So I stumbled upon this article in Christianity Today . . . today. I would talk about it but why don't you just read it for yourself and then post some of your thoughts.
Do you agree with the author?
What should we do in response?
Where are all the single Christian men? (Writing blogs in their living rooms!)
Let me know what you think. Let's have a conversation.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Choose Your Own Title
I have 5 working titles for this blog and they are all so good that I can't choose. Yay for humility!
1) Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
2) My Hilarious Life Part Deux
3) A Face-Melting Good Time at the Epicenter of Progressive Culture
4) In the Land of Thick-Rimmed Glasses and iPhones
5) Peter Rollins is a little Irish Fireball
Actually, looking at them, 3 is the best. On with the story!
Flashback: Early June. Location: Qdoba, Corvallis, OR.
I was getting some delicious burritos with my housemates when my friend from Idaho, Jeremiah, calls me up. He asks me if I would like to accompany him to a preaching conference put on by Rob Bell in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was already going to be in Madison, WI for an InterVarsity Staff conference. The preaching thing would start the day after the staff thing ended. Of course I said no. That would be too much. But I told him I would think about it. 10 minutes later I changed my plane ticket and called him back saying I would go. That is how I make decisions. So if I tell you no, just give me ten minutes. I'll come around.
Flashback: Last Wednesday. Location: Inn on the Park, Madison, WI
Upon my arrival in Madison, I meet up with Jeremiah only to discover that I have no way to actually get to Grand Rapids. This would seem like a big deal to some people. But for me, it falls in the category of, "It may be happening in 3 days but something will work out. Don't worry about it." The staff conference was great. I ate at my favorite noodles place in Madison. Yummy!
It was the night before I was supposed to leave and I still hadn't figured out how to get to grand rapids. I tried to buy a train ticket from Madison to GR, but there wasn't one. So I bought one from Chicago to GR. I had solved 1/3 of my problem. I now needed to get to Chicago AND get to a place to stay once I got to GR. The next morning at breakfast, I asked some other staff if any of them were going to be driving through Chicago. The first person I asked referred me to his room mate who was driving by himself to Indiana and had a spot in his car. BOOYAH!!! 2/3 done. Right before I left, Jeremiah called me to let me know that some other staff in GR were going to pick me up from the train station and let us stay at their brand new house that they hadn't even moved into yet. To quote Hannibal from the A-Team, "I love it when I plan comes together."
Great car trip, great train trip, awesome hosts in GR.
And this conference . . . Daaaaaaaaang. It was called "Poets, Prophets, and Preachers: Reclaiming the Art of the Sermon." Jeremiah and I very liberally used the term "face-melting." It was great. So many great ideas. There was seriously so much that blew my mind that I can't even begin to describe it.
One thing I noticed very quickly, Rob Bell kind of draws a certain crowd. Namely, the thick rimmed glasses crowd. I think only 1 in 4 people there DIDN'T have them. There was a moment when Rob was using a chair as a prop illustrating the throne of God and he put his glasses on them and then forgot about them. I didn't notice but then a few minutes he remembered them and said, "Oh, this won't do." I almost died. Thick Rimmed glasses are at the center of the universe. Awesome. Also, every time there was a break, I would look forward and notice a whole bunch of people all take out iPhones. It was also hilarious.
A quick word about Rob Bell. Lot's of people have different opinions of him but there is something I noticed: Homeboy talked about the Resurrection of Jesus and its Earth-shattering implications more than any other pastor I have ever heard. So do with that what you will. I was encouraged and challenged by it. Do I do that?
Also: Peter Rollins is a little Irish fireball.
1) Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
2) My Hilarious Life Part Deux
3) A Face-Melting Good Time at the Epicenter of Progressive Culture
4) In the Land of Thick-Rimmed Glasses and iPhones
5) Peter Rollins is a little Irish Fireball
Actually, looking at them, 3 is the best. On with the story!
Flashback: Early June. Location: Qdoba, Corvallis, OR.
I was getting some delicious burritos with my housemates when my friend from Idaho, Jeremiah, calls me up. He asks me if I would like to accompany him to a preaching conference put on by Rob Bell in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was already going to be in Madison, WI for an InterVarsity Staff conference. The preaching thing would start the day after the staff thing ended. Of course I said no. That would be too much. But I told him I would think about it. 10 minutes later I changed my plane ticket and called him back saying I would go. That is how I make decisions. So if I tell you no, just give me ten minutes. I'll come around. Flashback: Last Wednesday. Location: Inn on the Park, Madison, WI
Upon my arrival in Madison, I meet up with Jeremiah only to discover that I have no way to actually get to Grand Rapids. This would seem like a big deal to some people. But for me, it falls in the category of, "It may be happening in 3 days but something will work out. Don't worry about it." The staff conference was great. I ate at my favorite noodles place in Madison. Yummy!It was the night before I was supposed to leave and I still hadn't figured out how to get to grand rapids. I tried to buy a train ticket from Madison to GR, but there wasn't one. So I bought one from Chicago to GR. I had solved 1/3 of my problem. I now needed to get to Chicago AND get to a place to stay once I got to GR. The next morning at breakfast, I asked some other staff if any of them were going to be driving through Chicago. The first person I asked referred me to his room mate who was driving by himself to Indiana and had a spot in his car. BOOYAH!!! 2/3 done. Right before I left, Jeremiah called me to let me know that some other staff in GR were going to pick me up from the train station and let us stay at their brand new house that they hadn't even moved into yet. To quote Hannibal from the A-Team, "I love it when I plan comes together."
Great car trip, great train trip, awesome hosts in GR.
And this conference . . . Daaaaaaaaang. It was called "Poets, Prophets, and Preachers: Reclaiming the Art of the Sermon." Jeremiah and I very liberally used the term "face-melting." It was great. So many great ideas. There was seriously so much that blew my mind that I can't even begin to describe it.
One thing I noticed very quickly, Rob Bell kind of draws a certain crowd. Namely, the thick rimmed glasses crowd. I think only 1 in 4 people there DIDN'T have them. There was a moment when Rob was using a chair as a prop illustrating the throne of God and he put his glasses on them and then forgot about them. I didn't notice but then a few minutes he remembered them and said, "Oh, this won't do." I almost died. Thick Rimmed glasses are at the center of the universe. Awesome. Also, every time there was a break, I would look forward and notice a whole bunch of people all take out iPhones. It was also hilarious.
A quick word about Rob Bell. Lot's of people have different opinions of him but there is something I noticed: Homeboy talked about the Resurrection of Jesus and its Earth-shattering implications more than any other pastor I have ever heard. So do with that what you will. I was encouraged and challenged by it. Do I do that?
Also: Peter Rollins is a little Irish fireball.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Books!!!
Hey everybody!
Why do I feel the need to write on this thing so late at night? I have no idea. Well, actually, I do have some ideas but they aren't that important.
Tonight's entry will be some book recommendations. I was going to say "reviews" but honestly, I liked all of them so I will just tell you a little about them and then you can go read.
The Reason for God by Timothy Keller
Ok, I heard about this book a little while ago and actually watched a seminar the author did at Google headquarters last year. I wanted to read it but never wanted to drop 20 bucks on it. So imagine my joy when I went home for winter break and my mom just comes up to me and says, "oh, I just bought this book. It looks interesting." And there it was. So naturally, I read it in two days.
Keller spends the first half of the book dealing with common doubts about God and Christianity and spirituality that people have and does it with a lot of respect for the doubters. He knows his stuff, people. If you are at all familiar with the arguments he mentions, which I am, it makes the book that much more readable. the next half of the book is his reasons for why he thinks Christianity is true. I thought the best chapter in this section was "The Knowledge of God." In this chapter he proposes that everyone "knows" there is a God but they just don't acknowledge it. We all know what is right and wrong, but why? what is our moral standard? There is a lot more to his argument than that but I will let you read the book for it. If you want some good brain food, pick this one up. Speaking of brain food . . .
Culture Making by Andy Crouch
Hot diggity dog this was a fun book. I am on staff with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and every so often they send me a chunk of new book that IV Press is releasing. This one just came in the mail. I read it about a month later. It was probably the most interesting book I have read in the last two or three years. I was glued to every page.
Crouch's thesis is that Christians have typically taken four postures towards the larger culture (never mind the four chapters he spends defining culture!): condemning it, critiquing it, copying it, and consuming it. None of these are inherently bad, but they fall short of what God intended for us. He argues that we are called to cultivate culture, that is, to develop that which is good and make it better, and create culture. This is a book I will almost certainly be reading again. I HIGHLY recommend it.
I Once Was Lost by Don Everts and Doug
Schaupp
Another book that was just sent to me. I know both of the guys who wrote this book and have an enormous amount of respect for them and the work they do and who they are as people and Jesus followers. This is a book about what it looks like for "postmodern" people to come to faith in Jesus. They have, through interviewing over 2,000 college age people who have become Christians in the last decade, discovered five thresholds that people go through on their journey to faith. The first is simply learning to trust a Christian. Anyone who interacts with non-believers these days knows who big that is. The second is becoming curious about Jesus. The third is being open to letting Jesus change and challenge them. The fourth is seeking hard after answers to their questions. The fifth is actually becoming a committed Jesus follower.
For each stage they offer stories and practical advice for people coming alongside their friends. This book is SOOOOO helpful in learning about where different people are and what might be helpful to them. Again, I HIGHLY recommend this one. I recommend it even higher if you work in ministry with young people.
And now for some fun reading. Once or twice a year I dive into wonderful escapist fiction. This last year, I took a stab at some authors who were new to me. These are both fantasy books that deal with magic and wizards and dragons and such. I will review the trilogies as sets and not the individual books.
The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb
I had never read anything by Robin Hobb but some good friends of mine were pretty keen on these books so I thought I would give them a try. The three books in the Liveship Traders series are Ship of Magic, Mad Ship, and Ship of Destiny. The basic story revolves around a family of traders who work on ships made of a special wood that actually comes to life after three generations have lived aboard the ship. It is a pretty interesting concept. Think "Pirates of the Caribbean" only way less confusing and with better characters. Of course, no story about ships and sailing would be complete without pirates. And oh, are there pirates in this one. The villain, Kennit, is a wonderfully complex character. I never knew whether to root for him or hate his guts. There is a side story involving a group of sea serpents that I didn't really like until I figured out where it was going. These books were pretty stinking good. I loved the characters. That was probably the best thing about them. I can read just about any story about anything as long as the characters are real and believable. All that to say, these are a good summer read. Enjoy!
The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind
I am saving the best for last here. I have only read the first three of a twelve book series, but wow, these were so much fun to read. It was the beginning of winter break and I wanted some good fiction. I went to Borders and almost picked up another Robin Hobb book, but then the Terry Goodkind shelf caught my eye. I will admit, I was drawn to the books not only because of their sleek cover art, but also because the books were thick. I thought I would get more for my money with a thicker book. I was not disappointed. The books I read were Wizard's First Rule, Stone of Tears, and Blood of the Fold.
The story, like most fantasy stories, begins with a guy from a middle of nowhere place who lives a normal life. Unbeknownst (that is a great word to write!) to him, he is a man of great destiny and importance. He is the Seeker. A true seeker. One who seeks the truth in all circumstances. He is called upon to fight against a man named Darken Rahl. How's that for a scary name? I won't get too much into the story here because it was just so much fun to discover it all as I went. There are so many twists and turns here. The characters are so alive! The bad guys are REALLY bad and the good ones all have serious flaws. These stories are very adult. What I mean is, they don't sugar coat anything. There are some really disturbing scenes here. Not for the faint of heart. For me, they just upped the realism, which is helpful in a story where people use magic and talk to dragons. The books also touch on themes that are very common to us all: friendship, loyalty, love, good vs. evil, and a lot of others. There are also great political questions raised. One of the most compelling parts of the story is where the heroine, Kahlan, must lead a group of 5,000 young men into battle against an army of 50,000 who are hell-bent on killing anyone in their path. I pretty much sat in my room all day and never stopped reading these. If you like fantsy, you will LOVE these books.
Why do I feel the need to write on this thing so late at night? I have no idea. Well, actually, I do have some ideas but they aren't that important.
Tonight's entry will be some book recommendations. I was going to say "reviews" but honestly, I liked all of them so I will just tell you a little about them and then you can go read.
The Reason for God by Timothy Keller
Ok, I heard about this book a little while ago and actually watched a seminar the author did at Google headquarters last year. I wanted to read it but never wanted to drop 20 bucks on it. So imagine my joy when I went home for winter break and my mom just comes up to me and says, "oh, I just bought this book. It looks interesting." And there it was. So naturally, I read it in two days.
Keller spends the first half of the book dealing with common doubts about God and Christianity and spirituality that people have and does it with a lot of respect for the doubters. He knows his stuff, people. If you are at all familiar with the arguments he mentions, which I am, it makes the book that much more readable. the next half of the book is his reasons for why he thinks Christianity is true. I thought the best chapter in this section was "The Knowledge of God." In this chapter he proposes that everyone "knows" there is a God but they just don't acknowledge it. We all know what is right and wrong, but why? what is our moral standard? There is a lot more to his argument than that but I will let you read the book for it. If you want some good brain food, pick this one up. Speaking of brain food . . .
Culture Making by Andy Crouch
Hot diggity dog this was a fun book. I am on staff with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and every so often they send me a chunk of new book that IV Press is releasing. This one just came in the mail. I read it about a month later. It was probably the most interesting book I have read in the last two or three years. I was glued to every page.
Crouch's thesis is that Christians have typically taken four postures towards the larger culture (never mind the four chapters he spends defining culture!): condemning it, critiquing it, copying it, and consuming it. None of these are inherently bad, but they fall short of what God intended for us. He argues that we are called to cultivate culture, that is, to develop that which is good and make it better, and create culture. This is a book I will almost certainly be reading again. I HIGHLY recommend it.
I Once Was Lost by Don Everts and Doug
Schaupp
Another book that was just sent to me. I know both of the guys who wrote this book and have an enormous amount of respect for them and the work they do and who they are as people and Jesus followers. This is a book about what it looks like for "postmodern" people to come to faith in Jesus. They have, through interviewing over 2,000 college age people who have become Christians in the last decade, discovered five thresholds that people go through on their journey to faith. The first is simply learning to trust a Christian. Anyone who interacts with non-believers these days knows who big that is. The second is becoming curious about Jesus. The third is being open to letting Jesus change and challenge them. The fourth is seeking hard after answers to their questions. The fifth is actually becoming a committed Jesus follower.
For each stage they offer stories and practical advice for people coming alongside their friends. This book is SOOOOO helpful in learning about where different people are and what might be helpful to them. Again, I HIGHLY recommend this one. I recommend it even higher if you work in ministry with young people.
And now for some fun reading. Once or twice a year I dive into wonderful escapist fiction. This last year, I took a stab at some authors who were new to me. These are both fantasy books that deal with magic and wizards and dragons and such. I will review the trilogies as sets and not the individual books.
The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb
I had never read anything by Robin Hobb but some good friends of mine were pretty keen on these books so I thought I would give them a try. The three books in the Liveship Traders series are Ship of Magic, Mad Ship, and Ship of Destiny. The basic story revolves around a family of traders who work on ships made of a special wood that actually comes to life after three generations have lived aboard the ship. It is a pretty interesting concept. Think "Pirates of the Caribbean" only way less confusing and with better characters. Of course, no story about ships and sailing would be complete without pirates. And oh, are there pirates in this one. The villain, Kennit, is a wonderfully complex character. I never knew whether to root for him or hate his guts. There is a side story involving a group of sea serpents that I didn't really like until I figured out where it was going. These books were pretty stinking good. I loved the characters. That was probably the best thing about them. I can read just about any story about anything as long as the characters are real and believable. All that to say, these are a good summer read. Enjoy!
The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind
I am saving the best for last here. I have only read the first three of a twelve book series, but wow, these were so much fun to read. It was the beginning of winter break and I wanted some good fiction. I went to Borders and almost picked up another Robin Hobb book, but then the Terry Goodkind shelf caught my eye. I will admit, I was drawn to the books not only because of their sleek cover art, but also because the books were thick. I thought I would get more for my money with a thicker book. I was not disappointed. The books I read were Wizard's First Rule, Stone of Tears, and Blood of the Fold.
The story, like most fantasy stories, begins with a guy from a middle of nowhere place who lives a normal life. Unbeknownst (that is a great word to write!) to him, he is a man of great destiny and importance. He is the Seeker. A true seeker. One who seeks the truth in all circumstances. He is called upon to fight against a man named Darken Rahl. How's that for a scary name? I won't get too much into the story here because it was just so much fun to discover it all as I went. There are so many twists and turns here. The characters are so alive! The bad guys are REALLY bad and the good ones all have serious flaws. These stories are very adult. What I mean is, they don't sugar coat anything. There are some really disturbing scenes here. Not for the faint of heart. For me, they just upped the realism, which is helpful in a story where people use magic and talk to dragons. The books also touch on themes that are very common to us all: friendship, loyalty, love, good vs. evil, and a lot of others. There are also great political questions raised. One of the most compelling parts of the story is where the heroine, Kahlan, must lead a group of 5,000 young men into battle against an army of 50,000 who are hell-bent on killing anyone in their path. I pretty much sat in my room all day and never stopped reading these. If you like fantsy, you will LOVE these books.
Monday, February 16, 2009
I Have a Hilarious Life
She came in at 4:45am.
She said calmly but firmly, "Ok, it's time to wake up."
Then she held up an alarm clock that began playing a very pleasant (but loud) wake-up song.
I lifted my head from my sweatshirt pillow and smiled.
Scattered amongst the pews and all over the floor of Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in Long Beach, California, roughly 40 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship staff workers began to stir.
And I remember clearly thinking to myself, this is hilarious!
Cue the Lost flashback woosh.
I had flown to Long Beach with a few other staff from the northwest to do a Bible Study "dig-in" through the first four chapters of The Gospel of John at Campus By The Sea on Catalina Island. We were getting prepared for our big student missions conference, Urbana, coming up this winter. Oh, this is an important detail: It was raining.
In order to get to Catalina, you have to take a boat. I would say ferry, but then you might be tempted to picture a large boat filled with cars, like in Seattle. This was a boat. It was much closer to the type of thing that takes you from Pier 39 to Alcatraz than the thing that takes you from Seattle to Bainbridge Island. Although, come to think of it, those are called ferries too. how about a picture. Yes?
Our boat was supposed to leave around noon.
We showed up at 11am and waited. Gradually, more and more staff trickled in. I can always spot InterVarsity staff at a terminal. Yes, this time I was specifcally waiting for them, but it reminded me of all the times I have been at airports and seen people I KNEW were IV staff. There is just something about us. I don't know if I can put my finger on it.
The weather had not changed but I did not expect that to be a problem because I was used to the Seattle ferries and they had never seemed to rocky. But we soon received an announcement that our boat had been canceled. I heard something about "gale-force winds." I am no sailor, but that sounds bad. We waited around for a little while and ate lunch. I led some of my friends through "The Cube" and talked politics. Aren't stimulus packages fun? That's what she said. Moving on!
The next ferry was supposed to leave at 2. aaaaaaaaaand it got canceled. So our leader, Bruce, said we would be moving to a church where we would be for the rest of the day. We had work to do and couldn't let something petty like gale-force winds stop us. IV4Life! So we packed up and migrated to the church. Along the way I learned the difference between GPS and triangulating your position. That is a nice way of saying we got a little lost and the iPhone was not much help, but it was still so cool!
After a few hours of digging in to John, and taking a wonderful little cheap shot at the staff from USC (Go BEAVS!!!) it was time to turn in for the night . . . BUT we had to get on the first ferry out and that sucker was leaving at 6:15 in the a.m. And the really fun thing was that the only place for all of us to sleep was on the floor in the sanctuary. So that was where we slept.
So why was this hilarious?
Come on! How many companies can expect something like that from their employees and receive virtually NO complaining? How many could do that and have everyone feel like it was a normal thing to happen? I can't really think of any. And that is why InterVarsity Staff are awesome.
What's even better is that was just the beginning. I learned a little something about "residual swells" on that boat ride. Apparently when the gale-force winds stop, the waves think it is fun to still be huge and make you want to throw up. Then we went to this crazy island that had wild bison running around. Yes, BISON. We stayed in cabins with no electricity. The camp looked like New Otherton (for all those Lost fans out there). There was even a patch of ground that looked like a hatch had blown up in it. Oh, and my friend got eaten by a monster made of black smoke. Ok, that last one isn't true but wouldn't that have been SO COOL!!??!?!
And then we studied the Bible for two days. Who does that?
That is why I have a hilarious life. And I love it.
We have to go back Kate!!! We have to go BACK!!!!
She said calmly but firmly, "Ok, it's time to wake up."
Then she held up an alarm clock that began playing a very pleasant (but loud) wake-up song.
I lifted my head from my sweatshirt pillow and smiled.
Scattered amongst the pews and all over the floor of Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in Long Beach, California, roughly 40 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship staff workers began to stir.
And I remember clearly thinking to myself, this is hilarious!
Cue the Lost flashback woosh.
I had flown to Long Beach with a few other staff from the northwest to do a Bible Study "dig-in" through the first four chapters of The Gospel of John at Campus By The Sea on Catalina Island. We were getting prepared for our big student missions conference, Urbana, coming up this winter. Oh, this is an important detail: It was raining.
In order to get to Catalina, you have to take a boat. I would say ferry, but then you might be tempted to picture a large boat filled with cars, like in Seattle. This was a boat. It was much closer to the type of thing that takes you from Pier 39 to Alcatraz than the thing that takes you from Seattle to Bainbridge Island. Although, come to think of it, those are called ferries too. how about a picture. Yes?
Our boat was supposed to leave around noon. We showed up at 11am and waited. Gradually, more and more staff trickled in. I can always spot InterVarsity staff at a terminal. Yes, this time I was specifcally waiting for them, but it reminded me of all the times I have been at airports and seen people I KNEW were IV staff. There is just something about us. I don't know if I can put my finger on it.
The weather had not changed but I did not expect that to be a problem because I was used to the Seattle ferries and they had never seemed to rocky. But we soon received an announcement that our boat had been canceled. I heard something about "gale-force winds." I am no sailor, but that sounds bad. We waited around for a little while and ate lunch. I led some of my friends through "The Cube" and talked politics. Aren't stimulus packages fun? That's what she said. Moving on!
The next ferry was supposed to leave at 2. aaaaaaaaaand it got canceled. So our leader, Bruce, said we would be moving to a church where we would be for the rest of the day. We had work to do and couldn't let something petty like gale-force winds stop us. IV4Life! So we packed up and migrated to the church. Along the way I learned the difference between GPS and triangulating your position. That is a nice way of saying we got a little lost and the iPhone was not much help, but it was still so cool!
After a few hours of digging in to John, and taking a wonderful little cheap shot at the staff from USC (Go BEAVS!!!) it was time to turn in for the night . . . BUT we had to get on the first ferry out and that sucker was leaving at 6:15 in the a.m. And the really fun thing was that the only place for all of us to sleep was on the floor in the sanctuary. So that was where we slept.
So why was this hilarious?
Come on! How many companies can expect something like that from their employees and receive virtually NO complaining? How many could do that and have everyone feel like it was a normal thing to happen? I can't really think of any. And that is why InterVarsity Staff are awesome.
What's even better is that was just the beginning. I learned a little something about "residual swells" on that boat ride. Apparently when the gale-force winds stop, the waves think it is fun to still be huge and make you want to throw up. Then we went to this crazy island that had wild bison running around. Yes, BISON. We stayed in cabins with no electricity. The camp looked like New Otherton (for all those Lost fans out there). There was even a patch of ground that looked like a hatch had blown up in it. Oh, and my friend got eaten by a monster made of black smoke. Ok, that last one isn't true but wouldn't that have been SO COOL!!??!?!
And then we studied the Bible for two days. Who does that?
That is why I have a hilarious life. And I love it.
We have to go back Kate!!! We have to go BACK!!!!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Thoughts on The Church and Prop 8.
Ok. I am not sure how this one will turn out so bear with me. What you are about to read is a thought process. It is not a well-researched thesis with infallible logic. It is an attempt to sort out the many different and often competing ideas swirling around in my head. This may come off as really random and without flow so I apologize in advance. I welcome any input to the conversation.
This blog was inspired by the passing of Prop 8 in California. The proposition banned gay marriage in the state.
Before I start, I want to make a few things very clear: I am a follower of Jesus. I believe he is the Word made flesh. I believe he died on a Roman cross taking the sins of the world upon himself. I believe he rose from the grave. I believe His spirit dwells within his followers. I believe the Church is his body on earth. I believe the Bible is my authority and when properly interpreted and followed, can change us in a radical way. I believe that following Jesus is the absolute best way to live for both the individual and the world. Ok?
And due to those beliefs, I believe that a homosexual lifestyle is not an appropriate way for a follower of Jesus to live. I also think that a greedy lifestyle is inappropriate way to live as well but no one really talks about that. Ok?
An overwhelming percentage of Evangelicals (I consider myself Evangelical) supported the prop. No doubt they were motivated by their beliefs in what the Bible teaches about homosexuality.
So that is the current situation we are dealing with here. Before I talk about it any further, I want to reflect on the state of the world that the Church was born into 2,000 years ago.
Rome was the most powerful empire the world had ever seen. The Roman Emperor was the most powerful man in the world. He was believed to be the Son of God, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Christians were forced to be an underground sect because they refused to worship the Emperor. During the reigns of Nero and Domitian, persecution of Christians became state sponsored and totally out of control. Christians who would not bow to the Emperor could be killed on the spot. Nero used the bodies of Christians as tiki torches at his parties. Domitian required people to worship him in order to participate in the economy.
It was in this environment that the early church flourished. Much of the new testament was written during these times. Leaders of the church called believers to perseverance in the face of extreme suffering. They considered it an honor because they could participate in the sufferings of Christ.
They had absolutely no political power. And they thrived. They outlived the Empire.
Fast forward 2,000 years. Christians in the U.S. not only live in a society that allows them to worship without persecution, but they live in a society where they are a significant voting block and can sway the outcome of a presidential election (remember 2004?). Our society resembles Rome only in the sense that we are (or were depending on how you look at it) the most powerful and influential nation in the world.
That, to me, poses some problems for us in the Church. Jesus never sought political power. In fact, he called people to enter the Kingdom of God, something totally unrelated to political power. The Kingdom is where God had rule, where losing your life means finding it, where the servants are the greatest, where the first are last and the last are first. It is a place where sickness is trumped by healing. It is a place where the poor sit at the seats of honor and the rich and powerful are humbled. It is subversive. It is hidden. It is a tiny mustard seed that turns into a tree that blesses all who come to it. It is not of this world and does not operate by the same rules as earthly kingdoms and governments.
If anything, Scripture teaches us to be at the very least skeptical of governments. A common image for them is that of a beast.
So what does the Church do when we actually have political power? How do we use that power? DO we use that power? These are questions I have been wrestling with. Hasn’t history shown us that when you combine religion with political power, bad things happen? To be fair, officially removing religion form public life also has bad results.
I also think that when the Church becomes too powerful (politically) it begins to move away from the teachings and life of Jesus. His power came from God, not form being legitimized by the government. Remember, they were the ones who wanted him dead.
Many Evangelicals think that allowing gay marriage to be legal threatens the sanctity of marriage. Does it? What about people who get married and don’t believe in God? Is their marriage ok? Is the greatest hope we have for the world that everyone would be married to someone of the opposite sex? That feels like setting the bar really low and also sounds virtually nothing like what Jesus preached. What about people who get married in Las Vegas in a drunken stupor only to get divorced the next day when they realize how stupid they were. Is that marriage still sacred?
More questions:
Why does the church need to be legitimized by the Government? The church in China is illegal and it is exploding with growth. India is not super friendly towards Christians and the government often turns a blind eye towards persecution, but it is spreading like wildfire there. Why do we need to be different? Maybe if we had a little hardship and suffering, we might see our faith deepen and we might be forced to get back to what Jesus taught rather than try to legislate our version of morality.
If gay people can’t get married, should we also not allow greedy people to get married? Should people who have cheated on their spouses not be allowed to visit them in the hospital because they violated the sanctity of marriage? We just aren’t consistent. We want the government to protect something that we don’t even have a good track record with. Everyone knows the divorce rate amongst Christians.
Here is a situation that I think could work. Make gay marriage legal and allow churches to not have to do it. Why wouldn’t that work? There is a clear separation of church and state and first amendment freedom of religion. Yes, we would take a lot of heat for it but so what. I don’t get the feeling that the early Church stood outside the Roman senate and demanded that the temples where male prostitutes would go be closed because it violated their beliefs.
The American church has had a TERRIBLE time reaching out to the homosexual community and a terrible time addressing the issue in their own congregations. I am fortunate enough to be in Christian communities where I could wrestle with the issue if I needed to, but I don’t think that most people feel like they could. If you were struggling with homosexual feelings and longings, would you go to the church for help? I am just going to go guess that you wouldn’t. That is sad. How did we get to the point where the people who loved to hang out with Jesus now feel like they can’t go to church?
Again, this is a jumble of thoughts, unorganized and incomplete. I know I have more to say but I am tired and need to go to bed.
Thoughts? Leave a comment.
This blog was inspired by the passing of Prop 8 in California. The proposition banned gay marriage in the state.
Before I start, I want to make a few things very clear: I am a follower of Jesus. I believe he is the Word made flesh. I believe he died on a Roman cross taking the sins of the world upon himself. I believe he rose from the grave. I believe His spirit dwells within his followers. I believe the Church is his body on earth. I believe the Bible is my authority and when properly interpreted and followed, can change us in a radical way. I believe that following Jesus is the absolute best way to live for both the individual and the world. Ok?
And due to those beliefs, I believe that a homosexual lifestyle is not an appropriate way for a follower of Jesus to live. I also think that a greedy lifestyle is inappropriate way to live as well but no one really talks about that. Ok?
An overwhelming percentage of Evangelicals (I consider myself Evangelical) supported the prop. No doubt they were motivated by their beliefs in what the Bible teaches about homosexuality.
So that is the current situation we are dealing with here. Before I talk about it any further, I want to reflect on the state of the world that the Church was born into 2,000 years ago.
Rome was the most powerful empire the world had ever seen. The Roman Emperor was the most powerful man in the world. He was believed to be the Son of God, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Christians were forced to be an underground sect because they refused to worship the Emperor. During the reigns of Nero and Domitian, persecution of Christians became state sponsored and totally out of control. Christians who would not bow to the Emperor could be killed on the spot. Nero used the bodies of Christians as tiki torches at his parties. Domitian required people to worship him in order to participate in the economy.
It was in this environment that the early church flourished. Much of the new testament was written during these times. Leaders of the church called believers to perseverance in the face of extreme suffering. They considered it an honor because they could participate in the sufferings of Christ.
They had absolutely no political power. And they thrived. They outlived the Empire.
Fast forward 2,000 years. Christians in the U.S. not only live in a society that allows them to worship without persecution, but they live in a society where they are a significant voting block and can sway the outcome of a presidential election (remember 2004?). Our society resembles Rome only in the sense that we are (or were depending on how you look at it) the most powerful and influential nation in the world.
That, to me, poses some problems for us in the Church. Jesus never sought political power. In fact, he called people to enter the Kingdom of God, something totally unrelated to political power. The Kingdom is where God had rule, where losing your life means finding it, where the servants are the greatest, where the first are last and the last are first. It is a place where sickness is trumped by healing. It is a place where the poor sit at the seats of honor and the rich and powerful are humbled. It is subversive. It is hidden. It is a tiny mustard seed that turns into a tree that blesses all who come to it. It is not of this world and does not operate by the same rules as earthly kingdoms and governments.
If anything, Scripture teaches us to be at the very least skeptical of governments. A common image for them is that of a beast.
So what does the Church do when we actually have political power? How do we use that power? DO we use that power? These are questions I have been wrestling with. Hasn’t history shown us that when you combine religion with political power, bad things happen? To be fair, officially removing religion form public life also has bad results.
I also think that when the Church becomes too powerful (politically) it begins to move away from the teachings and life of Jesus. His power came from God, not form being legitimized by the government. Remember, they were the ones who wanted him dead.
Many Evangelicals think that allowing gay marriage to be legal threatens the sanctity of marriage. Does it? What about people who get married and don’t believe in God? Is their marriage ok? Is the greatest hope we have for the world that everyone would be married to someone of the opposite sex? That feels like setting the bar really low and also sounds virtually nothing like what Jesus preached. What about people who get married in Las Vegas in a drunken stupor only to get divorced the next day when they realize how stupid they were. Is that marriage still sacred?
More questions:
Why does the church need to be legitimized by the Government? The church in China is illegal and it is exploding with growth. India is not super friendly towards Christians and the government often turns a blind eye towards persecution, but it is spreading like wildfire there. Why do we need to be different? Maybe if we had a little hardship and suffering, we might see our faith deepen and we might be forced to get back to what Jesus taught rather than try to legislate our version of morality.
If gay people can’t get married, should we also not allow greedy people to get married? Should people who have cheated on their spouses not be allowed to visit them in the hospital because they violated the sanctity of marriage? We just aren’t consistent. We want the government to protect something that we don’t even have a good track record with. Everyone knows the divorce rate amongst Christians.
Here is a situation that I think could work. Make gay marriage legal and allow churches to not have to do it. Why wouldn’t that work? There is a clear separation of church and state and first amendment freedom of religion. Yes, we would take a lot of heat for it but so what. I don’t get the feeling that the early Church stood outside the Roman senate and demanded that the temples where male prostitutes would go be closed because it violated their beliefs.
The American church has had a TERRIBLE time reaching out to the homosexual community and a terrible time addressing the issue in their own congregations. I am fortunate enough to be in Christian communities where I could wrestle with the issue if I needed to, but I don’t think that most people feel like they could. If you were struggling with homosexual feelings and longings, would you go to the church for help? I am just going to go guess that you wouldn’t. That is sad. How did we get to the point where the people who loved to hang out with Jesus now feel like they can’t go to church?
Again, this is a jumble of thoughts, unorganized and incomplete. I know I have more to say but I am tired and need to go to bed.
Thoughts? Leave a comment.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Musings of an Election Junkie
So pretty much since mid-August, I have been on a political news binge. Every day I cruise through yahoo news in search of the latest form the campaign trail. I must admit that I was completely fascinated by the whole Sarah Palin thing. I still am. I was barely able to tear myself away from the VP debates in order to watch Oregon State lose to Utah a week after kicking the snot out of USC. I downloaded Barack Obama's plan for change so I could have a better understanding of what he was all about and I actually read about half of it before the details of health care put me to sleep. I have never done this before and am slightly proud to say that this is the most politically informed I have ever been. I still feel like I know next to nothing in the grand scheme of things but it's a good start. Here are some thoughts I have had during my time with the political IV stuck in my arm.
Fact Checking is Fun!
www.factcheck.org has been a wonderful find. I first checked it out after the RNC. Man, those guys (and girls) made up a whole lot of BS. It is really refreshing to have an unbiased group do a lot of hard work in giving us the facts and the truth. They cite all their sources and don't let anyone off the hook. I even read their analysis of Obama's acceptance speech. I was disappointed. I REALLY want that guy to just tell us the truth. He doesn't need to make stuff up about McCain or mislead us about what he is going to do. I think Obama can win big if he takes the moral high ground. He'll probably win big anyway but it would be more satisfying. Also, it was way fun to watch the ladies on "The View" just grill McCain and straight up call him a liar. WOW! I could definitely go for some more of that.
Venting to People Who Agree With You is Also Fun
Ok, I am a little ashamed about this one. I am all for people with differing opinions having civil conversations with each other and attempting to understand the other's point of view, but sometimes you just need someone who shares your pains and joys. I find that they are often difficult to find in certain communities that I am involved in. Thanks Trina!
Message Boards Will Make You Loose Faith in Humanity
If anyone has read any Op-Ed pieces recently, they will note the message board section underneath the article. They usually increase the length of the page you are visiting by a factor of ten and make it take forever to load. I keep telling myself not to read them but I just get sucked in. They are even on things like SNL Video Clips (which have been VERY funny lately. See Below). Anyway, I find that there are about two types of people on them: slightly smug people who tend to be liberal, and irate people who tend to be conservative. If you follow the conversation long enough (I have gone for like five pages worth of comments on some) you will see it quickly turn into name calling and bold assertions of absolute truth. I start to find myself empathizing with these anonymous posters and getting angry or defensive, as if they are personally attacking me. These post things are on just about every news and blog site now, including this one and they allow people to safely rip people new ones from the comfort of their own mothers' basements. Do they think they are going to change anyone's mind this way? Has anyone ever based a decision of even remote importance on the rantings of some unknown voice on the internet? I miss schoolyard fights.
Thank God for Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert
I don't think I can say enough about these people and their writers. They help me realize how ridiculous this whole thing is. And by whole thing I mean American culture as a whole. We are pretty dumb sometimes. If you don't watch The Daily Show or The Colbert Report, PLEASE go do it. I want to roll out of my chair when I watch these shows. and ironically enough, it often takes a fake news show to give you an accurate picture of what is really happening. So Jon and Stephen, I tip my hat to you. Keep up the good work.
I Need to Go Outside More
See heading above.
Fact Checking is Fun!
www.factcheck.org has been a wonderful find. I first checked it out after the RNC. Man, those guys (and girls) made up a whole lot of BS. It is really refreshing to have an unbiased group do a lot of hard work in giving us the facts and the truth. They cite all their sources and don't let anyone off the hook. I even read their analysis of Obama's acceptance speech. I was disappointed. I REALLY want that guy to just tell us the truth. He doesn't need to make stuff up about McCain or mislead us about what he is going to do. I think Obama can win big if he takes the moral high ground. He'll probably win big anyway but it would be more satisfying. Also, it was way fun to watch the ladies on "The View" just grill McCain and straight up call him a liar. WOW! I could definitely go for some more of that.
Venting to People Who Agree With You is Also Fun
Ok, I am a little ashamed about this one. I am all for people with differing opinions having civil conversations with each other and attempting to understand the other's point of view, but sometimes you just need someone who shares your pains and joys. I find that they are often difficult to find in certain communities that I am involved in. Thanks Trina!
Message Boards Will Make You Loose Faith in Humanity
If anyone has read any Op-Ed pieces recently, they will note the message board section underneath the article. They usually increase the length of the page you are visiting by a factor of ten and make it take forever to load. I keep telling myself not to read them but I just get sucked in. They are even on things like SNL Video Clips (which have been VERY funny lately. See Below). Anyway, I find that there are about two types of people on them: slightly smug people who tend to be liberal, and irate people who tend to be conservative. If you follow the conversation long enough (I have gone for like five pages worth of comments on some) you will see it quickly turn into name calling and bold assertions of absolute truth. I start to find myself empathizing with these anonymous posters and getting angry or defensive, as if they are personally attacking me. These post things are on just about every news and blog site now, including this one and they allow people to safely rip people new ones from the comfort of their own mothers' basements. Do they think they are going to change anyone's mind this way? Has anyone ever based a decision of even remote importance on the rantings of some unknown voice on the internet? I miss schoolyard fights.
Thank God for Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert
I don't think I can say enough about these people and their writers. They help me realize how ridiculous this whole thing is. And by whole thing I mean American culture as a whole. We are pretty dumb sometimes. If you don't watch The Daily Show or The Colbert Report, PLEASE go do it. I want to roll out of my chair when I watch these shows. and ironically enough, it often takes a fake news show to give you an accurate picture of what is really happening. So Jon and Stephen, I tip my hat to you. Keep up the good work.
I Need to Go Outside More
See heading above.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Yes Alanis, it IS ironic.
I hesitated to use that title because this isn't funny but I just couldn't think of anything else.
It all began about a month ago when I was spending some time on youtube looking for new worship songs. As a worship leader, I feel this is a good thing to do. sometimes you find a real gem. Anyways, I stumbled across this video of a song from the Hillsong folks down under. It was called "Healer." The song was pretty good but what really got me was the story behind the song. The guy who wrote it is a pastor down there and he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He was not given much time to live. After hearing the news, he went into his studio and began to write the song. The song is a declaration of faith that Jesus can heal him and that even in this very difficult situation, he will trust Jesus. Solid. The video of the performance kicks it up a notch. The dude is on stage with oxygen tubes up his nose. I even think he had a cane. Everyone who was interviewed was saying how that was the most incredible moment to sing the song with him. They felt like the presence of God was there in spades.
Then I read something today that shook me up a bit.
It was an article from an Australian newspaper talking about that pastor. He never had cancer. It wasn't that he was misdiagnosed, he lied about it. He made the whole thing up so he could inspire people with the song and the story. Nobody knew. Not even his own family.
And it made me sad.
Not angry, maybe a little frustrated, ok, a lot frustrated. But not angry. I understand weakness and the feeling like you have to have it all together. I hope that I am a person who can extend grace to those who need it. But at the same time, it makes me really sad.
Sad that we are so blind to what God is doing in our midst that we have to make it up. Sad that we might now even realize what God really wants for us. Sad that it seems like the norm is now for Christian leaders to commit scandal after scandal. Just sad.
Maybe behind the pretty light show, the huge venue, the 15 musicians on stage, the sound system that lets you get lost in the music, and the jumbo-tron screen with all the words, our "worship" is nothing more than a sham. Do we hide behind it all? How come when I watch those videos I wish I was part of that Band making that great sounding music for the thousands of people who have shown up. Why can't I remember that the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. Or that when two or three are gathered, He is there?
That is not to say that all the people who put on those concerts or who go to them are fakers, as I am sure there were plenty of people that night who needed to declare that Jesus is their healer. It's true. He is and I believe that. But what good is it all if people feel like they have to put on a show to help people connect with God? Even when that show is lying to your family. It is a dangerous thing to connect the worship of God with being entertained or entertaining. Very dangerous. Evil? maybe. I am not sure I am willing to go there just yet.
I am pretty sure that God said something like "Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!" Maybe we ought to listen. Maybe I ought to listen . . . and name my blog after it.
Nevertheless, I hope and pray that he and his family find healing and restoration through this.
God, it seems, is not without a sense of irony.
It all began about a month ago when I was spending some time on youtube looking for new worship songs. As a worship leader, I feel this is a good thing to do. sometimes you find a real gem. Anyways, I stumbled across this video of a song from the Hillsong folks down under. It was called "Healer." The song was pretty good but what really got me was the story behind the song. The guy who wrote it is a pastor down there and he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He was not given much time to live. After hearing the news, he went into his studio and began to write the song. The song is a declaration of faith that Jesus can heal him and that even in this very difficult situation, he will trust Jesus. Solid. The video of the performance kicks it up a notch. The dude is on stage with oxygen tubes up his nose. I even think he had a cane. Everyone who was interviewed was saying how that was the most incredible moment to sing the song with him. They felt like the presence of God was there in spades.
Then I read something today that shook me up a bit.
It was an article from an Australian newspaper talking about that pastor. He never had cancer. It wasn't that he was misdiagnosed, he lied about it. He made the whole thing up so he could inspire people with the song and the story. Nobody knew. Not even his own family.
And it made me sad.
Not angry, maybe a little frustrated, ok, a lot frustrated. But not angry. I understand weakness and the feeling like you have to have it all together. I hope that I am a person who can extend grace to those who need it. But at the same time, it makes me really sad.
Sad that we are so blind to what God is doing in our midst that we have to make it up. Sad that we might now even realize what God really wants for us. Sad that it seems like the norm is now for Christian leaders to commit scandal after scandal. Just sad.
Maybe behind the pretty light show, the huge venue, the 15 musicians on stage, the sound system that lets you get lost in the music, and the jumbo-tron screen with all the words, our "worship" is nothing more than a sham. Do we hide behind it all? How come when I watch those videos I wish I was part of that Band making that great sounding music for the thousands of people who have shown up. Why can't I remember that the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. Or that when two or three are gathered, He is there?
That is not to say that all the people who put on those concerts or who go to them are fakers, as I am sure there were plenty of people that night who needed to declare that Jesus is their healer. It's true. He is and I believe that. But what good is it all if people feel like they have to put on a show to help people connect with God? Even when that show is lying to your family. It is a dangerous thing to connect the worship of God with being entertained or entertaining. Very dangerous. Evil? maybe. I am not sure I am willing to go there just yet.
I am pretty sure that God said something like "Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!" Maybe we ought to listen. Maybe I ought to listen . . . and name my blog after it.
Nevertheless, I hope and pray that he and his family find healing and restoration through this.
God, it seems, is not without a sense of irony.
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