The Living Jesus

Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. (John 14:19-20)

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When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. (Mark 16:1-6)

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"Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. (Rev 1:17-18)

Modern "Believers"

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?

He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'" Then they remembered his words. (Luke 24:1-8)

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Christianity is supposedly founded upon the belief that Jesus was raised from the dead and is still alive. I’m wondering lately how many who claim to be Christians really believe that. I don’t mean to sound harsh or judgmental, I'd just like you to give serious consideration to something.

Here’s what I’ve been pondering lately: Suppose someone dear to you were killed in an automobile wreck. That spot where the incident occurred would be marked in your psyche; that place would become sacred ground.

You might do like many others do these days and erect a marker, a roadside memorial. You might revisit that place on the anniversary of the event, returning each year at the same time to remember the one who was no longer with you.

Now suppose someone dear to you were killed in an automobile wreck. The paramedics and EMTs worked tirelessly and were able to resuscitate your loved one! You’d no doubt be ecstatic, overjoyed.

How often would you return to the spot of that incident and relive the events of that day? My guess is not very often. And if you did for a while after the event, it would eventually become less important to do so. Why?

Because the person was alive. They are with you. You could talk to them each day and share life together. The incident would become a memory of the past.

I’m wondering if most of the “believers” in Jesus' resurrection really believe. We relive the death every year, we return to the tomb, but would it really be so important to do so if we really talked to him each day and shared life with him?

If the angels appeared at the tomb today they might ask those making the pilgrimage, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" “What are you doing here? Why are you still stuck in the past? Jesus has been done with this place for a long time and he’s not looking back. He walked out of here and wants you to follow him and share life with him."

Just something I've been thinking about.

Saying No to Sunday Church

The following article is by Tom Ehrich who is a writer, church consultant and Episcopal priest. His Web site is morningwalkmedia.com I found his following article quite interesting...

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For five decades and in growing numbers, American Christians have been saying no to Sunday church. I think it is time we listened.

We have labeled them “unchurched,” “nonbelievers,” “former Christians,” “happy pagans,” “lost” and a “mission field” that’s “ripe for harvest.” These negative terms imply that the absent have a flaw that needs to be addressed.

New congregations have harvested some of these former mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic churchgoers. But even their numbers rise and fall — especially when the founding pastor slips up or retires, and the overall trend in church participation remains down. In some Western states, Sunday churchgoing has fallen below 10 percent of the population.

When this slide commenced in 1964 as baby boomers began graduating from high school, many church leaders didn’t even acknowledge it. For years, they kept counting the absent as present. Then, when the losses couldn’t be ignored, they blamed them on whatever hot-button issues were roiling the religious establishment, as if new liturgies, women in leadership and liberals (or conservatives, take your pick) had driven people away.

We need to see that these “formers” aren’t saying no to God, or to their Christian identity, or to their yearning for faith. Many are simply saying no to Sunday church.

They are expressing a preference for something other than getting up early on Sunday, driving across town, sitting in a pew for an hour or more, making small talk with people they don’t really know, and driving home again.

They are saying no to Sunday, the only day they can get a slow start in this everyone-works-hard era.

They are saying no to being an audience in an age of participation and self-determination.

They are saying no to institutional preaching, repetitive liturgies and assemblies controlled by small cadres usually older than themselves.

They are saying no to being told what to believe.

They are saying no to having their questions ignored.

Instead, they find spiritual enrichment on the Internet and on television. They read faith-related books. They pray on their own. They find their own networks of faithful friends.

The problem isn’t their faith. The problem is Christianity’s delivery system. We are stuck in trying to lure people to physical locations at a time of our choosing, to do what we think they ought to do, and to be loyal in paying for it. It is time we looked beyond the paradigm of Sunday church.

I think the future lies in “multichanneling”: a combination of on-site, online, workplace and at-home offerings that create networks of self-determining constituents, many of whom might never attend Sunday church.

The first challenge, however, is to recognize how deeply wedded we are to Sunday, on-site participation as the only true expression and measure of faithfulness. Almost everything about our institutions — facilities, ordination training, staffing, budgeting — aims to draw people to a central location on Sunday.

We need to see that what works for some doesn’t work for others. Not because the others are flawed, nor because our culture has collapsed and turned against God, but because things change. Just as Jesus took his ministry out of the synagogue and radically rethought the meaning of Sabbath, so God is drawing us away from “former things,” even ones we treasure and consider our duty.

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I think Tom offers an accurate analysis and I think that the root of the problem is that many church-goers believe the ORIGIN of the institutional 'church' as we know it today was created and ordained by God Himself. The system - the once-a-week service - the offering plate - the paid staff - the choir - the CEO Pastor - is NOT a system that God created and put in place.

Many see the current system as in need of an overhaul--needing to be 'tweaked'. What we fail to see is that it's not what Jesus had in mind when He established the Church (literally, 'The Called-out Ones'). When people believe that the system came from God, they usually can't make the separation between the "system of church" and the "body of Christ." They see the two as being the same.

They've grown up hearing the system calling itself 'the body' for so long, they just believe it without thinking. They believe that ALL fellowship is found only within the system. All Christian growth, all learning, all relationships, all knowledge, all communication with God, everything that is Christian and everyone who calls themselves Christian exist ONLY within the modern-day system. Stepping outside of that system is seen as spiritual suicide.

Perhaps the current system needs to collapse in order for the church to discover its intended identity and recapture its original mission. Or better said, as Christ-followers discover their intended identity and mission, the current system will continue to dwindle in size and influence. Stay tuned... more to come.

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God No Longer With Us

"and they shall call his name 'Emmanuel', which being interpreted is 'God with us'."
The incarnation--God breaking into history in human form--the 'miracle of Christmas' is that God is with us. Hold that thought.

Move forward 33 years to the night that Jesus was arrested, just hours before his crucifixion, he told his closest followers...

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many places to dwell (often incorrectly translated 'many mansions'); if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there (where God lives) to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
(Gotta love that Thomas guy, always questioning; always wanting proof or further explanation)

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him... Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father... Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.
On the day I return you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. (John 14:1-20)

Jesus said that it would no longer just be about God being with us, but now God would be in us, and we would be in God. What would make this new relationship, this new level of intimacy, possible?

I've always been taught that Jesus' "going away" was his ascension into heaven (43 days after his death and 40 days after his resurrection), and his "coming back" will be his second coming (2,000+ years and still waiting).

That last night with his disciples Jesus had been telling them he was going away as a reference of his death. He was saying, "in my going away (death) I will prepare a place for you, and I'm coming back (resurrection) so you can make your home in God and God will make his home in you."

Because of the death and resurrection, it's no longer just "God with us", but God IN us. Jesus' death and resurrection makes it possible for us to live in God and God to live in us.

God is not a person, but a spirit. Although a spirit, God does have a distinct personality. He is real, and we can know him, and be known by him... that is the best life... not reserved for the hereafter, but can be experienced in the here and now.

Leaving Empty Religion

As Jesus was in the Temple, in what turned out to be just a few days before his death, he said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." (Matthew 23:37)

But look at what he said next...

^"Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

Then Jesus left the temple… (Matthew 23:38-24:1)

He had just finished saying that the religious order at that time was not a safe place for prophets because the people didn’t want to hear God’s voice, especially if it was a rebuking voice. God longed to engage them with a mother-like love, but they rejected Him.

He was finished working through the religious system and basically said they could have their temple or “house”. They’d rejected God’s spokesmen. For three years—at least once a year—he’d tried to speak like a prophet into the mess and they’d rejected God and His Son, it was full of corruption and HE WAS OUT OF THERE.

"I’m leaving it to you desolate"—("I'm no longer having anything to do with it and in a few years it will be destroyed."). Why would he do that? Dead religion, using religion to rip people off financially ("a den of thieves" to be exact), no longer a house of prayer, and no longer for all the nations (races). Instead of helping people connect with God the religious institution was actually getting in the way of people knowing God.

"So Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." (Matt 24:1)

Notice the progression: from "temple", to "buildings", to "things", to "stones".

From the house of God to a pile of rocks.

This was "the temple of the living God" and Jesus walked out. All their lives the temple has been the center of the disciples' faith and religious expression, now it was being rejected by the One who said, "If you've seen me, you have seen the Father."

Now let’s bring the story into present tense: we’re in the group of disciples and Jesus tells us our ‘church’ is corrupt, out of date, not doing the job it was created to do. “I’m out of here! I’m no longer going to connect with this place!” The Hebrew Scriptures have a word for it: "Ichabod": “The glory has departed”.

"Church" is not a building, a business, a religious system, an institution or an organization—a church is people who have heard the call of Jesus and are following Him at all costs.

"Church" is a living thing, and it's only alive and life-giving as long as it is doing the right things. When it stops doing the right things…Jesus is OUT OF THERE!!! Churches can be busy and active, but worthless, just a pile of stones. A church can die…or lose its way.

Misuse of money, failure of leaders, conflict over petty issues. When "the faithful" are more concerned with winning political power over "outsiders"--the people whom they were simply called to love-- than they are with serving people in Jesus' name, then the church has gotten off course.

Does God still depart from outdated religious systems? Was God ever part of the religious system to begin with? It's not about religion, it's about relationship. Religion always gets in the way of relationship.

"And this is the real and eternal life: That they know you, The one and only true God, And Jesus Christ, whom you sent". (John 17:3)

"But the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24)

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'"(Acts 17:24-28)

God's Intent

God is not an angry Judge, just waiting for the chance--for an excuse, or reason--to punish people.

In spite of a track record of rebellion, defiance and independence on humanity's part; God is patient and merciful:

Yesterday, Christians around the world celebrated Palm Sunday, commemorating the day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, just days prior to his crucifixion.

"When Jesus came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem, the whole crowd of disciples began to wave palm branches and throw their cloaks in the roadway, and joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

"Hosanna! Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, Jesus wept over it and said, "If you had only known on this day what would bring you peace...

I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town...

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." (Luke 19; Matthew 23)

I love the picture of God as a mother hen gathering her chicks. When would a hen do that? I didn't grow up on a farm, but my mother did. She tells me that a hen would do that when there is danger--a fire, a storm, a predator--she will give her own life to protect her chicks.

I heard the story of a farmer whose barn burned down. The next day as he surveyed the damage he notice a charred clump of something on the ground. Unsure what it was, he kicked it, surprised when it toppled over a several chicks scurried from underneath.

It is not God's intent to destroy but to rescue. What happens to chicks who refuse to be gathered under the mother hen's wings? What becomes of people who refuse God's care?

God has intention, a will. He gave you one, too; and never violates yours in the process of exercising his own.

Spiritual Waterboarding

Last week I was with a group of people when a conversation about religion broke out. A couple who were present jumped into the deep end. It became apparent rather quickly that the Christian woman had been trying to convert the wayward man for some time. They had had this conversation before.

She was deathly serious about the whole topic; he was amused by her and trying to be amusing in his responses.

I guess she thought now would be an opportune time to mount another offensive (pun intended) since she had the "preacher" with her to help double-team the poor guy. Not that he was at a disadvantage--with a very sharp intellect, as well as a sharp wit, he quite enjoyed sparring with her although he had no interest in "buying into" her belief system.

I'm sure I frustrated her because I didn't play along. Part of me was sympathetic to the plight she had brought upon herself and thought of coming her rescue. But I didn't "have a dog in that fight" and personally disagreed with much of what she was saying. I just didn't want to get into it.

Why not? He wasn't interested. He wasn't curious or seeking. It was her issue, not his. I finally joined the conversation, but not as aggressively as she would have hoped. I had no interest in arguing with him, but was genuinely curious in what he believed.

A fellow sitting about 15 feet away had been eavesdropping on the conversation and came over to add his observations, giving the woman some much-appreciated back-up, I'm sure. About that time someone else got my attention and I excused myself.

Here was my take away from that encounter: We need to be careful not to force-feed someone when they're not hungry; or trying to get someone a drink of "living water" when they have not indicated they are thirsty.

I've seen some evangelism encounters that were the spiritual equivalent of the infamous "water-boarding" interrogation techniques, with the same desired outcome: "we're going to give them more than they can handle, or put the fear of death in them, until they tell us what we want to hear."

That may be a harsh description on my part, but I've seen some stuff over the years -- where innocent people were the victims of an evangelistic ambush-- some encounters that were just so disrespectful of the person being "witnessed" to and in the long-run did more harm than good for the cause of Christ.

Just love the person God has put in front of you at any given moment. His Spirit is at work doing whatever convicting and convincing He wants done at the time. Just love people, and always be ready to give a reason for the hope that lies within your own heart.

Broken Hearted

A Christian relief worker was gunned down in Afghanistan today. Her crime? Telling people there is a God who loves them, and showing them in small ways what that love looks like.

Thirty-four year old Gayle Williams worked for SERVE Afghanistan (Serving Emergency Relief and Vocational Enterprise), an inter-denominational Christian charity that helps the disabled.

CNN reported, "The Taliban claimed responsibility for the death, saying on its Web site that it killed the "foreign woman" for preaching Christianity in the country and adding that it had been following the woman for some time."

Walking to work. That's when her murderers took the opportunity to silence her, permanently they thought. They gave her message a wider audience than they realize, and afforded her greater influence than she ever dreamed. Someone so unassuming and non-threatening. And yet these men were so threatened by her presence, her message, her love.

We share with her family and friends in their sorrow and grief. But we grieve with hope. We know there is more to this life than meets the eye, and believe that after this life the best is yet to come.

The Palin Predicament

In USA Today earlier this week David Gushee penned an Op/Ed piece entitled The Palin Predicament that raised some interesting questions for Evangelical Christians regarding the role of women in church leadership positions. For conservative Christin men who believe that "God intends for women to be subservient to men", yet who are supporting Sarah Palin’s candidacy, the article is especially thought-provoking.

Gushee, himself an evangelical Christian who is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University in Atlanta, makes a valid point:

"It is an uncomfortable fact that many of the theologically conservative Christians who have endorsed Palin's nomination would not be willing to endorse her or any other woman for service as pastor of their church...actually, at the local church level many congregations would not consider it appropriate for her to stand behind a pulpit and preach a sermon, or teach from the Bible, or lead a praise chorus, or offer a prayer, unless her audience consisted entirely of women or children."

One blogger responded to the article by paraphrasing JFK (a catholic) and Mitt Romney (a mormon), "Family leadership is over family things, religious leadership is over religious things, and civil leadership is over civil things." Another commentator pointed out Deborah in the Old Testament, one of Israels Judges who was the nation's leader and military commander, to show that there is no biblical contradiction with a woman such as Palin serving as Vice-President or President. Good points!

Gushee asks those evangelicals who support a Palin candidacy to think about the implications of that support when he posed these challenging questions:

• Is it now your view that God can call a woman to serve as president of the United States? Are you prepared to renounce publicly any further claim that God's plan is for men rather than women to exercise leadership in society, the workplace and public life? Do you acknowledge having become full-fledged egalitarians in this sphere at least?

• Would Palin be acceptable as vice president because she would still be under the ultimate authority of McCain as president, like the structure of authority that occurs in some of your churches? Have you fully come to grips with the fact that if after his election McCain were to die, Palin would be in authority over every male in the USA as president?

• If you agree that God can call a woman to serve as president, does this have any implications for your views on women's leadership in church life? Would you be willing to vote for a qualified woman to serve as pastor of your church? If not, why not?

• Do you believe that Palin is under the authority of her husband as head of the family? If so, would this authority spill over into her role as vice president?

• Do you believe that women carry primary responsibility for the care of children in the home? If so, does this affect your support for Palin? If not, are you willing to change your position and instead argue for flexibility in the distribution of child care responsibilities according to the needs of the family?

Provocative! Challenging questions, indeed...and worth answering honesly and thoughtfully. I agree with Gushee's final assessment: "The groundbreaking nomination of Palin offers conservative Christians significant opportunities to rethink a theology on the role of women that often restricts them from the full exercise of their gifts. This is an unexpected gift from presidential candidate John McCain to evangelical Christianity."

"Would you still love me if you knew the 'real' me?"

I was so good at pretending
like an actor on a stage
but in the end nobody knew me
only the roles that I portrayed
and I would rather have you hate me
knowing who I really am
than to try and make you love me
being something that I can’t”

(from “God Knows I Tried” by Ray Boltz).

"Would you still love me if you knew the 'real' me?" It's a universal question. And because of fear many never verbalize it. And because of fear many never have the courage to be authentic and let the chips fall where they may. No doubt, with recent news of a popular Christian singer 'coming out' about his sexuality, there will be many former fans lining up to condemn him..

But I like the way he put it: "I really had no master plan here. I’ve just been trying to go with the idea that you can either live your life out of love or out of fear."

Being honest with ourselves and honest with God (who already knows anyway) is crucial. Choosing not to live out of fear is freeing. I hear Ray's story repeated quite frequently, often by church leaders... or their children:

“I’d denied it ever since I was a kid. I became a Christian, I thought that was the way to deal with this and I prayed hard and tried for 30-some years and then at the end, I was just going, ‘I’m still gay. I know I am.’ And I just got to the place where I couldn’t take it anymore … when I was going through all this darkness, I thought, ‘Just end this.’”

When I read the story I felt sad. Not sad about the truth, but sad that Ray had lived in fear and captivity for so long. What kind of reaction will he get from the adoring crowds who applauded, bought his CDs and sang his songs in their worship services? That remains to be seen, but I have a pretty good guess, and it's not pretty.

The sad thing is that many who will be 'throwing stones' and removing his songs from their praise band's playlist have their own secrets, their own dual lives. Too many of us live in the same fear and with disparity between our private and public lives. We worship every week, lives veiled in secret bondage while singing songs of freedom.

Spiritual freedom begins with honesty. One reason church attendance has dropped off in recent decades in America is for this very reason. People are tired of the hypocrisy; tired of faking it (or being told to fake it). Those with the courage to live honestly are tired of being judged by people who aren't.

I am blessed to have a small group of friends with whom I can 'lay my cards on the table' and still be accepted and loved. We honestly share our failures and weaknesses, our struggles and fears. We encourage each other to face our giants and live authentically.

I think that's part of what makes for heaven on earth; no skeletons in the closet. Not that there are no skeletons, just that they're not kept secret, therefore the fear of them being revealed holds no power over our daily lives. That is freedom. And in that freedom is peace and joy.

I pray for Ray, that as he lives authentically he will know that freedom, joy and peace. And I pray for all the other 'rays' out there, some of whom will be his harshest critics, who don't yet have the courage to live honestly, and who, as a result, are still locked in their own prisons. I pray they will truly hear the invitation of Jesus and find freedom...and rest.

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
(Isaiah 61:1-2; repeated by Jesus in Luke 4)

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
(Matthew 11:28-29)

Life in Abundance

Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) What is Jesus really offering here? When I listen to the ‘prosperity preachers’ on TV I get the feeling that material wealth is a sign of God’s blessing—He wants to bless us “abundantly” with good health, a nice house, a new car, well-behaved children, etc.

What about those who struggle financially, or with health difficulties, or with wayward children. Some would say, "You suffer as a consequence to some un-confessed sin", or that "God hasn’t answered the prayer for abundance because the pray-er lacks faith."

When Jesus said He came to give “abundant life” it is important to understand what He was really saying. One of my favorite authors, John Fischer, points out that in the original language the word “abundant” is a superlative for the word “life”. Jesus was saying, “If you follow my Way you are going to get more of what life has to offer."

Not just the good stuff, but all of life; more laughter and more heartache, more friends and more betrayal, more answers and more questions, more supporters and more critics. Following Jesus causes life to be intensified, magnified and multiplied—not just the blessings, but the struggles. With more to handle it becomes even more imperative that we seek His advice and guidance, His counsel and consolation.

In some ways following Jesus makes life easier, and in some ways being serious about following Jesus’ Way makes life more difficult. I have found it to be the greatest of adventures; this listening and following, never knowing what you’ll be asked to do next, or what’s around the next corner.

The next time you find life really tough, try not to get angry at God. He said we could have life in abundance, and sometimes that is more than we can handle or juggle. That could drive us to our knees in prayer and drive us to our Heavenly Father for wisdom. For me, I can't think of a better place to be.

Taking the Bible Literally?

Ani DiFranco’s new poem “Literal” expresses the sentiments of many people today:

when they said he could walk on water
what it sounds like to me
is he could float like a butterfly
and sting like a bee
literal people are scary,
man literal people scare me
out there trying to rid
the world of its poetry
while getting it wrong fundamentally
down at the church of
“look, it sez right here, see!”

A friend recently added a post to his blog about some of his struggles with faith. One of the respondents commented..."To me, it’s not God that’s scary. It’s not religious texts that are scary. It’s humankind’s interpretations and abuses of them that frightens me."

I agree totally. There are many people who take passages of scripture out of context. By use of selective proof-texts you can probably find a Bible passage to back up any position you wish to hold. We've seen plenty of historic examples (including the slave trade in America in the 18th and 19th centuries, Nazism during World War 2, and the opposition to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s) of people misusing scripture to support their ungodly ideologies.

As a result, there are many people who scoff at anyone who incorporate scripture as a foundation for their worldview. While their is a danger of misusing scripture to support one's beliefs and actions, there is also a real danger in "throwing the baby out with the bath water" by discounting the Bible all together.

There is Wisdom in the Bible's pages; ancient treasures, lost or ignored, from which we could greatly benefit today.

For me, it is not a question of "do I take the Bible literally?". The challenging question for me is, "Do I take the Bible seriously?"

There are obviously (and some not-so-obvious) biblical texts that use literary devices such as hyperbole, metaphor and analogy. There are also places where the author speaks literally and plainly. The tricky task is to determine which is which.

A trickier task is to take seriously the principles that are clearly taught in the Bible's pages, regardless of the literary devices employed to convey those principles. The trickiest task of all is to incorporate those truths into one's lifestyle and behavior so that we think and act like Jesus--from the way we respond to God, treat fellow human beings or care for the natural world.

So that is my life-quest: to take the teachings of the Bible seriously and learn to think and act like Jesus. After nearly five decades I'm still not very good at it, but maybe I'm at least making progress in the right direction.

The Big Challenge

Lee Strobel was an atheist and legal editor for the Chicago Tribune. It was his agnostic wife’s conversion to Christianity that prompted him to use his legal training and journalistic experience to systematically study the Bible, ancient history and archeology, and interview dozens of scholars in those fields. After a couple of years of intense study he came to the unexpected conclusion that Jesus is the unique Son of God. It wasn’t the outcome he was necessarily seeking, but the conclusion he believes the evidence persuasively warranted.

He has since written several books about the evidence and interviews that help persuade him: God’s Outrageous Claims, The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, and The Case for a Creator.

I am all for searching for the truth—and I do not believe it is relative. But here’s the big question with which Lee was confronted, and the one that faces me: “Am I willing to set aside my preconceptions and let the evidence take me wherever it will?” I did (and continue to attempt that, although it is at times a painful process), and continue to come to the same conclusion Lee did.

I challenge my atheist friends to do the same—to give an honest look at the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus, and the evidence supporting them as accurate and reliable. Give all sides a "fair hearing" before casting your verdict. Are you willing to set aside your preconceptions and let the evidence take you wherever it will?

Christian Hate Crimes: Honoring the Fallen

A memorial service was held today in Colorado for two young missionaries who were killed this past Sunday. A young man opened fire inside a Youth With a Mission (YWAM) training center dormitory in Arvada, Colorado killing two.

When I was in Asia I was privileged to meet some of the young people affiliated with this organization. They are an inspiration. With a deep love for God, and an equally deep desire to share that love with the world, they demonstrated a great commitment to share the Gospel (Good News) about Jesus.

The Denver Post carried an article on the two "YWAMers" who lost their lives early Sunday morning during a shooting in Arvada. I am reprinting it here so that more people will have the opportunity to read about who these young people were, to see what they believed in and what they gave their lives for.
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Young missionaries: caring and forgiving. One victim had turned away from gangs; one was called "an angel". Philip Crouse first came to church an angry young man — a member of a skinhead gang. He left it with peace in his heart, say those who knew him. "He had a heart of an evangelist," said Tim Maus, the senior pastor at Peters Creek Christian Church in Alaska. Maus said Crouse would have held no bitterness toward his assailant, the man who opened fire in a training-center dormitory for young Christian missionaries early Sunday. "He had found the power of a giving life," Maus said.

The bullets killed Crouse, 24, and Tiffany Johnson, 26, who grew up in Chisholm, Minnesota. They had been studying with Youth With a Mission. "Tiffany was an angel," said Andrew Strobridge, who also was studying at the Arvada dormitory to become a missionary. "Always smiling, always caring." He recalled how she cared for him when he was sick, helping nurse him to health. Johnson had traveled to the Middle East and Africa as part of YWaM, said Cheryl Morrison, wife of George Morrison, a pastor at Faith Bible Church, on whose property the YWAM dormitory was housed.

After Johnson finished her training with Youth With a Mission, she became a staffer there, organizing housing and guest stays. "She was an amazing young girl who had a heart for what God called her to do," Morrison said. Crouse came to church about six years ago, recalled Maus. The product of a broken family, Crouse had become an angry skinhead, the pastor said. He was under the care of a psychiatrist, who prescribed drugs to battle depression and other ailments. After turning his life over to Christ, Crouse no longer needed the psychiatric care and drugs, the pastor said.

Zach Chandler, the youth pastor of the church, said Crouse was on his way to becoming a missionary in Kazakhstan. "He said he was willing to give his life to do the work over there," Chandler said. "If that meant staying over there for the rest of his life, he would. If that meant dying over there, he would." Crouse taught himself Russian and German and would visit Russian cafes and German clubs in Anchorage to give his testimony, Chandler said. He also took rides on buses, just so he could share the Gospel with other riders, Chandler said.

Chandler said that if Crouse had been a survivor, he would have been the one leading prayers for the killer. "If Phil had ever seen this guy, I'm sure he ministered to him at some point," Chandler said. "If Phil was one of the surviving ones, he would have visited this guy in jail. That's the kind of guy Phil was."
(Staff writer Alison Sherry contributed to this report by Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com)

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The gunman, 24-year-old Matthew Muray, left Avarado and headed to New Life Church in Colorado Springs (which housed a YWAM office) where he opened fire in the parking lot, fatally shooting two church goers and wounding four others. When he tried to enter the crowded church, he was gunned down by a security guard.

Officials said revenge was one apparent motive for the attacks. Police said Murray had sent hate mail to the Youth With a Mission center in Arvada Denver suburb in the last few weeks after being removed from the program years ago. Murray attended the YWAM school in Arvada briefly in 2002 according to the group, but didn't complete the 12-week DTS training because of health issues.

It appears that Murray posted an anti-Christian diatribe on a web site for people who have left evangelical religious groups. His most recent post was Sunday morning in the hours between his attacks in Arvada and Colorado Springs.

"You Christians brought this on yourselves," he wrote. "All I want to do is kill and injure as many of you ... as I can especially Christians who are to blame for most of the problems in the world."

Hate Crimes are not random acts of violence. They are intended not only to inflict harm on the immediate victims, but intimidate an entire group of people; in this case, Christians. I can't help wondering, "What if Matthew had lived in my hometown?" What if he had lived in your hometown?

Around the world Christians are persecuted: beaten, imprisoned, killed; for no other reason than because of their belief that Jesus is God's Son and the world's Savior. The Voice of the Martyrs reports that more Christians have died for their faith in the past 100 years than the previous 1900 years combined!

These two young people are heroes in my book. Jesus, after his resurrection from the dead, told his disciples that they "would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth"--to their own neighbors, their region, across racial and cultural lines, reaching to peoples all around the world. The New Testament was written mostly in the Greek language. It is interesting that the word "witness" is the same word for "martyr". Jesus knew that his followers would be willing to give their lives for the Gospel, and that their sacrifice would be a powerful witness to the truth of their claims.

Phil and Tiffany were killed because they were Christ-followers. Matthew wanted to kill Christians, and sadly he did. We grieve with the families of all who were involved in the tragic events in Colorado this past Sunday. We take comfort in the knowledge that the story of their lives, and even their deaths, may point others to the power of God's love to change lives. Well done, good and faithful servants.

Unraveling

Some have noticed that this blog site has been uncharacteristically silent for the past two and a half weeks (BTW, thanks for checking on me, B.D.). I've been in kind of a funk emotionally, and swamped with demands on my time, but who's not these days?

I have had time to get informed about Christian Nudists, as our friends over at Mr. Beale's Epiphany hosted a lively and informative discussion a couple of weeks ago. I'm not a convert, but had never heard of this before and find the whole "movement" interesting. I uncovered a new segment of the Christian sub-culture in America that I heretofore never knew existed.

My biggest problem is I've been reading Brian Mclaren again, which is always a dangerous endeavor for me. Things are beginning to unravel, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I blame my friend Tom. He warned me it would happen if I kept chasing some of my thoughts and ideas to their logical conclusions.

I guess for the past several month I've been going through a(nother) mid-life crisis. A new crisis of faith, or sorts. Or just the continuation of one that's been going on for the past twenty-seven years. I've been disastrous with relationships (which is not a good thing for a pastor), too frequently silent and/or absent during much of the past ten months.

Questioning everything. Sifting. Holding on the old treasures and tossing aside things proven to be no longer useful. Some "truths" lose their luster as time goes on. Real truth become more precious with the passing of time. When we do something for a long time we delude ourselves into thinking that's the only (or best) way to do it.

My blog on October 1, "The Glory of the Longing Heart" quotes the lyrics of a song by John Fischer. That is an apt description of where I've been most of 2007, but sometimes it feels far less than "glorious". I've been undertaking an outward makeover since my birthday, more out of necessity (make changes or die, literally) than vanity. All the while God has been undertaking an inward makeover of sorts. Destroying old assumptions and long-held, but misguided, "certainties."

Lately I have found spiritual resonance with King David of Israel who lived nearly 3,000 years ago:

"I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live." Psalms 116:1-2 (NIV)

I like to pray it back to God in present tense: "I love you, Lord, for You hear my voice; You hear my cry for mercy. Because You turn Your ear to me, I will call on You as long as I live." Amen.

Infidels?

I’ve been thinking about the word “infidel” lately. I’ve heard it frequently on TV this week, remembering 9/11 and hearing newscasters talk about terrorism. There are those who would say that anyone who doesn’t follow their religion is an “infidel”.

Infidel stems from the word “infidelity” which is unfaithfulness, disloyalty, betrayal. The infidel is the one who breaks a contract or who breaks covenant. The married partner who commits adultery is an infidel. The person who makes a promise and doesn't keep it is an infidel. The business partner who secretly embezzles funds is an infidel. A person who doesn’t follow a particular religion, to which he or she never made a commitment, is NOT an infidel.

You can’t hold someone to the terms of a contract that they never entered into. So the problem is when people, especially religious people, impose the terms of their covenant with their god on everyone else. The ones who made the commitment are expected to keep it, not those who never agreed to be in that relationship in the first place. So the infidel is the one who is unfaithful to a contract or relationship that THEY entered into.

I’ve also heard a lot of talk this week about “Islamic fundamentalist”. I don’t have a problem with fundamentalists; Muslim, Evangelical Christian, Atheist or otherwise. I have a problem with terrorists (whether they be Muslim, Evangelical Christian or some other group) who use fear-based tactics to silence anyone who disagrees with them, their "enemies."

A “fundamentalist” means one holds to the fundamentals, or core teachings, of their particular belief system (and yes, Atheism has core beliefs, too). I would like to see us quit using the word "fundamentalist" as a derogatory title, no matter which group we are using it to describe. There is nothing wrong with holding the the fundamentals on one's faith, as long as those who hold to the tenets of that religion do not harm others or force their religious covenant on others against their will.

Fidelity, faithfulness, keeping covenant--all the same thing, and born in the heart of God:

"Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands." (Deuteronomy 7:9, NIV)

The problem is, no matter how sincere our intentions, we are all unfaithful at some point. We mess up. We are inconsistent. We miss the mark. The good news of Jesus is that even though we are all "indidels" on occasion God offers hope:

"If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself." (2 Timothy 2:13, NIV)

God is no infidel. He is never unfaithful. He never goes back on His word. He never breaks a promise. One thing He has promised is to forgive those who are heartbroken over their sins and turn to Him in genuine repentance:

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." (1 John 1:8-10, NIV)

That's the good news about Jesus:
"God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them." (2 Corinthians 5:19, NIV)

Everyone on the planet is an infidel, because all of us at some point have been less than perfect, have been unfaithful to One who created us. The good news is that there is hope for all we infidels, hope of having the relationship with our Creator restored, hope of being reconciled to the One who loves us.

~ Father, forgive my unfaithfulness to you. Empower me to be faithful to you as you have been faithful to me. Help me to love my neighbor in such a way that they may come to know and love you, too. Amen.

Mother Teresa: Doubt and Faithfulness

News that Mother Teresa suffered a 40-year-long crisis of faith during which she sometimes doubted even the existence of God made the headlines this week and sparked a great deal of discussion. While her honesty about her questions and at times less-than-desirable prayer life have been known for several years now, her spiritual life was put back in the news with the release of a new book entitled 'Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light', containing 40 of her letters and edited by Fr Brian Kolodiejchuk, a close friend.

At one point Mother Teresa writes: "I am told God loves me, and yet the reality of the darkness and coldness and emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul. I have no faith. I dare not utter the words and thoughts that crowd in my heart."

Although atheists were having a field day with this recent publication of Mother Teresa’s letters, for most believers it is not news. As shown in an excellent article by David Quinn, what these letters explode is not faith, but "the myth that she was a woman of simple faith. Her faith was anything but simple, much less simple-minded."

We all have doubts and questions, even the heroes of the faith, past and present, had doubts-–Moses, David, The Aposle Peter, the Apostle Paul, Billy Graham. Faith is not the absence of doubt or questions. Faith is trusting God even though we don’t have all the answers to our questions, and even though we stuggle with doubt from time to time.

A couple of quotes from Quinn’s article are especially noteworthy:
“Some of the biggest-hitting atheists of the last few decades, intellectual heavyweights several classes above a Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens, among them AJ Ayer and Anthony Flew, came in later life to doubt aspects of their non-belief.”

Quinn concludes his article with this statement:
“Should we think more or less of Mother Teresa now that we know what we know about her inner spiritual life? Probably more. Her essential goodness is not in the least diminished by these letters…In fact, these letters should recommend her to an age that celebrates religious doubt, and actively encourages it. She is, and will remain, a saint to Catholics. But her inner doubts should now endear her more to an age plagued by doubt. If she can doubt, but still believe, it gives believers permission to have doubts, and doubters permission to have beliefs.”

We’re all a mix of doubter and believer, sinner and saint. The problem is when people fake it--believers masquerade as saints who have no doubts or sin, or skeptics who pretend like they don’t flirt with faith, privately wondering in the deepest part of their being if there might really be a God.

After the ressurection of Jesus we are told in Matthew's Gospel that "the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:16-20, NIV)

Worshipper, doubter, witness, teacher, missionary--Mother Teresa was all of these, just like the first disciples, and just like many disciples of Jesus today. That fact that she struggled with her faith on occasion is no big deal, the fact that she kept the faith and lived it out is a very big deal. She touched millions of lives and will do so for generations to come.

~ Father, help me to see that the goal is not to be perfect, but to be faithful. Help me to be a consistent witness of your love and mercy. Amen.

Permission to Pray

For Buddhist monks in Virginia Beach, government permission is needed to pray in their own home. And that permission was granted...for one year. Jason Marks, of Norfolk's NBC affiliate, filed the report on last night's City Council meeting.

Some neighbors argued that the monks' home sits on land zoned for residential use, and the house should not be used to hold worship services. While residents voiced their concerns, members who attend services say not allowing them to pray would be a violation of their rights.

Last year the monks moved to the area and began to hold their services. They wanted to build a temple on the land instead of using the home. Instead city council sent the message that there will be no temple and the praying must stop by next year.

The monks wanted to pray for three hours on Sundays and a few holidays during the year. In the end, the city council decided to grant a one year permit for the monks, but only to give them time to find a new building for worship. Neighbors say that's a fair deal. "I feel that a vote against this is a vote against freedom, which is what our nation was built on," said Samantha Neizgoba, one of the worshippers.

The noise would not be an issue, as the monks don't engage in communal singing, but in quiet meditation. Folks who live nearby say the Sunday prayer services would cause unnecessary traffic. "First five cars," said neighbor Dan Franken."Then ten. Twenty. Thirty. Forty. Fifty. Tour buses, port-a-potties, etc.,"

I live in a neighborhood with homes in close proximity to one another. We have neighbors who throw a party almost every weekend. Both sides of the street are filled with cars, lining up nearly the length of the block. They do not need a special permit to host a gathering in their home. But if the gathering is religious in nature then you need the permission from the city council?

Citizens shouldn't need government permission to have a gathering in their homes. The purpose for the gathering shouldn't matter as long as the peace of the community is not being disturbed and no illegal activity is taking place. It seems this group is being discriminated against because the gathering being hosted is religious in nature.

Meeting for worship should not be against the law, especially in a private residence. To say you cannot erect a building is one thing, but to say you cannot pray in your own home is ridiculous!

No one should need the government's permission to exercise a right that is already guaranteed in the first Amendment to this nation's constitution.

My understanding of Amendment I to the Constitution of the United States of America:
"Congress (the government) shall make no law respecting (in respect or regard to) an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble (even in their own home), and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

As an American and a Christian I enjoy this "right", but also feel an obligation to make sure it is defended and extended to other religious groups as well.

August 28: Finding Jesus

NFL star, Michael Vick, began his quest for public redemption Monday. Vick made a formal 'guilty' plea to gambling and dogfighting conspiracy charges. He has lost his lucrative sports career, at least for now, and will probably spend some time in prison.
In his first public statements since charges were filed, Vick spoke of how terrible dogfighting is, took full responsibility for his actions, spoke about being a role model for young men who idolize him about what NOT to do. Vick also revealed that he had "found Jesus" and had asked for forgiveness.

I was watching the news with a group of people and everyone sat in silence listening to his remarks. The only line that really drew a reaction was his comment about "finding Jesus". Laughter erupted from the group, as one man asked, "How come everyone facing jail time all of sudden 'finds Jesus'?"

The general concensus seemed to be that Vick was saying all the right things in hopes of getting a lighter sentence from the judge or finding mercy with NFL officials. Most doubted the sincerity of his words. (When did Americans become so cynical? One too many scandals involving sports heroes, politicians and religious leaders, I suppose.)

For me, hearing Vick say he how found Jesus was good news. I hope it's true--time will tell. If it is true, there was a party going on in heaven when it happened. Jesus said, "I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10)

While the Apostle Paul was "in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there... Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD."

"Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else."

"From one blood he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:16-17, 22-31)

America is a lot like the city of Athens during Paul's days: we are very religious (check any Gallup Poll), our society is proudly diverse and pluralistic, granting religious liberty and freedom of expression to all our citizens. Our people worship many gods.

Paul would stake his life on the fact that their was one, true God--the God that Jesus worshipped-- and that this God wants more than anything for people to find him, to have unhindered friendship with Him. So I hope that Michael Vick has indeed found Jesus. And I hope and pray you find him, too.

~ Father, help me not to be cynical and not to judge another man's words or motives. Thank you, that in our game of 'Hide and Seek' you let me find you. Amen.

August 26: The Loving Judge

“God loves everyone” is popular thinking, but is it true? Some people or groups focus on God's wrath and judgment to the point of ignoring His love. Other people or groups do the exact opposite, focusing on God's love while disregarding His warnings about a coming judgment day.

It is absolutely true that God loves everyone. But that doesn't mean that everyone is going to heaven, that God never gets angry or that God is not displeased with people's defiance and disobedience. It doesn't mean that God forgives all sins (There is a sin that God will not forgive--Matthew 12:30-32). It does not mean that God is accepting of all behaviors or that God is not a God of judgment or has no standards.

God is loving, but He is also the Judge who has the final word. Look at what the Apostle Peter wrote:

"First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our Fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed (The Flood of Noah's day). By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of ungodly men." (2 Peter 3:3-8)

When you and I die our judge will be “righteous and just” (2 Timothy 4:8). A good and loving God created us and we must give account to him for our lives. Romans 2:16 says there is a day when God will judge our secrets. History has a destination. We have a date with God. God keeps perfect records and will “give to each according to what he has done” (Romans 2:6). God does not show favoritism. If God judges us, then how can he be loving at the same time?

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be burned up and laid bare." (2 Peter 3:9-10)

The most popular verse in the whole Bible is John 3:16, which tells us that God does love everyone:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

But don't ignore verses 17 and 18:

"For God sent hot his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved... He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten God."

2 Samuel 14:14 reveals the true heart of God:

"Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him."

Even though God has spoken that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and “the soul that sins shall surely die” (Ezekiel 18:4), his love is so great that he is devising ways for people to be forgiven and reconciled to Himself.

Forgiveness is often difficult for us and we are often bent on revenge or "evening the score". God doesn't act and react like we do. God is constantly looking for ways to draw people back into relationship. God desires reconciliation.

“God is able to save completely those who come to God through Jesus, because Jesus always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25). Remember, God does not desire for anyone to perish, but reconciliation comes about through repentence. Some will perish because they are too stubborn to turn to God.

~ Father, it seems like contradictory that a loving God would also pass judgment. Thank you that you are always seeking reconciliation and devising ways to bring prodigals home. Amen.