The Threshing Floor

Jesus is for Losers

2009-04-09T16:58:00.003-04:00

As we are in the midst of Holy Week, I've been struck again by the sheer scandal that is the crucifixion. I'm amazed once again that Jesus would die for people who are self-centered, selfish, arrogant, and downright unpleasant to be around. Perhaps even more than that, I'm struck that He didn't hold his nose while doing it. He didn't just die for us, He lived with us for 33 years. He lived among people who missed the point, tried to use Him for their own purposes, and many of whom deserted Him while He was facing death. In other words, I'm still amazed at the Incarnation.

I saw this post over at Michael Spencer's blog, the Internet Monk, the other day, and he really lays out in more detail what I'm getting at. Why is that so many Christians are, well, so messed up? Why does the "victorious Christian life" seem to allude us? And perhaps beyond that, the bigger question is why is so hard for us to not pretend that we are living the "perfect Christian life"? Why do we spend so much time putting up facades? Michael describes our situation as this:

Evangelicals love a testimony of how screwed up I USED to be. They aren’t interested in how screwed up I am NOW. But the fact is, that we are screwed up. Then. Now. All the time in between and, it’s a safe bet to assume, the rest of the time we’re alive. But we will pay $400 to go hear a “Bible teacher” tell us how we are only a few verses, prayers and cds away from being a lot better. And we will set quietly, or applaud loudly, when the story is retold. I’m really better now. I’m a good Christian. I’m not a mess anymore. I’m different from other people.

So is there any hope for us? Is there a way to live a life that God wants us to live while still admitting that we are broken people? I believe there is. It means that we must totally rely on Christ and accept the fact that He will not reject no matter how screwed up or broken we are. Again, from Michael:

I will be accused of a serious lack of good news, I’m sure, so listen. At the moment I am winning, Jesus is with me. At the moment I am losing, Jesus is with me and guarantees that I will get up and fight on. At the moment I am confused, wounded and despairing, Jesus is with me. I never, ever lose the brokenness. I fight, and sometimes I prevail, but more and more of my screwed up, messed up life erupts. Each battle has the potential to be the last, but because I belong to one whose resurrection guarantees that I will arrive safely home in a new body and a new creation, I miraculously, amazingly, find myself continuing to believe, continuing to move forward, till Jesus picks us up and takes us home.

So as we remember the death and resurrection of Christ this week, lets take some time to recall that Christ died for us while we were still sinners, was raised to defeat the grave and the powers that killed Him, and that He is walking with us still despite our weakness.

The always controversial Steve Taylor released a song in the early 90's that expressed these thoughts quite well entitled Jesus is for Losers (one of the commenters on Michael's blog reminded me of this). Here it is for those who haven't heard it:

The lyrics can be found here.

I pray that you all have blessed Easter, and I pray that the reality of the crucifed and risen Savior never ceases to cause us to look on in wonder and be amazed at the God who loves us more than we can imagine.

God doesn't want to use you...

2008-10-01T16:05:00.003-04:00

I posted this as a note on Facebook a few months ago, so I figured I'd re-post it here:

I know, shocking, right? I must say, recently I've begun doubting the old Evangelical credo of "God wants to use you to fulfill His purpose". I don't think God is a user. I think God values people far too much to just use them. We, on the other hand, do like to use people to fulfill our purposes.

I'm pretty tired of seeing people treated like cogs in some ministry apparatus, or pawns in some chess game. It's like churches only value people for what they can produce. I believe they have bought into a lie from Satan himself. I've seen many great people used and discarded like toilet paper because they were suddenly deemed "unproductive" or "uneffective".

In Henri Nouwen's book, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Nouwen makes the point that both sons misunderstood the heart of their father. The son that left and came back didn't understand the depth of his father's love, but the older son didn't either. The older son had the mindset of a servant in the household, rather than a son. He didn't understand his father's love, either. He thought he was loved because he did all the right things and worked hard. I think many in Evangelicalism fall into this thinking.

In John 15, Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." That's pretty profound if you think about it. Friendship isn't based on what we do for God. God doesn't base our worth or value on the stuff we accomplish in His name. I think this why on the last day, Jesus will say to some, "depart from me, I never knew you." Knowing the heart of the Father is more important than doing stuff for the Father.

As Ben Witherington III says on his blog all the time, think on these things...

Treasure of the Broken Land

2008-07-20T20:02:00.002-04:00

Recent discussions on the Resurrection have brought to mind a song that was written by the late Mark Heard called "Treasure of the Broken Land". Heard wrote the song shortly before his death in 1992, and it appears on his album entitled Satellite Sky. This is one of those songs that causes an almost visceral reaction in me, as I nearly am brought to tears everytime I hear it. Not sad tears, but tears of joy and expectation. I believe the line, "parched earth give up your captive ones" really captures the spirit of what Paul was getting at when he wrote this passage in Romans 8:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

That which is dead will be made new. We as Christians have tasted the firstfruits of the resurrection, but we are waiting for it to fully be revealed. To this we say, "Come, Lord Jesus!"

The video:

I see you now and then in dreams
Your voice sounds just like it used to
I know you better than I knew you then
All I can say is I love you

I thought our days were commonplace
Thought they would number in millions
Now there's only the aftertaste
Of circumstance that can't pass this way again

Treasure of the broken land
Parched earth, give up your captive ones
Waiting wind of Gabriel
Blow soon upon the hollow bones

I saw the city at its tortured worst
And you were outside the walls there
You were relieved of a lifelong thirst
I was dry at the fountain

I knew that you could see my shame
But you were eyeless and sparing
I awoke when you called my name
I felt the curtain tearing

Treasure of the broken land
Parched earth give up your captive ones
Waiting wind of Gabriel
Blow soon upon the hollow bones

I can melt the clock hands down
But only in my memory
Nobody gets the second chance to be the friend they meant to be

I see you now and then in dreams
Your voice sounds just like it used to
I believe I will hear it again
God how I love you

Treasure of the broken land
Parched earth give up your captive ones
Waiting wind of Gabriel
Blow soon upon the hollow bones

A streamed version of the song by Steve Taylor's band, Chagall Guevera is available here.

Lay Down Your Weapons

2008-06-23T16:08:00.001-04:00

I couldn't begin to count how many times it's happened. I've been discussing a certain issue with someone, and eventually to prove his point, the phrase "well this is what the Bible says" comes up - usually followed by a long, poorly edited, copied and pasted passage from BibleGateway.com. In the person's mind this passage is the end of the argument, the last hurrah, the final amen. It is the trump card of debate, and the checkmate of discussion. The howitzer of the Bible has been pointed squarely at me, and I am a casualty of theological disagreement.

I've often wondered where the practice of referring to the Bible as a weapon came from. I remember in Children's Church when we have "sword drills". The teacher would open her Bible, pick a verse at random, and the student who found the verse in the least amount of time won. Not to boast or anything, but I remember winning more than my fair share of these battles. Perhaps growing up in a pastor's house where I was surrounded by Bibles had given me some sort of innate ability to thumb through the pages of Scripture quickly...

I also remember sitting in the audience at youth events listening to speakers tell us how to "use our Bibles to push back the forces of darkness". I remember hearing that one way or another our public schools were being invaded by evolutionists, homosexuals, or perhaps worst of all, the secular humanists. It was our job as Christian teens to stand up against these people, and use the weapons at our disposal to do Christ's work. After all, Satan has already taken too much ground. Generally, I would leave these events pretty hyped up, at least for two or three days. Then it seemed that fighting Satan's minions took a back seat to math homework, English papers, or, let's face it, doing nothing (I wasn't that big of a nerd...).

In college, things were different, but yet they were the same. I quickly got involved with Campus Crusade for Christ, and I remember attending one of their cleverly-titled "Cross Training" events. At these events we would go through various Crusade literature (including the 4 Spiritual Laws booklet, of course), and learn how to contend for our faith and give watertight answers for the skeptics we would inevitably meet. Again, Scripture was presented as a tool at best and as a weapon at worst. It seemed that purpose of knowing Scripture verses was to blow away our ideological opponents. We were the Christian Dirty Harrys on campus, just itching to meet an atheist and have him "make our day".

Towards the end of my college career (such an odd term, as so little of college falls into the category of work), I started thinking about how ineffective these training sessions and booklets seemed to be. I wondered why no one seemed to be interested debating with me about the existence of God, and even less about why homosexuality is wrong. Heck, it seemed most people were content to let me believe whatever I wanted to as long as I left them alone. I wondered why Christians told me that a state university would be such a hostile environment to my faith, when in reality it seemed like most professors saw faith as a good thing. I wondered what was the point of all my "weapons training"? What if in the midst of trying to become a better fighter for the faith, I had forgotten to let the Word mold me and change me? What if in trying to win arguments, I had forgotten that people really need a friend they can trust and talk to, rather than a watertight argument?

So that brings me to where I am now. I almost physically cringe when I hear Christians use the phrase "the Bible says" anymore. Just the other week I heard someone advertising a class that would teach Christians "how to use the BIble". I am tired of using Scripture as weapon to beat people with. I am tired of making myself greater than Scripture. I believe that if you think of Scripture as a tool or weapon, it inevitable places you in a position that is greater than Scripture. The person who is holding a weapon is the one in charge of the weapon. The person who wielding a tool is directing that tool. I believe this almost a complete 180 from the way we are to approach Scripture. I believe we need to submit to it. It molds us and shapes us, and it directs us on how we are to live. When we start talking about "using" Scripture, I believe it's a dangerous endeavor.

Now I know I might come off as cynical here, but I really am not. I do believe that everyone I encountered had the best of intentions. I think they believed they were just being faithful to the Christian faith they had receieved. I'm sure many of them would point to 2 TImothy 3:16 to justify their actions.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

After all, that verse specifically mentions Scripture in the context of training and correcting. It certainly seems that Scripture is being used as a tool in that context. However, if we take a look at that whole passage, I think the picture becomes a little different.

You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

So it seems that Paul is not just telling Timothy to continue to learn Scripture to win theological arguments and to convince pagans how wrong they were. No, Paul is telling Timothy that he needs to lean on Scripture to train him, to equip him for service. It's not that Paul is reminding Timothy to memorize Scripture to fight back the heathen philosophies of Rome, as much as he is reminding that Scripture is his source of life. It's the thing that keeps him going. Just as God breathed in Adam, He breathed into the Scriptures. When we read them and let them mold us, we are partaking in the life that God has for us.

So, that is why I have chosen to lay down my weapons. I have decided that I will try and let Scripture mold me before I try to make change other's behavior. I will try to submit my own will to the Bible before I try to use it to break other's wills. I will ask forgiveness of those who I have been casualties in the wars where Scripture has been used as weapon, and I will do my best to stand beside those on the receiving end of the blows.

Deconstruction

2008-04-17T11:29:00.000-04:00

It's kind of rare that I find something in the "Christian" music market that I can recommend to people, but one exception throughout the years has been Justin McRoberts. I don't even know if it's completely accurate to say he's part of the Christian market, since he releases all of his music independently. But He is a Christian, and he still writes a lot of his songs with a Christian audience in mind.

McRobert's new album is entitled Deconstruction, and though the word has gotten a lot press recently, I find the lyrics to be quite poignant and challenging. I find that God has gifted certain people to express things I would like to say better than I possibly could.

Deconstruction
© Justin McRoberts 2008 Five Foot Six and a Half Music (ASCAP)

I am comfortable with deconstruction
I am comfortable with doubt
It’s the assurance that I’m right about the mystery
The assurance that you’re wrong that I can do without

So everything I knew about you
Everything I thought I knew
I’d tear it down and I would leave it all in pieces
If finally what it means is that I’m left with only you

They say it’s not about religion
But then they tell you how to think
They say it’s all about the way you understand it
Then they tell you what it means that you’ve experienced these things

They say it’s not about performance
They say it’s all about the heart
But every critic with his pen or his computer
Talks about effectiveness and not about the art

If you'd like to hear the song, it should come up on the embedded player on McRobert's website. I highly recommend that you check him out if you haven't before.

Book Review - A Case for Amillennialism

2008-01-02T20:35:00.000-05:00

Over the Christmas break, I took some time to finish A Case for Amillennialism by Kim Riddlebarger. The subject of eschatology is brought up here quite frequently, so I felt like it would be suitable to post a review of this book here.

As the title suggests, the book is a straightforward explanation of the Amillenniallist view of eschatology. The book comes in at just under 250 pages, and Riddlebarger's fluid no-nonsense writing style makes for a relatively quick read. If you aren't familiar with the Biblical passages that are referenced, it would be a good idea to have your Bible nearby for quick reference.

First, a little detail about the author. Dr. Riddlebarger is senior pastor of Christ Reformed Church in Anaheim, California, and visiting professor of systematic theology at Westminster Seminary California. He is also a co-host of the White Horse Inn radio program, which is broadcast weekly on more than fifty radio stations. The rest of his bio can be found here on his blog. One thing I find most interesting is that he is firmly in the Reformed camp, and he is one of the few voices I have heard speak out against the Dispensationalist theology that seems to have gotten the most press recently.

I will not spend the time here to describe all the different views on eschatology, as I think this Wiki page does a fair job of describing the basics.

According to Riddlebarger:

Amillenniallists hold that the promises made to Israel, David, and Abraham in the Old Testament are fulfilled by Jesus Christ and his church during this present age. The millennium is the period of time between the two advents of our Lord with the thousand years of Revelation 20 being symbolic of the entire interadvental age. At the first advent of Jesus Christ, Satan was bound by Christ's victory over him at Calvary and the empty tomb. The effects of his victory continued because of the presence of the kingdom of God via the preaching of the gospel and as evidenced by Jesus' miracles. Through the spread of the gospel, Satan is no longer free to deceive the nations. Christ is presently reigning in heaven during the entire period between Christ's first and second coming. At the end of the millenial age, Satan is released, a great apostasy breaks out, the general resurrection occurs, Jesus Christ returns in final judgment for all people, and he establishes a new heaven and earth.

pp. 31-32

Even if you don't have a background in Biblical eschatology, Dr. Riddlebarger makes it easy for all readers to come to a point of understanding. He systematically goes through the Prophets, the Olivet Discourse, and of course, the Revelation. The book is well footnoted throughout (the chapter on Revelation 20 has 100 notes alone), and he is a careful researcher. At every point, Dr. Riddlebarger dismantles potential arguments against his point, and he does so convincingly.

Throughout the book, Dr. Riddlebarger makes the point that the Biblical authors consistenly wrote with a "two-age" model in mind - "This Age", and the "Age to Come". Basically, when Christ came the first time, it was the beginning of "The Age to Come". We are stil living in the period when "The Age to Come" is here in some sense, but yet we still await final consummation when Christ returns and Heaven, Earth, and all Creation are restored. This tension is paralled by Jesus' now but not-yet descriptions of the Kingdom of God. When viewed through this lens, in my opinion, Biblical prophecy becomes much clearer. The Scriptures become unified in a way that I didn't see earlier.

My background in the End Times puzzle is rooted in the Pre-Mill/Dispensational camp. I grew up with the charts and graphs on flannelgraphs, and we expected to be raptured hopefully before the Tribulation. Through the years, I've come to question that view, but I've been unsure as to where to start. I feel that this book not only helped me on this journey, but it has given me tools to help me further down the road.

I could go into a lot more detail about the book, but for the sake of space I will not here. I will answer any questions to the best of my ability, but I would really recommend this book to anyone who is confused or wants to learn more about Biblical eschatology.

Nerds Strike Back

2007-03-12T11:05:00.000-04:00

That someone took the time to do this is either extremely sad or just awesome.

Beyond Belief

2007-02-12T11:17:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've written anything here. I promise I'll try to do better.

As I get older, I find myself asking some basic questions about faith, belief, and God. I'm not saying that what I've been taught is wrong, I just find myself trying to delve deeper into the "givens" or assumptions that I have.

I have always beeen taught that having correct theology is important. For years I just accepted that fact. Why is it important, though? Is it important because it gives a strong argument, an airtight defense against secular humanism? I would say those are somewhat valid reasons, but probably not enough. I've been asking myself, "just how much doctrine or theology does one have to know to be a Christian?" What percentage can we be wrong and still be a Christian? These maybe the wrong questions. In fact I know they are. I believe that one is a Christian based on knowing Christ, not knowing about him. Still, we want to be correct in the things we know about Him, because it enables us to serve Him better.

Anyway, the whole point of my rambling is this. There has long been debates in the church about the importance of orthodoxy (right thinking) and orthopraxy (right behavior). It's easy to say one is more important - I've seen people come down on both extremes. Some people want to have 100% correct doctrine and are paralyzed because of it. I've heard someone else say that, "belief is nothing, action is everything." To me, they both end up short. I would submit this: belief without action is not belief at all. I can say I believe something, but if I don't do something based on that belief, then I must not really believe it. It is like people who say they know they should eat better and exercise to get healthy but don't. They say they believe they will get healthy by changing their lifestyles, but they don't, so they really don't believe it. They really believe that they are exceptions to the rule, and they can do whatever they want without facing concequences. There are a bunch of examples like this. The bottom line is that we have correct thinking to spur us on to correct behavior.

In I Timothy 4:15-16, Paul says it like this:

Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don't be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation..

He basically tells Timothy that he needs to keep learning so that others may see him progressing. It's not so he can win arguments and convert people through brilliant ideas. It's so people will see he is maturing in his relationship with Christ.

May our doctrines always spur us to know Christ more and may our belief be more than acedemic.

Graveyard Rock

2006-10-25T09:17:00.000-04:00

According to Forbes.com, Kurt Cobain recently overtook Elvis Presley as the number one moneymaking dead guy. This article explains in more detail. I don't know what the entire significance of this is in the grand scheme of things, other than maybe it shows the "passing of the torch" from a dead boomer icon to a dead X-er icon.

I can't say I was ever a fan of Nirvana, but I remember the whole grunge/alternative rock scene of the early 90's quite fondly. I think the whole ethos of it may have had bigger consequences than we give it credit. It basically showed that people were looking for authenticity above musical perfection, and it reinforced the idea that anyone could become famous. It wasn't because of your training or your expertise that you were valued, it was because you had a unique voice. As a musicians, I understand people who are frustrated at the notion that someone can have very limited skill and make a hit record. But, on the other hand, I love the idea that we all deserve a chance to share our opinion. It's no longer the guru on top of the hill that's showing us the way - now we're all together in the journey.

Not as Lazy as I Thought...

2006-10-17T14:09:00.000-04:00

Your Sloth Quotient: 9%

You're certainly not lazy. If anything, you're super charged, hyper, and always going.
Slow down a little. You can enjoy a slow afternoon without becoming a total couch potato.

How Much Sloth Do You Have?

Someone should have let my mom see these results when I was in high school...

Also, remember that 84% of all statistics are lies, 73% of people know that...

This is not about me

2006-10-02T09:27:00.000-04:00

I've been doing a series on Ecclesiastes in Veritas this fall. I was thinking about the book this morning when somethings struck me. So much of the book is about Solomon's frustration of the impermanance of things in life. When I spoke a few weeks ago, I said that the first few chapters show how the fruit of our labor, or material things can't satisfy us. Chapters 3 & 4 talk about the passage of time, and how things continue on whether we like it or not. What struck me this morning was how these are really two of the freatest resources we have from God - our material things such as money and possessions, and our time.

In the 80's and 90's much was said about the greed and winner-takes-all attitude in America. Well now from what I can see - people are much more selfish and wasteful with time. I would include myself in this category. We have so many things that we can spend out time on - the internet, HDTV, Ipods, Xbox, myspace, etc. The list goes on and on. In the end, when we look back on it, will it be time well spent - or will we regret what we've done.

Many believe that Solomon was an old man when he wrote Ecclesiastes. You can really sense the regret when you read the book. He was given so much, but what did it gain him in the end.

24 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction
in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who
can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom,
knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and
storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is
meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

I have to remind myself of this all the time. I will have to give an account for what I have done with what I've been given. It kind of makes you think twice about wanting to win the lottery when you look at like that.

Rockin' in the Free World

2006-08-31T10:33:00.000-04:00

Rolling Stone has a Photo Gallery entitled "Young and Pious: A Rock & Roll Story" up on their site. It's nothing I would call controversial, it's simply a few photos taken by a women who went to a bunch of Christian music festivals.

The things that are truly interesting to me are some of the comments she makes. It's interesting how we see things from inside the church compared to how others see them. I'm not talking about the spiritual things that God reveals to us. I'm talking about out t-shirts, language and other external things. Sometimes I think we end up confusing a lot of people in things that we shouldn't be. I think my favorite line is the very last one by the photographer. She says, "Jesus is their personal savior. He's almost alive to them." Well, hopefully people will start to see that it's more than almost, otherwise, I think the church in America (myself included) need to rethink some stuff.

I am my cellphone

2006-08-16T15:39:00.000-04:00

I recently got a new cellphone through Verizon's "New every 2" program. I know it's just their way of roping you into another two year contract, but hey, you can't live without one now. It's interesting how much these little things can mean to you. I can listen to MP3's, watch movies, play games, and I think even make phone calls on my new RAZR. Though, I am ashamed to admit it, I was genuinely excited about getting my new phone. My old phone was well, so old. I couldn't listen to music or watch movies on it. I could take pictures, but they were like .1 megapixels. As a phone it worked fine, but this is 2006 for cryin' out loud! Well, the day for me to get my new phone came, and, oh, the bliss! I'm cool again! No longer the man with the outdated phone!

Now I'm not going to be the old codger who complains about everyone listening to Ipods or walking around campus talking on a cellphone. I'm truly grateful for all this neat technology. It's a blessing. I can call my wife from anywhere at anytime. People can find me if they need me. The one thing I have noticed is how owning these luxury items has become another thing we attach our identity to. We each have our customized ringtones and playlists, and these are things that kind of become our "trademarks". I know, that for most people it's just a fun little thing to have "My Humps" start playing when your best friend calls, and it probably ends at that. But we all know the person that has to have the newest gadget as soon as it comes out. I think we're all like that with something. Maybe it's the newest CD by some band, or the newest DVD, or book, etc. Why do these things become so important to us? Perhaps we're all still searching for thing that tells us we're special and that we matter. Again, I'm not condemning anyone for owning the things they have. I just think it's human nature to look for identity somewhere. My prayer is that I am not known by what stuff I own, what music I listen to, what movies I watch, but by people seeing Christ in me.

Yeah, that makes perfect sense

2006-07-20T15:51:00.000-04:00

OK, I don't usually post about political things, but I couldn't resist this. I saw this ad campaign today from Focus on the Family. It's about the same-sex marriage ballot initiative in Colorado. Now, I think I know what they're trying to say, but I think their logic is a bit stretched. "Because dogs don't moo, you should be against gay marriage", is what I'm seeing. My point isn't about gay marriage; but rather, I think often when Christians say and mean one thing, it is often interpreted as something completely different by everyone else.

By the way, this ad is about dogs marrying cows, isn't it?

A Critique of the Critics

2006-07-18T10:20:00.000-04:00

Ironically, I started feeling guilty about not posting in such a long time (see my last post). Also, Jekk, posted so I have to continue the tradition of same-day posting.

I have a confession to make. Sometimes I hate being around other Christians. Sometimes I think that every criticism and stereotype you hear about them is true. Sometimes I think we're all judgemental, petty, and hate-filled (ironic?). Fortunately, these times don't last very long because God has blessed me with some wonderful, kind, and thoughtful Christians in my life that don't fit into these stereotypes and I come to my senses. That being said, there is still a part of me that has an unease about some of the stuff that goes on in the Church.

It seems to me that for every person or movement that comes along with a new idea or way of doing something, they are met with a barrage of criticism. Look at Rick Warren - how many of us (I've been included in this group) write him off as presenting the gospel as a marketing ploy, a get rich-quick scheme, or worse yet, question his motives. Rick Warren is probably one of the first that comes to mind because he has become kind of the target-du-jour for the "Emerging Church" crowd. It works both ways of course. There are people are actively questioning the "Emergents" motives and methods as well. All you have to do is type in the name of one of these pastors into Google and the vile things that come up never cease to amaze me. Now, I know we have to have some level of discernment, but the things I see go far beyond loving concern and go into outright hate. Is is too much too ask that if someone professes Christ as Lord that we have grace enough to trust that God may be leading people in uncharted territory? That maybe questioning isn't denying it's true, but maybe because we dug deeper, in the end it comes out being more true? Maybe we need to focus on loving each other a little more (again, I'm included). It's hard to take criticism, and the natural reaction is to fight rather than turn the other cheek. But maybe, with Christ's help, we can learn to love each other a little more. Right now, though, maybe I'm part of the problem.

Feeling Guilty?

2006-04-07T09:50:00.000-04:00

I saw this editorial linked somewhere else and found it fascinating. So basically marketers have discovered that they they can manipulate us by making us feel guilty in order sell us stuff. This isn't new; it's just amazing to me how much people are driven by this emotion. I mean you see this is in the grocery store (if you really love your family, you'll buy this cereal), at car dealerships (remember the environment for crying out loud!), and even at electronics stores (your children don't have and I-pod -- what kind of parent are you!). It's easy to get caught up in it without even thinking about it. I've heard people say they feel guilty because they haven't watched a dvd in their collection in a long time or listened to an album in forever. I mean it really get's ridiculous.

So where does this come from. Honestly, I think a lot of this comes from Satan. One of the best ways for him to get us to keep us from glorifying God is to keep us focused inward and makeus feel like scum. Granted, there are things we do that we should feel convicted about. But the difference is that conviction will lead to positive change while guilt and shame just lead to more self-pity and self-hatred. If you think about this is one of the things that sets Christianity apart from just about all other religions. So many of them use guilt as a motivation - people will actually flagellate themselves because of they're shame. This is why Romans 8 is so powerful:

Romans 8
Life Through the Spirit

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

No condemnation. God sees us as clean. Really amazing to think about. So if we're feeling guilty, we should ask ourselves why. If there's really something we need to repent of, then let's do it. But if we've bought into Satan's lies, let's ask God to open our eyes so that we may live in his freedom!

Barking Up the Wrong Tree

2006-03-10T21:59:00.000-05:00

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
31He told them another
parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and
planted in his field. 32Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it
grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds
of the air come and perch in its branches."

OK, you've probably read that or heard someone preach on it about a thousand times now. "Don't despise small beginnings..., God can use someone with the smallest bit of faith." These are all true, however, I recently read something that put the passage in a light I've not thought about before.

Try to imagine yourself as a Jewish person, most likely a farmer, in Jesus' time. You knew about mustard trees. Really to call them a tree isn't quite right, they were more like a shrub or bush. They were everywhere, and you didn't plant them because they were really like weeds - everywhere you didn't want them to be. So when Jesus says the "kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field", you would scratch your head. Why would someone plant a mustard tree in his field? If that wasn't enough, Jesus goes on to say, "when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." Again, another head-scratcher. Birds did not perch in these trees, at least not good birds. The birds that lived in these tress were pretty much undesirable birds like buzzards or crows. So what was Jesus talking about?

Well, let's take a step back...The Jewish people thought the Messiah would come to establish an earthly kingdom that would rival the glory days of David and Solomon. They thought this kingdom would be something grand and magnificent, the display of God's glory. Here, though, Jesus says the Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard tree - small, unassuming, and basically something that could be overlooked. No wonder Jesus confused them. So what is Jesus saying?

I think Jesus is again pointing out that His kindgom is not based on earthly power, but it is something that starts off small and spreads - like a weed! Think about it...who did Jesus choose to be His disciples? Fisherman, tax collectors and other lowlifes...not really a who's who of Jewish society. Anyway, these people, like the mustard tree, started to infiltrate the society. After a while, they were everywhere! People started hearing about a movement called "The Way" and a man named Jesus who had risen from the dead. They heard how these people showed genuine love for one another, and they wanted to find out more. Eventually the movement grew and infected all levels of society - much like weeds will grow anywhere.

Today, how are we are living out the Kingdom of Heaven. We think that building awesome church buildings is giving God glory - but maybe it's the little things that are more important. How de we treat that person at work we can't stand? What about the people that no one wants to associate with. Do we send them a message that we don't want them around - just like people didn't want the wrong birds around their gardens. Maybe we've been thinking the tree needs to be grand and beautiful when it really just needs to be a shrub that can grow anywhere.

Handbook for the Sellout

2006-02-24T11:29:00.000-05:00

Do you ever get the feeling that Christians are sometimes less scrupulous in marketing their ideas and programs than the secular society in general? I mean just go into any Christian bookstore and they've almost become a parody of themselves. Test-a-mints anyone? Or how 'bout a Christian energy bar made from only biblical ingredients - guaranteed to give you the strength you need to reach the lost. Now I know I sound very cynical, and I have a tendency to be too critical, but some of this stuff really bothers me. I'm all for a Christian bookstore carrying books and music that can encourage and help people grow in Christ, but sometimes I think the lure of the quick buck entices Christian marketers. In Keith Green's biography there's a part where it tells the story of him going to a Christian music festival. Someone made a comment to him about how they make so much money selling "Jesus junk". Keith was so appalled to hear the name of Jesus associated with the word "junk", and just couldn't believe that the name of Christ was treated so lightly.

What got me thinking about this was this article. I've always loved Calvin and Hobbes, and I love that Bill Watterson has rejected the offers to cheapen his work by licensing it for anything other than the comic strips and books. I think it's an interesting how that article talks about how the Chronicles of Narnia is being marketed on really every level by any means available. Did C.S. Lewis envision Aslan action figures? Now, I know that the movie is being handled by Disney, and the marketing decisions are probably not made by Christians, but they sure tried to market it to the Christian crowd. I got three or four emails from some marketing conglomerate asking me to organize groups for screenings of the movie. I'm not knocking the movie. I just wonder if Christians, evangelicals in particular, have bought into a market-driven mentality. There's a fine line sometimes between reaching your target by being relevant, or, in contrast, simply trying to be a people-pleaser. Jesus was relevant because he wasn't afraid to get involved in people's lives, but he certainly wasn't a people-pleaser. They don't crucify people pleasers.

Bono and Me

2006-02-02T22:46:00.000-05:00

Well, I know it's been a while since I've updated, so if you're back from before, thanks for looking again. I don't want to talk about books all the time, but I still am kind of. I've been reading, among other things, Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas. I would consider myself a U2 fan; I mean I have all of their albums, but I always was skeptical of Bono's faith. I guess the thing that sticks out to me most about the book is Bono talks about faith a lot. It's real to him. Even though I don't agree with everything he says (oh, though, that could be said of about anyone), he seems genuine to me. Here's an article with an excerpt from the book. Simple concept with profound consequences.

If you think about how grace is such a foreign concept to the world it really boggles your mind, the grace that God shows to us. At the Passion conference, John Piper said "Christ suffered to display the glory of God's grace" (my paraphrase). I think it's a subtle difference than just saying to display the "glory of God." Sometimes I think Christians fall into a performance trap thinking "we'll do all this stuff in Jesus' name and give God all the glory", when in reality, God receives the greatest glory when we point to what Christ did. In the end, again, it's simply not about us.

I'll end with one of my favorite Psalms and one of my favorite U2 songs.

Psalm 40
1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.
How long to sing this song......

Dude, blogging is like so 2002!

2006-01-19T11:25:00.000-05:00

Hello all,

Well to all you v-tas people, this is my blog. It's not going to be an online diary (or the more manly 'journal'), but more of a way for me to share my thoughts about different issues, current events, or what not.

Right now (well, not right; right now I'm typing) I'm reading a book called Repenting of Religion by Greg Boyd. It's mainly about how Christians have fallen into the trap of judgement, instead of love. In doing so, we set ourselves up as God. I think he makes very salient points, and can't say I've disagreed with him so far. People always say "love the sinner, hate the sin", but too often we do end up hating the sinner. Really, I mean would a homosexual person be comfortable in most churches? At a Christian event of any type? I would be surprised if he or she were. But, check out Romans 2:1-4.

1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at
whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who
pass judgment do the same things.
2Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.
3So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on
them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?
4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience,
not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?.

It seems pretty clear that we're not the ones who are supposed to pointing how wrong people are. Now if there's someone who you love that's doing something destructive, we should tell them in love that we're concerned for them, but I don't think that love is the motivation for a lot of the "culture war" stuff you see in the news. Anyway, my goal is not to preach, but to get us to think about how we are presenting the love of God to the world.