ramblings

Maybe It's Like Baseball

2008-07-16T09:10:00.003-06:00

I was digging through my desk looking for some old sermon notes when I ran across this article from Rubel Shelly (7/13/05). I thought you might enjoy his analogy...

Okay. We're at the halfway point of the baseball season. And the Yankees are playing more respectably. So maybe that's why it occurred to me that a lot of our experience of religion is like baseball.

In baseball, fans and fanatics have a lot in common. A real baseball fan is someone who really knows the game, and most have favorite teams. They wear logo hats and jerseys. They spend good money on tickets, make friends who sit in the same part of the park, and yell loud enough to shatter your eardrums.

But there are lots of baseball fanatics who don't know the game well at all. They shout "We're Number One!" But they have no idea what a squeeze play is. They think the umpire is blind who calls a third strike on their favorite player. And they can't understand why the fan wearing their team's logo cheers when "the enemy team" makes a really good defensive play.

Fanatic devotees of a given team jump up, whistle, and high-five everybody in their section of the stadium when "our guy" hits one out of the park. They boo when the "the enemy" legs out a triple or makes a diving play to catch a sinking line drive in deep left-center. You occasionally see a partisan fanatic--but never a baseball fan--throw beer or soda on the other team's players.

All the big-league teams have both. There are authentic baseball fans who follow the Cubs or Cardinals, Red Sox or Yankees. While they know their team best and can give you batting averages and E.R.A.s for their favorite players, they also enjoy seeing other teams and players who do well. It's part of the game. Then there is the guy who considers himself "Super Fan" who has never kept a scorecard--and wouldn't know how, if his life depended on it.

Similarly, there are Christians and sectarians. They have things in common--such as church membership and loyal involvement with their local church or denomination. But they are very different too.

Christians are people whose faith in and love for Jesus Christ defines their lives. The Word of God is precious to them, and they obey it to the best of their understanding and ability. They are members of this denomination or that congregation. But they aren't such religious partisans that they think God loves only those who think and act as they do.

Sectarians believe "Nobody is right but us!" and see other churches and their members as hopelessly flawed. Those people are, in fact, "the enemy." Maybe you think it is impossible that anybody could ever think his or her group is all there is to the Body of Christ or "Everybody but us is going to hell," but I've met them.

Rabid zealots for this or that team who don't have a clue about the game their team plays are frighteningly like their counterparts in religion. They are fanatically loyal but hardly have a clue about what is going on around them.

Suing God

2008-07-14T07:29:00.003-06:00

I've seen it all now...the USA Today reports that a gay man is suing Zondervan and Thomas Nelson publishers claiming that their versions of the Bible (NIV & NKJV) which refer to homosexuality as a sin violate his constitutional rights and have caused him suffering. You can read the story here.

If this works I'm suing to have the Sermon on the Mount removed. It's always made me feel a little guilty.

Chief Joseph's Insight

2008-07-10T07:50:00.011-06:00

In 1873 the annual report of the U.S. Commissioner on Indian Affairs contained this info...

The commissioners arrived in the territory of the Nez Perces and encouraged them to move to reservations and adopt the white man's customs. One of the commissioners begin to talk of the advantages of establishing schools for Joseph's people. Chief Joseph replied that they did not want the white man's schools.

"Why do you not want schools?" the commissioner asked.

"They will teach us to have churches," Joseph answered.

"Do you not want churches?"

"No, we do not want churches."

"Why do you not want churches?"

"They will teach us to quarrel about God," Joseph said. "We do not want to learn that. We may quarrel with men sometimes about things on earth, but we never quarrel about God. We do not want to learn that."

An American Genocide

2008-07-08T07:10:00.009-06:00

OK, maybe the title of this post is a bit drastic, but I'm not sure it's that off base. I just finished reading Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. It's a history of the American West written from the perspective of the Indian. Brown explained that so much of that history has been written by those who "won" the West, he wanted to add the voices of those who "lost" it. It was an eye-opening book.

The image of the heroic cowboys fighting off the savage Indians is part of American lore. For decades, dime-store novels and then moving pictures, captured the adventurous spirit of the West. It was a time when brave pioneers charted new courses through unsettled lands. They conquered territory, established towns, and fearlessly protected their homes from unprovoked Indian attacks. It makes for a good storyline, but the real history is not quite as pretty.

Dee Brown throws open a new understanding of this period in American history. A time when we systematically destroyed a people and a culture because they had something we wanted, namely land. So in the name of manifest destiny, civilization, cultural arrogance and (unfortunately) Christianity we gradually stripped them of their lands, moved them to reservations, decimated their health and indiscriminately killed large numbers of their population. I may sound a little over the top here, but read the book. It's hard to capture the injustice of what happened.

Yet, for me, the most heartbreaking part of the book was not the lying, manipulation, greed or conquering mindset. It was the fact that some of it was done in the name of Christianity. Many of the early participants were Christian missionaries. I sense that they genuinely wanted the natives to know Christ, but they assumed that accepting him included accepting European culture. You couldn't be a nomadic clan of hunters/gatherers and be Christian. They were convinced that Christianity also equaled farming and civilization. It was a confusion of Christ and culture that still happens in the mission field today.

One example was Nathan C. Meeker. He became the agent for the Ute reservation in 1878. Brown writes this...

Most of Meeker's ventures failed, and although he sought the agency position because he needed the money, he was possessed of a missionary fervor and sincerely believed that it was his duty as a member of a superior race to "elevate and enlighten" the Utes. As he phrased it, he was determined to bring them out of savagery through the pastoral stage to the barbaric, and finally to "the enlightened, scientific, and religious stage." Meeker was confident he could accomplish all this in "five, ten, or twenty years." In his humorless and overbearing way, Meeker set out systematically to destroy everything the Utes cherished, to make them over in his own image, as he believed he had been made in God's image.

How did he accomplish this? Well, he didn't. But in his attempt, he slaughtered their ponies and replaced them with a few draft horses. This forced them to take up plowing, abandon their hunting grounds and live off government rations near the agency. When this didn't work he perpetuated the idea that Indians were savages who would never adopt the white man's faith or practices. This ultimately lead to their removal and destruction. It also lead to his death, but that's another story.

Happy 4th!

2008-07-04T10:26:00.004-06:00

If you're a history nerd like me you might enjoy reading this today. It's been a long time since I've read it. These guys had some nerves. I sure many saw it as a signing of thier own death certificate, but conviction will do that you.

More Pics

2008-07-03T12:06:00.012-06:00

Here's a few more pics of the little girl's house. The first is the exterior. The second two are both sides of the house (there's only one room). The last is the outhouse. Keep in mind...9 people sleep here. There are only two beds. No electricity. No plumbing. No clean drinking water. No basic health care. Until last year, the floor was dirt. What you see in the photos is the sum of their possessions. There's a creek 15 yards away where they wash and bathe. Drinking water is pulled from a hand-dug well that catches rainwater. It sits with a sparse cover only a few yards from the hole for the outhouse. And yet, these pictures nor my words quite capture the situation.

The Picture

2008-07-01T12:21:00.006-06:00

This is the picture of the little girl and her toys (see Friday's post). It still rips my heart out.

Day 7, 8, 9, 10

2008-06-30T09:21:00.003-06:00

There's not much to say about days 7, 8 and 9. They were spent on the island resting up for the return trip. The island was beautiful. We got to lay out by the pool, swim in the Caribbean Sea and several of us went snorkeling on Saturday. On Sunday we had an 8:30 AM service on the balcony of the bar. I was little hesitant about getting up and going but since they asked me to preach I figured I ought to show up. It was a beautiful place for worship though and I was glad I went. It's kind of neat to worship together with all those other congregations. I know that we have diverse styles of worship when we're at our home congregations, but, as someone said at the devo the night before, when you're focusing on serving people you don't have time to quarrel about other issues.

There was not supposed a day 10 to this trip. Our flight was delayed 4 hours coming out of Belize and we missed our connection in Dallas. They booked us on the next flight which didn't leave until Monday morning. We arrived at our hotel about 1:00 AM and left at 4:30 AM. It was another long day of travel. A night in Miami on the way out and a night in Dallas on the way in. I officially spent 4 days in Belize and 4 days traveling. Don't you love the airlines!

Thanks for all the prayers on the trip. In a couple of days this blog will return to it's random ramblings. I read two good books on the trip...UnChristian and Bury by Heart at Wounded Knee. I'll have a few thoughts on those.

Belize, Day 5 & 6

2008-06-27T16:01:00.004-06:00

We're finally back in the land of Internet and phone service. The last two days of the clinic have been very busy. Probably the busiest I've seen it in my 4 years of trips. We treated probably 800 in the last two days at Belmopan. The doctors we're running 3 rooms and they had a constant line of 50-60 deep. Fann started pulling teeth at 9:30 am and stayed in the room until 2:30 pm. He never stopped and even then we had to turn people away. The depth of poverty is staggering. They lack basic health care and preventative medicine. So many of the problems are easily treatable in the U.S.

Booker and a construction crew headed back to the same house where we installed a floor last year. They had built bunk beds with the lumber we left them and added a "kitchen." This year we built them an outhouse and bathing room. However, when we were leaving one of the young men living in the house (one of 9 sleeping there) said "This is big enough for a me to sleep in!" So they may use it for another purpose. Going back to the house was my "defining moment" of the trip. For one, they remembered us. The little girls came running up and hugged us as soon as we arrived. They were barefoot wading through mud and water.

The house had worn a little, but basically looked the same. The gaps in the walls were still there. Two beds were on the side of the wall and a couple of bicycles were stacked in a corner. There were chickens and dogs running in and out the open door. When I went in the little girl (maybe 5 years old) had laid all her toys out on a little mat. There was an old beaten up Barbie doll, some other type of doll, a couple of cheap McDonald's type toys (probably from last year) and a small handful of Smarties. It broke my heart because it's exactly the same way my five year old lines up her dolls. Only this was all she had. I was ashamed to admit it, but I called Fann in and said, "My kid's "toy room" is bigger than this entire house." We both decided right there that our girls would experience this as soon as they were old enough. That night, we spent a while discussing poverty and what we could do about it. I guess we helped a little by coming, but it seems like such a small dent.

While in Belmopan we stayed at the Banana Bank. It's a jungle resort. Of course, "resort" is a relative term. There's no air conditioning and lots of bugs, but it was really a nice stay. The food was great and for the first time, the weather was perfect. It never got over 85 and we had rain and clouds every day.

Today we're on the island for a little rest before we return. I appreciate all the prayers on our behalf. Please continue praying for our safety. I'll try to say more tomorrow and I apologize for any typos. I'll paying per minute so I'm going as fast as I can!

Congrats to my sister from Uncle Russ!!!!

Belize, Day 4

2008-06-24T17:07:00.010-06:00

I finally arrived in Belize! Margarita (Lincoln's wife) picked us up at the airport and took us the clinic at Burrell Boom. As soon as we got there she helped me unpack the crates of clothes that Lincoln requested. It was for a lady named Charlotte, a member of his church there. She had 6 kids and had recently been displaced because of flooding here. Rachel, Lauren, and myself went with Margarita to Charlotte's house to give them the clothes. It was about 5 minutes from Burrell Boom. The family lived in a house divided into about four rooms. There were two old chairs in the "living room" and nothing else. The "kitchen" contained a stove that didn't look like it worked, no fridge and no cabinets. A handful of groceries were sitting on the counter. Another room had pillows/blankets laying on a wooden floor.

I was thinking about how bad the living conditions were when Margarita explained, "This is not her house. Her brother is letting her stay here because of the flooding. That's her house." She pointed to shack out the back window. It's difficult to describe in terms that will help you understand. It was a literal shack. A leaning structure pieced together with odd shaped pieces of rotting wood. The roof was several pieces of tin patched together. It contained two rooms (one for eating and one for sleeping) and was maybe 10x20. I went out to see if there was anything we could do (build a floor, fix the roof, etc). There was nothing, short of tearing it down and rebuilding the whole thing. It brought home a Scripture that I read to our church on Sunday...

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
1st Timothy 3:17-18

What is America's responsibility in regards to this passage? Or maybe a better question is what is Western Christianity's responsibility? Or maybe I should just ask, what is my responsibility and your responsibility? Something for you to discuss while I'm in Belize. Just be nice. I can't moderate comments as easily.

We're headed to Banana Bank tomorrow. Not sure about the Internet service there so it may be the last post for a couple of days. We'll set up clinic in Belmopan the next two days.

Belize, Day 3

2008-06-23T12:44:00.003-06:00

I feel a little awkward putting the word "Belize" in the title again because we've yet to the see the country. Todd and I left Columbia this morning at 3:30 AM but when we arrived in Miami our flight was cancelled. They put us on standby for the next flight but it was overbooked and we didn't make it. So we're stuck at an airport hotel waiting on the next flight which doesn't leave until tomorrow at 10:55 AM. Basically we've lost another day. We tried contacting the team but it's almost impossible to get a hold of anyone because the cell phones won't work. I guess by now they've figured out that we missed our flight.

Today the team was supposed to set up our first medical clinic. They'll offer free medical, dental, and pharmacy services to the people of the Burrell Boom community. Pray for their endurance because I'm sure they are working in a small building with no air conditioning. Hopefully we'll join them tomorrow.

Belize, Day 2

2008-06-22T15:50:00.004-06:00

I got a brief email from Gary A. this morning telling me they arrived safely yesterday. This morning, as I was asking our congregation to pray for the team and I realized that they were probably worshipping at the same time as us. That's a cool thought. Too many times our thinking is too small on Sundays. We act as if our little band is all that has gathered for worship when in reality millions are gathered across the globe, praising God and learning from his Word.

I haven't heard how the day went in Belize, but having been before, I can guess their schedule. This morning they worshipped with the Belize City Church of Christ. One of the team members lead worship and another preached. Melvin, the local preacher, always insists on tie, but he asks with such a big smile on his face that you can't turn him down. A few of the team may have worshipped at the Burrell Boom Church of Christ, where Lincoln (a great friend of the team) is the new preacher. The church there is less than a year old.

After worship they had the choice of cave tubing or relaxing at the hotel. The cave tube trip is really neat. You go for a short hike through the jungle and then float back through an underground river armed with a inner-tube and head-lamp. After that the team will organize all the med supplies, have an evening devo and prepare for tomorrow's clinic. It will be in Burrell Boom since the congregation there is newly planted. This will give us an opportunity to minister to the community and hopefully build some goodwill for the church.

Pray for our safety. Todd and I leave Columbia tomorrow at 3:30 AM so my next post will come from Belize.

Belize, Day 1

2008-06-21T21:19:00.007-06:00

As custom, this week my blog will be transformed into the Belize Mission Blog. I'll try to keep you updated daily assuming I can get Internet access. Of course, day one is a little tough to write about because I'm still in the States. The team left early this morning but Todd and I stayed back to handle some responsibilities at church. We'll meet up with them on Monday.

I did tell the team to keep me updated until then. Here's the three text messages I've received so far...

12:50 PM (Nashville)--This is Tiffany...i left my stethoscope. I was wondering could u meet my sis & bring it with u on mon. She will meet u wherever.

3:56 PM (Dallas)--We are stuck in dallas with a flat tire been sitting on the plane for an hour. Gary A.

7:55 PM (Belize City)--Customs went smooth, lady very friendly. Gary A.

So I assume they are there safe and sound. Right now I would suspect everyone is resting from the travel and getting ready to attend services at the Belize City Church of Christ in the morning. Booker is speaking again this year and I wish I was there. They quoted him throughout the entire week last year..."how far is far?" :)

God of this City

2008-06-19T21:43:00.000-06:00

One of my new favorites...

More from Unchristian

2008-06-17T14:54:00.004-06:00

Following a section where the researchers show that the Christian faith doesn't enjoy the same favorable perceptions it did a decade ago, they write...

The primary reason outsiders feel hostile toward Christians, and especially conservative Christians, is not because of any specific theological perspective. What they react negatively to is our "swagger," how we go about things and the sense of self-importance we project. Outsiders say that Christians possess bark--and bite. Christians may not normally operate in attack mode, but it happens frequently enough that others have learned to watch their step around us. Outsiders feel they can't let Christians walk over them.

One of the surprising insights from our research is that the growing hostility toward Christians is very much a reflection of the what outsiders feel they receive from believers. They say their aggression simply matches the oversized opinions and egos of Christians. One outsider put it this way: "Most people I meet assume that Christian means very conservative, entrenched in their thinking, antigay, antichoice, angry, violent, illogical, empire builders; they want to convert everyone, and they generally cannot live peacefully with anyone who doesn't believe what they believe."

Ouch.

Unchristian

2008-06-15T20:12:00.011-06:00

I just started this book tonight. It's about the perceptions of Christianity among outsiders (atheists, agnostics, adherents to other religions) and young people (16 to 29 yr olds). The research is sobering, but it's a reality we must face. This is from the first chapter...

Our research shows that many of those outside of Christianity, especially younger adults, have little trust in the Christian faith, and esteem for the lifestyle of Christ followers is quickly fading among outsiders. They admit their emotional and intellectual barriers go up when they are around Christians, and they reject Jesus because they feel rejected by Christians. I will describe how and why this is happening in this book, but for the moment think about what this means. It changes the tenor of people's discussions about Christianity. It alters their willingness to commit their lives to Jesus.

I'm sure some of the negative perceptions of Christianity are due to our message. The ideals of truth and redemption can run counter-culture with today's values. But I'm also sure the messengers (us) carry our fair share of responsibility. Our inability to present those values in a loving and kind way has not helped. If anything we've more deeply ingrained some the negative impressions people have of the Christian faith. I've talked to many people who have almost given up entirely on faith because of bad experiences they've had with the church or Christian people. I usually encourage them to try not to base their understanding of Jesus on the weaknesses of his followers. But it can be a tough sell.

More later...

Baptists and Baptism

2008-06-11T08:01:00.005-06:00

I always feel sorry for the Southern Baptists this time of year. It's annual convention time and typically all their debates over lessor issues spill into the papers. Of course I know a little of how they feel. Writing about disagreements over baptisms or music just makes for more interesting reading. The main issue (in either fellowship) is Christ, but it's hard to pull a news story out of "today all the Christians agreed that Jesus is Lord."

Anyway, I ran across a story yesterday in the Tennessean about the six pastors who are vying to become the next president of the convention. It said they were unified on the need to increase baptisms but split on this issue..."The International Mission Board insists new missionary candidates must be baptized in a Southern Baptist Church or a church holding Southern Baptist views."

I assume that means baptized believers from other fellowships would not be welcome until they are rebaptized. I disagree with that position. I believe that baptism is "into Christ" (Gal 3:26-29) and not into one particular fellowship or denomination. The name on the building is not what's important, it's the heart of the believer. If someone is sincerely repenting of their sins and confessing Jesus as Lord than where the baptism occurs is of little importance.

Of course before I go too far in my criticism, I need to admit that my fellowship has adhered to similar policies. We just didn't put it in writing. We've also insisted that missionary candidates be baptized in one of our churches. So there's something we share in common. I actually met a couple recently who were looking for a church home. He was raised Baptist. She was raised Church of Christ. Both were faithful Christians and baptized believers. They tried her church for a while until they told him that to become a member he had to get rebaptized. So they tried his church for a while until they told her that to become a member she had to get rebaptized. Whew!

Hopefully all that's beginning to change. At Maury Hills we do expect our members to be baptized, but we don't require rebaptism. If someone is baptized "into Christ" than we accept them as fellow Christians, regardless of where that baptism occurred. It looks like the Southern Baptist Convention is heading that way too. The newly elected president disagrees with their current position and wants to reverse the decision. I hope he does. Then we can all put the emphasis back where it belongs...on Christ.

Issues

2008-06-09T10:27:00.007-06:00

Richard Halverson (former chaplin of the US Senate) wrote...

Some theological scholars have been insisting that the critical issue in the church is what we believe about Jesus Christ. In a very basic sense, he has always been the critical issue in the church and, for that matter, history. Invariably and inevitably, when anything else is made the issue, it tends to divide those for whom Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord. One way to look at this is that when other issues are allowed to polarize those for whom Christ is Lord, that issue, whatever it is, is elevated to a position of greater importance than Christ Himself. One eminent scholar for whom I have profound admiration and respect put it this way: "Whatever you make the issue, you make the idol."

What issues have we made into idols?

Riverwood

2008-06-04T22:20:00.005-06:00

I spoke at the Riverwood Church of Christ last night as part of their Summer Series. It's a church that's been drastically affected by "urban flight." In the 50's and 60's the Inglewood community was one of the premier neighborhoods in Nashville. The church was booming with 800+ members and three major building expansions. But as Nashville continued to grow and push further out, many of the members moved to the suburbs. Today about 250 fill the massive auditorium on Sunday mornings. It's a situation that's been repeated numerous times in many metropolitan churches. Most of which either close up for move with their members.

Riverwood is a little different. They're staying put. I'm sure church growth experts would advise them to move to the suburbs and start over, but they feel called to serve right where they've been planted. They're not giving up. Instead, they're dreaming of new ways to reach the diverse community that's grown up around them and looking for more creative uses of their facilities. I applaud their dedication and hope that they are blessed with many more years of ministry to the Inglewood community.

Too many urban churches pull out and move to the suburbs. I understand that sometimes it's necessary, but where does that leave ministry in the city?

Change or Die

2008-06-02T08:23:00.004-06:00

Yesterday's Tennessean featured an interview with the outgoing president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He was talking specifically about their fellowship, but his comments are applicable to many other evangelical fellowships. Here's a few excerpts...

The Rev. Frank Page has a warning for Southern Baptists.

Change or die.

The outgoing Southern Baptist Convention president predicts that unless drastic measures are taken, more than half of the Southern Baptist churches will die in the next two decades.
"If we don't start paying attention to the realities … by the year 2030, we will be proud to have 20,000 rather than 44,000 Southern Baptist churches,'' Page said.

Page believes the 16.2 million-member convention faces the same challenges that bedeviled other Protestant denominations — lower birthrates, aging demographics and a culture increasingly hostile to Christianity. In response, churches tend to circle the wagons and hang on for dear life.

Page outlined his concerns in a recent interview and in a new book, The Incredible Shrinking Church.

"You've got massive numbers," he said, "maybe not a majority but massive numbers of evangelical churches out there, yes, Southern Baptists also, who are small groups of older white people holding on till they die."

Even though the Baptists have seen growth among Hispanic, African-American and Asian congregations, more outreach is needed. Page said the convention must embrace diversity if it hopes to survive. It must be more welcoming to ethnic groups and younger generations.
------
One of Page's major tasks as president has been to change the public image of the convention. Too many people perceive Southern Baptists as mean-spirited, angry conservatives, he said. That image, he believes, is based on political talking heads and Republican culture warriors, and not on the actions of ordinary Southern Baptists.

He's particularly angered at the actions of Westboro Baptist Church, a Kansas-based congregation known for spewing hatred toward homosexuals and for protesting at military funerals.

"People have said, 'Does it bother you that they are called Baptist?' " he said. "I say, it bothers me even more that they are called a church. Remove the Baptist from the issue or the argument. To call yourself a church should hold you to a very high calling and high standard that they do not live to."

But Page also has distanced himself from the kind of abrasive politics of pastors like the late Jerry Falwell.

"Most Southern Baptists cringe when his name was even mentioned," he said. "Because they knew he was presenting a persona that didn't connect with most Southern Baptists."

Still, Page makes clear that he remains a conservative on many social issues. He thinks abortion should be illegal, and says that Christians have a duty to protect unborn children. In his congregation, however, he spends little time talking about overturning Roe v. Wade. Instead, he focuses on how the church can help women facing an unplanned pregnancy.

The church supports a local women's center and a local adoption agency, both with volunteers and with finances. And Page says church members love and support women facing an unplanned pregnancy, no matter what choice they make.

"If they choose to get an abortion, and they get it, as some in this church have had," he said, "do we crucify them? Of course not. We love them. We help them deal with the decision they have made and move past. If they choose to give that baby up from adoption, we take them into our houses, we help them, we say we are going to care for them."
------
He describes himself as cautiously optimistic, believing that most Baptists would rather love their neighbors than bash them with the Bible.

[read the full article]

Pastors and Politicans

2008-05-30T09:14:00.004-06:00

They really don’t mix well, especially this election season. Earlier this year Obama had to denounce the comments of his former pastor because of divisive rhetoric. Then McCain had to reject the endorsement of a prominent evangelical pastor because of more of the same. Then this morning I found this…it's from a sermon this past Sunday at Obama's home congregation.

What is happening to the Christian message?

Burdensome Obedience

2008-05-29T21:21:00.000-06:00

A couple of Sundays ago I talked on 1st John 5:3...this is love for God: to obey his commands, and his commands are not burdensome. I begin with how a lot of us have a hard time hearing the truth of that passage because obedience really does feel like a burden in our lives. Of course, if we believe the Bible to be true, then it's certainly not God who's making it that way. It's us. God's not our problem. We are. So what are we doing to make obedience a burden? Here's a few of my answers...

1. When we obey in an effort to win the approval of others rather than God. Obedience then is not about our response to God's love, but rather about us making a good impression on people we think have some sort of say about our righteousness (i.e. ministers, elders, church members, etc.). And trust me, people are harder to please than God.

2. When we make our salvation contingent on it. I'm not talking about "obeying the gospel" but rather our attempts to "obey all the rules correctly so God won't send us to hell." We shouldn't obey because we're scared of God sending us to hell, but because He's already saved us from there!

3. When we elevate the non-essentials over the essentials. For example, when we put church attendance or worship styles on par with the practice of mercy, justice, and faithfulness. There are simply some commands that are more important than others. See Jesus' comment about "straining gnats and swallowing camels."

4. When we obey human commands instead of God's commands. Things like "you should always wear your best to worship" or "don't dance." The problem with trying to follow human commands is that they are endless and ever-changing, whereas God's commands are finite and eternal.

5. When we focus more on polishing up the outside than we do on changing the inside. Obedience then becomes more about presentation than transformation. And God has made his preference clear..."Man looks at outward appearances, but God looks at the heart."

Unplugged

2008-05-26T18:04:00.004-06:00

After church on Sunday the family and I headed to the Buffalo River. My parents have a cabin down there. We did a little fishing, a little swimming, and a lot of relaxing. The best part about the cabin...it's one of the few places left with no Internet and no cell service. It was good to unplug for a little while.

It also got me thinking, are we too "connected" today? We've got cell phones, e-mail, voice mail, instant messaging, texting, etc. Are we just too available? Remember the good old days when if someone wanted to talk to you they had to catch you at the office or at home before 9:00 PM? Now most of us are available 24/7. Is this a good thing? Is this new "culture of availability" a convenience or a nuisance?

Miley Mania

2008-05-23T20:36:00.000-06:00

This week Miley Cryus and crew have descended on Columbia. She's filming the new Hannah Montana movie. If you don't know who Miley is than you obviously don't have girls under the age of 13. According to unofficial count, my girls have watched 134,957 episodes of the Hannah Montana show. I make them turn it off when they start quoting the lines before the actors say them. The girls went downtown yesterday to see if they could catch a glimpse of the star and they did! Not only that, my 5 year old insists that Miley waved specifically at her and no one else. She will reenact the whole story for you if you ask.

A Blessing

2008-05-20T10:42:00.002-06:00

I read this yesterday on Mike Cope's blog and it bears repeating. It's a traditional Franciscan blessing that was given at the end of a talk to graduating seniors...

May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.