining yourself.

When you examine yourself...you know what you are going to find.

You know the sins, the shortcomings, and the inconsistencies in your life.

When you look at Jesus, however, you discover something much more important:

Identity.  Who I was without, and who I am with, the Son of God.

Lent reveals us as who we really were:  Outsiders.  We were no better or worse than the religious leaders, but we were not part of the "in crowd."  In fact, most of you reading this were Gentiles.  We were the sick, the sinful, the ceremonially unclean.

Our sin may have been removed on the cross, but it wasn't only our sin that put Christ on the cross.  It was our adoration.  It was his acceptance of outsiders like us that led to his betrayal and arrest.  It was his willingness to include us that led to the nails and death.

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In Bethany, Jesus went to eat at the house of Simon the Leper.

The Leper

Outsider.

While there a woman (outsider by gender) and poured an expensive jar of perfume upon Jesus head.  THis woman, the other gospels will tell us was a prostitute, an adulterer, a sinner.

An outsider.

They complained that the perfume was not sold for the benefit of the poor.  Jesus rebukes them, favoring her  desperate plea for love.  Jesus rebukes them telling them "you can help them (the poor) any time you want."  They rebuked her for something they did not do themselves.

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus.

Judas went when he could stand it no longer.  Jesus love of the outsiders, his inclusion of those that should be excluded, was too much for him to bear.

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Jesus includes.  It was his inclusion of sinners and unclean and ungood that sent him to the cross.  Looking at Jesus, as we walk closer toward the cross and Easter once more, we realize that we are not the in, but the outsiders.

Jesus brought us in.

Who are we leaving out?

The Merits of the Reese's Egg

Yesterday a tragedy occurred over at one of my favorite blogs.  Tamara Lunardo committed what many will consider to be one of the greatest blasphemies possible.  She claimed that Reese's cups are better than Reese's eggs.

I know!  This is a tragedy.  I thought that strange heresies and crackpots ended with the enlightenment, but here we are again.  She has threatened to throw the world back into the dark ages of chocolate-peanut butter relations...

But there is hope.  I am here to defend our cherished belief.  For all of you who are with me, but are just not sure how to frame your arguments about the supremacy of Eggs over the traditional cups, allow me to make a few suggestions:

1. Go on the offensive:  If you love the chocolate that much why don't you just eat a Hershey bar?  Do not let the opponent begin to poke holes into your own theories, keep the attack up.  We wouldn't be American or Christian if we let the other side have a say!

2. Use the ingredient list to your advantage:  The wonderful thing about the ingredient list is that it points to the purity of the peanut butter over the complexity of the chocolate.  When the only ingredients in the peanut butter are peanuts, salt, and sugar, you are pretty safe.  Not so with the chocolate made of soy lecethin and PGPR...that's right PGPR.

3. When in trouble challenge their intelligence:  Only a complete MOH-RON would think that the cup can hold its own against the egg!  Are you a MOH-RON?

4. Make it religious:  The egg is designed and built for the most holy holiday in all of Christianity.  So if you were wondering WWJD, the answer is he would eat the egg that was built to honor him, not the cup that is made to benefit the wealthy CEO of the Hershey company!


With all this said, I would like to issue a statement of peace.  Even though Tamara and those like her are HORRIBLY wrong about this issue, can we please agree to get along?  We are entering the season of Lent, a time when tempers will already be flaring because of the lack of meat for Catholics, and the many people who will give up coffee, soda, or any number of other things.  Can't we agree to sit down together and enjoy peace while passing between us the eggs and cups alike?  Can't we agree that the best time to answer this question is in heaven, with Jesus, who will choose the eggs and banish the cup-lovers to the back row of heaven's church to sit among the Baptists?

No?

Fine, let's settle it in the comment section below!

Time To Tell A Secret

Can I share something personal with you all?

I want to share a secret, and it isn't something that people like me tend to share very often.  Can you handle it?  Will you still love me?  Ok, you convinced me.  Here it goes:

Baptism and the Holy Spirit

"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

" For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

 "Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

 "...because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus."

 "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have."

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As I read through the New Testament statements on baptism, particularly the historical events relating to baptism, something stands out to me:

Water baptism is always tied to Spirit baptism and Spirit baptism is always tied to water baptism.

Water baptism is the expected response of faith to the gospel message, and the Spirit is the expected response from God to faith.

What a beautiful truth!

Driscoll's Problem Is Calvin, Not Complementarianism

Mark Driscoll is a perfect storm of controversy.  Great popularity, widely available media, and unpopular opinions have led to him being lambasted by a great deal of internet bloggers.

Especially since Driscoll's most recent book, Real Marriage, hit the shelves Driscoll has faced a great deal of opposition.  Driscoll's view of complementarian marriage is the focal point of the fire.  Marriage, many would say, is meant to be a 100% equal relationship with no leader but Christ.  Pastor Mark's suggestion of male authority--very much in line with much of the traditi  on of Christianity--has been met with an unequaled amount of criticism.

I must pause to ask the simple question:  Why?  Why is Mark Driscoll's view of masculine hierarchy so distasteful to us?  I would suggest that it is not the idea of masculine leadership that angers us, but the type of masculine leadership.

Driscoll's view of marriage is one of absolute, totalitarian male leadership.

And it is not Mark's fault.

It is Calvin's.

John Calvin took the authority and omnipotence of God to mean that God must control every aspect of every detail of his creation.

According to Calvin:

1. Your will is bent and swayed by God to fit his every purpose.
2. You do not make a single daily decision without it being first decided by God.
3. That God, for no purpose that we as humans are privy to, chose to forgive some and reject others.
4. That God's grace, once sent to an individual, is absolutely irresistible.  You could not even begin to fight it.
5. That God, though outwardly despising sin, was actually the author of sin, and created it for his secretive purposes in the world.

Yes, this is the way that Calvin viewed God.  This is what Calvinism suggests.  It suggests that since God has power, he uses it absolutely.  It suggests that since God has authority, he wields is coldly and viciously.

Is it any wonder that a man reading the Bible through this lens would suggest an authoritarian male leadership in the home?  Can we really blame Mark Driscoll for teaching a natural product of his theology.

The truth, however, is that God did not come as a dictator, but a servant.  The image of the invisible God came and became nothing.  The leader who led from the basement instead of the penthouse.  He was the king who chose love over authority.

What might a marriage look like that embraces a better picture of the God of Scripture?  How does our view of God imprint itself on our view of leadership, marriage, parenting, etc?

Rescuers

I live in the Midwest.  I live in a small town in the Midwest.

I live in a town where the sky is big, the hills are small, and the problems of the world are just not that concerning to us.

I sit this morning and read Galatians again, seeking again for the Spirit to shape in me the heart of Christ.  The Spirit strikes quickly:

"Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age."

Jesus was a rescuer.  He rescued from the evilness of the world in which he lived (and in which we still live.

But I live in a town where the sky is big, the hills are small, and the problems of the world are just not that concerning to us.


I think often of my friends and brothers around the world.  For those fighting to bring hope to those lost in the hopelessness of homelessness.  I think of those sharing good news to those bogged down by the legalism of Islam.  I think of the wonderful young man Abhijeet, sharing faith in his homeland India; sharing even though his best friend's wife was killed, his friend brutally beaten.  I think of those freeing slaves, ending sex trafficking, and bringing clean water...

...and I feel disconnected.

I can send money (and do).  I can help out with a note of encouragement or prayer (and I do).  I can cheer them on and encourage involvement and raise funds...

...but ultimately I live in a town where the sky is big, the hills are small, and the problems of the world are just not that concerning to us.

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The big lights of the conventions were burnt out of her eyes.  The excitement gone.  The only reality left was that she knew she was changed, but was already ready to go back.  It was easier in the present evil age, even if more damaging.  It was easier to live without hope than to taste hope and fight for it.

And the text says she is ready to give up.

And I pray with her.

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He is strong, strong like abused dog that lashes out because it is better to bite than to get beaten.  The walls around his heart seemed like steel.  He didn't need anyone, he doesn't need anybody.  He doesn't always start the fights, but he sure finishes them.

He comes to church, but refuses to share his life with ours.

Until he comes from school broken.  Hot tears breaking down his face like acid eroding the steel around his heart.  He yells and cusses because he wants to be loved.  He wants to be accepted.

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No, I cannot be actively involved in beating the slavery in Africa, or the oppression of Islam in the Middle East.

But here in the Midwest the sky isn't so big and the hills are not so small that they are insignificant.  The problems are real.  The evil is real.  The pain and hurt and hopelessness all lead us to one major need:

Rescue.

And this I can do.  This I will do.

The Very Thing I Was (not) Eager To Do

I once threw change at a homeless man in Cincinnati to avoid talking to him any longer.

I threw it, it went everywhere, and I turned and left him to pick up the pieces of my generosity.  It wasn't 24 hours later that I was pulling out my wallet to pay a big tip to a horse-and-buggy driver to show off in front of my friends.  I was self-centered, fearful of those that were not like me (and who I thought were lesser than me), and ignorant.

And perhaps it should be noted that I was attending the National Missionary Convention.


At twenty, I was on the fast track to becoming one of those hot shot ministers that could preach to large crowds and do fantastic things.  I had helped write and design the curriculum for the NMC's youth program for that year, and would be helping teach it throughout the weekend.  I was there to be an expert.

And yet I knew nothing.

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My first year in ministry and I am surrounded by a new reality.  In my first month I am going to a different type of missions gathering.  A group of 10 of us, half of them teenagers, are going to talk with Islamic refugees.  We are not going to preach, nor are we going to accomplish some great work.  We are simply driving five hours from home to spend the day having conversations in English, helping them get accustomed to their new life in the United States.

I talk to an elderly man as we walk through the park.  He is weathered from horrors that my life cannot comprehend.  He asks about my family, and why I do not yet have children at the age of 23.  I balk and try to explain the intricacy of being stable before having children to a man who was uprooted and moved across the world just a year before.

He asks about my faith, and I share that it is in Jesus the Messiah.  He came to bring good news.  I asked about his faith.  He shares that when he was young they would have stoned any man found out to be a follower of Jesus the Messiah; and those were the good old days.

As we leave for the return home.  This man, whose pride is killing my brothers, embraces me in a hug--a deep sign of respect.

On the ride home I realize:

The one thing I know is that I know nothing.


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Now a four year ministry veteran.  I know less than I did before, but yet I know more.  On trips to serve or listen or talk I have learned that these places, these people are crucial.  They belong to God.  I am struck now, this very morning, as I read again through Paul's letter to the Galatians, about a simple agreement between Paul and the other leaders of the church:

"All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do."


Let me be likewise eager, O God and Father of this homeless soul.

Why I Can't Post A Post

Because I am not a self-help guru come to convince you that you can change.

No, nor a chicken-soup-soul lifter.

I am not the wit warrior cracking jokes, the courageous crusader for a cause, or the incorporated icon.

I am far worse than that.

I am a soul.

Mortally wounded soul.

I am the Lunatic crying from the street corner.

I am the one who cannot say it will all be OK.

IT WILL NOT.

The words float like acid in my stomach, burning to be unleashed and scorch my mouth and the nostrils of those around me.

I am the dying, who finally sees.

And the open-eyes of this sickened soul  looks at the world pretending to be well and just wants to grab his cardboard sign and yell:

YOU ARE NOT WELL YOUNG EARTH!

Why are you not looking for the doctor?


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God give us the strength to stand with the prophets of old and say the truth nobody wants to hear.  Amen.

Church: Home of the Homeless

I am blessed to be a part of a church that cares.  It really does.  Lowell Church of Christ has several missions and local outreach.

However, even when looking at my church, I am left wondering:  Is this all God desires for us?

Today I start discussing the issue of church and poverty, and the first thing we need to ask is simply:  What does God expect of us as Christians and as his Church?  Today I want to make three observations:

1. God desires his church to do more than give.  Luke 4 makes quite clear that we are to proclaim good news to the poor.  Proclamation of good news goes far beyond handing a check out to someone.  It means providing the means to lift someone into a better life (physically, emotionally, and spiritually).

2. God intends the church to be more than a support center.  The New Testament, including Luke 4, provides insight that the church will actually be filled with  the poor.  They will be part of us.  It should be our job to treat with equality those of lesser means, and hopefully bring them to equality.  We must stop looking at the impoverished around the world as "other" and start looking at them as "one of us."

3. God intends the church to be the standard-bearer for worldwide justice.  If you have not done it yet, read Luke 4.  God wants to make the world a place of justice.  He intends to use the Church, the hands and feet of Jesus, to be the leaders of this movement toward equality and hope.


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I have heard the many who worry about this so called "social gospel."  Somehow, by focusing our attention on the statements of Christ that challenge us to do, to act, to live with compassion, we challenge the grace alone gospel.  I do not agree.

Grace breeds grace. As we come into contact with the grace of God that forgives sins, it leads us to tangibly display this grace.  Grace begats worship that challenges the "who we are" with the "who we were created to be."  Grace begats love which leads to compassion.

Grace must be followed by more grace.  Grace leads us to care for the poor.

Give Me Jesus--Jeremy Camp

Looking Ahead: Renewing the Mind

Let's be honest:  I am not great at organizing this blog.  I get ideas of weekly themes, and I don't stick to them.  This year, I am trying again, but slightly different.

This year, for me, is all about being transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2).  Therefore, this year I will spend my time reading, writing, and asking questions that are important to this goal.  Every Friday I will give a basic update on "What I'm Learning."  Outside of that, anything could happen.

What types of blog posts should you expect?  Well, here are a list of topics that are areas of my mind I am seeking to renew with God's goodness:

• Scriptural Authority, Inspiration, and Formation:  How did we get the Bible?  Why does the Bible matter?  How should we read the bible?
• Grace and Works:  This has been one of the central battles of my heart and mind for the past 4-5 years theologically.  I also believe it has been a battle in my life for much longer.  I need to seek renewal in this theologically and practically.
• Purity and Exemplified Marriage:  I am on a life-long quest for purity in my life.  This year I attack the mental aspects of that goal.  I also want to explore the question:  How can my marriage be a displayed example for those around me?
• Justice and Poverty:  What does it look like to care for the poor?  What does it mean to love?  What role should I take to make the world a better place?  What issues are most pressing?
• Science and Religion:  What should we expect from the Bible scientifically?
• Faith and Parenting:  What does it mean to walk my child toward God?  How can I create an environment where faith can flourish and last?

On top of these topics, I am hoping to have several guest posts from members of my youth group, friends, family, and fellow bloggers.  I will also be writing down children's stories that I plan to tell my child starting at his birth in February.

It is going to be a good year.  What is your goal?  Do you have a word, a verse, or a sentence that describes your goal?

One Year. One Verse

The "One Word" concept is a good one.  I read about it about halfway through this year.  The idea was to take one word, a word that sums up who you want to be and how you want to live, and make that one word the key to your year.  Focusing on one word instead of a bunch of resolutions.  I like that.

Except this year I am wanting to challenge you to make a slightly different challenge.  This year, let's take one verse from God's word to make our theme.  Take a verse that challenges you, inspires you, teaches you, or maybe even confuses you.  Take one verse, and make it your focus this year.  Your reading of the Bible will be informed by this one verse, your prayer life focused around it, your days begin and end with a quick reminder of your one verse.

One Verse.  one Year.

I believe this can change lives.

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My verse this year:

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."  Romans 12:2

This verse really sums up what I want to see change in my life.  I want to see my mind transformed in such a way that changes how I live my life.

I will study this verse inside out this year, and the context around it.  More than that, though, I will put my effort forward to make weekly and monthly goals that will help me move closer to God's intentions within this verse.

Knowing isn't enough.  My life must be changed.

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I challenge you to pick a verse.  Share it on your blog or on Facebook/Twitter.  If you want help looking for tools to help you study this one verse better, let me know.  What if we let our entire year be consumed by one simple statement from God's word?  Do you think it would change you?

Join me and find out!