Vue From A Hill

Tim Holmes and the Hired Guns

2011-09-25T03:04:00.001-04:00

Tim Holmes and The Hired Guns performing "Babylon" by David Gray at Chili Fest in Ashland, KY, 2011. Made video into cartoon. HA! Enjoy

The Church Is A Whore, But She's My Mother

2011-08-16T01:02:00.003-04:00

These are excerpts from Tony Campolo's book, Letters To A Young Evangelical

"It is certainly true that our congregations have, at times compromised the radical requirements of discipleship prescribed by Christ, and you may find yourself put off by the church because of its failure to be faithful to his teachings. But I would urge you to consider this fully, and to think about the words of St. Augustine: "The church is a whore, but she's my mother."

That statement brilliantly conveys how I feel about church. It is easy for me, like so many of the young Evangelicals I know, to note the ways the church been unfaithful as the bride of Christ... Unquestionably, the church too often has socialized our young people into adopting culturally established values of success, rather than calling them into the kind of countercultural nonconformity that Scripture requires of Christ's followers (Romans 12:1-2).

"Why, then, do I encourage you to participate in organized religion and commit yourself to a specific local congregation? Because, as Augustine made clear,the church is still your mother. It is she who taught you about Jesus. I want you to remember that the Bible teaches that Christ loves the church and gave himself for it (Ephesians 5:25). That's a preeminent reason why you dare not decide that you don't need the church. Christ's church is called his bride (11 Con 11:2), and his love for her makes him faithful to her even when she is not faithful to him."

Even when she acts like a whore, and sells herself to relevance, power, or the temptation to be spectacular, the Church is still my mother.

I think it's important to remember that when Church seems to become an ugly thing, it's because the church isn't a building, institution, nor provider of religious goods and services. The church is never described in terms of brick or mortar. She isn't a place. The church is comprised of broken souls who are still searching the dark corners of our hearts for glimpses of the divine. We are all a mess, and the church is an unstoppable force.

When we fuss with God about how bad Church has become, listen closely. He may just ask you, "Who said THAT was my church?" The appropriate answer should be, "OK. Show me your church." After nearly twenty years in ministry, I can finally see the Church in the bars, being the Bride, instead of a whore.

A "Generous" Doctrine

2011-05-31T12:59:00.004-04:00

"Many churches tend to invest a lot of time and energy emphasizing "sound" doctrine, while allowing doctrine to be the primary source for division.

Maybe our question or emphasis should become, "Is our doctrine making us 'sound'?"

Most theologian's define "doctrine" as Man's way of describing who God is and what he is doing. That's the short of it.

In this way, "doctrine" is a tool for centering ourselves around a common idea of who God is and what He is doing.

But consider the following about doctrine.

Paul's definition of "sound" doctrine in Titus

Speak the things which befit sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, honorable, sensible, healthy in faith, in love and in patience.

[Speak to] the older women, likewise, that their behavior be appropriate to sacredness, not false accusers, not prone to much wine, teachers of good things; so that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, pure, keepers of their home, good, submitted to their own husbands, so that the Word of God will not be blasphemed.

In the same way exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine, showing incorruption, integrity, sincerity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned… .
Encourage servants to be obedient to their own masters and to serve them satisfactorily in everything, not talking back and not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that they may honor the doctrine of God our Savior in everything. (Tit. 2:1-10)

Notice all the "to be's" rather than "to believe's"?

James said that pure and undefiled religion is to support the widows and orphans and stay undefiled from the world (Jam. 1:26).
When Peter says the end is near, he exhorts Christians to be sober, pray, and to love one another in order to cover a multitude of sins. No mention is made of correcting our systematic theology (1 Pet. 4:7-8).
Jesus mentions coming back like a thief in the night repeatedly. In every case he warns us to be careful of our behavior, not our doctrine (e.g., Luke 12:45-46).
The Book of Revelation has seven letters to churches from Jesus. All of them address the works of those churches, not their doctrinal teachings (Rev. ch. 2-3).
Matthew reports Jesus as saying that when he judges the sheep and the goats, his only concern will be their kindness towards others (Matt. 25:31-46).

Doctrine according to Paul expresses much more about "Character" than it does belief.

So, show me a person who expresses love to people, and I'll show you a person with sound doctrine.

Show me a person in love with doctrine and see it as a unifying source for a church body, and I will show you someone who is missing the point.

Hammer Time

2011-05-28T10:44:00.005-04:00

How do you define the word, "righteousness"?

Once upon a time, there was a very religious town called Pharisee-ville. The people there believed that God would be impressed if they kept the rules about the Sabbath. All of their rules about the Sabbath, (39 of them) involved what a person should NOT do during that specific day.

The 39th rule stated, "I shall NOT lift a hammer on the sabbath." Literally meaning, don't put the finishing touches on anything. Since this town believed so strongly that their rule-keeping made them "righteous", they had a meeting in their temple... about their hammers.

One man began, "If you want to be righteous, you should store your hammer away as to not even see it on the sabbath."

A competing voice replied, "Well, if you really want to be righteous, you will fashion a lock on the cabinet, storing the hammer, lest ye be tempted."

Another man chirped, "If you REALLY want to be righteous, you will not even own a hammer."

Finally, the angry stern Mayor of Pharisee-ville declared, "If you REALLY REALLY want to be righteous, you will protest in the city to get rid of all hammers."

So they all agreed to protest anyone violating ANY sabbath rule in town, especially the hammer rule.

Then one Sabbath (Saturday) a man named Jesus and twelve of his friends were munching on some grain at the edge of a field. (It was customary for a farmer to allow travelers to eat from the edge of their fields). Some of the residents of Pharisee-ville spotted them and said, "Look, why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" (Mark 2:24)

Jesus replies, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27)

In other words... the Sabbath is a gift... to you... from God.

A day to be restored after six days of hustling and stressing. A lot happens in six days. Chunks get taken out of you. Relational battles, pressuring job demands, family squabbles, deadlines, junk emails, and the cell phone glued to our ear. The Sabbath is a gift designed for you to receive, not control. The Sabbath wants things FOR you, not FROM you. A day to have your soul renewed and refreshed. So the question of the Sabbath isn't what you should NOT DO. Better yet, it is, "What do you DO to feed your soul once a week?"

Does reading a book feed your soul? Do it.

Does hiking feed your soul? Do it.

Does hanging out with your friends feed your soul? Do it

Does painting feed your soul? Does swimming? Landscaping? Eating? Building a fire? Detailing a car? Computer games? Fishing? DO IT!!!! DO IT!!! DO IT!!! The day is a gift.

According to a study by the Barna group on Church's understanding of the word "righteousness", 85% of Christians have a morality based interpretation of the word. Nowhere in the Bible is "righteousness" defined in terms of morality, good behavior, or keeping the rules, EXCEPT when there is reference to the Pharisees. The Pharisees always interpreted "righteousness" in terms of how well they could keep the rules. That is "SELF-righteousness".

If your Sabbath is a specific day that is about what you DON'T DO... then there is land for sale in Pharisee-ville where you can build your next home. Need a hammer?

More Than A Name

2011-05-16T14:09:00.004-04:00

Galatians 3:28 - There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

He's talking about identities or labels here. Let's take this further. Neither Democrat nor Republican, Baptist nor Non-Denominational, Gay nor Straight, Single nor Married, Christian nor Muslim, Sinner nor Saint.

Maybe grabbing and holding to a new identity in Christ involves dropping all the other ones we have. Even the ones we think identify us as affiliated with Christ in some way. There are some who claim the title "Christian" who get trapped in their own doctrine, defending themselves from a corner they back themselves into. Just as there are "non-Christians" who seem to instinctively know how to form healthy relationships filled with care and love.

Sometimes, it seems It's all in the name we claim, then we define ourselves and others based on the cultural norms of that name. Maybe Jesus is striving to take us further than the titles we claim or place on others. Maybe the exclusivity of God isn't based on our titles, but a God given one that takes a lifetime to grow into.

Blurry At Best

2011-05-13T12:48:00.006-04:00

I was looking at the moon the other night from my deck and the thought crossed me. What would it be like if we had some grainy video evidence of heaven. A sound byte even. Not testimonies of a bright light, or verses being slung at us. A grainy clip would do. Not like the Big Foot footage where you are left to wonder if its a hoax, but real confirmation. Then I remembered, "Oh yeah... the Church is to be that glimpse of heaven to people."

The problem is that the glimpse we are giving people of heaven is too grainy to make out.

So what is the practice of heaven? And would heaven make any sense at all if we don't know how to practice it here on earth? Will we arrive in heaven one day like its our first day of school worried whether we can do this? Does eternal love make any sense, if we can't practice it in this lifetime? In heaven, will forgiveness drip from my soul like rain, because I allowed that to happen on earth?

Maybe the barbarian call of unleashing an untamed faith in the here and now involves me being the grainy glimpse of heaven. Loving my enemies. Forgiving those who in my power I can't forgive. Empowering the poor, giving drink to the thirsty in my life. Actually becoming the video footage that heaven is real, and, being OK that this footage will be blurry at best.

Love My Enemy?

2011-05-04T21:40:00.009-04:00

This post is pertaining primarily to the issue of celebrating the death of Bin Laden. I am still trying to sort through my thoughts on this. Not only am I a pastor of twenty years, but also a veteran.

In short, two feelings. Grief and Grateful.

A few of my friends told me they watched the celebration on the news and then felt odd about what they were viewing. They voiced they simply felt odd in that they weren't sure how to feel about celebrating a death, even of a known enemy.

Some reasons may this death may not settle well might be because we have a feeling that we have been misinformed, or having doubts due to the lack of inclusion into the story via footage and such. Another reason for a follower of Christ is the conflict that rises from the very words of Jesus. It's all through his teachings. "Turn the other cheek, pray for those who curse us, bless the persecutor, it's easy to love those who love us, love your enemies... And so on."

Another challenge might be all the "Us verses Them" nationalism that creeps it's way into many sermons in America. Similarly, the early disciples, when hearing Jesus talk about his Kingdom, tended to think like the Zealots expecting Jesus to raise up Jerusalem by overthrowing Rome with the sword. Instead Jesus went the opposite way of the sword. He went the way of the cross. Which raises the question... Did Christ die to raise up one of our Kingdoms, or just His?

In the past week, I read nearly a hundred messages where Christians spoke of how God will wipe away the evil on the earth, and use his people to do it as he did in the Old Testament. The problem with pulling verses out of the Old Testament to support violence toward our country's enemy is absolutely NO different than what the Fundamentalist radical Taliban did with the Quran. Its the age old practice of using verses to support one's opinion, instead of allowing one's opinion to be shaped by the verses.

Yes, there are passages in the Bible, that when interpreted from one angle, can certainly justify war today. For example, Deuteronomy 7 speaks about "TOTAL destruction of the enemy." However, context still matters, and passages like this should remain in context with the Abrahamic Covenant and the Hebraic lineage, not 21st Century terrorist groups. Most conservative and liberal theologians agree that in that particular narrative, God was trying to protect his Hebrew children from pagan influences, knowing that if one was left alive, the Hebrew children would begin to turn. And they did.

These particular passages aren't meant to be used to blanket current matters of wiping out evil. These verses aren't meant for blanketing or supporting wiping off an entire people in todays age, just because we see them as evil. Context still matters, whether its the Quran or the Bible. Mainstream Islam discredited the interpretations of the Taliban for that very reason. Again, its an age old practice to use the Bible as a weapon, and verses like ammo. This is why so many people want little to do with God, because his validity is trashed when we make him in our image.

Anne Lamotte wrote, "You know you have created God in your own imagine, when in fact, he hates all the same people you do."

I saw in our local paper a quote from a family member of one that was killed during 9/11 that read, "The Evil Is Gone". This is a great example of what a wounded judgmental society does with evil. We attach it to people, instead of their deeds. If we return evil with a slaying, is evil really gone?

I mourn the loss of those killed on 9/11. It was unjust by any standard, and a pure dose of evil unleashed on innocence. But at the same time, I cannot block out of my mind that in Africa over 6,000 people will die of preventable diseases EACH DAY. That's more than two 9/11's per day over something we American's could fix with the same amount of money we spend on Ice cream each year.

So... are we a part of a system that is unjust or evil from the perspective of another country on the same planet. Is eating ice cream now evil? Situations like 9/11 can be isolated so much that we miss a bigger picture that remains. Evil isn't gone. We could burry a thousand Bin Ladens and evil and it's effects would remain in this world. The real question seems to be, Where is the good? Or, in my opinion, where is the Church? Not the nationalistic religion we hear so much from, but the Church that "destroys evil with good."

We humans are real quick to cry "Justice". Our bloody history is mostly due to the fact that we rarely know how to carry out justice. I do believe Jesus taught about a justice birthed not from hate, as we often try to employ, but a justice birthed from love, designed to restore.

One more thing. I taught one Sunday on the parable of the lost coin Luke 15:8-10. The silver coin in question was called a drachma. Sort of the minimum days wage in 1st century Palestine. Like a penny.

The traditional reading of this passage doesn't really capture the personal dimensions of the story. The Jewish audience hearing Jesus tell the story would have known this woman as a bride to be, and that the one coin that had gone missing wasn't her life savings, instead one of ten coins found on a betrothal necklace given to her by her groom to be. This makes sense as to why its a woman in the story, and why its a silver coin, and why she throws a party in the middle if the night inviting everyone over to see that she found "her" coin. A drachma. Jesus was telling this story to Pharisees who were complaining about him "eating with prostitutes and tax collectors." People they considered to be of "low value". Drachma people.

Jesus was making the point that God is like this bride-to-be searching frantically for those considered to be of low value to the religious world. People who hadn't earned it. Drachma people. People that the religious community had no problem referring to them as hell bound.

Since all of this was still fresh when I heard the news of Bin Laden, I couldn't help but think of the drachma. Many believed him to have no value, in terms of the evil he ushered into this world. And a part of me wants to agree with that. However, in terms of God's kingdom, I am of no greater value than he was. God is a frantic bride-to-be turning the house upside down to find what the culture says has no value. Maybe this is the practice of heaven.

In regards to Osama Bin Laden's death, I feel grief because this was a situation of evil that was handled with evil, instead of "good". This was a human being that God created for a very different purpose than what he actually fulfilled. But at the same time I am grateful that justice was served for the folks who hurt from their loss from 9/11. A truer justice would have been if he was allowed to stand before a judge, however, this situation is more of an action of war than it was true justice from a legal stand point.

Bottom line... those who claim to follow Christ are still left with a sermon on the mount to contend with. A sermon that says, "LOVE YOUR ENEMY."

Dancing on a Van

2011-05-02T00:57:00.005-04:00

I googled images of "Church Vans" and found this interesting picture.

Church is often very confusing, but not just for people outside the church, who may see this photo of a church van parked outside an adult book store. Church confuses me as well. I had my first sexual encounter on a church van at age 15. Turned onto marijuana at age 17 by someone in my church youth group. Now, you may be asking, "Where the heck is this church?"

Well... that was many moons ago in a very average, status quo, ultra-conservative, Southern Baptist church. This church strongly emphasized that us kids grasp a foundational "belief system" about God. They worked to ensure we were prepared if challenged by any sort of spiritual terrorist that could attack and steal our dogma. In other words, we were taught to major on our doctrine or beliefs. Maybe instead, they should have majored on chaperoning and doing more "hand checks" on the van.

What makes more sense to me now, than in my teenage years, is that maybe there is more to this life with Christ than just "believing" certain precepts about God. I have grown to understand that there is a long van-ride between what is "belief" and what is "faith." It could be argued that faith is believing in something with very little evidence. And, it seems the less evidence, the stronger the faith can and must be. In terms of religion, faith has come to mean having assertions of doctrine that evidence alone could not allow us to affirm.

The apostle Paul asserts that faith is more like participating in a different kind of reality altogether. A reality that has nothing to do with our beliefs about God, yet a reality, that can in fact exist without all our beliefs about God. Isaiah 55:9 says what God thinks about our thoughts on Him, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Paul writes of this new reality, the "Life with Christ" as something I participate in, where my confusion about God and Church may even deepen further still. We can only join in this cosmic dance together with a triune God, as it has been through the ages. A dance, not reliant upon my understanding everything. It's like "throwing down" or "breaking off some moves" (or whatever the kids call it these days) without caring if there are particular steps to this dance.

I write all of this to say, the life with Christ really isn't about clearing up all the confusing stuff about God. It's about having faith in God in spite of the confusion. In spite of our beliefs. It is dancing with this cosmic stranger, who already knows we have a long and bumpy history of confusing matters and missing the point. Life with Christ is embracing our doubts and disbelief while tucking in our shirt for one more ride. It's having faith that God already knows how confused we are, yet he refuses to let us sit this ride out. No matter what van we've been riding in.

Misguided Swallow

2011-04-07T22:59:00.004-04:00

In the movie "What About Bob?", Bob could come up with millions of ways the world could come crashing in on him every minute of every day. Destruction and chaos plague his thoughts so much that even going outside is a challenge. Touching a door knob could bring upon the plague, or someone sneezing three blocks away could send tiny particles of disease his direction, via an innocent breeze.

But do you ever stop to think about how much you really are protected from... whatever? I was driving when the thought hit me that I am protected from things I am not even aware of. This very day, there could have been an asteroid billions of light years away headed straight at my car, and through some divine cosmic shield, the asteroid eroded into a grain of sand by the time it reached me. And since cars are driven by humans, any number of collisions could occur at any moment that squish me under my dash. My roof could cave in. My hair could catch on fire. I could get chocked on a misguided swallow of water.

If we believe that God is sovereign, (in charge of everything), over time it is easy to "not see" all the things we are protected from. Sort of like we are wrapped in this warm blanket of love as we wonder through this world of mystery. Romans 8:36, Paul writes, "For your sake we face death all day long;... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us."

After a while of thinking on how protected you really are from things you cannot see, you begin to realize something beautiful. Maybe you really matter a great deal after all.

Learner's Playground

2011-04-07T06:39:00.005-04:00

In a recent post by Donald Miller, he questions why the Church has been led by scholars, and why a church gathering is more of an educational setting than it is anything. I'm all for learning. I have an AA, a BA, and an MA from Southern Seminary. However, Miller makes a great point with his questions. When we look at Jesus, sure he taught his disciples, but he taught them through doing. When we see him actually giving a lesson, it's all in metaphor (parable), and directed to those who claimed to KNOW God the most. Only once did he explain a parable to his closest followers.

In what is known as "The Great Commission", Jesus says to his disciples, "Go make more disciples...". The greek word used for "disciples" is manthos or manthetes, meaning "Learner". Maybe we have misinterpreted manthos to mean "scholar." Learning requires more than books, a lecture, and a classroom, and to grow in Christ doesn't primarily mean to study more. Learning first requires openness, and openness is enough to take you very far in absorbing this way Jesus invites us to. The Bible is not a compass for life. It is a collection of divinely inspired writings. We shouldn't worship a book that points us to worship it's author.

If you are open, then you have enough to grow in Christ. Let the world be your classroom and let life teach you today of the wonders of God. Then go play and dance like a child in the wonder of a yard full of sprinklers.

Zealot Soup

2011-04-06T15:38:00.004-04:00

"So Terry Jones, the Florida pastor who organized a Koran burning on March 20, wanted “to stir the pot.” Mission accomplished. Perhaps he’d care to explain himself to the family of Joakim Dungel, a 33-year-old Swede slaughtered at the U.N. mission in Mazar-i-Sharif by Afghans whipped into frenzy through Jones’s folly." - (New York Times, Opinion Page author Roger Cohen)

Roger's article is focusing the microscope on current zealot behavior in our world, specifically Islamaphobia. Terry Jones may be a zealot, but a zealot isn't anything new. At least one of Jesus' own disciples was known to be a Zealot, Simon, (not Simon Peter). 1st Century Jews were governed by pagan Romans, and the Zealots were a small underground insurgent group who believed the sword was the way to topple the evil pagan Roman government that oppressed them. Josephus marks the Zealots as the leaders who incited the Great jewish Revolt in 66AD.

Now imagine walking with Jesus during a time of government oppression, and this Jesus keeps talking about a "coming kingdom". A kingdom where things are as they should be, without oppression. And let's say you were familiar with the Zealots and their hope of one day creating a "new kingdom". Except you were taught, as many were, that the only way to achieve this will be through force or violence. Then this Jesus, keeps talking about getting closer and closer to time when "all things will be fulfilled." Your hopes of a coming new kingdom was getting close. But your vision of a coming Kingdom looked more like a crushed Rome.

Then one night while you were asleep in a garden, this Jesus, the friend you have been following, allows himself to be arrested. Now a Zealot's first reaction would be to draw a sword. So, you draw yours and take a swing at one of the guards' heads, miss, but managed to hack off an ear from one of the arresting guards. You immediately believe what you have been hearing about for three years is finally taking place. The takeover has begun. Then your friend Jesus picks the ear up and restores it. Just as he is hauled off in chains, he says something to you about living by the sword and dying by it. This would be a very confusing moment for you.

All this time, you were thinking Jesus was at any moment going to call in the troops. Instead of a sword, this Jesus chose to use a cross to usher in His new kingdom. Instead of killing, he chose to lay down his life willingly.

At this moment, you would have a difficult time with your emotions. If it was that easy for them to arrest your leader, then you would certainly want to be careful about letting anyone know you were involved with this man. Three times you are asked, and three times you deny any involvement. A hurried depression sinks in when you realize that you may possibly live under an oppressive government for the rest of your life. The only skirmish you took part in was spoiled by your leader taking the side of his own captors immediate healing. This was a confusing night out with the boys.

The good news of Jesus' Kingdom is also good news for those who oppose it. But, Jesus refused to go the way of the empire. He didn't go the way of the sword. He didn't invite his followers to choose a side and take up arms to protect it. Just as he didn't side with the other three groups, (Essenes, Pharisees, and Saducees) he didn't side with the Zealots either.

Instead, Jesus picks up a cup and some bread and says, "When you remember me", break yourself and pour yourself out for others. This is the way of the Kingdom of Heaven."

Who's Dumping On You?

2011-04-04T23:43:00.005-04:00

Is it possible to show grace to someone truly in need of grace?

Don't pass this off as another post about caring for the homeless, disabled, the widow, orphan, or the poor. Grace really isn't for them. At least not in this sense.

I'm not referring to the grace God gives to every human being, whether it is received or not. I am referring to the challenge of "US" showing one another grace. I am writing about that person in your life that refuses to see you as a person, viewing only your parts, or those folks who are tearing you apart. Get a picture in your mind of the person in your life who has dumped on you more than a bird house shingle. Yes. That person. How do you show that dirty a-hole grace?

I don't recall where I read or heard this, but I remember "grace" described this way...

If someone breaks into your home and brutally murders a loved one of yours, you have the following options.

1. Grab a gun and do the same to them. That's called revenge

2. Call the police and have them arrested. That's justice

3. Tell that person you forgive them (wish them well) but you never want to see them again the rest of your life. That is mercy

or...

After forgiving that person, you tell them, "I want to take care of you for the rest of your life."

That is grace

I think most would agree that our knee jerk reaction to this scenario is #1 or #2. Maybe #3, but certainly not #4. This is why I believe that we cannot show grace to the person that requires it the most, without God actually doing it through us. I would go as far to say that grace is the ultimate proof that the life-changing love of God is a reality in the center of our being. We cannot pull off #4 in our own power. Something divine must be swirling within us.

So who is it that requires the most grace from you?

Who's dumping on you?

Hearing the Cry

2011-04-01T12:43:00.004-04:00

In a thousand common expression typed into Google each day, it reads, "Will somebody please love me."

It's a cry.

For love.

John writes in his letters about love, and how love is a reality that can reside within us. And, "if we say that we believe in God, but don't have love, then we are liars."

So, what is the test to prove whether or not I have this God in my life? Is it that I prayed a sinners prayer once? That I was baptized or joined a church? Is it because I am committed to my family, or that I want to serve my community? Is it because I run from this temptation or that? Are these these the test that prove God exists in my life?

In Exodus 3, God "hears the cry" of his people and rescues them. He leads them out of oppression to a place called Mt. Sinai and gives them an identity and a purpose to ALSO begin to hear the cry of others who are oppressed, hurt, broken, lonely, enslaved, and lost. But not just hear the cry, instead, to actively rescue others who are crying.

Sadly, today Church is described in terms of doctrine, and Christians identified by what we believe. However, the test for people who claim to follow Jesus will always be love. Jesus said, "They will know you by your ... LOVE." Not our beliefs on eschatology, dispensationalism, or any number of doctrinal dogmas.

If there is a test to prove that God exists, and that he resides within me, it's "love."

And love shapes us in such a way, that we can't help but listen for the Cry.

A contemporary theologian once said, "You got to let Love Rule!!" - Lenny Kravits

2011-04-01T10:01:00.003-04:00

If I had words to share with kids, it is the words of Jesus saying, "Do Not Fear." Life was never meant to be lived out in fear, obligation, shame, or guilt. We were created to fly, not crawl. The Psalmist writes, "Your works are beautiful. I know this fully." Jesus gave a very harsh and nasty warning to those who chose to lead a kid astray into this world of shame. He described it as death by drowning with a large rock around your neck.

The key here is that if you were made to do things as a child through obligation, fear, shame, or guilt, please find healing of those wounds that may run so deep. Otherwise, you will pass that nugget on to your kids. And if you choose not to find healing... please stay away from my kids. I want mine to fly.

Jesus loves the little children in the mud

2011-01-31T21:40:00.005-05:00

Jesus once said, "I have come to fulfill the law."

in other words, no more rock throwing. Somebody is going to get an eye knocked out, and a thousand "I'm sorrys" won't bring that eye back.

What was Jesus meaning really? Maybe it's this simple. Without the law, we will be placed in a position to rely only on God's grace. Without this idea of grace, all we have left is the law. All that remains are the rocks waiting to be thrown. Grace is freely extended to all people. And maybe this is why 1st century religious leaders could justify stoning whores, and why they were always trying to trap Jesus. They were like the older brother in the prodigal son story in Luke 15. They couldn't accept that God would throw a party for the broken sinful boy who was recently living in the mud with pigs. But, I guess if I had invested a great deal of time and energy in keeping lawfully fit, I wouldn't want to go to that sort of party either. Not clean enough.

Where the religious leaders of that day had laws empowering them to purify the synagogue through condemning sinners, Jesus empowers his followers to step around those laws to build the church with the love of sinners.

If not for grace, EVERYBODY MUST GET STONED!

Childlike Questions

2011-01-17T17:19:00.004-05:00

Is your church “IN” the community or "WITH" the community?

Childlike question #1: “Why are there Church buildings?”
Nowhere in the Bible is the Church ever defined in terms of geography or brick and mortar. She is, however, described as “The Bride of Christ” or “The Body of Christ”, but always as a community believers living out their faith in Christ. Today, in a thousand common expressions we refer to the Church as a place.

Childlike Question #2: “What is the purpose of a church buildings?”
Historically, they exist primarily to serve the interests of those who attend or hold membership within. Functional reasons include housing corporate worship, education, childcare, and various religious activities. For centuries, the Christian world has spent billions of dollars to fulfill a mission to primarily house religious practices.

Childlike Question #3: “What is the purpose of the Church?”
Mainstream theologians argue that the purpose of the church is to carry out the “Great Commission”, to go and spread the message of Jesus, while serving as a glimpse of Christ to the world.

Childlike Question #4: “If a church isn’t a building, is it still a church?”
Of course, but nobody would come to it. Literally.

A good presumption: When an institution’s budget is primarily directed toward improving or maintaining itself (building and programs), that institution’s focus is primarily on itself (Inward). If the budget is geared toward benefitting the surrounding community, or equipping the saints to continually connect with non-members, then it’s focused on others (With). Which most accurately describes your church?

Another good presumption: When the definition of something changes, so does its purpose and mission. Today it seems the source of direction for many churches is birthed from their building, and their purpose has become to invite people to it.

Final question: Is the church “a place” to go to, or “a people” who go?

Which church are you a part of?

Cut On The Knife They Sharpened

2010-10-02T11:42:00.006-04:00

The recent accusations of four young men toward Bishop Eddie Long of sexual abuse has again raised questions about the church universal and it's character. Something should be noted about this case and that of Ted Haggard. Prior to the reports of each of these men's scandals, both men were outspoken against homosexuality and gay marriage. Even after allegations were made on ABC news, Bishop Eddie Long organized a march with his 25,000 member congregation through Atlanta with an opposition of gay marriage as the main message.

Prior to the accusations against Long and Haggard, both men spoke openly about their masculinity. Haggard was fond of sharing from the pulpit about his sex life and how it's important to have great sex with one's wife. Not that every pastor who speaks about such things are really hiding something... just saying.

I remember growing up in church hearing messages about all the evils of the world, (alcohol, drugs, porn, etc.) and wondering if the preacher's job was to test those things and give reports on their results.

Like a lot of pastors, I've wondered that if I make a big mistake in life, if the Church would embrace or reject me. I wonder that simply because history tells us, when a pastor falls out of the saddle, the church hasn't shown a lot of grace. I think it's the pastor's fault.

First of all, if the pastor was honest in the beginning and just expressed some of their troubles and challenges in the first place, they stood a greater chance to be embraced by the church. In the case of Ted Haggard and many others who slammed homosexuality from their pulpits and was later found out to be involved in that life style, no wonder the congregation shot them down. They provided the weapons and the ammo of judgement to their congregations. It was Haggard who pushed a black and white view on homosexuality. Or as Donald Miller has said, "They got cut on the knife they sharpened."

Donald Miller, author of "Blue Like Jazz" also makes a great point, that churches have a "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding homosexuality in the church. I agree, and add that this policy has created rampant hypocrisy in the church.

I write all this to say, if you have some junk you need to confess and if your church won't show you grace, (pastor or not) go find another church filled with real Jesus followers and share it with them and discover healing. Maybe a pastor's most prominent rant is their deepest struggle.

God Lives In Hell

2010-07-01T02:07:00.003-04:00

Over two thousand times, the poor are mentioned in the scripture. God cares about the poor. The Bible also says, "God is with the brokenhearted." So much so, that he wants to restore our broken hearts, and he is more than generous with his healing salve of grace. We could say he extends grace to everyone. Even those who refuse to give grace. God is way too generous with dispensing His grace. If brokenness if birthed from hell, truly God lives there with you.

Calling or a Job

2010-05-17T10:30:00.004-04:00

There is an emerging theory making a good point about what happens to a Christian the longer they live. It says, the longer one is a Christian, the less and less they hang out with people who are not of the faith. In other words, the longer in the faith, the more exclusive a Christian or group of Christians become.
A pastor recently asked me how to reach the twenty to thirty year olds of today’s culture.
“Why?”, I asked.
“It’s in my job description.” He replied.
“What is?”
“As a staff pastor I am to create programming that will attract and reach a younger audience that will in turn grow our aging church.”
I asked him, “Where are the twenty and thirty year olds?”
“In the bars of course.”, he sighed.
“Sounds like the place you ought to be.”
Although this pastor knew this to be true, he shook his head acknowledging the swift termination that would follow if he actually went to a bar. Sadly, his situation describes the status quo church. They want people to come, but are unwilling to meet people where they are. This pastor shared that he agreed with the church in that going to a bar would “ruin his witness.”
At what point did avoiding people become our witness? One could argue that over time, the church became more interested in its principles than it did the people it was originally called to bring the Kingdom to. “Kingdom come… here on earth as it is in heaven.”
No wonder we have statements like Gandhi’s when he said, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
Jesus never put principle before people.
He said in the book of Revelation, (paraphrased) “I wish you were either hot or cold, instead you’re status quo. And that doesn’t settle well with me.”
Maybe we should spend less energy trying to talk about God, and instead be the place where God talks. Wherever that may be.

Testing - Do Not Disturb

2010-04-30T11:37:00.003-04:00

My favorite theology professor from Southern Seminary, Dr. Russell Moore says, "To experience spiritual growth, read the opposite of your tendency. Doers should try reading theology and prayers, while Thinkers should try reading evangelism and service." To grow, it helps to place yourself in challenging positions that test your faith. Too often I just want to jump into fertile soil and live it up. But sometimes I need to revisit that rocky back yard of faith, be handed a jackhammer, and remember what it is like to chisel my way slowly to God.

Yet, probably the greatest challenge to spiritual growth is coming from within the Body of believers. Pastors or leaders have been attempting to unify communities around doctrine for centuries. Constantine sort of made this popular. In this culture, there is a tendency to be more about our beliefs than we are our faith. The difference simply being, we can argue each other’s beliefs but not each other’s faith. Yet, too often, the mark of spiritual growth or maturity in today’s Evangelical Christian culture is determined by a person’s rote memory skills pertaining to specific doctrine. And you can be really impressive, the better you are able to regurgitate the popular literature. Not much has changed really since Constantine.

We live in a day where we have more choices and less time, and our tendency of discipleship is often reduced to racing around, consuming anything with a “Christian” label without ever asking questions that matter.

Have you ever heard a spiritual leader say something like, “I don’t care what other pastor’s believe, what I am sharing with you is the truth.” What ever follows that statement should probably be run through a "bull crap" filter, because if you think about it, this is a set up for division and faction forming. Far from being Kingdom minded language, it’s called indoctrination. Or as some cult leaders are known for, Brainwashing.

This is only compounded if you are in a “Literalist” culture that doesn’t allow you to think or ask questions. Then you have to buy into whatever comes from the mouth of the appointed. We should follow our Rabbis, but we should also have the freedom to challenge them as well. We were designed to ask questions. Sadly, for the literalist, in many cases, a question is often interpreted only as a threat.

Another statement that gets tossed around in Christian circles is, “I believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible.” Those who need a literal interpretation need not be concerned with thinking. If we come at the Bible with a filter that says, everything written within is literal then it does away with the need for any questions. The object of faith is truly at odds with a literal interpretation of scripture. How you ask? Your faith is not the sum of all that you can memorize from a literal table.

One of my favorite movie scenes is when Forrest Gump is in boot camp, and the Drill Sergeant asks, “Gump, what is your mission in my Army?”
Gump replies, “To do whatever you say Drill Sergeant?!?!”
You could say this illustrates that military life is a “literal” life. It is an easy life. You don’t have to think about a lot of things. Your uniform, when to eat, what to say, who to shoot at. You sure don’t need to be asking a bunch of questions. Just do what your told and everything runs smoothly. The literal filter of life says loud and proud, “I will do whatever you say Drill Sergeant!” “I will align myself with the rest of the company.”

If questions weren’t allowed, then why do we see so much of it in the Bible? Even God during the fall of man asks, “Where are you?” I think it’s quite possible He is still asking this question.

Now, I believe the Bible to be infallible, but our interpretations are not. Jesus once said, “If your right eye offend thee, pluck it out… or if you hand offend thee, cut it off.” Obviously, and I am grateful for this, Jesus was not meaning for these particular words to be taken literally. If that were the case, the entire human race would be disabled, Christian or not.

Yet, where in Holy Scripture does it say that our ability to quote or articulate a particular set of doctrine with verses to support it is a testimony of our maturity in the faith? My strongly held belief that Jesus only borrowed a tomb is not proof that He lives today. Rather, my life being changed is testimony of an empty tomb.

Doctrine truly is a gift from God, and the ability to articulate our beliefs, a treasure. A wise and crazy pastor once asked, “Is Jesus still bigger than your theology?” The ivory tower of exegesis is truly a great place to hang out, but maybe not the best place to live. Because the tower is safe, clean, and protected.

Another wise pastor friend of mine, Dr. Mark B. Hale of Bowling Green, KY has often said, “A faith not tested, can’t be trusted.” Growth is found in the battles for your heart. Growth is discovered when we stop saying, “That’s just the way I am”, and begin to allow Jesus to define the way He see us. Growth is found in the questions that we are truly invited to ask. It is found in relationships, because there’s not a single one that isn’t messy. It's found in the stretching of everything you may have once believed strongly. Growth is found when we stop running for shelter in what we believe about Jesus, and begin to lean on Him again. You can start by finding that person you really can't stand, and love the hell out of them.
Shalom.

A Pastor's Lesson

2010-04-30T09:10:00.004-04:00

During a challenging time in ministry, while I was serving an older established church, I received some advice from two pastors who did not know each other, but knew me and the challenge I was faced with. Their advice is as valuable today as it was fifteen years ago, when I first heard it.

One Pastor friend told me, "The Shepherd never puts his ear down asking the sheep which way to go."
My other Pastor friend said, "The Shepherd never butts heads with his sheep."

The last fifteen years of ministry has been in part, me finding the balance that rests between the two.

Whether a leader in a church, community group, or business, may you discover a balanced relationship with those who have been placed along side you. And that's something you can bet on. Happy Derby Eve.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish

2010-04-29T16:22:00.005-04:00

I hear from people all the time, "I feel like there is something I am supposed to do, but I don't know what it is."
If you are feeling that way, be foolish. Do the very thing you feel in your gut, and know that God put that gut there for a reason.

If I had based my ministry or my walk of faith on what everyone told me was the proper way, I wouldn't have found the way that was meant for me. I would have missed the calling set aside for me.

Everything else is telling you to align yourself with the status quo. Most people give their life to the status quo. This is about your soul coming to life. Every voice in your head from the past, is telling you right now to stop reading. Go ahead. Be foolish and read the rest. More importantly, be foolish and read your gut.

The following is some excerpts from a 2005 commencement address at Stanford University given by Steve Jobs. In spite of Steve dropping out of Reed College after six months he now works as the CEO of Apple and Pixar. He chose to follow his intuition. I'm sharing this in hopes that you may begin to follow yours. Enjoy.

"I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you."

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Pill Bug Doctrine

2010-04-24T03:34:00.002-04:00

I received a text from my friend, (we will call him Carl), saying a woman told him rudely he needed to “get in a doctrinal church.” He asked me what she meant. I think he should have asked her. Instead, replied that apparently doctrine was really important to the lady, and that she thought it was the most important thing for him to be connected to. And apparently she didn’t approve of the church he was a part of either.

By definition, Christian doctrine is simply “man’s” way of describing what God is doing, has done, and will do. It’s a set of beliefs. It is our way of understanding and defining for ourselves, God’s character and desires for humanity, all of which we should base upon the Bible.
In other words, doctrine is sort of our collective perception of who God is, and what he is doing to connect with us humans.

So doctrine can be viewed as a really cool grid-like gift from God. The challenge becomes if we begin to believe our doctrine or grid is the unifying factor for the Church. How could this be a problem when almost every denomination is constructed around a different set of doctrine? Basically, because our beliefs about God will always be limited and arguable.

Let’s put this in perspective. Say there’s a cute little pill bug. And, let’s say you are a human. Now, introduce yourself to the pill bug and tell him all about yourself. Problem! Every time you try to get his attention, he crawls underneath some other piece of wood, or coils up into a little ball and ignores you completely. It’s like he isn’t even listening to you at all.

Excuse my tongue in cheek, but I think you get the picture.
There is an answer for our positioning challenge as we little human believers. “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” – Isaiah 55:8-9

What God is saying is that even on our best day, loaded with commentaries, concordances, various translations and other extra-biblical texts, we are only taking stabs at describing God.

I know that this woman mentioned in the text message is not alone in her thinking. There are a great number of Churches who declare their unity around a certain set of doctrine and will often exclude people who refuse to line up with them. I do believe in the importance of being like-minded on certain issues, but to form policies or dividing attitudes toward others because of a doctrinal bias, is giving too much authority to that particular doctrine. Rather, it is giving too much authority to ourselves really.

This also brings up the question of what God thinks about our rules and doctrinal stances.

This issue of doctrine worship seemed to appear in almost every situation where the Pharisees are mentioned in the Gospels.

Jesus responds to a group of Pharisee regarding their rules (doctrine) for ceremonial hand washing before eating a meal.
“You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you. ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules (doctrine) made by men.’” – Matthew 15:7-9

Jesus then concludes with, “… eating with unwashed hands does not make a person unclean.” – Matthew 15:20 (paraphrased). Just before that in verse 14, Jesus tells his disciples to “Leave them. They are blind…”

To say that the love of doctrine has caused division within the Church would be a huge understatement. This is the simple answer for why there are so many different denominations today.

The Apostle Paul writes, “I urge you brothers to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.” – Romans 16:17

Pharisees still exist today. They are those in your church community putting principle before people, and who often appoint themselves as the doctrinal police in a sense. And… they like being seen, so they dive after jobs like passing out bulletins, ushers, and even deacons.

So what do you do if you encounter one? So far, we got Jesus and the Apostle Paul both strongly endorsing a distancing. Maybe the church isn’t a journey for ALL people after all.

Titus 2:1 gives instruction to a pastor, “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.” So what is sound doctrine? The Bible describes it as the law of God, and the words of the prophets. However, Paul again sweeps in with clarity saying, “The entire law is summed up in a single command, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” – Galatians 5:14. In other words, everything God was trying to tell you in the First Testament about how to live, Jesus sums it up in a word, “LOVE”.

So to (Carl), my texting buddy and brother in the struggle of faith, you are right to love the doctrine lady because God created her and loves her deeply, but I better not catch you hanging with her at Starbux. Now that’s a heavy doctrine

Makes you wonder why God doesn’t just squish us like… uh... pill bugs.

Earth Day Gets Kinky

2010-04-22T15:18:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine is an elementary school teacher. This particular event began when the school she teaches in decided to expand part of their building. In order for the new build to take place, a 100-year old tree had to be cut down. This teacher saw an opportunity to really shine. She started by arranging a chainsaw artist to carve up the old tree into a bench that could remain in the front office of the school. Then began a campaign to raise money among the student body to buy a new tree to plant on this Earth Day. The students made posters that read, “Bring your loose change” or “Give your Pennies”. One student made a poster and misspelled a word.

It read, “Bring your Loose Penis."

What a difference two letters makes.

Happy Earth Day

Ski and Ski some more

2010-04-19T13:27:00.002-04:00

Carrying a vision or a dream is like snow skiing. The object is not to just make it to the bottom of the hill. The object is to get as many good runs in before the sun goes down.

I think often times, people give up on their dreams after just one run at it. They don’t prepare for a full day of skiing, instead they show up on the slopes, ride the lift, and cautiously and calmly slice their way to the bottom and allow that first short trip down the hill be the deciding factor on whether to go again.

Truth is, if you are new at skiing, and you wipe out a couple times on your first run, then the odds of you getting back on the lift right away lessen greatly.

Living out a vision can be like this, and is why so many new ideas die before they ever really have a chance to get started. It is fear. But this kind of fear is instead a fear of investing more time in skiing and the people you may ski with. Why? Because we live in a time when we have more choices and less time, and it is easy to begin to think you only have one shot at this and it better be a perfect run.

Often, people will not invest in a vision or people carrying a vision, if their first experience with the vision is a scary unpredictable ride down an icy slope where you engage in intimate relationships with trees. You don’t want those people riding with you anyway, so keep your black diamond attitude that drove you toward carrying your vision to start with. You want to bring along side you other people who live to ski until the sun sets. People who actually help you get up and back on the lift, over and over again no matter how many falls.

The sun is setting on all of us, and there isn’t a great deal of time left to live out your vision. So before you begin, you must decide if you are going to base the life of your vision on the low points of just a few runs. It isn’t an issue of whether you had five bad runs out of ten. The issue is whether or not you keep getting up. That’s how a vision sticks. And that is how you change the world.

So what are you willing to forgo to see your life’s calling come to fruition? How many crashes can you get up from and say, “Let’s do it again.”

Here’s how all this “Ski” talk plays out in my pursuits:

As a pastor, one of my roles is to create a community that is being guided by a vision.

This simply means I want to connect with as many people as I can before I check out.

I remember watching the Winter Olympics as a kid. Skiers do the same thing today as they did back then. They wipe out sometimes. If you are convinced of your vision, but are experiencing a mogul salad of set backs, just remember the lift is still moving and the day isn’t over. Your best runs are ahead of you. Get up and do it again. There is nothing safe about living out a meaningful vision.

GUITAR TUBE

2010-02-16T16:37:00.001-05:00

Youtube is the best teacher for learning guitar.

The Pledge

2010-02-16T16:18:00.000-05:00

“… with Liberty, and Justice for All”, ends the pledge.

I remember learning the Pledge of Allegiance in 1st grade. I don’t believe I ever said it correctly until the end of third grade, and even then I was a bit shaky on the, “indivisible” part. I think I recall saying, “indi-wizable” a few times before I got it right. But I improved. I honed my reciting abilities and mastered that sucker before graduating into fourth grade.

The history of The Pledge of Allegiance, is fascinating. A Baptist minister named Francis Bellamy wrote the very first pledge in 1892. What a lot of people do not know is that it has been changed several times over the past 118 years. The words, “under God” wasn’t even in the original draft and was added much later, on Flag Day, June 14, 1954. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in his approval speech said:

“In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war.” , (www.homeofheros.com)

Just 62 years of “One nation, Indivisible, … with Liberty, and Justice For All.” We have had the “under God” version for 54 years now. In nine years I want to do a spiritual ROI (Return On Investments) and survey the two time periods to see which was more godly. Not really.

It is interesting that The Pledge was also rewritten twice before the 1954 changes, in the years of 1923 and 1924. Neither of which used the words, “under God”, but added the word “America”, and moving the word, “flag” to a more appropriate position.

It is no secret that today’s American Fundamentalists Christians have fought strongly for the preservation and promotion of the ideas of “under God”. Not only is it important to the fundamentalist cause that these two words exist in The Pledge, but more that the ideology they prescribe remain alive and well in American culture. Fundamentalism isn’t a new idea. One could argue that fundamentalism drove planes into two towers in New York, launched the Crusades, or sent over six million Jews to the gas chambers creating the Holocaust. I would argue that fundamentalism at its rawest form is a dividing ground that creates an “Us verses Them” mentality in society. Maybe instead of America focusing attention and concern over Islamic fundamentalism, we should be watching for the influence of fundamentalism in America.

During his term as Vice President in 1988, George H. W. Bush once said, “No, I don’t know that atheists should be considered citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.”

Eleven years later at the Southern Baptist Convention in 1999 his son George W. Bush stated to Richard Land, “I believe God wants me to be president”. (Both quotes compiled by Luc Nadeau on U.S. Fundamentalism for www.PurgatoriousMagazine.org)

One need only glance at both Bush presidencies to see this “Us verses Them” mentality. This was never so clear as our media flashed words like “Axis of evil” or the endless dose of the word “Terror”. There were some clear lines being drawn in the sand that we (America) are the one’s with God on our side, and others who were not like us, were evil.

Don’t get me wrong. I love America. As a veteran of Desert Storm, I am proud of my service to my country. This was, and is, in my opinion a great country with the means to accomplish mighty works that other countries could barely imagine. It is a country I believe a person is allowed to dream and take steps to fulfill those dreams. We are afforded the opportunity to dream because of the many sacrifices of others. So I am grateful for the sacrifices for my freedom to dream and even write this article.

We have been fed that our men and women are still fighting for our freedoms. However, I believe that the fight for freedom ended with the Civil War. Practically all the wars since then have been fought more over our economic interests. The Civil War taught leaders of our country that war was profitable. It seems war, at its core, is just a good business move. But who profits from war? Not the families who’s sons and daughters have fought and died for the idea of National Security. Is it possible that manufacturers of military weapons and surplus get fat from the idea of war? I am remind of Bob Dylans song, “With God on Our Side”. This Anti-War protest folk tune covers the accounts of every war throughout America’s history. With each war mentioned, Dylans suggests that we believed God was on our side. Then concludes the song in clear protest of war:

“So now that I’m leavin’ I’m weary as hell. The confusion I’m feelin’ ain’t no tongue can tell. The words fill my head and fall to the floor. If God’s on our side… He’ll stop the next war.” (Azlyrics.com)

Dylan presumes that God is not really into the whole war idea. I agree. It’s that whole, “Do not kill” idea God handed down to Moses as a standard for living that makes me think war might be included in that. I would argue that God was even being generous with that command if you think about it. It’s really a very low standard to ask people to hold to when asking people to just not kill each other. You could say, God showed everybody grace from the beginning by setting the bar so low. Interesting how awful it is when we see one person kill another, but view the killing of thousands in the name of our nation whom we pledge allegiance to, is somehow justified. Even with Bible verses.

Throughout history, countries have formed enemies and fought wars for all sorts of reasons. Be it land, resources, or economic interests as we see today. But what motivates a seemingly rational thinker to travel thousands of miles with weapons to kill or be killed for these ideas? What pushes a soldier into the heat of battle? Is it the idea of freedom? Is it mere courage? Or could it be an ideology based from a pledge and oath that every soldier must take upon entering service to their country? And of all the soldiers, marines, and sailors raising their hand, how many of those truly believe that God is on their side, and not on the side of their enemy? I overheard a conversation about oil in a local church house where a man said to a group standing around him that God would want America to have the oil in the middle east rather than the muslims. So how is this war about our freedom and security?

For more information on pledges or salutes throughout history, check out the link below. The Nazi regime had the straight arm salute that some even claim influenced Americans at the onset of our pledge in 1893. Visit http://rexcurry.net/pledge2.html to see video and photos of historian Rex Curry making this devilish connection.

Some questions to consider now… “Are we still struggling for our freedom as a nation?”

Do we need to change the pledge… again?

When we say “freedom (liberty) and justice for all”, does that include people who are not like the Christian Fundamentalist “under God” people?

“Keep on rockin in the FREE world” - Neil Young

Time Economics

2010-01-22T11:32:00.002-05:00

Before you think I am anti-material, I am not. I like stuff, but I am learning to like time even more. Maybe it is an age thing.

Have you ever had something bad happen to you because of someone or something else’s fault? Have you ever had something bad happen to you because it was your own fault? Yeah, me too. So that means literally, we are our own worst messes.

We create beautiful things, but we also create a mass of really ugly things. Mostly for ourselves. Think about it. Would we really create problems for other people, if we didn’t first have problems of our own? Jesus was flawless and he still fashioned a chord to be applied to some pious Jew rear-end in the temple. Some say he did it twice.

I just want to reflect with you for a moment on a mess you are either creating, or cleaning. The strange thing about the way we think is that, our minds seem wired to heal slowly, maybe so that we will learn to apply things more deeply. And maybe that is why we spend more time cleaning. Its sort of like we do just one stupid thing that costs us, on so many levels, and have to pay for that for a long time. I have a sense that I am still paying for things I did long ago. Just my physical body alone is saying this to me. I damage my back in the military eighteen years ago, and I am still paying for that leap off a beach pavilion roof.

So is the saying true, “Time heals all wounds?”

But I have noticed that over time, I accumulate more and more stuff. Many times buying something that I think will be soothing and healing for my wretched, poor soul. Could you be honest and say, “I have a full closet.” Is there room in my closet for one more thing? Sure there is, I’ll just cram it down in the corner of the floor board so it fits snug with my shoes till I need to drag it out and iron it. Oh, you too?

Most Americans can say their closet is full. But it seems that we just can’t buy enough to fill it. It seems we have the wardrobe leading to Narnia in our house. I am sure Mr. Tumnus is going to butt me in the leg if I cram one more pair of unworn pants in the deepest regions of my closet. He probably couldn’t do it for being covered in socks. Not to mention all that snow mixed in.

Honestly, there has been more than one moment when, because of some shoes or clothes spilling out, you couldn’t shut your closet door. And that’s just our closets. Have you seen the garage? No, I mean, have you ever been in there? I’m sure there are veloce-raptors waiting to side swipe me in there. Cause I have heard stuff out there. I own Jurassic Garage.

Let’s shrink it down a little bit now. Ever opened that clove box, or little side bin, and it’s full of stuff? How about that one drawer in your house that is full of everything you can think of? You know how they get there don’t you? If it is close to the size of our hand, then it doesn’t require a large shelf for itself, just a drawer. If we can toss it, it will one day die a lonely death in, “The DRAWER!” Now say it like a horror movie announcer. THE DRAWER! That is a deadly place for pens, glue bottles, old scratched DVDs and even finger nail polish bottles.

Then I began to reason that in almost every season, I can find myself a reason to buy more stuff, I tell myself I need. Watch out Dr. Sues.

I can justify just about anything, and if I really, really want it, I can justify a purchase. With words like, “We could sure use that.” Or “Dammit, I need that,”, and even the “I’d like to know who the inventor of that stuff was so I can kiss them and name a baby after them.”

What I have learned is that I can always make room in my closet for more. The drawers and glove compartments can be filled to overflowing with things I already have two of. The sad and lonely place this brings me is the truth that I really never have room for more, but more is what I think I need to make my life easier.

Lets imagine we have a pen in our back yard with goats running around in it. Lets say you have to give an account for those jumpy little creatures. Not every day, but every hour. If there is nothing for them to hide behind in the yard it would be fairly simple to count them. But lets say you keep adding more goats to the pen. And then more. Until finally your pen has about fifty two of those propagating little beast. I just can’t help but imagine that it was a lot easier to count them back when you had a handful. For sure a lot easier to bath and maintain clean goats. Can you imagine fifty two stinky goats in your back yard. I also imagine that even the most experienced goat herders know there is a limit to how many they can care for. I think you get the picture.

Now imagine that Gandalf shows up on a cart spitting fireworks and he turns all your goats turn into socks. Socks that require cleaning.

Let say it took me five hours to clean all my fifty two goats each day, but now it takes half that time a week to clean all my formerly goat socks. But that is still a lot of time cleaning clothes. Plus, don’t forget the fact that socks are somewhat hard to keep track of, especially if you have too many other clothing items to keep clean as well. Again, there is no room in the closet.

Something has to change if I want to spend the evenings with my family. So here is a simple thought to consider.

The less stuff we have, the easier it is to keep track of it. This in turn means less time keeping track of your socks. It means no more laundry piles. It means a cleaner environment. A healthier environment. What is so unique about this environment is that when we spend less time tracking and piling, we get to spend more time with Mom. More time with Dad, more time with the kids, more time with the grandkids.

In this environment there is a lot less of this stuff that builds what some doctors call, STRESS. Now, I know I don’t have to explain what that is. But here we go.

Stress is that thing that is a part of a series of things that uses up our time. ALL I am saying is be better managers of our time. When I heard “He needs to manage his time better!”, it always sounded like it was coming out of the drawn up mouth of my 80 year-old fourth grade teacher who hated me. So I developed an attitude toward time. Time became the nemesis of my goals. That Damn Time.

It wasn’t until later in my life that I realized I was chasing time, most of the time, it (time) was therefore by default, an enemy in my over-achieving little soul. Time was outside of me. Time had become something I never had enough of. It was just something I put behind me, while my life and heart yearned for more stuff. With the hopes that the stuff I was buying or consuming would allow me more free time, when in reality, my stuff was absorbing my time like a black hole.

Innovation is supposed to help save people’s time and energy, and I thought innovation could be found in most purchases. For example, “If I only had this ________, my life would be so much better.” Have you ever bought that thing and life only got worse? Maybe the value of our time can be measured, not by what we purchase, but by how much we share or give away.

Do you have the time today, to share with those that matter most?

Do you have the time today, to give away to someone in need of help?

Do you have the time?

I can always tell if I am in that place where my time has become more valuable than these people and things that matter most. I hear in the voice of my five year old little girl. If she has to say Dad more than three times to get my attention, then I don’t have the time to spare. What a shame.

My hope for this year is that I allow more and more of my stuff to disappear, so that I will have more time. Remember, more stuff, less time. Less stuff, more time. More on time economics later.

Is This Where You Wanna Be?

2009-03-04T14:35:00.002-05:00

"Is this where you wanna be when Jesus comes back?" Joe Dirte re-introduces this question to America. Interesting question when put in Joe Dirt context.

Something else interesting is the life of fictional characters such as Joe Dirt and Forrest Gump. Both had lives that were more like a feather in the wind, or a meteorite dropping from the sky. A trip of fate or destiny awaiting the willing.

Both have head clearing moments that propel them through life. A coming to the senses if you will that says, Fireworks stands and Shrimp'n boats are chapters in the novel we call our lives.

ANYWAY... there is something in common with Mr. Dirte' and Gump. Both lived in the here and now. Both were available when life showed up. Both lived life without "No in their heart" or with the realization that it's "...like a box of chocolates."

So back to Joe's question. Where do you want to be when Christ comes back? Where is that place for you? Is it fulfilling a dream? Is it loving your family and friends? Is it making a difference? Where is it for you?

"Life's a garden. Dig it."

Would Ya?

2008-08-20T23:33:00.012-04:00

"If there were no heaven or hell, would you still follow Jesus?

WARNING: This question exposes some things about our faith that can be either very troubling or hopeful. This question is a real gut smack that draws out the core of our motives.

As you read and study the Gospels, take the time to look for what isn’t written that is often believed to be in there. For example, regarding heaven, you will notice that Jesus NEVER uses ‘heaven’ as an evangelistic tool. If there were such a thing as Jesus doing evangelism, the closest thing would have been when Jesus said, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is near.”

Jesus did not promise heaven, forgiveness of sins or material blessings in order to get people to follow Him. He tried to get people to follow him by calling them to completely changing their life and join the kingdom of God; a different way of seeing and living life.

I heard a sermon once titled “The Benefits of Being a Christian.” If you have been in the church scene long, you have probably heard something like it yourself. It was basically a sales pitch for being a Christian. The problem with this sales pitch is it had nothing to do with denying one’s self, carrying a cross, persecution, leaving family or any similar promises that Jesus actually gives to his followers. (Luke 9:22-26)

It’s like we use heaven like a sexy dangling carrot that leads the Christian forward through life. In one sense, we use it to tempt Christians to keep going. We say, “Press on and one day when you get to heaven, it’ll all be worth it.” This would be great if the Bible actually taught this.

Another reason this question is important is because Jesus is never found using it as a motivation for faith. It is something he promises as a gift, an extra bonus, sort of in secret to his disciples. It isn’t a reality he proclaims to the public. It’s his little secret that he only shares with those already following him. Sort of like He was whispering, “Oh. By the way...”

Why is this question so important? Let’s begin with a relationship since that is what this is all about anyway. For example, if I were to only want a relationship with you or anyone else based solely upon what I can get from you, then I am merely using you. In a marriage we might call it abusive. This using is not love. Love seeks to give without asking anything in return.

The quandary of Christianity in America is that there are many who claim to be Christians, who say they “love God” because they want to get to heaven, get blessed and get forgiven. This is not love. When someone does this in a human relationship we say they are “using” the other person. That is not loving God… that is using God.

Loving God is listening to and following his example in Jesus simply because he is God. And when we do that is when we view heaven, and any other benefit of Christianity, as it truly is… a gift. It is no longer something we feel we have “earned” or “deserved” or “got into it for.” It becomes a gift from our beloved… as it was intended to be.

Part of the problem in American evangelicalism is that heaven and hell are only spoken of in terms of distant after life places and not as Jesus spoke of primarily as current conditions. When Jesus taught us to pray, (Luke 11:2-4) he wasn’t teaching a method to be memorized, instead in the prayer he taught us how to relate to God, as Father, AND that it should be our desire to see heaven happen here on earth.

So some of our problem with heaven involves a clearer understanding of when and where heaven happens. The sad truth is, heaven may only be a future reality for some people their whole life. Maybe this is saying something about, “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and everything else will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) This statement is present tense, not future.

So, do you love and follow God because he is a god of mercy, love, peace and justice, or to squeak through the pearly gates. Unfortunately, if it is the second I wonder if it is what God would consider the faith he desires. I wonder if it is what Jesus would consider following him. I wonder if it is love for God, or love for our self. In the words of Bob Marley, “Could this be love?”

Just a look back into the first two chapters of the Bible we find a beautiful poem that describes how humans were intended to live. We were created to live in harmony with God, each other, ourselves and the planet or garden. It is worth everything to live as we were created. To live otherwise is to live an illusion. An illusion that leads us to live as somebody we aren’t. This same illusion teaches that your ultimate reality is somewhere besides here and now. The illusion that says we have nothing to do with the conditions others live in.

This topic obviously leads to more questions and ideas, of which we can discuss later. Heaven or Hell, Jesus is still Savior and King of all. May every moment of life, lead you to a more loving relationship with the Father who radically loves you. He desires things for you, not just from you. What is your desire of God... for or from?

a church or THE CHURCH

2008-08-19T02:42:00.004-04:00

Even though we as pastors say "It isn't about numbers.", it really is about numbers. If you have a vision like ours that we believe was given to us by God, to lead other people to a connection with Jesus Christ, then it is about numbers of people making that connection and us allowing God to speak through us in such moments. At the core of who Christ is shaping us into are people concerned about the eternal outcome of others. We do not want anyone to perish. Why? 2 Peter 3:9 says, "it is not God's desire that anybody should perish."

I think the balance and the key to remember is that the numbers of which we speak of shouldn't be "member" driven. If we are driven to UP the number of members, and then the temptation to push the gas for growth hits us, then it becomes our vision for ministry instead of God's. Jesus is no longer savior, but a means to a worldly end. This is why our vision directs us to care enough about other people and ourselves to not care whether someone joins our specific community, but that more importantly, that we care deeply that they become members of the same Kingdom through which Jesus is building.

So, if you are part of a church and during a time of worship you notice more empty seats than people, there is a good question to ask. "Who have I led to Jesus Christ this week? Is there anyone seated in the Kingdom because I shared good news with them? Am I truly passionate for the right numbers? Am I part of 'A' church or 'The Church'"?

Why do numbers matter a great deal to Hillside Community Church? Acts 2:21 says, "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." We believe it to be at the very core of a follower of Christ to desire to see others meet Jesus. Why? Because our lives have been changed by this one we call Jesus. This is more than attendance in a religious gathering. In fact, we don't believe attendance makes or keeps anyone "saved". High attendance in worship should be birthed primarily from a desire to worship God, not out of obligation to attend. Again, a church wants your attendance to improve. When it comes to "The Church", you can't attend something that you are.

Are you a member of a church? or... Are you a part of "THE CHURCH"? The latter involves life. The first has a long history of hurting people, slavery, and even starting wars.

"Get Gracie!"

2008-08-18T12:37:00.001-04:00

Written 3 years ago.

Abby requests, “Get Gracie!” This is her usual response to her sister when she runs in her room uninvited. Too many times to count, we would hear Abby down the hall voicing, “Get Gracie”. Not an angry yell, but one that began to sound like an alarm with no emotional attachment as to whether anyone would come and hit the snooze button. If we didn’t respond, Abby would just gently grab Gracie under her arms and walk her out of her room leaving her in the hallway while quickly shutting the door behind her. Then a large cry would swell from Gracie who knew that once again, she was booted from big sis’s room for no apparent reason, other than she was out to oppress her. Gracie’s tenacity and Abby’s stubbornness about Gracie’s invasions reminds me of the intro of the Flintstone’s when Fred is trying to put the cat out and eventually gets locked out of his own house. I keep waiting for Gracie to find a way to trick Abby and lock her out of her own room. I have a feeling it won’t be long before this naturally takes place, and then, as if the parrot had been set loose in the house, we will hear the lament of Abby, “Get Gracie”.

These words, “Get Gracie” mean more than just Abby wanting her parents to step in and take action. It means that Abby knows discontent. She understands what it means to be private and to find joy in how her stuff is arranged. She likes order enough to protect it fearlessly in the face of a 14 month old terror named Gracie – who is obviously out to take control of the world and all energy resources for her own pleasures. Even it that means mind control or nuclear threats, Gracie will control the world. In Gracie’s defense, she never had a chance when it came to Abby’s room. But, in Abby’s defense, her announcement, “Get Gracie” was more like a raised voice tone like in talking, never really a yell of anger, just frustration.

I can picture Abby and Gracie ten years from now. It’s no longer that room she protects, or the arrangement of her stuff. Abby will be talking with a cute boy on the porch, and Gracie – by that time the ruler over all humanity through mind control – will be making faces at Abby through a window distracting her from the cute boy. I look forward to hearing that old record play again, “Get Gracie”. That is when Greta or I will then enter Gracie’s evil laboratory and disengage the electrodes to her evil schemes helmet.

Give Back The Elephant

2008-08-18T10:45:00.006-04:00

I wrote this when Abby was in 2^nd grade while living in Bowling Green, KY. SOME TEACHERS ARE SIMPLY CALLED OF GOD.

Abby was having a break down at the school lunch table this morning while waiting for class to begin. The teacher came over to see what was the matter. Abby was crying hard as two little boys sat across the table from her looking suspicious. Concerned, the teacher asked her what had happened and Abby said, “They took my elephant!”

Thinking Abby brought a toy elephant to school, the teacher told the boys to give Abby back her elephant. The boys said they didn’t have an elephant. While Abby cried, the teacher searched the boy’s pockets and hands for a toy elephant.

The boys argued, “We don’t have an elephant.”

Then one boy said, “It was a pretend elephant.”

The teacher turned and asked Abby, “Was it a pretend elephant?”

Sadly, Abby sobbed, “Y- Y- Yes.”

The teacher looked at the boys and ordered, “Give back the elephant.”

Quotation Smarts

2008-08-17T00:36:00.002-04:00

"Don't feel like Satan, but, to them I am.

Keep on rockin' in the free world

Keep on rockin' in the free world"

- Neil Young

"To live outside the law, you must be honest." - Bob Dylan

Back When All Was Real

2008-08-16T22:31:00.000-04:00

At the very end of nothing, or as the ancient poets penned, “In the beginning, God created” and something real began to take shape. For the first time, the nothingness was complete and new spirit formed the first water and landscapes. This new beginning was spoken into existence by a God who was and is the ultimate reality. A reality who could not help but create things out of joy and love. He was preparing a place for His greatest creation to follow… people. From this early reality of nothing, appeared a real God who spoke into existence something genuine. Something real.

It was in this formative moment, which could have lasted centuries, that this real God was preparing something for something else. It appears that this God desires to be a provider for what He creates. As the poem goes, we, the image bearers of this creator, set foot on the untrodden ground of a garden called Eden and begin to live as God intended. Everything was good and we, well… the creator said we were “very” good.

The reality of heaven speaking through time and space filtering into a moment of divine “somethingness”. Life was real. The garden… real. God, real. Eden was as real as heaven. The animals, the fruit, the air, oceans, mountains and valleys… all real. All was tangible and all was divine. The created things could now be sensed by other created things. With the creation came the existence of awareness, knowledge, emotion, and a sense of what is physical.

The idea of something being an illusion was not introduced until the third chapter of this great poem. Until then, complete honesty was reality. Nothing was hidden. Nothing that was created was ever intended to be hidden.

Strange that the first thing to be hidden was humanity. Illusion was introduced and put a new twist on reality. So much of a twist that the most treasured of all creations received the most damaging of blows. The Serpent introduced the greatest of all illusions to date. This same illusion has helped on the one hand to pen some of the greatest love songs, on the other, it started wars. This illusion continues to flow out from the garden and into humanity.

Now immortality wasn’t an illusion in the beginning. You could say immortality was jusy something to be understood. After the serpent’s lie, immortality became illusion. Immortality was now unreachable. What was once real had become unreal. The serpent took what was tangible and made it illusion. Worship of the creator was replaced with worship of the created. God himself had become to much to be real for humanity. For the first time, the Creator wasn’t the only one creating worlds to live in. One of the creations created something powerful enough to entice humanity a different direction than they were intended to move. A new invitation was in the air. Just like the Garden peace, everyone is invited to this new world. The serpent’s inviation is simple. “You are invited to live in a world that doesn’t exist… as somebody you are not.

First, what about this world that doesn’t exist? This illusion is simple. It’s like living with blinders on. Dishonest living. Like geting dirty, yet never coming clean. But more important, this illusion we are tempted should take us back to the simple truths of the Garden. The illusion says that God is not real or tangible at all. Swallowing this temptation is like believing that you are miserable all the days of your life while praying Jesus would come back to end it all. This illusion teaches that heaven is some far off place, not here and now. In other words, “Anti-Garden”.

Second, to live as somebody you are not, is pretty much self explanitory. It is the invitation to never look at a mirror, and if you do, never look too deep. Never examine your life. Just do the best you can to stay out of trouble until the day you die. It is the drive to humbly approach death safely. The result is often very obvious in conversations. Listen closely next time you or someone you are talking to says, “That’s just the way I am”. Stepping fully into this invitation disables us from allowing ourselves to live as forgiven people. Instead we feel the need for control to such an extent that we can’t receive a free gift without feeling obligated. In other words, you cannot allow grace to rule over your life.

Finally, the devil adds a stunt best described from a line by a character (Verbal Kemp) played by Kevin Spacey, in a scene from a movie I like called Usuall Suspects, when he says, “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he didn’t exist.” Just another example of the replacement of reality with a lie.

Now… how do we step out of the illusion, and begin the journey back to when all was real? I believe this begins with a simple question, “Is Jesus enough?” What Would your life look like if you had nothing to hide? What if you could stop hidding? What if you knew who you were in the sense the same way God knows you? What if you were to “Lose your Illusion” and live knowing that God is the ultimate reality and that His Son Jesus was enough?

We have a choice I believe. Run with the illusion, which is safe and superficial, or step into living simply as honest as possible, which is chaotic and meaningful. This life of faith is scary and exciting at the same time. He doesn’t promise an easy journey, just a perect destination. Like the Beaver speaking of Aslan in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, “Is he safe. Oh no, Aslan’s not safe, but he is good.”