The Core Blog

Wiksell's Hierarchy of Deeds

2009-06-10T06:30:00.007-05:00

I was thinking this morning about what motivates us to do what we do. Why we make certain choices, and why we later stick them, or abandon them. As I thought about it, I realized that there is a spectrum of motivations behind our actions, from the very weak to the very strong. The very weak motivations produce no consistent pattern or reliability of behavior, and the very strong ones can define our very essence and identity.

Yes, the title of this post is a shameless pun, but (speaking of motives) the pun was not the motivation behind the post... it came after I'd already gotten the idea.

Following is my "Hierarchy of Deeds", from weak to strong: Chance - Whim - Habit - Preference - Phase - Commitment - Contract - Covenant. Let's presume that each of the deeds being evaluated here is a positive one, and "rewards" refers to the result of following through on the decision to act, and "consequences" refers to the result of failure to act according to the stated motivation.

A few things that I think are interesting about this hierarchy:

-Whim, Habit, Preference and Phase go together as factors of preference. Whim is fleeting preference, habit is past preference that affects the present, and phase is prolonged preference.

-Commitment, Contract and Covenant have similar consequences: social punishment, criminal punishment, divine punishment, respectively. A commitment is an arrangement between two relative equals, with no formal accountability. A contract is between to relative equals, under the accountability of a higher entity. And a covenant is between a higher entity and a lower one.

Chance

Motivation: arbitrary happenstance; involuntary action or re-action
Rewards: random luck
Consequences: random misfortune
Example: walking left or right around a pole in the sidewalk

Whim

Motivation: fleeting preference; mindless habit
Rewards: trivial or random
Consequences: a sense of inconsistency or inconvenience
Example: walking to avoid cracks on the sidewalk

Habit

Motivation: past preference or necessity extrapolated to the present
Rewards: ordered lifestyle
Consequences: unpredictability, loss of efficiency or pattern
Example: walking fast while at work, to appear busy

Preference

Motivation: personal taste; past experience
Rewards: pleasure; fun; satisfaction
Consequences: disappointment
Example: walking the dog on the quiet street instead of the busy one.

Phase

Motivation: prolonged preference; peer pressure
Rewards: belonging; personal identity; enjoyable lifestyle
Consequences: outsider reputation, dullness
Example: walking with a "gangsta" limp

Commitment

Motivation: conviction; belief in a cause or group
Rewards: community or relationship; making a difference
Consequences: social punishment; alienation or distrust
Example: walking a group of children to school every Monday

Contract

Motivation: business or employment; legal agreement or relationship
Rewards: profit; mutual benefit; legal mandate
Consequences: criminal punishment; civil litigation
Example: walking your rounds as a security guard

Covenant

Motivation: devotion; unconditional love; faith in a higher power
Rewards: temporal and eternal favor and blessings
Consequences: divine punishment and/or damnation (but God forgives)
Example: walking with God as a disciple of Jesus

Of course, Covenant is the most interesting to me, especially because of the way God establishes his covenant with Abram. Abram is scared to death to enter into this covenant, because he knows God is perfect, and as soon as he walks through the blood (another example of walking) he's a dead man. Covenants in the Old Testament were punishable by death. But instead, God himself passes through the blood, taking the entire weight of the covenant upon himself.

I've heard the marriage is a covenant, and also that marriage is more of a contract, because covenants are made only by unequal partners, i.e. man and God. It's true that in a legal sense a marriage really is a contract (and a commitment) but in a spiritual sense I believe it is a covenant, because it's an agreement between each spouse and God himself. That they make a covenant with God, together, in the presence of the community.

But it is not a covenant that is punishable by death, as in the Old Testament, since God took all the punishment upon himself in the form of his son, Jesus.

The ending to this post is going to seem abrupt, because I didn't really have a big finish in mind. Just wanted to express my highly analytical side for a change.

Thanks for humoring me.

If Socrates Were to Start a Band...

2009-05-27T23:02:00.001-05:00

Before I forget, I want to list some of the band-name ideas that have arisen from our intense-yet-meandering discussions at Socrates Cafe the last two Wednesdays. (Explanations are in parentheses.)

Evil Cheeses (Kraft Singles and their connection to Big Tobacco.)

Dr. Sudafed and the Beta Fish (two things you can't buy in large quantities without running all over town.)

and my personal favorite...

The Fugly Anglers (no idea.)

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Message - The Perpetrator [adam]

2009-05-22T09:00:00.002-05:00

This is my message from Sunday, April 19, 2009. It was the first in the series called Profiles in Redemption.

http://www.thecoredowntown.com/audio/ThePerpetratorAdam.mp3

If the mp3 doesn't work yet, bear with me. I'm still trying to figure out this Podcast stuff.

Broken

2009-05-22T06:30:00.004-05:00

Please pray for my dad.

He was on his bicycle yesterday, and was almost home when he hit a slick patch on a turn and wiped out. My mom tells me that he laid there for a minute, in shock, until a fellow pastor and his wife drove by and noticed him there. They were able to get out and help him, and he thought he was going to be ok, until he tried to stand up. That's when he realized something was broken.

Fortunately there was an emergency room literally across the street, and he was quickly diagnosed with a broken hip. So he is there this morning, waiting for hip surgery, where they will set the bones and put in a pin. If experience is any guide, it will be a long recovery. But of course, we're praying otherwise.

It's hard to accept this. My dad always seemed sort of invincible. Even though he's nearly 60, he's in some of the best shape of his middle-aged life. For at least the past 5 years, he's been committed to eating healthy and getting a lot of exercise. And of course it's painfully ironic that the latter would have been the instrument of this injury.

Once again, please pray for this surgery, and that his recovery will be nothing short of miraculous.

Soft-Sell Tacos

2009-05-21T11:28:00.003-05:00

Note: This post is adapted from an e-mail about Socrates Cafe, that I wrote to a fellow leader at The Core.

Funny thing...

Somebody came into the print shop I work at yesterday afternoon talking about how he wanted to start an evangelistic hangout for youth, and he mentioned the Front Porch as a place kind of like what he wants to do, but without the FP's "soft sell". What's funny is, he was talking to me, but he didn't know I had anything to do with it. So I didn't tell him, because I enjoyed hearing his unguarded opinion.

The fact is, I don't think we have a "soft sell" because I don't think we have a "sell" at all. At least I don't want to have one. Should an outsider's experience with the church be more like getting invited to dinner with friends, or more like stepping onto a used car lot? Some of the things we do have a pointed spiritual emphasis, especially the worship gatherings, and also things like QAF, the Sisterhood and the Journeymen. And I actually miss the spiritual discussions I used to have with QAF.

But there also need to be non-spiritual things, to show people that that's not all "church" people care about, or know how to talk about. I think it makes a big impact on some people to be able to sit down with a group of Christians and talk about political or social issues without there having to be some underlying spiritual principle behind it, or an overwhelming conservative bias. I think an environment like that, one that welcomes them in and wants to hear their view, gives them a fuller picture of who Christ is. But Socrates Cafe could never stand alone... it needs the more spiritual activities around it to make sure we don't "de-spiritualize" Christianity altogether.

We've just started a series with Socrates called "pro-con", based on the website www.procon.org, where we can work through some hardcore social issues, and really hash them out together, but in a respectful and thoughtful way. Last night we talked about legalization of Marijuana, and it was a lively discussion to say the least. If you've got ideas for upcoming topics, make sure to let me know...

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And the Planets Align to Please Me...

2009-05-09T09:39:00.004-05:00

If you genuinely like all your beliefs... if there's not a single one that you wish were untrue... then it's a virtual guarantee that many of them are untrue.

What are the odds that the whole of reality would arrange itself according to your preferences?

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Christianity and the Maps of War

2009-05-02T07:45:00.004-05:00

I was thinking about Christianity as an institution; as an establishment, versus Christianity as a Spiritual Commitment, and I ran across this short video.

All that blue area... how did that happen? Was it a result of the Spirit-driven success of missionaries? At first, with splotches of blue throughout Israel, Asia Minor (Turkey) and Southern Europe, I would say definitely so. (You'll notice this is the only time in the video when any religion spreads in splotches, instead of smooth, thorough expansion. I think this is the difference between missions and conquest.) And although the modern-day spread of blue in Sub-Sarahan Africa is certainly exaggerated (Christianity is not nearly as predominant as that in this area,) I would concede that it's primarily a result of missionary activity.

But what about the rest? Europe began as a mixed bag of scattered enclaves of evangelism, but its religion was sealed by the conversion of Constantine in AD 313, which mandated Christianity in the Byzantine empire, and then by Charlemagne and the rise of the Holy Roman Empire in the 9th and 10th centuries. By that point, Europe was Christian by default, not by conviction.

And the rest is pretty obvious. Latin America was overrun by gold-hungry Spanish conquistadors, who made a mixed attempt at missions and conquest, both of which employed forms of coercion. A third method was intermarriage, resulting in the overwhelmingly Cathlic Latino ethnicity.

By contrast, the original inhabitants of modern-day English-speaking countries remain largely unconverted, but their lands became Christian as they were displaced by Christian pilgrims and colonists. These sojourners failed to establish new anthropological centers for Christianity, instead simply founding a "second Europe."

What's my point in all this? Look at the Christianity we have today. Can we honestly claim that this is the Spirit of Christ at work in the world? In many cases it is, but is the preponderance of our religious establishment a true representation of our Messiah? Or is it more accurately a result of power-mongering, influence-wielding, and gold-digging?

Even in the latter case, God produces good from evil, and many of the most sincere Christ-followers I know have been introduced to their Savior by cultural means. But shall we do evil that good may result? God forbid!

I have always had a feeling that world-wide Christianity is not what we have made it out to be. Jesus counts many among his own, but I honestly doubt that he is touting that 2 billion number that we see bandied about. To follow Christ is to subvert the natural order, and I don't believe it can ever gain establishment in society. It may, now and then, hold sway for a moment. But it always rubs too hard against the grain, until more worldly and pragmatic leaders regain power, dismissing the way of Christ back into the underground where it belongs.

There will always be a temptation to gain favor in the ways of mankind, to grow in influence, to produce a spiritual media-darling or a popular guru that brings comfort and popularity to our cause. We will always want to look for ways to be respected even by those who disagree with us. But Jesus warned us in Luke chapter 6, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat false prophets in the same way."

The true prophets are not so well-liked (don't think I'm necessarily referring to myself.) As the Spirit works in us, we will get the message through to some. But not all. And so long as we recognize this calling as the Missio Dei, a mission that belongs to God, not us, then we can thank him for that.

And press forward through the underground.

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Zadok and Zebulun

2009-04-30T21:48:00.009-05:00

Note: This is a short story I wrote, which was published at jesusmanifesto.com in November 2007. I did so because that website's readership is largely unknown to me. For a long time I was hesitant to share this with those I am close to, but I feel like the time is right. Enjoy the story, and share your thoughts in the comments. (You should definitely have thoughts...)

Long ago there lived two Israelite men in the great city of Babylon. They were twins, named Zadok and Zebulun, although the Babylonians gave them strange, dishonorable names that we will not mention here.

Zadok and Zebulun were good men, righteous and blameless. And although they were not priests or rabbis, they wielded an impressive grasp of scriptural interpretation and application. Their natural hero was Daniel, who died hundreds of years ago, but left behind a legacy and respectability for the descendants of Abraham that continued firmly to the present day. In all their studies, and whenever they lied down and got up, whenever they worked or ate or walked from place to place, they struggled to follow the ways of God, in the footsteps of the prophet Daniel.

Occasionally they would hear news from Israel, where they longed to return within their lifetimes. It grieved them to learn that the priests and teachers of the law, and virtually the entire class of Pharisees, had become obsessed with legalities and judgment. Their very own tribe, it appeared, had lost their sense of direction… their sense of God’s heart, who desires mercy, not sacrifice.

And although mercy and humility were their highest aim, they knew that sacrifices must continue until their Messiah arrived.

They were also aware of the state of bondage in Israel–that Rome had overrun their homeland, and that many Israelites were desperate for a Messiah to come at last to free them. And though their hearts beat as one with the people of their own blood, Zadok and Zebulun knew deeply that a Messiah was to come, not to rescue their people from invasion, but from their sins. It was the prophet Isaiah who said of the coming Messiah, “He was pierced for our transgressions, and crushed for our iniquities.” They could only pray that when the Messiah did come, the people would see him for who he was.

If only they had known that at that very time the Messiah was, indeed, present in Israel. He was born about the time Zadok and Zebulun were getting married… 18, 19 years old. And now the Messiah was 33 years old, at the height of his earthly ministry.

It was during this year, nearing the feast of Passover, that Zadok became deathly ill. He was in such great pain that the 22nd Psalm became his mantra–a Psalm of deep suffering, but earth-shattering hope. As the family gathered around in an attempt to include him in their Passover meal, he quoted it again, gathering strength at the climax, “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.” And finally, with his last breath he whispered hoarsely, “Next year in Jerusalem.” And each member of his family echoed, “Next year in Jerusalem.” And Zadok went to the bosom of Abraham.

After a few days spent in utter grief, Zebulun became determined to fulfill his brother’s wish, to be in Jerusalem, on his behalf. He gathered his servants, camels, and supplies and set out for the City of David.

As he embarked from Babylon, unbelievable things were happening in Jerusalem. Those who once followed the Messiah had now turned on him, and demanded that he be crucified at the hand of Pontius Pilate. The greatest man ever to walk the earth became a humiliating spectacle, and died harshly and grimly in the full sight of passers-by. He was wrapped up and buried in a rich man’s tomb. But on the third day he conquered that grave, and rose to proclaim God’s victory and resurrection to all mankind. The Messiah, Jesus, had ushered in a new covenant where all who claim him would be saved.

Zebulun was on his way there–on his way, unkowingly, to take part in this celebration of new life. But then tragedy struck, as a band of thieves ambushed his traveling party, made off with his belongings, and killed him and all his servants in cold blood.

Zadok died under the old covenant, and went to be with his God. Zebulun died under the new covenant, not knowing or accepting the name of Jesus, and went instead to eternal punishment.

At least that's what Sunday School has taught me. Or am I missing something?

The Weight of God

2009-04-21T07:26:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday I spoke about Adam. It made a natural first installment to my new message series called "Profiles in Redemption". The idea is to take a journey through the lives of 10 of the most important characters in the Bible, and see how their stories weave into the great story of Redemption.

In the course of talking about Adam, somehow I landed on an unplanned metaphor. This happens from time to time, seeing how often I think in metaphors. (This may be my most godly trait, which is unfortunate, because it doesn't exactly show up on the list of Spiritual Gifts or Fruit of the Spirit.) And I'm not saying this metaphor is canon-worthy, exactly. But it's blog-worthy, anyway.

The plain fact is, God reveals his fullness to those who recognize their emptiness. Gladly, he doesn't wait until you've arrived and have completely sacrificed everything you have to enter into your life. But in general, I'd say that the more empty we become, the more fully he enters in. "May he increase, may I decrease," John the Baptist would say.

So I thought of a scale. Nobody steps on a scale when it already reads 10 lbs. And certainly not when it reads 30 or 40. You could step on it if you want, but nobody would take the reading seriously. It would not be an accurate description of your body. If we encounter a scale like this, we realize that we have to calibrate it first, so that it reads at zero, before it can be useful. In other words, a scale can have no recognition of weight on its own. It must be prepared only to receive the weight that comes to it.

If each of us is a scale, I don't know anybody who's fully calibrated, although I know some who are pretty close. And when I look at their weight, I see 100, 150 or 200,000 pounds, so to speak. Readings that are not humanly possible. This makes it obvious to me that God has become willing to put his "full" weight into them, and we can begin to see what God "really weighs".

The question we've got to ask ourselves is, do we really want to know God? Do we want to know what he's actually like, or do we just want bits and pieces of him to complement our own ego and self-esteem? Would we trade the inestimable weight of God's glory in our lives for the few dozen pounds that we can muster on our own?

I think most of us would.

LifeSpan

2009-03-23T08:45:00.002-05:00

I hardly ever do endorsements on this blog, and even more rarely are they of a commercial nature.

However, I need to take one post here to brag on my friend Charles Whitehead. Back in 2007, when the Front Porch was under construction, Charles donated many hours of his time and effort to construct our coffee bar at no charge whatsoever. Since we had to use mostly very simple and affordable materials, the result is not a true representation of the extent of his craftsmanship. Nevertheless, he did a marvelous job, and I feel like the least I could do for him is to promote his newly formed company, called LifeSpan. Take the link and check out his website, especially if you need any tile or carpentry work done in the near future.

The Soma Center (part 2)

2009-03-12T19:05:00.002-05:00

Continued from Part 1

This network would be the heartbeat behind the Soma Centers. And the Centers would be a tangible manifestation of a unified network of believers. Here are some potential details for the network, apart from what I wrote in the post I just linked to.

1a) Members - Individuals who feel a solidarity with the Network, and feel like they can both benefit from it, and serve through it. Membership with any particular church is not necessary, although intentional fellowship with other believers is strongly encouraged. The payment of minimal yearly dues would be required, except in the case of financial hardship, in which case volunteer effort may be substituted. Members would have privileged and discounted access to Soma Centers.

1b) Sponsors - A Member can choose to be a sponsor by increasing his or her commitment to contribute to the Soma Network and/or Centers through extra financial donations, or volunteer efforts. A Sponsor would have priority access to Soma Centers, in many cases free of charge. This is not special treatment for the rich (especially since volunteer effort is an option,) rather it is an incentive to encourage an extra level of commitment, which will be necessary to make the whole operation possible. Nevertheless, Sponsors will never be considered a higher class of individual, or be given any kind of public praise.

2) Member Churches - Denominational or Non-denominational churches who wish to identify with the call for unity in the body, and participate in the "body life" made possible by the Soma Network and the Soma Centers. The payment of a small percentage of the church's budget would be required, except in the case of financial hardship (in which case volunteer effort could be substituted,) or a decision not to make use of the Soma Center's facilities. A Member Church would have privileged and discounted access to Soma Centers.

2a) Sponsor Churches - You get the picture by now. Sponsoring would involve a higher level of giving and/or volunteer effort from the church itself, and priority/free use of Soma Centers.

3) The Public - Anyone desiring to use the Soma Center for a purpose that fits within the general scope and guidelines of the facility will be welcome to do so, at full price, and after full consideration is given to the needs of Members and Sponsors. Ideally, though, "full price" would still amount to a lower rate than one would encounter at the average community rental facility.

I know a lot of this sounds like just another megalomaniacal ordeal; a victim of the Edifice Complex; a mammoth project worthy of the Bible Belt. And it would be a large undertaking, without a doubt. But in the end, the purpose is not just to throw money at one more program or building fund. Ultimately it is to allow each church to do more with less, to be who God has called them to be, and avoid the pressure to meet every need and run every program.

It's ok for each church to be quirky and unique and gappy. In fact, it's perfect. But when those gaps start to become obvious to those with real unmet needs, that's where the larger body has got to be able to step in. Why should a loyal member of a house church with a unique need have to choose between defecting to the local megachurch, or seeking secular gatherings in order to find what they need? The Church needs to be there for them, and it needs Unity and Intentionality in order to do so. Those are two characteristics I imagine for the Soma Network.

With something like this in place, eventually more and more gatherings of believers would become satisfied with simplicity, with meaningful fellowship and organic worship, not having to wonder if they're missing out on the diversity and complexity of the larger body, but knowing that a vibrant, dynamic connection exists at all times to truly flesh out the body of Christ.

Here is my silly little dream sketch. Enjoy!

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A Tulip of Reconciliation

2009-03-12T06:27:00.002-05:00

Good news.

I've found a way to bring Calvinists and Arminians together in only 5 steps. (Sorry Calvinists, no mnemonic flower acrostic for you, this time.)

If Calvinists can agree with #1 (and I know they will,) then they should be able to follow me to #5.

1. Christians are the Collection of the Elect.

2. Another word for Collection is Body, and another word for Elect is Chosen.

3. So Christians are the Body of the Chosen.

4. Another word for Chosen is Anointed, and the Greek word for Anointed is Christos.

5. So Christians are the Body of Christ.

Now, Arminians can simply read this list backwards.

Is it possible that we're all really saying the same thing?

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The Soma Center (part 1)

2009-03-11T18:26:00.010-05:00

"If God is with you, make your plans big." -D.L. Moody

Ever since God steered me away from the path of professional music ministry, and toward the ideals of The Core, I have been steadily losing my far-sightedness. In other words, I'm still not sure I know what I want to be when I grow up. Graphic design makes a good day job, and I enjoy it. It can even pay well if you're lucky. Pastoring The Core feels like a good fit for me, too, but I don't really know what The Core will look like in 5 or 10 years, and I don't think I'm cut out to leave it and plant more churches, and many, many other churches already in existence that I could pastor would probably want me to be something I'm not.

But today, I feel like I got a glimpse.

Even from early on in the operation of the Front Porch, I've had a "wandering eye" of sorts. I tend to leer at these big, old buildings in broken down industrial areas that are obviously longing to be gutted and remodeled. Springfield has no shortage of them. God has got to have something in mind for these monsters... but when I start the infill in mind, I run out of dreams before I run out square footage, and it just starts to seem like a project for a project's sake.

Meanwhile, in another sector of my mind, I look at all the wasted space inside church walls. Basketball courts that get used twice a week, if that, and probably less than once a week for basketball. Auditoriums that sit empty 85% of the time; Classrooms that get more attention from a housekeeper than a class; Dining areas and fellowship halls and multi-purpose rooms that just seem to be twiddling their thumbs, dying for a little action.

Don't get me wrong. In the context of our current faith culture, most of these churches are doing a fine job maintaining and using their facilities. But isn't it possible that there's a better solution? Large churches nearly always have more space than they need (even if the surplus is on weekdays) and small churches lack the amenities and ministries and facilities that draw so many to "Six Flags Over Jesus."

I am not against megachurches. However, there is a special place in my heart for those smaller bodies who truly believe in holistic fellowship, and relational discipleship, yet always struggle to gain a foothold in our society due to a lack of resources, connections, or both.

You may love the prayerful atmosphere at the House Church, but they can't remedy the constant distractions your children create.

You may love the spiritual growth at the Simple Church, but you feel isolated as the only single person over age 25.

You may love the sense of community at the Coffeehouse Church, but you can't get past the memories of support groups, mission trips, book studies, youth events, and basketball clubs at your old megachurch.

My question: Why should these two problems continue to exist? Why should resources go wasted at large churches, and go lacking at small churches?

My answer: A large, urban Church Co-Op Center. For now, let's imagine it would be called the Soma Center (Soma being the Greek word for "body".)

Before I go into any detail, let me paint a few pictures for you:

Imagine a small network of House Churches. Each one functions well on its own, but they love to get together once a month to stay on the same page, and broaden their circles of fellowship. They can reserve an auditorium at the Center for just such an occasion. Or even for other occasions, such as a wedding, baptism, funeral, or just a big party for no good reason. And if one of the House Churches in this network doesn't have a suitable home to meet in, they can take advantage of one of the Center's several cozy meeting rooms.

Imagine a small traditional church nearby, which has recently gained a few youth members, and an energetic youth leader, but has no money for a youth facility. They could reserve a space at the Center, and run a shuttle back and forth. Or maybe all they need is a basketball court once a month, or a venue to have occasional concerts. Perhaps the church doesn't need space for youth so much as for children, and a teacher can chaperone the children as they board the shuttle for the ride to and from their church building.

Imagine a small group of divorcees who all go to small or medium-sized churches without a DivorceCare ministry. This group can organize itself, and rent out a space at the Center. Perhaps one or more of their churches would even choose to help cover such a minimal expense. Or it could be a child-rearing club, or a discussion group, or a prayer gathering.

Imagine a church plant just barely off the ground, meeting in a high school. They've got their worship space, but they can't run the office out of the pastor's house anymore. They can rent one or two rooms of furnished office space at the Soma Center, much more affordably than anywhere else. And they may even decide to move their Sunday morning service to the Center's Auditorium while they're at it.

Imagine a church that's got everything they need except for storage space for some of their seasonal or cumbersome items. The Center can provide that to them, as well.

I think we've concluded as Americans that the only way to get all the "amenities" of the Christian Life is to grow churches that are large enough to pull them all off. But is there any reason that people from two (or more) different denominations can't share a building, especially when it is owned and run by an ecumenical and benevolent third party? I don't see why not.

Here is a list of a few features I envision for this Center:

Auditorium for 200-400 people
Chapel for 80-120 people
Gymnasium
Concert Venue
Coffeehouse
Office Space
Classrooms / Meeting rooms
Youth and Children's Education space
Daycare
Storage Space

This is not to say that the church has been necessarily been going the wrong direction... in fact, it has done many things right. But it has done these right things separately, individually, rather than corporately. And each church winds up feeling like jam spread over too much toast. Why not re-introduce the terms of first century church, when there was a "Church in Smyrna" and a "Church in Sardis" and a "Church in Corinth". Likewise there could be a Soma Center in Cleveland, and one in St. Louis, and one in Minneapolis, each representing the geographic and cultural unities that were present in the time of the first apostles.

And yet, a facility alone (or 100 facilities alone) would not amount to a very big dream. Because ultimately the vision is to unify. To repent for our divisiveness, and return to the unity Jesus called us to exhibit. And I believe a beautiful expression of such a historic turning point would be an ecumenical network (I wrote about this idea in a past post called "One-ity".) Let's call it, for our purposes here, the Soma Network.

Read part 2.

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Ctrl-Alt-Del

2009-03-05T18:49:00.003-06:00

Ctrl-Alt-Del is the new message series at The Core Worship Gathering. It will run from March 8 - 29.

"Paradigm". It's one of those pretentious words you hear in coffeehouses. And since the Front Porch is like a coffeehouse, let's have at it, shall we?

Paradigms are to human thought what water is to a fish. We rarely take notice of them, and yet they influence everything we think, say and do.

Western society has operated under a single mega-paradigm for the past several centuries: Modernism. Modernism says "prove it." "I want evidence." "Quantify everything." and "The end justifies the means." Science is the god of Modernism.

And yet, for one reason or another, the church eventually found a comfortable corner within Modernism. And although she never literally set up an altar to a god named "Reason", she might as well have. Christianity became supremely reasonable, at the expense of emotion, mystery, beauty, unity and spirit.

And if Modernism had a second god, it would be newness; novelty; progress. Anything new is given the benefit of the doubt. Anything old is quickly dismissed as outmoded or obsolete. And although the church did not worship this god as fully as the rest of the world, it certainly held its place in the pantheon. Many of the riches of our faith were abandoned and forgotten, in exchange for the "up-and-coming"

But, like it or not, Modernism is now in its final throes, and something new (and old) has come to take its place. Western culture is rebooting, and so is Cultural Christianity. When the paradigms of the past cease to satisfy searching minds, fresh modes emerge. And similarly, when you computer freezes up, you hit Ctrl... Alt... Del.

March 8 - Boomers Are Clueless (Post-Modern Epistemology)

March 15 - Vintage Faith (The Future by Way of the Past)

March 22 - Pretty/Confusing (Beauty & Mystery)

March 29 - Text Me You Love Me (Community & Communication)

Thanks to Gary Seevers for the Title Image.

San Francisco

2009-02-25T22:07:00.007-06:00

OK... I know this trip was almost 2 months ago. But I really wanted to share some photos and thoughts with you about our day in San Francisco.

I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking for a change. Here goes...

We stopped at the Golden Gate Bridge on our way to meet my parents and brother for lunch at Fisherman's Wharf. A word to the wise: always carry lots of quarters when you drive around San Francisco, because the only places to park are often metered, and only take coins. This was the case with the spot we found at the Bridge. Fortunately, there was 11 minutes left on the meter (and we had to rush anyway in order to meet my family,) so we grabbed the camera and ran up the hill to take a few snapshots. As you can see, I could use a bit more practice with my self-portrait skills.

This may be the coolest candy shop in the world. It's one of the places we stopped at Fisherman's Wharf, after lunch.

After FW, we made the short walk over to Pier 39. There were a lot of neat stores and restaurants there, although it was a little too manufactured for my tastes (think Silver Dollar City meets San Francisco Bay.)

Here's a classic San Francisco shot. That's Coit Tower at the top-right, and the famous Lombard Street running just left of center. We were driving a rented minivan (which was not part of the plan until the wedding party asked me to drive the one they rented the day before,) which isn't necessarily the type of vehicle you'd want when traveling up and down these hills. At least it was an automatic.

I knew San Francisco was hilly, but when you pull up to a stop sign before a street like this, and you pretty much have to look straight up to see where you're going... there's really no preparation for that. I just waited to make sure no other cars were in the street in front of me at the time (thank God it was Sunday,) and gunned it, Christina putting fingernail marks in my forearm the entire way up.

Caption: "I don't really need to use the toilet, but when will I ever see another one this cool?"

This is on the grounds of Coit Tower, pictured in the previous photo. Neat place, but once your car is in the hour-long line to get to the tiny parking lot at the top of this hill, you're going to Coit Tower whether you like it or not. I liked it.

While looking down at the city from Coit Tower, we saw this cathedral, called Saints Peter and Paul Church. Must have been a merger at some point. But we were absolutely stunned by the elegance of this building, and on top of that, we found a (free!) parking space just off the park square in front of it, so we stopped and headed in to see if they give tours.

To our surprise, we walked in and were greeted and handed a song sheet. OK... this is not a tour. This is mass. We were now unwitting attendees to Saints Peter and Paul's 5 pm Sunday Mass. So we sat down to take in the experience.

As you can see, the interior is just as striking as the exterior. It was easy to ignore everything going on and just stare at the walls. And it was a little funny that, despite the glory of our surroundings, the music and the mass in general were pretty anticlimactic. Acoustic guitar instead of organ, priest with a small, throaty voice instead of a soaring or booming one, and only a smattering of parishioners.

Nevertheless, I gleaned something from my moments under this vaulted ceiling: God was big. Everything in this space pointed upward toward his exalted nature, his omnipotent wonder, his eternal existence. God is tremendously big and we are painfully small.

And yet, the genius of an edifice such as this, is that there's more to the story. It's not just that we are sitting beneath a soul-crushing mega-force. Rather, the architecture lifts us up, it raises our souls to mingle with the divine among the stained glass and mosaics and telltale marble inlays. Although we are seated in pews some 90 feet below the ceiling, that distance gives our hearts room to reckon with a God who has lowered himself to be reckoned by us. The Creator of all, who deserves the bend of every knee, has bowed within our reach. And there's something about this space that reminds me once again of the dumbfounding reality of incarnation.

I began to wonder if I, and most of the people I knew, were missing something important in our worship experiences. Even the loudest and most fervent song services can't convey God's power in this way. And certainly not our humble little community venue, with our sorry chandelier, our little prayer groups, and stumblingly conversational sermons.

But maybe that really is part of the wonder. Not every gathering of believers must convey every facet of the body. In other words, maybe we need to get out more; that every time we meet a new group of Christ-followers, we discover a new facet of the face of God. And never, ever should we doubt that God has made us peculiar for a reason; to be ourselves, and not envy the unique divinities that he has impressed upon those who gather elsewhere.

When the service was over, Christina and I got up to look around some more, and came upon the candle room (although I'm sure there's a better name for it.) At the time we were worried about our Dwarf Rabbit, Steamer, whom we'd owned for 6 years, and had to put through surgery recently. We weren't sure if he would recover, so we lit a candle and prayed for his healing. Whether or not the candle made any difference, you'll be glad to know that Steamer recovered beautifully, and is chomping away at his kibble as I write these words.

As we left the church, we walked up the street, past dozens of colorful restaurants, bars, coffee shops, boutiques and the like. We found one that looked worthwhile, and stopped in for a cappuccino. We drank it as we sat out on the sidewalk, listening to an impromptu accordion performance.

That was our day in San Francisco. I'd say it was a good one.

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Unfortunate Son of American Family

2009-02-07T12:21:00.002-06:00

I feel like I've been disowned by American Family. (This blog post is going to seem very out of place, but some things just gotta be said.)

I inherited my relationship with the insurance giant American Family from my own family. My parents have used them for years for auto, homeowner, and other coverage. They recommended Overland Park, KS agent Kathy Skahan to me, who is very helpful and friendly. No complaints about her.

So I'd used American Family for years for my auto insurance, and renter's insurance. Then, in October 2005 we bought a house. So we tapped AF for our homeowner's coverage as well.

In January 2007 Springfield suffered its worst ice storm in decades. Portions of our roof and siding were damaged, and American Family came out, took a look, and cut us a check. Of course, this was their only option in the fact of cut-and-dried damage from a major weather catastrophe.

But something more insidious was going on underneath. When we lost power for over a week, one of our hot-water pipes (which are used to being nice and toasty) got cold, and apparently, cracked. But here's the catch: the leak was underneath the kitchen floor, in a crawl space which is virtually inaccessible to human beings. So the very minor leak began to express itself, and we had no idea.

Fast-forward to October 2008. Half of our kitchen floor is sagging, our dishwasher and refrigerator are leaning, counters are separating from walls, and water is leaking ever-so-slightly from doorjambs. Upon investigation, we discover that our crawlspace is filled with steam, to the point that it had been venting up through the walls, and filling a portion of our attic. The floorboards and joists are soaked and rotted, and there is evidence of mold.

We call American Family to come out, since water leaks are supposedly covered in our policy. But there's one minor detail we weren't aware of: leaks which persist for a matter of "weeks, months or years" are actually NOT covered. Which means: don't leave your house for more than two weeks, or you might come back to discover a pipe leak which won't be covered by your insurance company.

I'll spare you the ensuing details except to say this: When I was trying my best to get a re-inspect scheduled pursuant to our original storm claim, it took American Family 2 weeks to even get an adjuster assigned, and no one returned my repeated phone calls for one whole week of that. Apparently the supervisor was "out" and his supervisor was "out".

When I finally did get them to look into it, they spoke very condescendingly and rudely, and acted as if I was inconveniencing them. They seemed angry that I would even pursue this claim.

My question for American Family: What was I supposed to do? What is any of us supposed to do when a leak develops in an invisible, inaccessible part of the house? I'll tell you what you do: you wait until there's a symptom, you discover the leak, and you fix it with your own damn money (which you don't have,) and you continue to pay your premiums like a good little boy.

I'm tempted to apologize for my attitude, but I imagine you're a grown-up, and you can handle my true sentiments, without the sugar coating.

At any rate... we're continuing to pursue this claim along more aggressive lines, and I now gag every time I see an American Family commercial about being there when you need them.

Some family.

My Super Bowl Prediction

2009-02-01T08:28:00.004-06:00

Who do I think is going to win the Super Bowl? Let's see... first of all, who's playing?

Oh, I remember. It's Not-the-Chiefs vs. Not-the-Chiefs.

I think it will be a tie.

FroPo in its Own Words - Tabitha

2009-01-26T15:30:00.003-06:00

It's time to confess that I've been too tired and/or busy to come up with many original blog posts, in addition to preparing for a Sunday morning message each week. Now I understand why most pastors' blogs are so boring and sporadic. Of course most of them aren't working full-time jobs on the side.

So I'm going to start a little series where I get other people to write my blog for me, and I'm calling it "FroPo in its Own Words"

The first installment will be from Tabitha, one of our very first volunteers to join up, back in 2007.

I walk in the door and I feel like I'm walking into a best friends house, but I'm not at a house...welcome to the Front Porch.

It might as well be my home away from home. I probably spend just as much time here as I do at home...and if I don't it sure feels like I do. I'd rather be here than home most days, surrounded by strangers && friends - an awkward sort of family.

I'm at a concert right now, in similar fashion to last weekend...and in similar fashion to weekends past. Random concerts, open mic nights, Sunday morning worship, && Wednesday night discussion groups - it's genuine honest community and it's real.

It's a real place with real people that I haven't encountered anywhere else. I don't know if that makes sense in the way I want it to, but it makes sense to me...

I'm the Sunday morning heckler && the random night barista, the open mic night emcee && the [insert title here].

I don't really know what to say about the FroPo other than that it feels like home and it feels safe.

So there's that...

If you are a regular at the Front Porch, and would like to contribute to this series, just send me an e-mail.

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Love Forward, Trust Backward

2009-01-15T08:17:00.004-06:00

So many Christians have
the love of a child
and
the faith of an adult.

This is a problem.

"Greater Love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." -Jesus, John 15:13

"Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." -Jesus, Matthew 18:3b

If I asked everybody to name the two most powerful attributes of Christianity, I'll bet the words I would get more than any others would be Faith and Love.

But both of these words are dangerous, because Love can mean a bzillion things, and Faith just sort of sits there, sounding defeated. So let's fix that real quick before we move on.

When I say Love, I mean active, determined selflessness. So we'll hold onto the word love, but utilize it as a fierce and powerful verb instead of a state of emotion or preference, as it is often (mis)used.

When I say Faith, I mean active, daily decisions to put your life in the hands of another. And since we already have a better word for that, I'm going to replace "Faith" with "Trust". In fact, I make this substitution as often as possible in conversation.

So now we have two strong, unwavering verbs: Trust and Love. How we live these actions out in real life makes up a huge part of our Christianity. How we grow in them is a major determiner in what kind of disciples we become. So that begs the question: How does our Rabbi say we should grow in Trust, and grow in Love?

In the John verse above, Jesus is showing us the epitome of love; to care so much more for another's benefit than for yours, that you are willing to die for them. This is how love grows: forward, in maturity. Learning to put yourself last. Let's think about that from the beginning...

A healthy baby loves only those who provide warmth and sustenance.
A healthy adolescent loves mostly those who provide for her, but is learning how to be more selfless.
A healthy adult loves those around him by consistently putting their needs first.

As you can see, most healthy human beings learn naturally how to grow in love, how to put others' needs ahead of their own. Often this comes to people when they develop close friendships, and/or get married; most often it shows up when they have kids. Although it's far from perfect, it still tends to point in the right direction.

In the Matthew verse, Jesus says sort of the opposite thing about trust (or faith.) Although the natural growing up process tends to bring people closer to the ideals of love, it actually takes people further from the ideals of trust.

A healthy baby trusts everyone.
A healthy adolescent trusts family, friends, teachers, police officers, perhaps neighbors, but not strangers. Anything beyond that is dangerous.
A healthy adult trusts only those who have earned her trust. Anything beyond that is naive.

But Jesus tells us we have to change and become like little children. Even as we mature in love, we must go backwards in faith and trust. Obviously he doesn't mean that we should start trusting every e-mail spammer, or conspiracy theorist, or (ahem) politician. After all, we are supposed to live in wisdom. But he does mean that we need to open our hearts to trust God more.

Yet, when it comes to our relationship with God, we routinely get both love and trust backward.

Although we know how to love some people by putting their needs ahead of our own, how often do we put God's desires ahead of our own? How often do we ask God what would benefit him the most, regardless of what it costs us? Do we really love him like adults, seeking to center our lives only on whatever is best for him? Or do we love him like children, with no thought except what's in it for us? The answer is unfortunate: we most often love God like children.

But in the matter of trust, where we're supposed to behave like children, we all tend to grow up too fast. We say we trust God, but are we actually giving him the benefit of the doubt? Do we base all our conclusions about him on the a priori knowledge that he is good? Do we really cast all our worries and doubts at the feet of our Savior? It's a shame, but the answer, once again and all too often, is no.

What else can I say except to reiterate the call that's on our lives?

Put God's desires ahead of your own.
Ask God what would benefit him most, regardless of the cost.
Seek to center your life only on whatever is best for him.
Love him like an adult!

Give God the benefit of the doubt.
Always remember that he is good when forming your conclusions.
Cast all your worries and doubts at his feet.
Trust him like a child!

Let your love move forward, and your faith move backward.

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Plug It In (2x)

2009-01-08T08:06:00.008-06:00

Last night Christina, John, Sondra and I had a meeting with two leaders of the MidAmerica District of the Christian & Missionary Alliance, Rodger and Tom. In case you're not aware, The Core is considering affiliating with the Alliance, for purposes of assistance, accountability, and collaboration.

We had a fantastic conversation, largely because these two guys have been through all the motions of church planting, evangelism, etc, and have come to many of the same conclusions we have. Namely, that it is more about disciple-making than decision-making, it's more about building community than building numbers, and the key to being "missional" is being incarnate... simulateously striving to really know God, and really know the people around you, and the only way to do that is to surrender yourself to the heart of God, and invest yourself in the hearts of people.

On a more practical level, Rodger and Tom couldn't have been more thrilled about what's already been done at the Front Porch, and we couldn't be more thrilled about the vision they've laid out for new church planting in their district. More impressive than the fact that they want to proliferate community venues much like the FroPo, is the fact that they don't want to rely on formulas at all... they want the vision to be based on an intimate knowledge of the surrounding community and culture, and of course, obedience to God's unique direction for each new church.

One thing that stuck out in my mind was the theme of incarnation, which recurred consistently in our conversation. I commented that so many churches spend so much breath trying to convince people to "plug in" to the groups or systems or programs or activities they've already got in place. This is not wrong. But it's not really the heart of mission, of incarnation.

Brian McLaren once wrote that many of us would be better Christians if we spent less time at church, not more. Although this sentence by itself is a little too vague, I believe his point is spot-on. Because the context of this quote explains how often we Christians soak up the life of the church, and waste ourselves on it. We've got nothing left for the world, and we become more comparable to cloistered monks than roving apostles.

Maybe the church is not the power strip, that we all need to "plug into". Maybe the church is the plug, we as the church are many plugs, in search of outlets to connect with.

I am often guilty of over-extending a metaphor, and I see that I've done it again. Because my illustration here would require that the power flow backwards, from the plug into the outlet. But Jesus seems to have done everything backwards, so I'm gonna go with it.

Because isn't this more like what Jesus did, anyway? He didn't tell us to MapQuest heaven and call him if we get lost. He came. He plugged into us, and threw the power in reverse.

Sources tell me that a weekend is coming up. Be like Jesus. Go incarnate with people.

In other words, plug out.

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Waste It All

2008-12-31T08:17:00.003-06:00

I meant to write you a Merry Christmas post, but I didn't.

I meant to tell you more about my life and thoughts these last few days. But I didn't.

These two things are actually related. So let me express my hope that you had a wonderful Christmas, and that your New Year's celebrations are full of love and happiness.

Soon I hope to explain more of what's behind this... but for now I will just give you the poem that has been wrung from my heart. They read more like song lyrics than poetry, because I would like to make them into a song very soon. I hope you like it.

Waste It All
By Ryan Wiksell

The dice are warming in my hand
The chips are stacked and sorted
But they cannot stay, they cannot stay

There is no easy way; no stepping back
It’s all on red, it’s all on black
My life drops in the wheel, drops in the wheel

It may not work
I may be fooled
But anyway, we all are gambling fools
So I risked it all on you. I risked it all on you.

My portfolio must be the joke
Of brokers’ break rooms
My returns are few and lonely, few and lonely

But we spend it all on something
Something big, something dumb
We release it quick and hope it returns, hope it returns

It may not work
I may be fooled
But even the brokers are broke in the end
So I’ll go broke for you. I’ll go broke for you.

Is Judas disingenuous
To reprimand, to advocate for those with less
I broke the flask; I poured it out. I poured it out.

A year of paychecks on the floor
On the feet that carry everything I hope for
Rinsed with my tears, and dried with my hair, dried with my hair

It may not work
I may be fooled
But to really love is to fear no waste
So I’ll waste it all on you. Waste it all on you.

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A Picturesque Weekend

2008-12-22T17:59:00.003-06:00

This was a rather full weekend for the Front Porch.

Friday night was a packed out concert feature Mike Zalewski, Baked Alaska, Benefit of a Doubt, and Vacation Tee Shirt in that order.

Saturday night was our Community Christmas Dinner, which was also packed (although you may not be able to tell by the photos.)

For the rest of the story, I defer you to the following photographs. Enjoy!

FRIDAY NIGHT

Baked Alaska...

Benefit of a Doubt...

Vacation Tee Shirt...

SATURDAY NIGHT

Community Christmas Dinner

The "I" of the Beholder

2008-12-17T06:29:00.006-06:00

Yesterday I was having a conversation with a friend who seems to worry, despite being a Christian, about whether he will be in heaven when he dies. I said, "You know it's not about how much good you do, or how much bad you do, right?"

"Then what is it about? You can't just go around doing all the bad you want, and still expect to go to heaven."

"Well," I replied, "that's a good question." I was stunned. This is one of the most foundational doctrines of Christianity, and also one of the most frequently misunderstood by the public. Therefore, it should be one of questions I'm most prepared to answer. But on the contrary, I felt stuck.

The reason is, I have tried desperately to put away all the cliches and pat answers that I was raised with. Some of them were genuine and correct, and others were not, but all of them have essentially lost the ability to communicate the gospel meaningfully to my generation. So I couldn't say it was because you say a certain prayer, or make a one-time surrender to Christ, or simply trust him as your Lord and Savior. My friend had already heard these things a thousand times, and apparently they had not done the job.

After a few false starts I said, "I believe that God judges us based on whether we're looking at ourselves, or looking at him. Often the people we consider to be the best of the best are actually the most guilty, because they are always looking at themselves, and how they can measure up, and how proud they are of their spiritual or moral accomplishments. What are the main statements people make about their spirituality? "I am doing my best" "I really screwed up" "I need forgiveness" "I am getting better" "I believe in xyz."

When all our sentences start with "I" we are looking at ourselves. It's not till we put all that misplaced focus on God that we are opened up to his salvation. "I" will never cut it. "He" is the only one who can make me who I'm designed to be, and it's only going to happen when I trust in what Jesus has done for me.

And someone who is living this way is not going to just go around doing all the bad they want. It can't be simply about a one-time decision, but it also can't require daily surrender without fail. And despite the fact that I feel like I gave a relatively good answer, I still don't know exactly. If we can't fall back on the salvation prayer we prayed long ago, and we can't wake up every morning with our hearts in the right place, where is our assurance?

I know I'm running the risk of rambling at this point, but maybe assurance isn't all it's cracked up to be. At least not in the sense that it's always been used. Maybe God is not interested in our self-assurance; the confidence that I'm going to go to heaven no matter what. Maybe all our assurance should be placed on him... once again, to look at him, and not at ourselves.

Because, for all my doubts, I really don't doubt God. I doubt myself, I doubt the Bible, I doubt the will of God in my life. But God will ultimately do the very best thing, and he is so full of love and mercy and justice that he can do no other. I suppose you could say that's my Blessed Assurance. So long as I latch myself onto the one I trust, there's no need to worry.

Reminds me of something... "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

I can't change. But he can change me.

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One Girl Army

2008-12-08T18:45:00.002-06:00

Recently the Front Porch team has been joined by a young lady named Stephanie. She is very active in her efforts to reach out with compassion to needy young people in center-city Springfield. And that was the topic of an e-mail she sent to me and others this morning, which she gave me permission to publish here:

Hello all.

I wanted to shoot this e-mail out as soon as I got the opportunity to. So, I would firstly like to say a big thank you for everyone's emotional support yesterday at church. I wanted to clarify that it was not necessarily a bad cry, or an upset thing I was feeling. It was more of an "It's gonna be ok" thing.

Ryan, your message yesterday absolutely hit the point that I had been wrestling with in my mind. Though I don't feel a call for foreign missions, I have for a long time known that I am called to work with people of the streets. It's been something I have run from, and often times felt I was alone in my battle for this group of people. And selfishly, I have been acting as such.

Yesterday, It really hit me at home that I am not waging this war on my own. That I belong to an army of people that are raging for the same thing I am. Since I have conditioned myself to believe that I was in this alone, that I could never allow myself to break down and take a break. Unfortunately, I don't believe anyone can do this. I had been specifically struggling with what would happen to [name removed] when I took my step back for a little time of respite. I was not trusting my team and I most importantly was not trusting God.

It came together yesterday that I realized it was ok for me to take care of my wounds, and that even though, as selfishly as I might have been thinking that I was the only one doing anything. I have a lot of people on my team that are ready to step in and hold me up when I need it. And that no matter what, there will always be hope.

It's been so long since I've had the opportunity to be frail and at the same time have hope for what God has called us all to do. I realize now that I am part of a magnificent team, and for that I thank you so much. No words can express how I feel this morning.

Thank You
Stephanie.

I don't feel the need to add anything further to this, except perhaps to share my brief reply.

Stephanie,

This is such a beautiful realization in your life. Although I had no idea you were struggling with this, it becomes clear in hindsight. I'm so glad we could be there for you, and I'm absolutely thrilled to think that we are really beginning to gel as an authentic community! Sharing one another's sorrows, and joys...

I wrote a short blog post a long time ago entitled Let Jesus Be Jesus To You. I think it speaks to exactly your type of situation.

This Advent season, I hope you can allow Jesus to be Jesus to you, and rest in the knowledge of his absolute goodness.

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A Flip-Flop on Universal Healthcare

2008-12-02T08:56:00.005-06:00

Allow me to tread lightly.

That is, in fact, the only way a person can walk when wearing flip-flops.

Because I used to be against Universal Health Coverage and "Socialized Medicine". But on Sunday I watched a documentary made by a guy I really dislike: Michael Moore.

The movie, as you may have guessed, was called "Sicko" and was made for the purpose of alerting Americans to the brokenness of our health care / health insurance system, and opening our eyes to the Socialized Health programs of other Western nations.

I have no confidence in Moore's approach to bear any resemblance to serious, responsible journalism. The movie is clearly a piece of irreverent, shameless liberal propaganda. I am certain the stories are real, and I don't accuse him of fabricating the stats or facts presented in the film. His main infraction, I believe, was to present only the bad side of the American system, and only the good side of the systems of Canada, England, France and Cuba (yes... Cuba.)

The Cuban bit was particularly poignant and shameless at the same time. Reports from the mouths of Congress have it that detainees at Guantanamo Bay receive top-notch health care and dental care. Since Gitmo is on American soil, this gave Moore an idea. Why not take all the victims of his film's sob stories on a boat from Miami to Guantanamo to be treated for their long-neglected problems?

So they pile into three boats, and launch into the wind, with frontier-glory adventure-type music playing as they speed to the south, with a mixture of hope and fear in their eyes. When they arrive at the gate, Moore shouts to the security tower, "I have sick Americans, including 9-11 rescue workers. They need medical attention! The same kind you give to Al-Qaeda! We just want what the bad guys are getting!" Of course, he got no response. So they found their way to Havana.

Although Cuba is a very poor country, apparently their national health care system is halfway decent. But to watch Sicko, you'd think the island nation was crammed full of grandfatherly Good Samaritans with PhDs and stethoscopes. It was actually a touching moment to see these ailing people finally get the health care they deserved, for free. Nevertheless, it did strain credibility.

Having said that, I must add that much of the Health Care (or lack thereof) we experience in this country strains credibility as well. I do not fault the doctors, nurses, or even hospital administrators and boards of directors. I fault the insurance and pharmaceutical giants, and malpractice attorneys. There is a common thread running through these three rotten pursuits, and that is greed and power. The bottom line. The fat market share. The big payoff.

When the topic of Universal Health Care was broached to me, I used to have a common response: Our government seems to have the opposite of the Midas touch. They turn everything they touch into garbage. Give them a gold brick, and what you get back is only good for fertilizer.

This cynicism has not left me. Congressmen and women rate no higher than pharmaceutical CEOs in my book. But I cannot escape the reality of ever-higher premiums and drug prices, ever-lower standards of coverage, and the increasing hopelessness of even middle-class Americans to actually get the care they need. I also can't escape the success acheived in other Western nations with Socialized Medicine programs.

In the film, Moore asks one question at a crucial point that really grabbed me. "Who are we?" he pleads. Are we not a nation concerned with the least of these? Are we the kind of people whose doctors and nurses must expel a critically ill patient, and drop them off at a homeless shelter, simply due to a lack of money? Is that the nation we want to be?

In many issues of charity, I rebel against the concept of increased government involvement, and advocate for more community involvement. I believe our beaurocracy is far too active, and our theology not nearly active enough. Local not-for-profits, churches, community organizations... those are the agencies best-positioned and motivated to make a real difference.

Our governing bodies are already obscenely bloated, and have 50 times as many arms as I believe the Constitution intended. For example, America now has more employees in the Department of Agriculture than it has farmers. Do we need one more excuse for the Federal Government to put its myriad fingers into our lives? Government needs to be responsible for those things only government can accomplish. Several good examples are the Postal Service, Highway Systems, the Military, Law Enforcement, and Regulation of Commerce, Communications and Foreign Trade.

And so that brings me to the question: What kind of health care system should we strive for as Americans? Is it conceivable that our current medical milieu has any potential to acheive it? Is it conceivable that churches and not-for-profits and local goodwill organizations have the capacity to meet such a goal?

I would have to say no. It may just be that Washington needs to ask itself a rare question, "What would Jesus do?" and come to the conclusion that, in regards to health care, it must do what only Washington can do. Our government must see to it that all Americans have access to the same care, regardless of age, health history or socioeconomic status. Despite my various policy differences with President-Elect Obama, I have some hope that he can inspire us as a nation to acheive this.

It may take a while. It may not work well at first, or ever. It may endear us to old memories of copays and deductibles and claim denials. It may fail entirely.

Nevertheless, I have officially flip-flopped. Come what may, I am thoroughly convinced...

We've got to try.

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