Bible in the Basement

Restart

2007-09-17T16:35:00.000-04:00

Thank you for visiting.

What was started here is now being continued at
http://newcovenantpca.blogspot.com

Change of Scenery

2007-05-18T15:11:00.000-04:00

My posts have recently been hindered in their travel. They are finding it difficult to make the journey from my head to my hands, then onto the keyboard and, finally, onto the website. The hindrance seems to be related to the many changes in my family's life.

For this reason Bible in the Basement is going to take a break. Posts related to faith and culture will resume once they are able to once again make the journey described above. If you would like to be informed when they break camp, you may email me and I'll keep you...no pun intended...posted.

Until then, you can learn about our more personal journeys here:

http://shomofamily.blogspot.com

Thank you for visiting!

Saving the Puppy

2007-05-12T06:46:00.000-04:00

I saved an op-ed piece from Thursday's New York Times entitled Save the Darfur Puppy.

In this column, Nicholas Kristoff describes recent psychological studies which confirm that people will contribute more eagerly to a cause with one face than to a faceless cause - or, a cause with thousands of faces. Here's a snippet from what I snipped:

In one experiment, psychologists asked ordinary citizens to contribute $5 to alleviate hunger abroad. In one version, the money would go to a particular girl, Rokia, a 7-year-old in Mali; in another, to 21 million hungry Africans; in a third, to Rokia - but she was presented as a victim of a larger tapestry of global hunger.

Not surprisingly, people were less likely to give to anonymous millions than to Rokia. But they were also less willing to give in [a] third scenario, in which Rokia's suffering was presented as part of a broader pattern.

People can relate to one starving child, but it's hard to comprehend thousands.

It so happened that a day earlier I had skimmed a book called From Baghdad, With Love, which chronicles one soldier's efforts to save an abandoned puppy he found in Iraq. Great pains were taken by this soldier and others to save this puppy, which included smuggling the needy canine across borders and abandoning protocol.

At the end of the book, the author seems to admit that this tremendous degree of effort to save a puppy seemed lopsided, considering the degree of human suffering in the country. But, he concluded, at least I saved something.

There are many lessons here. Fund-raisers need to understand the psychology of giving. But all of us need to understand our own psychology, and ethics, as relates to what we are willing - and able - to care about. We have a finite capacity to comprehend, and to care about, the world's needs - as much as we would like to think otherwise. The Sports section is more popular than the International pages.

I think about Jesus, however, who the Bible says "came to seek and save the lost" and "gave his life as a ransom for many." I think about the famous passage that explains, "For God so loved the world..." Here is one who comprehends the world's plight; here is one who cares, who acts, who demonstrates love in spite of the scale.

I also think about how, as a young person, I could care less about anyone, human or canine, other than myself. And I think about how, after meeting the Savior described above, my capacity to care grew much larger. My capacity to give grew much larger. Yet it's still nothing to boast about, so I instead must boast in him.

Redirected

2007-05-08T16:15:00.000-04:00

Martin Luther is known for histheology of the cross which is in contrast to what he termed a theology of glory. The former is the understanding that we must approach God through Jesus Christ, relying on his death for our life. Human endeavor must be forsaken; we boast only in the cross, as the apostle Paul directed. Far from being "Luther's" theology, this is basically the teaching of the New Testament.

The theology of glory, in contrast, is... well, just what is it? Since I wasn't sure exactly what is meant by this term, I thought I'd find out by visiting Wikipedia. There was a nice write-up on the theology of the cross here. So I looked up their article on the theology of glory and to my surprise was sent here - basically redirected right back to the cross!

I suppose this is how the disciples felt. Just when they were starting to understand Jesus' glory, back to the cross they were sent...

[Jesus] then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

From Mark 8:31-38

A Morning in the Life

2007-05-01T13:28:00.000-04:00

This morning I woke up early to the sound of birds who are a little too excited about springtime. This gave me a little extra time to catch up on some online reading.

One of my favorite sites is the "online magazine" Slate. Its founders were ahead of the curve in terms of online news and opinion and they have a sophisticated site. Its politics are "left leaning," but I don't know a better place online to find thoughtful, or at least interesting, cultural commentary.

Today I read a fun story about the NBA playoffs - basketball's my favorite sport, so you can't beat that. I was helpfully linked to a YouTube replay of Michael Jordan's top 10 buzzer-beaters. Thanks, Slate!

More significantly, I read a great piece called "Sex, Life, and Videotape: Ultrasound and the Future of the Unborn." Its author, William Saletan, is a long-time Slate contributor described on Wikipedia as a "liberal Republican." Nevertheless, his commentary about abortion ran on the "front page" yesterday (and perhaps over the weekend) and contained words like these:

Pro-lifers are often caricatured as stupid creationists who just want to put women back in their place. Science and free inquiry are supposed to help them get over their "love affair with the fetus." But science hasn't cooperated. Ultrasound has exposed the life in the womb to those of us who didn't want to see what abortion kills. The fetus is squirming, and so are we.

Saletan's point is that the ultrasound is the greatest enemy to abortion. I encourage you to read his piece here.

Laws affect morality. Legalizing abortion did not only make it a "right," it granted public sanction. Now that partial-birth abortion has been declared unconstitutional (in one of the best Supreme Court decisions in recent memory), the unacceptability of abortion is gaining a long overdue - if still faint - hearing.

The idea that public laws and public morality are totally separate issues is simply unrealistic. In a nation such as ours, the trickle-down effect of public policy is actually a torrent of peer pressure and political correctness. Therefore, we desperately need lawmakers who are wise, competent, and noble.

We also need that which is required in every age: backbone to stand against the torrent of public opinion when it is unjust or unrighteous. There aren't many people eager to defend partial-birth abortion now that it's becoming clear how gruesome it actually is. But there are nevertheless babies losing their lives every day to all other forms of abortion.

We need more than an ultrasound, but an ultrasound won't hurt. It certainly won't hurt the baby inside the womb if it serves to teach the mother just what it is that God has given her.

Wanted: Intelligently Designed Discussion

2007-04-25T08:06:00.000-04:00

Richard Dawkins is an atheist who has written a best seller entitled The God Delusion. I was able to spend some time with him since he was in New York City on Tuesday. Specifically, I spent time listening to him take calls on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show and then spent time watching him interview with Bill O’Reilly in the evening on the fair and balanced Fox News Channel.

Dawkins likes to compare belief in God – any god – to the belief in fairies. He admits, if you listen closely, that he cannot actually be certain God does not exist; but he always adds that he is just as certain God does not exist as that fairies don’t exist. Fairies and God – same basic evidence available for each.

This is highly misleading and disingenuous. There is a vast difference between the evidence for believing in God and the evidence for fairies, unicorns, or Santa Claus. Serious scholars have embraced Christianity for a range of reasons and various types of evidence. There is a reason that thick books are written concerning the evidence for the existence of God and no one writes these books about Tinkerbell. There is a reason why scientists raise challenging (and therefore silenced) objections to traditional evolutionary theory and yet propose intelligent design rather than fairy magic.

Surely Dawkins knows this, but this serves a rhetorical purpose and gets folks like me worked up. But almost as disturbing as Dawkins’ smug assertions was that on the radio interview neither the host (one of my favorite interviewers) nor any caller effectively challenged these ridiculous statements equating God with characters in children’s pop-up books. For the record, I listened by podcast rather than live, so I couldn’t call in to say, “Ummm, no.”

Enter Bill O’Reilly.

For the record, I appreciate O’Reilly. I don’t watch him regularly, but I prefer him to many but not all of his mainstream counterparts. O’Reilly, a Roman Catholic, defended belief in God against Dawkins as best he could. But in my opinion O’Reilly sold the farm:

O’Reilly: It helps me as a person.
Dawkins: That’s different, if it helps you, great, but that doesn’t mean it’s true.
O': Well, it’s true for me.
D: You mean true for you is different than true for anyone else?
O': Yes, absolutely.
D: Something has to be either true or not.
O': I cannot prove to you that Jesus is God. So that truth is mine and mine alone. But you cannot prove that he is not. So you have to stay in your little belief system and I—
D: You cannot prove that Zeus is not, you can’t prove that Apollo is not…
O': (Makes joke and changes subject.)

Once you say “it’s true for me” it’s all over. Dawkins is right: something is either true or not. That’s something we can agree on. (View video here.)

While I don’t expect atheists to convert to Christianity based on a radio call-in show, I would like to see Christianity represented well. There was a time, I think, when even those who agreed with Dawkins’ basic principles wouldn’t have accepted his caricature of the Christian faith. And there was a time when no one would have relied on the argument it’s true for me.

I know argument alone will not change someone’s core beliefs, something deeper is needed spark a transformation. Yet as a starting point, we need intelligently designed arguments. On both sides.

Baby Weighs In On Supreme Court Ruling

2007-04-21T15:58:00.000-04:00

Found this here and thought it deserved a long overdue hearing...

Virginia Tech: What Has God Done?

2007-04-21T08:11:00.000-04:00

Cheryl and I were traveling to Virginia this past Monday when news of the tragedy at Virginia Tech unfolded. We were not in the immediate area of Virginia Tech, but we did meet people who were personally touched by this tragedy. The family we stayed with knew a student whose life was taken that day; when paying for pancakes at IHOP, the cashier told us that her cousin was killed.

During times of tragedy like this, we begin to reflect on our deepest beliefs. We might even question our faith. This is especially true when the tragedy is so personal, and not just a violent image on the TV screen. And it doesn’t matter much how long we have been a Christian; an emotional impact is a jarring experience no matter how much knowledge we’ve gained over time.

I do not think it is wrong for such events to shake our faith. In fact, it is probably the appropriate response. By God’s grace, he often shields us from the horrible consequences and effects of sin. He shows us his goodness, generosity, and mercy daily in hundreds of ways. Even though we believe in the terrible effects and consequences of sin, these beliefs often remain somewhat intellectual – in the background. While the news offers daily reminders of violence, it is generally not so close to us; it remains, for most Americans, far away. That is, until tragedy strikes, or until a personal experience brings the reality of sin into full display.

If our life has been blessed with a degree of comfort, which would rightly be described as a display of God’s tremendous mercy, our faith is shaken by tragedies such as this precisely because God has been so good to us in the past.

Yet even though events like this may shake us up, they may also shake us free. They shake us free from false beliefs and false hope. On a national level, we are shaken free from the false hope that we can, by our own power, contain the effects of sin. Clearly we cannot. There is always a sad scramble to pin the blame on someone “higher up” who could have done something, anything, to prevent something like this… yet even if we could uncover such a person, the next tragedy will again reveal our inability to create a sin-free, violence-free world. In fact, that is exactly what has happened. Columbine, 9-11, Katrina, Iraq, Virginia Tech, and anything else that can be named… we cannot “fix” things up so well that we no longer need God.

Yet God is the “highest up” we can go, and it is for this reason that we question our faith: why didn’t he do something?

That “why” question is not a bad one. If asked in humility, it might lead us to reflect afresh on exactly what God has done. He has sent his Son into this violent world. He has offered redemption from sin and eternal life. He has given his Holy Spirit to those who believe, in order that this new life may take root now. He has given His church as a community in which we can begin to experience the comfort and joy of a worshiping and healing community. And in each of our individual lives, he has done much more.

But there are indeed things God hasn’t done. He has not shielded our world from tragedy. He has not yet wiped the planet free of sin. To do this would wipe us out! Events like this actually confirm what the Bible affirms: we live in a sin-scarred world, yet one in which redemption may be found.

Nevertheless, it’s painfully difficult at times to accept at times what God hasn’t done. This is why my prayers go out to those who are hurting right now, whether through this national tragedy or through a more personal one. We can affirm and even enjoy together what God has done, even as we wait for what he will do.

It is my prayer that those whose faith is shaken through this latest tragedy will also find their faith deepened. And if we entrust ourselves to God, that will indeed happen – because God is with us even in the valley of the shadow of death.

Communion With God

2007-04-11T15:43:00.000-04:00

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Deuteronomy 8:3 and Matthew 4:4)

I’ve been preparing a sermon concerning communion with God, and specifically, the communion we have with God through the Scriptures.

I’ve noticed along the way that for a long while Christian thought has been chiefly concerned with the topic of communication from God, that is, the idea that the Bible truly is the word of God. Many books defend this notion from numerous angles. However, this important discussion nevertheless falls short. God does not merely want us to affirm that he has communicated to us; he wants to have communion with us.

We live in an age of communication. Telemarketers call our telephones, spammers fill our email boxes, endless commercials and radio and TV numb our senses. We shut out many of these attempts at communication… over the past three days I’ve probably deleted 300 emails (not fan mail, just plain old spam!). I responded to the spammer who claims he is trying to reach me with a million dollar inheritance with a few words about lying and about forgiveness, just to make this daily ritual a little more interesting. Lots of communication, but not much communion.

However, if a friend calls or writes, and if we give some time and thought to our conversation with them, we begin to achieve something deeper than mere communication. We might begin to experience communion: a deep sharing of ourselves, our thoughts, our experiences. This is what God is after as well.

If our Bibles gather dust in the basement, then we are viewing God’s word as just so much unused, unwanted or unnecessary communication. But if we slow down, read, listen we are experiencing more of what God has in mind: communion.

Gabfest or Deedfest?

2007-04-04T15:34:00.000-04:00

The “Gabfest” is a political round table discussion with a youthful edge. The participants are John Dickerson, Emily Bazelon, and David Plotz. I enjoy it, perhaps because it makes me feel youthful. You can check it out at www.slate.com/gabfest

Last week, prior to comparing Satan to a Roving political adviser, the following exchange occurred while discussing James Dobson’s endorsement(s) for president:

Emily Bazelon: This is always a tricky business, deciding who is a real Christian or Jew or Muslim. There are just so many different ways to measure someone’s faith…

John Dickerson: In my view of Christianity anyway, the most amazing people are the ones who do all these wonderful, humble acts of service and don’t tell anyone about it, and don’t go forcing it down other people’s throats.

Emily: I don’t think they run for president, John.

John: No, I guess not, and they don’t get to go on Dobson’s radio show either. But I like the idea of the humble, selfless servant, not the loud, going around picking winners and losers Christian, but you know, that’s just me.

This is just one example, of many, that remind me how important it is for Christians to demonstrate their faith through acts of genuine service to others. People who are often disinterested in hearing the gospel still like to see the gospel. People who don’t like Jesus’ words as recited by his followers may appreciate his actions as lived by his followers.

Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Both the words and deeds of the Christian faith are vital communication tools. The church must use both.

Further food for thought:

1. This is the reason Jesus is still such a popular cultural icon. People believe his actions represent something selfless and honorable, even if they don’t know, understand, or embrace what he actually said... and for that matter, the real meaning behind his "good deeds."

2. This is also why ministry through the church, and not merely parachurch ministry, is so important. Non-church ministries are sometimes teaching ministries, and sometimes serving ministries, but rarely both. They gain momentum by doing one thing well, yet a full orbed Christian witness requires more.

Note: There are parachurch ministries doing great work, and at their best they connect Christians from different backgrounds and display the Christian faith in that way too. It is only if they become a substitute for the local church that they can begin to work at cross purposes - seeking to display Christ and yet painting only a partial picture.

* * *

To hear the Gabfest discussions mentioned above, go to the website at www.slate.com/gabfest and listen to the March 30 roundtable discussion. The discussions I mentioned are in the last 10 minutes.

'Tis the Seasons

2007-03-27T15:35:00.000-04:00

Either Spring or Summer has arrived in New Jersey. Here's a picture of our animals showing their hospitality to Summer, inviting the warm weather to stay longer. (No, you're not on the wrong website...)

Rumor has it that Summer is only visiting, perhaps making plans for later this year.

Spring, however, plans to stay for a little while. Here's a picture I took when Spring finally pushed that ice storm aside and made its entrance...

Ahhh, you gotta love it.

No, really, you gotta! "From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!" (Psalm 113:3)

So, in only the space of 10 days we've had visits from Winter, Spring, and Summer. It makes it hard to plan a vacation. Nevertheless, I will be on one for the rest of the week, so if you don't hear from me please check back next week. Chances are it will be Autumn by then...

All Creatures of Our God and King

2007-03-19T11:24:00.000-04:00

This has been a very moderate winter in New Jersey. I think there were only a couple snowstorms, and the snow didn't prove particularly durable. So when the temperatures hit the 70's last Wednesday or so, we were pretty certain that Spring, if not summer, had arrived.

Not quite.

On Friday, ice rained from the sky. All day long.

Apparently, some birds were as surprised as we were. Their dining options suddenly became more limited and they had to scrounge in the few areas untouched by the ice.

Other animals were caught off guard as well. This one had plans for another rousing game of "chuck it" but instead realized the best she could hope for was a little slip & slide.

I found myself thinking about how unpredictable the weather can be, (weathermen notwithstanding), and how unpredictable God's plans for us can be as well (theologians notwithstanding). Since God created the weather, I suppose this makes sense!

That Thing Called Hope

2007-03-16T09:45:00.000-04:00

Hope can have some pretty powerful effects. Look at what it’s doing for people who have placed their hope for a cure to stubborn diseases in stem cell research: money is raised, and voices are raised, too; lobbyists are employed, laws are passed, opinions are shaped.

Meanwhile, the days march forward to Easter. This is the day of ultimate hope, in which Christians celebrate the centerpiece of their faith: Jesus Christ, on a specific morning in history, rose from the grave. And everything about his life and teaching certified that this death was not for his own fame but for our salvation – that those who are mysteriously but really connected to him by faith will also triumph over our twin enemies, sin and death.

Yet people don’t want this hope. It’s become a nationwide joke that, as soon as spring training begins, so do the latest TV specials and news magazine reports that (allegedly) undermine any version of Christianity that actually inspires hope. Whether The Gospel of Thomas or The Lost Tomb of Jesus, something is always unearthed, along with some dubious claims that are sexy enough to sway the unsuspecting viewer.

But why? Why has this become our Spring ritual, rather than a fresh examination of the evidence for the empty tomb? Well, there are many reasons of course. Money is one, of course. The “discoveries” are always perfectly timed to coincide with a new glossy book and a new TV special.

But money isn’t the only reason. New glossy books and TV specials about the evidence for the resurrection would attract a wealth of viewers, too. Probably more.

Could it be that we don’t really want to hope? Hope is hard work. It changes your priorities, determines how you spend your time and money, and even adjusts your moral compass. This is, in fact, the ethics of biblical Christianity: those who have hope in the resurrection of Jesus, and in their union and ultimate eternity with him, will live far differently than those without hope. They will live different, better, wiser, freer, if indeed that hope is allowed any leverage.

And so begins the other Spring ritual… The Christian witness to the empty tomb, offered to those who have spent enough on hopelessness and are ready for a change.

We Aren't the World?

2007-03-11T14:38:00.000-04:00

A smiling contestant sang “Waiting for the World to Change” one evening on American Idol. Perhaps this upbeat song reminds some of the “We are the World” optimism of the 1980’s. That song urged that because we are, after all, the world, we should change it – lend a hand, start giving, and so forth. (The lyrics are a little too sappy to print on a website that children can access, so I will have to refer you here to job your memory.)

The words to “Waiting” are quite different. John Mayer’s song does not call to action; it explains the apathy of the younger generation:

Me and all my friends
We’re all misunderstood
They say we stand for nothing and
There’s no way we ever could
Now we see everything that’s going wrong
With the world and those who lead it
We just feel we don’t have the means
To rise above and beat it.

So we keep waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change…

The song goes on to describe how swell things would be if “they” didn’t hold all the power. They meaning they, not they meaning us. Well, you know what I mean.

What you get is what you got
Cause when they own the information, oh
They can bend it all they want.

I recently heard Mayer interviewed about his song. He said that he knew the song would never succeed if its message was “let’s change the world.” And apparently he was right: the song as it stands has been a huge hit. An excuse with a catchy tune, perhaps, but a pretty popular one. I have to give it to John Mayer, he understood what the public would and would not respond to. We are not the world – nor do we want responsibility for it!

So there are at least two responses to the broken world we face. The “We are the World” option optimistically roles up the sleeves and goes to work. Yet it runs into two problems: first, there is something about the world’s problems that is much too deep to resolve by sheer goodwill. Second, there is not enough goodwill anyway – there is a lot more apathy than we’d like to believe.

Which leads to the second option. The “waiting” option, the path of least responsibility, is the least heroic option one could possibly take. Is this the stuff that creates the next greatest generation? It’s difficult to complain that “they own the information” when you own the internet. Time’s Person of the Year is you, not them.

The biblical view of world change is not overly optimistic (or overly sappy). It recognizes that the problem is, in fact, far deeper than we imagine – and that we are part of it. Yet the biblical view of world change is not apathetic, either. Every prophet and apostle calls for action. And furthermore, the biblical approach to world change actually works. While not everything done in Christ’s name is Christlike, Western culture would be unrecognizable apart from its Christian roots. Its Christian worldview produced hospitals, universities, and concerns for equality, philanthropy, and justice.

Since this post is already long enough, I’ll cut to the chase. The most distinctive element of the Christian world view is its emphasis on personal sin. The world’s problems are not “out there.” They are right here, in our hearts. We are the world after all.

Because Christianity is a life of ongoing repentance – or should be – the results are profoundly different than “We are the World” or “Waiting on the World to Change.” We need to change the world… but it has to begin with me. And that’s not just talk. The Bible calls for a pretty ruthless self-investigation. And yet we do not grow apathetic… by the grace and work of God, we see change in ourselves. And then in our family. And then in our church. And then in our community. And then…in the world.

Filling the Silence

2007-03-06T17:03:00.000-05:00

Occasionally someone asks me: what is the difference between preaching and teaching?

Both are verbal communication, both pass along information, and both (generally) have some kind of application associated with them. The difference is not that one is “spiritual,” since there is plenty of teaching that takes place in the church that is not preaching.

So what’s the big difference?

The first difference is that preaching is defined by exhortation, whereas teaching is defined by explanation. This is a matter of emphasis: a preacher is hopefully explaining, and a teacher may – if only on occasion – rouse his hearers to action. Yet the emphasis in preaching is on exhortation, and the emphasis in teaching is on explanation.

Second, preaching is representative. The pastor speaks as a called representative of God, a “minister” and herald of another’s message. While a Bible teacher – such as in a Sunday School class – may feel that same responsibility, it is more profound in preaching. A preacher avoids opinion, whereas a teacher sometimes offers an array of opinions on a given subject in order to excite learning. A good teacher even solicits opinions, questions, and ideas from the students, whereas a preacher does not. (This makes preaching intensely personal, by the way. To represent God’s message, one must absorb it himself.)

Third, preaching is more focused. The ultimate message of all preaching is the gospel - the work of God on behalf of mankind, and how this is displayed in our lives. The preacher is constrained by this particular goal. A teacher – again, even a skilled Bible teacher – may set for himself the same goal, but may not. No one should complain if a teacher limits his lecture to the historical evidence of Jesus’ empty tomb; but if a preacher stops here, God himself will act as judge and jury.

Fourth, there are different promises associated with preaching and teaching. The Bible says that God ordained preaching to turn hearts to Christ in repentance and faith (see 1 Corinthians 1-2). On the other hand, God promises to mature us through teaching (see Ephesians 4).

Well, those are my thoughts… I hope I have explained this well, and I’m happy to hear your opinions!

Breaking the Silence

2007-03-05T22:25:00.000-05:00

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:11-12)

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. (v.15)

Welcome back to Bible in the Basement! I’m glad you’re here, in spite of my protracted (ten day) leave of absence. During this silent period, I’ve had occasion to reflect on that very subject: silence.

It is said that actions speak louder than words. This is certainly the philosophy of the apostle Peter in the above exhortations, and in the background are similar statements made by Jesus and Paul. I’m actually somewhat surprised at what a pervasive sentiment this is in Scripture, given that preaching and teaching are such prominent tools for the gospel trade. Peter does go on to say that Christians should always be “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you, yet…with gentleness and respect” (3:15-16); but his assumption is that people will only "ask" if they see something worth asking about.

Words cannot be understood apart from a context, and that context should be lives of beauty lived by believers. Apart from good lives there is no good news.

The Great Distraction

2007-02-23T10:48:00.000-05:00

“The woman at the well” is an unnamed, yet significant figure in the gospels. Her story is found in John's gospel, chapter 4. Today I realized something about this story that I hadn’t noticed previously. Before I get to that, let me review this famed interaction.

Jesus passed through Samaria one day. It seems that the divine purpose behind this was to meet this particular woman. Jesus spoke with her while seated near a well, and used the opportunity to tell her that he possessed “living water” unlike anything else she would ever drink. Contrasting this with well water, Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

This intrigued the woman, because it seemed that drawing water from the well was a thankless and difficult task. Yet Jesus was trying to convey to her that he was not speaking about H2O but about the Holy Spirit.

So Jesus said to her, purposefully, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”

The woman said, “I have no husband.”

Jesus said, that’s right, in fact “you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband.”

In the ancient world this was a source of tremendous shame. She was either widowed or divorced five times, and has now given up on the idea of marriage altogether. Furthermore, she knew her current relationship was not within God’s will for her. There is no doubt that Jesus is trying to tease out of her some honesty, some admission of need, some sort of cry for help…some repentance.

But what does she do? She changes the subject! She responds: "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship."

In other words, she is willing to speak about religion, but not about her own life.

Jesus proceeds to speak to her about religion, but continues to make it personal. And then, in the middle of the conversation, the disciples show up. The text reads, "Just then his disciples came back. So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 'Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?'"

What a convenient distraction! The disciples show up, and she takes off. In doing so, she looks pretty good by our standards – she is off telling others about Jesus. In fact, the townsfolk get pretty excited about Jesus and there’s a little bit of a spiritual awakening. It would be easy to think that this woman’s heart was truly changed, but the text never says that.

So here’s what I never noticed before: we never learn what happened to the woman at the well. We know she didn’t want to discuss her personal life with Jesus. We know she changed the subject. We know she became an evangelist of sorts, bringing others to Jesus. But we never learn whether she was ever willing to drop her guard and accept the fact that she needed living water, that she needed salvation, that she needed Jesus.

Did this woman truly open herself up to the Savior? Or did she become just another religious person on the landscape? Did she remain religiously curious, or did she receive Jesus as the Savior and the fountain of living water?

Was she willing to admit her need... or was she just happy for the distraction?

Trust Fall

2007-02-17T06:35:00.000-05:00

Have you ever taken a trust fall, risking life and limb (or at least limb) by falling backwards into the arms of some group? They can be done from all variations of altitude, and presumably the farther the fall the deeper the trust!

There's an interesting passage in the Gospel of John that doesn't get much play, probably because it's a little difficult to interpret. Here's what it says:

Now when [Jesus] was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man. (John 2:23-25)

"Many believed in his name" but "Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them." Actually, the same Greek word lies behind "believe" and "entrust" in this passage, making the point that these people trusted Jesus... but he didn't trust them!

Very interesting.

John Calvin, a careful commentator, takes this passage to mean that Jesus knew that these people trusted him in only the most superficial way (they were impressed by the signs) but their faith was not the kind that would last. Therefore, Jesus despised their surface level faith. This would fit the context. Nevertheless, it is an intriguing play on words - we find life through faith in Christ, but on his part does he find us faithful? Jesus knows that by nature what is inside us is, in Calvin's words, "volatile and unsteady."

How much more remarkable it is, therefore, that John later records these words from Jesus:

"If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." (John 14:23)

Jesus actually said this in a response to a question posed by one of his disciples: Judas.

And Judas stands as a sad reminder to all who follow Jesus that they need to ever examine how and why they follow. Is it out of a true faith/trust? Does it flow from love, that is, appreciation for the salvation offered to us? Or are we out to get something for ourselves, and if we don't receive it we storm off in a huff?

Ultimately the trust fall says a lot about us. We might be hanging out with someone, but has a relationship of deep trust really developed? And for those who claim a relationship with Jesus, the same holds true with him: are we actually ready to take the plunge?

Psalm Readers

2007-02-13T13:39:00.000-05:00

I’ve written before about my agreement with a friend to read through the Bible together. Today we finished up the Psalms and will be moving most likely into the gospels.

The psalms are ancient Hebrew poetry, yet resonate to this day. Their theology is remarkable: a God who is infinitely worthy of praise, yet with ears open not only to the praises of his people – but also their petitions, anxieties, and even complaints!

Reading the stripped down, unplugged, raw honesty of these psalms has taught me about myself. I’ve learned that I am not nearly so bold or honest in my prayers as I am encouraged to be - as I'm commanded to be.

Yet at the same time...

The psalms end by calling all people – and in fact, all creation – to praise God. That is, to recognize his Lordship over all creation and to admit that he is the source of all life, beauty, and blessing. For example, the very last psalm:

Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens!
Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!
(Psalm 150)

These are imperatives. These are commands.

When I shared these thoughts by email to my psalm reading friend, he wrote the following to me based on his experience as a church music director:

" 'Praise ye the Lord' is not a choice or an option, but a command. It really grieves me to see people standing in the congregation during a hymn with their mouths closed. Basically, that is disobedience. I don't think people connect that."

While it is important to learn something about ourselves from the psalms, we’ve really missed out if we haven’t learned something even more significant about God and the praise he deserves.

Become a psalm reader today. It's easy! Just turn to Psalm 1...

(It's really too bad there's a typo on this tattoo! Plus, it's a lot harder to update to a more contemporary translation if you go this route. I'd just stick with a regular copy of the Bible...)

Ultimate Hymn

2007-02-10T06:30:00.000-05:00

I'm a proponent of contemporary worship music, but I have to admit something. The stories behind the greatest hymns put the stories behind the hottest praise songs to shame!

I learned this as I was preparing for a Sunday evening worship service. I was browsing through a book of hymn stories and happened upon a similar book that explained the stories behind some more recent songs. The stories behind the hymns are often dark and stormy, whereas more than once the praise song story began this way: "It was an ordinary quiet time like any other..."

Hmm.

Well anyway, in doing that work I ran across this quotation concerning one of Charles Wesley's many great hymns:

"I would have rather written that hymn of Wesley's than to have the fame of all the kings that ever sat on earth; it is more glorious, it has more power in it. I would rather be the author of that hymn than to hold the wealth of the richest man in New York. He will die after a little while... But people will go on singing that hymn until the last trump brings forth the angel band; and then I think it will mount upon some lips to the very presence of God."
(Henry Ward Beecher)

Hyperbole? You decide.

Jesus, Lover of My Soul
Charles Wesley (1707-88)

Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.

Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed, all my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of Thy wing.

Wilt Thou not regard my call? Wilt Thou not accept my prayer?
Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall—Lo! on Thee I cast my care;
Reach me out Thy gracious hand! While I of Thy strength receive,
Hoping against hope I stand, dying, and behold, I live.

Thou, O Christ, art all I want, more than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy Name, I am all unrighteousness;
False and full of sin I am; Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found, grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart; rise to all eternity.

Perhaps this is why many hymns are being set to modern tunes and being sung once again!

Ultimate Question

2007-02-09T06:46:00.000-05:00

The English Puritans asked, and answered, the ultimate question this way:

Question: What is God?
Answer: God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.
- The Westminster Shorter Catechism, question four.

I think that we would be a bit more comfortable asking "who" rather than "what is God." However, would our answer be better than theirs?

Well, we would probably add the word "love." You notice that's missing in the list of attributes, although it is perhaps implied in the word "goodness." And we might change the word "spirit" to something else, since this word tends to connote ghosts (and not Holy ones) whereas the Puritans meant that God is outside this created order.

Other than that... I doubt our answer would be better. Though I admit it would be shorter.

Just Creating

2007-02-04T19:13:00.000-05:00

I recently listened to a lecture by Tim Keller entitled Christianity and the Creative Age (September 15, 2006, find it here).

We live in a creative age. Blogs are written, homemade videos are broadcast, and every teenager downloads a daily soundtrack to their iPod. Artists’ industries make billions of dollars and are celebrated with lavish awards shows. More down to earth are the artists who work nine to five (or ten till eleven) creating web sites and Super Bowl commercials.

With this fresh in mind, I was reading in my home office yesterday and noticed just how many gadgets cluttered my desk:

Some of these fuel my own moderately artistic endeavors, helping me to easily write, manage photos and music, and so forth. They also help me to communicate (props to the cell phone and email) and, yes, waste time (way to go, Firefox).

Just to the left of the computer was my Bible and a book on prayer by Philip Yancey that I’ve started reading. Needless to say, I’m making slower progress through both books than I would if it weren’t for these other occupations.

So I was thinking…

Finding ourselves in such an age requires not only creativity but wisdom. We need to understand how to use our creative skills in a way that honors God, the one who started this whole thing by creating the world and creating us in his (creative) image. Yet this will only happen if we “create” the necessary time to reflect, pray, and read God’s word. Only then will we have something meaningful to say, to celebrate, to broadcast through our artistic endeavors.

Which means I have to be a little bit countercultural and pick up that book on prayer and read it. Or actually pray. Not to mention study that Bible.

And then back to the blog.

My Friend, The Cult Leader (and Follower)

2007-01-31T14:53:00.000-05:00

Today is the birthday of a friend I’ve known for many years.

While attending Lutheran high school, I had a class in which we examined the beliefs and practices of cults. Some of the cultish practices included charismatic leadership, “love bombing” (treating the inductee with abundant affection, creating attachment to the cult), sleep deprivation, etc.

Andy read over my notes and said, “I’m charismatic… I love myself… I deprive myself of sleep… I’m a cult unto myself!”

A memorable quotation from a friend who made me laugh throughout the 1980’s. Happy Birthday, Andy!

American Idols

2007-01-31T14:52:00.000-05:00

The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see;
they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths.
Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them!
(Psalm 135:15-18)

This psalm is written by a Jewish traveler in the era before Christ, who was contrasting faith in the true God with the creatively fashioned idols of other nations. These idols were physical creations: they had shape, weight, and could sit on a shelf. If they were unearthed today, they would be quickly transferred to a museum and lauded as works of art.

Are the idols in our society the works of our hands?

I heard Pastor Mark Driscoll speak on the subject of idolatry recently. He said that some people had visited a foreign country where there were shrines to idols in every living room – it seemed unbelievable and so “old world.” Driscoll commented, “Did the idols have a remote?” In other words, Driscoll said, we quickly notice the idols in other cultures – but hardly realize those in our own.

Look around… what do you see?

Playing Favorites

2007-01-26T07:36:00.000-05:00

Posting my two favorite verses on a whim the other day got me thinking. Surely it seems impious to speak about a “favorite verse” of the Bible, when the entire Book is meant to be treasured. The reason certain verses are favorites, however, is simply that they made an early impression on me in my walk with God. The two I cited – Isaiah 26:3 and Jeremiah 9:23-24 – both concern the privilege of knowing God.

When I gave further thought to my favorite chapters of the Bible, I found that this also led me to the prophets. Two that jump immediately to mind are Jeremiah 23 and 1 Kings 13, which both concern true and false prophecy: one a divine indictment, the other a curious (and even humorous) story. Growing up spiritually in a California megachurch provoked much thought concerning the authentic word of God, for the word written was sometimes neglected in favor of the word felt or imagined. These were formative passages indeed.

I have read the prophets, such as Isaiah and Jeremiah, less frequently in the past several years. My focus has been the gospels: the life, words, actions of Jesus Christ (to whom both Isaiah and Jeremiah direct us). Incidentally, next to Jeremiah, my favorite book of the Bible is probably the Gospel of Matthew. Yet this thought process reminds me to turn to the Old Testament prophets more often. Their words are both penetrating and poetic, lending themselves well to contemplation and re-reading.

Now then, next to Jesus Christ, who would be my favorite Bible character? Well, it turns out that would also be Jeremiah too! He beats out the Apostle Peter by a hair. If you peek into Jeremiah 1 and Jeremiah 15 you will see a young man called by God, who was promised great difficulty and disappointment. He needed God’s encouragement, and it was given; but God never allowed him to be released from his difficult task. He lived a long and difficult life. When his tragic prophecies were fulfilled and Jerusalem was destroyed by its enemies, he did not gloat – he wept. Yet even then, he expressed some of the greatest words of faith ever written.

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:4)

“O Lord, you know;
remember me and visit me,
and take vengeance for me on my persecutors.
In your forbearance take me not away;
know that for your sake I bear reproach.
Your words were found, and I ate them,
and your words became to me a joy
and the delight of my heart,
for I am called by your name,
O Lord, God of hosts.”
(Jeremiah 15:15-16)

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,
‘therefore I will hope in him.’
The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.”
(Lamentations 3:22-27,
written by Jeremiah)

Two From the Prophets

2007-01-24T16:45:00.000-05:00

These are my two favorite short passages of all time. They both are from major prophets:

You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Isaiah 26:3

Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord."
Jeremiah 9:23-24

Ten Thousand Bucks

2007-01-17T07:22:00.000-05:00

"The law of your mouth is better to me

than thousands of gold and silver pieces."

Psalm 119:72

If I had those gold and silver pieces, I would be happy to give the silver ones to charity. The gold ones alone would be a great help - I could accomplish my desires for my life much better. I'm sure you feel the same way.

Yet to do God's will should be not only our greatest priority but our greatest delight. This can be done with $10 or $10,000.

Jesus said, "One's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Our fundamental attitude should be "what does God desire of me today?" We should never think that we need something more in order to do God's will -- whether money, additional possessions, or anything else.

It is not wrong to seek financial stability, to provide for one's family, or anything like that. It is not wrong to desire other good gifts from God such as a spouse or a fulfilling career. Yet while seeking such things - and hopefully for the right reasons - we need to realize that God nevertheless gives us what we need to do his will today.

So let's do it.

The Longest Day

2007-01-15T09:43:00.000-05:00

As a pastor, I should be reading the Bible all the time, right? Right. My duties call me to continual biblical reflection. For example, I am currently studying 1 Peter for an evening series (hey, if you’re in New Jersey, come join us). My nose is in the Book for preparations for Sunday Scripture readings, Sunday school classes, and so forth.

Yet I am a Christian first, and a minister second. So although I’m utilizing the Bible throughout the week as the tool of my trade, I find it most important to read God’s word each day in a personal, or devotional, manner. Like any other Christian, I need accountability to keep me on track; so a friend and I read through books of the Bible at the same pace. For a while now, we’ve been in the psalms.

The other day our reading was Psalm 117. This is the shortest psalm in the Bible, at two verses. You can read it here.

Today’s reading is Psalm 119. This still holds the Guinness World Record for Longest Psalm, at 176 verses. We’ve decided to read this psalm over the course of seven days. If you think you can beat that, you can try your hand here.

But is it really that hard to read 176 verses?

As I’ve said before, we don’t grow by simply reading God’s word – we grow by meditating on God’s word. Psalm 119 could easily be read in the space of 30 minutes if it weren’t for the fact that it requires so much contemplation. It could be read, but not rightly. It could be read and forgotten!

In fact, Psalm 119 celebrates the benefits of reflecting on, memorizing, keeping, and loving God’s word:

“My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!” (119:25)

“I will run in the way of your commandments
when you enlarge my heart.” (119:32)

“Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.” (119:105)

“I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for your testimonies are my meditation.” (119:99)

That doesn’t take very long to read, does it?

But anyone can read. Even a demon. But not everyone can love God's word; this takes a rebirth of the heart.

I hope you are learning to enjoy and embrace God’s word. I hope that I am, too.

God's Hand in Our Lives

2007-01-10T08:21:00.000-05:00

“But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
We are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are the work of you hand.” (Isaiah 64:8)

The potter and the clay: a familiar picture for theologians, not to mention actual potters.

In declaring that we are “clay,” the Bible does not intend to strip us of our human qualities – e.g., dignity, volition, emotions, and so forth. In fact, a glance at the original context of this passage shows that the writer, the prophet, took comfort in being “clay” – he knew that he and his nation needed God’s hand in their lives.

It is the privilege of the Christian to know that God’s hand is in his (or her) life. But isn’t it true that we often acknowledge only his hand of blessing? When we perceive that he is answering a prayer, giving a gift, showing us the way to go – we are glad his hand is in our life.

But what about times of difficulty? Even then, God’s hand is in our life, shaping us.

However, if we are to be shaped into something beautiful and not misshapen, we need to accept what comes from God’s hand – both smooth and rough. As I said above, the illustration of “potter and clay” is not intended to remove our humanity: we still need to respond to God rightly. The verse I cited above begins “you are our Father.” While God will always have his way with us, this trusting relationship is what confirms that the potter's end product will be appealing.

As I write this, a new version of Matt Redman’s “Blessed Be Your Name” is playing on my iPod. The words to this famous song of worship are, “Blessed be your name when the sun’s shining down on me / when the world’s all as it should be… Blessed be your name on the road marked with suffering / Though there’s pain in the offering, blessed be your name.”

These are the words spoken by one for whom God is both “potter” and “Father.”

114/150

2007-01-09T20:12:00.000-05:00

Could this be the least known psalm in the Bible?

Psalm 114

When Israel went out from Egypt,
the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
Judah became his sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.

The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back.
The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.

What ails you, O sea, that you flee?
O Jordan, that you turn back?
O mountains, that you skip like rams?
O hills, like lambs?

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
who turns the rock into a pool of water,
the flint into a spring of water.

Jesus People

2007-01-05T23:11:00.000-05:00

"You shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

So just who are "his people"? Who belongs to Jesus and is, therefore, saved?

Believe it or not, this is actually a subject we hear about quite a bit in the media. Take for example this fake news story from a turn-of-the-century edition of The Onion:

Christian Right Ascends To Heaven

TULSA, OK -- At the stroke of midnight, Jan. 1, 2000, the clouds opened above the Bible Belt and a golden staircase appeared for all born-again Christians who do not bear the Mark of the Beast to ascend into Heaven and enjoy Everlasting Salvation.

Night turned to day as Jesus Christ appeared at the top of the staircase in a blinding white sun-beam to select only 1,000 believers for ascension into Heaven, as outlined in the Book of Revelation.

"Follow Me," the bearded, unkempt Jew told His assembled flock as He unrolled a papyrus scroll bearing a list of names. The list was a veritable Who's Who of the Christian Right. "Pat Buchanan, Bob Dornan, Jerry Falwell, Fred Phelps, Ralph Reed, Trent Lott..." Jesus read on, as those named followed Him into the clouds.

Millionaire cable-TV executive and right-wing politician Pat Robertson smiled gleefully as he slowly climbed the stairs. "I've been waiting for this moment all my life," he said, his three-piece suit shimmering in the beatific glare.

"I am going to a place where everybody is like me, filled with Christian love and understanding," said conservative talk-show host and two-time presidential candidate Buchanan. "There will also be a shared hatred of gays."

(for rest of story click here)

While I don't necessarily share The Onion's animosity toward some of these figures, this satirical story raises a significant question: What's the connection between a first century (bearded, unkempt) Jew and 20th century (well dressed, polished) political conservatives?

In other words, just who are Jesus' people?

The beginning of the answer to this question is found in the verse cited above: "You shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins." Those who belong to Jesus are those who need to have their sins forgiven. They are sinners.

In fact, Matthew himself (the writer of the gospel) was a despised sinner - a tax collector. When Jesus saved him, he gave this famed explanation: "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." See Matthew 9 for more details.

If there is one thing that Jesus' followers should not be known for, it's self-righteousness. When they are perceived as self-righteous, that's when the culture realizes something funny is going on:

"Remember, Jesus loves you," said Christ, waving from atop the golden staircase, flanked by Robertson, Buchanan and Falwell, who also waved down to the damned. "So long, suckers!" Falwell exclaimed.

This does not mean that Jesus' people remain sinners. Yes, they will sin. But sin no longer defines them, sin no longer enslaves them. After all, they are now Jesus' people.

Anniversary Party

2007-01-02T15:29:00.000-05:00

Bible in the Basement turns 1 year old today!

It all began with this post and was followed by 161 more.

Like The Twilight Zone, it is difficult to describe exactly what is the theme of this blog. It is a mixture of devotional material, theological reflection, and social commentary. What links the varied posts together is my desire that each would provoke reflection on the Bible's implications for our lives or society. My hope is that those who read also stop to reflect.

I learned early on that most readers do not leave comments, though comments are always enjoyable. Yet I have been encouraged on an as-needed basis through emails or personal run-ins with readers. So for those who read, thanks for stopping by!

Oh, and make sure to visit the many fine sites linked from here!

Another Year of...

2007-01-01T10:23:00.000-05:00

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
whom he has redeemed from trouble."
(Psalm 107:1-2)

The next 41 verses of this psalm celebrate the diverse ways in which God delivers those who call on his name. (Read it here.)

What's amazing is that these words were written some 2500 years ago. Today, as one who has experienced the grace of God, I enjoy the promises contained here. It seems that the word "forever" in this psalm is not mere hyperbole.

In the year of our Lord 2007, call on his name - and experience his enduring, steadfast love.

Pardoned!

2007-01-01T00:19:00.000-05:00

Lots of talk in the news this past week concerning the late Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon. Most of the TV opinion class seem to think it was a good idea - in fact, a courageous one. But in one opinion piece that swims upstream, Slate commentator Timothy Noah expresses his disdain for the pardon.

You can read the whole piece here, but first check out this paragraph:

"Why was Ford wrong to pardon Nixon? Mainly because it set a bad precedent. Nixon had not yet been indicted, let alone convicted, of any crime. It's never a good idea to pardon somebody without at least finding out first what you're pardoning him for. How can you possibly weigh the quality of mercy against considerations of justice?"

Boy, this sure is fodder for a preacher! Apparently the idea of justice and mercy is alive and well in the American mind. And based on the above quotation, if we are going to understand God's mercy, we need to first stand trial and understand our guilt.

As the New Testament tells us:

"Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God." (Romans 3:19)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

PS: Makeshift, is this another answer to your question from Friday's post?

Prayer: No Apologies

2006-12-29T22:37:00.000-05:00

Lately, one thought has recurred to me frequently concerning prayer: the goal of prayer is not to prove (or disprove) the existence of God.

It seems to me that prayer can sometimes become a game we play, either with ourselves or with others. If God “answers” our prayers - that is, gives us what we want - we feel affirmed in our belief. If God “doesn’t answer” our prayers - that is, does not give us what we want - we wonder whether he is there at all, or what good is he anyway.

Do you relate to this?

This approach to prayer sees prayer as, first, an opportunity to get stuff from God and, second, an opportunity for God to show himself to us. This is far removed from the biblical picture of prayer, however.

The biblical portrait of prayer is complex, and certainly contains examples where answered prayer provides a testimony to God’s existence or power. But generally, prayer is not seen as a way for God to prove himself to us by conforming to our wishes. Instead, prayer is a gift that allows us a chance to conform to his will.

That is why Jesus gave instructions such as these:

* “Pray for your enemies.”

* “Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

* “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

* “Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

In each of these instructions, Jesus urges that we make requests to God – but not the kind of self-serving requests that we often fill our prayer time with. These requests are those that conform our desires and direct our minds to God’s will rather than our own.

Of course, Jesus' most powerful example in prayer is when he prayed, "Not my will, but yours be done."

Should we make requests in prayer for personal concerns? Certainly. The Bible has many examples of such prayers being answered to the glory of God, and I can add a few of my own. But if our prayer life is solely concerned with self-oriented requests, well… this is a very strange and unhealthy relationship to have with Almighty God, and perhaps no relationship at all.

Christmas: A Time to Give (In)

2006-12-26T11:48:00.000-05:00

Sunday’s New York Times contained four engaging essays grouped under the title How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Holidays. Each fell back to the same basic theme: Christmas is a time to indulge in consumerism and, for a time, set aside our self-imposed standards. (Currently you can find the essays here.)

As a Jewish woman celebrating Christmas for the first time, Cindy Chupack threw herself into consumerism full force, as one making up for years of lost time. Observing her newly ornamented home, she writes, “I sit back and enjoy my first Christmas, in all its kitschy splendor. I feel a little guilty when I look at our lone menorah on the mantel (the only evidence of my faith other than my guilt), but I ask you: how can this much pleasure be wrong?”

In another essay, Mike Albo describes his yearly holiday retreat from the Big City to his home town in Virginia. He writes, “For a brief week, I get to be as ugly and out of it as Americans are always accused of being, and no one has to see it.”

And he adds: “I lose touch, for once, with my online pals, bloggy buddies, Netflix friends and MySpace chums. Finally I am logged off from the incessant broad-band stream of information of my daily life. I don’t have to eat properly, act locally, think globally, sync up, detoxify or Move On.”

And: “For once, I have zero concern for the homeless, global warming, my future and Darfur.”

What strikes me most in these Christmastime reflections is how they reveal the pressure with which these city dwellers live. It’s a weight that’s only acknowledged once a year, when it comes time to release the pressure – to give in, if not give up. It’s a pressure to conform to a prescribed righteousness, a kind of anti-consumerism, even while swimming in a city full of it. And since the pressure is admittedly too much to bear, caving to consumer comforts becomes a saving grace… at least once a year.

Jesus came to set us free. He has been often quoted as saying, “He whom the Son sets free is free indeed.” Since today’s post is long enough, I would like to comment on this freedom in a future post. For now, perhaps it is enough to admit that we need to be set free. Whether religious or not, every person seeks to be righteous – in their own eyes, in the eyes of others, ultimately in God’s eyes. But we can’t live up to even our own standards. We need a Savior.

Devil's Music

2006-12-23T08:17:00.000-05:00

Back in 1972, Larry Norman asked the question “Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?” With that song alone, Christian rock was gifted with two catchy slogans: the question posed by the song title and also the phrase “Jesus is the rock that rolled my blues away.”

Whether or not the devil has all the good music has remained a hot debate (in some circles), but there’s one area in which the devil loses and Jesus wins hands down: Christmas music.

There is nothing more culturally sinister than bad Christmas music, except perhaps bland Christmas music. Not only is it bad, but it is practically guaranteed to be make the shopping mall playlists since a hefty volume of songs is required during the holiday(s) season. Now that starkly religious music is considered offensive, public spaces about with songs like Paul McCartney’s regrettable “Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time” or the exceedingly unconvincing “I Wish Every Day Could Be Like Christmas” by, of all people, Bon Jovi.

Devil's music indeed.

You can move up the ladder a little bit with kids’ tunes like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman,” or perhaps Alvin and the Chipmunks. You’ve attained to cute but certainly haven’t reached the profound. And “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” can only get you so far. (Also, regarding Rudolph, don’t you find it a bit unbelievable that his reindeer bullies would suddenly turn into his strongest supporters at the end of the story – instead of crucifying him out of envy? Something to consider.)

Among the Christmas songs about Jesus, however, are some true winners. This makes sense, since the holiday was born to commemorate his birth. How can you beat this:

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,

And with fear and trembling stand;

Ponder nothing earthly minded,

For with blessing in His hand,

Christ our God to earth descendeth,

Our full homage to demand.

Or the more familiar:

Hark the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King!"

Peace on earth and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled

Joyful, all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

With the angelic host proclaim:

"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Hark! The herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King!"

The best part of the Christmas hymns to Christ are usually reserved for the later verses however. Consider the second verse to “What Child is This?”:

Why lies He in such mean estate,

Where ox and ass are feeding?

Good Christians, fear, for sinners here

The silent Word is pleading.

Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,

The cross be borne for me, for you

Hail, hail the Word made flesh,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

That Word will top all the words to “Jingle Bell Rock” any day. After all, Jesus is the rock that… well, you get the idea.

Symbol or Savior?

2006-12-21T13:54:00.000-05:00

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

In this simple verse – you may wish to read it again – is the profound truth that Jesus was born to accomplish something.

At Christmas, Jesus is often treated as a mere symbol: a symbol of peace, love, or sentimentality. A symbol of cute babies everywhere, perhaps. Yet the story told of this newborn, in all the New Testament, does not allow for this baby to be left in the manger. He grew up and did something with his life, something profound: he accomplished an extraordinary rescue effort.

This simple verse – you may wish to read it again – also rules out the idea that Jesus was just another enlightened sage. A mere teacher is not someone who “will save his people from their sins.” And, again, the rest of the gospel story and the rest of the New Testament does not allow for such a view of Jesus. Was he a great teacher? Yes – he was the best. But he was more. His words were combined with deeds, and not only good deeds – saving deeds. Jesus was not just an ethical guy, he was the savior.

Who is Jesus to you? Symbol? Teacher? Example?

Or Savior?

More Popular Than Jesus?

2006-12-18T23:43:00.000-05:00

John Lennon once earned notoriety by claiming the The Beatles were “more popular than Jesus.” Depending on the survey sample, it was possible he was right – but he was forced to apologize for the statement anyway. Which is too bad, because it was a statement worthy of a good debate.

Actually, the debate apparently continues. In London, fourth graders were asked – among other interesting questions – who is the most popular person in the world.

Jesus came in fourth!

However, he still beat out the Beatles. The top three were God, George Bush, and Madonna. Following fourth place Jesus is Father Christmas at number five.

No word about where the Beatles are on the list now, although they would be a better fit, in my opinion, than Madonna... or President Bush for that matter (sorry, Madonna fans and Republicans – and those who are, strangely, both).

So, holding strong at #1, God still reigns supreme among British children. They are apparently weak on the Trinity, however.

Here is the link to the story: http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2083906.ece

Where would you place Jesus on your list?

Puppet Show and Advent Wreaths

2006-12-11T11:59:00.000-05:00

In the great mockumentary This is Spinal Tap, an aging rock band faces the reality that their popularity is waning. With a concert cancelled in Boston, their manager comforts them by saying, "Boston isn't much of a college town anyway." When they hear their song on the radio it is followed by a deejay who says the band is "currently residing in the where are they now file."

The best moment is when they are upstaged by another act. A marquee at an amusement park reads, "Puppet Show and Spinal Tap." When they arrive, the (new) manager complains, "If I told them once, I told them a thousand times. Put the band's name first, puppet show after."

I was reminded of this when I saw the Christmas decorations at a nearby university, a university with a Christian heritage. Find the Christian symbol among the competitors, if you can. (Hint: Don't bother looking for a manger scene.)

Clearly Advent has been reduced, by some, to the opening act for a range of holidays that celebrate a range of gods.

Yet far more powerfully, Advent is the opening act of the great moment in history when heaven came to earth, salvation came to the needy, and God became man. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus ushered in the fulfillment of promises made through the Hebrew prophets for centuries, and the fulfillment of all humanity's deepest longings. Not another religion where men would climb to God through great religious performances, but restoration and transformation offered by a God who forgives, redeems, and restores.

There is no other religion like this, nor will there ever be. There are indeed imitators, but these all reverse the message: men create God, find God, pacify God, reach God, become God. Some do this even in the name of Jesus himself, as he warned they would. Yet through Jesus Christ, the rescuing hand of God is extended outward to all who believe. God loves his enemies, saves them from themselves, and grants them true life.

If Jesus' birth was the opening act, the performance didn't end there - nor did it end with his death and resurrection. His promise to build his church continues to be fulfilled around the globe. In America, those who preach an unadulterated gospel - who make Jesus the main event rather than an opening act or sideshow - continue to experience growth. In places like China and Korea, the gospel witness is strong and the church has grown dramatically.

Jesus isn't content with popularity, however. In fact, he often resists it. He is much more concerned that his message be communicated accurately, even if that means losing a few fans. Because when that happens, people can hear for themselves...and be saved from themselves.

Earth in the Balance

2006-12-08T15:15:00.000-05:00

You may not have noticed, but theology has taken a turn for the earth.

I first noticed this in my first year at seminary. I told my theology professor that I wanted to do a research paper on heaven. He was skeptical. “I think the movement in Scripture is that heaven comes to earth,” he told me. “Not that we go to heaven, but that heaven comes to us.”

Hmm. Very interesting.

He did not mean that heaven is an earthly achievement of mankind. Rather, he meant that the “new heavens and new earth” that come down from heaven, as described in the book of Revelation, pictures God restoring this world – this very world we currently inhabit. This fits the terminology of Isaiah 65-66, which also speaks of the creation of a “new heavens and new earth,” and Romans 8 which says that this creation will one day be set free from its curse. It also corresponds to the idea of bodily resurrection; our bodies, as well as this earth, will one day be freed, restored, glorified.

God restoring not only human beings after the Fall, but also the sin scorched earth, sounds pretty cool. But still a bit strange: what happens to the good old fashioned idea of going to heaven one day?

When this was discussed in seminary, my friends and I joked about it. “I can’t wait to go to heaven” becomes “I can’t wait to go to earth.” Our loved one who passed away has “died and gone to earth.”

The truth is that we don’t have a description in the Bible of what the eternal condition of our bodies and of the newly created world will look like. But we know that there will be freedom from sin, restoration, and glorification. That glorification part is important, and means that our eternal state will be far superior even to mankind’s condition before the stain of sin.

On the one hand, it is important to broaden our understanding of the biblical teaching about eternity. If “going to heaven” remains a vague picture in our mind of floating around the clouds, strumming harps, and watching reruns of Leave it to Beaver, we need to improve our mental image of eternity. It will be something far more dramatic, glorious, and concrete. Furthermore, the idea that this creation will be restored gives us needed hope and encouragement in the struggles of our day; it is inspiring to realize that there will be restoration “as far as the curse is found.” This includes the perfection of the creation all around us, and apparently (from a few Scriptures) even its “culture.”

On the other hand, it is also possible to get a bit too excited about the restoration of earth. Some contemporary theologians are pretty excited about the idea that creation will be redeemed, and that the culture will be redeemed along with it, and this can get out of balance. It seems to me that the primary message of Scripture is not about planet earth or its culture but its inhabitants and their souls. Jesus spoke to men and women about their souls. The apostles urged repentance, salvation, and personal holiness.

This is not to say that we should be so heavenly minded that we’re no earthly good, only that we shouldn’t also be the opposite: “So earthly minded we’re no heavenly good.”

Let’s imitate the Apostle Peter who struck a holy balance between heaven and earth:

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

(2 Peter 3:11-13)

* * *

This post is long but nevertheless abbreviated! I welcome your comments, clarifications...

Choosing My America

2006-12-05T15:52:00.000-05:00

A cable news station which shall remain nameless was reporting on the election. Not the past election, the future election. The banner at the bottom of the screen read "YOU DECIDE 2008."

I actually laughed out loud.

It is indeed laughable to think “we decide” an election that will not take place for two years. Furthermore, the word “decide” needs to be qualified once for every dollar spent by the moneyed interests, and every minute donated by the media, which will serve to restrict our choices down to a few “viable” candidates by the time all is said and done.

For example, Evan Bayh’s announcement to run for presidency was carried on one website with the headline: “Clinton Actively Weighs 08 Bid.” This was kind of funny too, though not for Mr. Bayh.

Reporting on how folks get elected, the New York Times commented yesterday, “There is only so much money, seasoned political expertise and media attention to go around…” In the same story, a gentleman was quoted as saying, “Obama is a very serious candidate who will compete with [the others] for the limited supply of activists and media attention.”

Activists and media attention… Yes, indeed, “we” will decide who is president in 2008.

This brings up a host of thoughts about culture and freedom. Here are a couple of mine.

1. In spite of Americans’ love affair with “free will,” the will is actually shepherded along by a host of salesmen, some of them quite aggressive. Oh, perhaps we make the final choice – we pull the lever, push the button, buy the sneakers, or whatever – but we are far from making a choice that is entirely our own.

2. When it comes to choosing our beliefs, we are similarly affected. Many evangelists like to say that we need to make a “free will” decision for salvation, that God will not override our “free” will. But our will is in bondage – as Martin Luther and Jonathan Edwards rightly said – to a host of internal predispositions, commitments, and passions. The biblical view of free will is that, yes, we must “choose” – but we’re not going to really choose that which is countercultural and/or countersensual apart from some serious intervention on God’s part.

3. Christians should be humbled by #2. Is my faith, we might ask, really a gift of God – or have I been manipulated into this belief system? The best indicator that it is God, and not spiritual salesmen, that have changed our heart is whether our beliefs are truly countercultural – whether they demand or create something profound and beautiful, rather than more of the same.

First Peter begins with these words: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the dispersion…” That’s an interesting turn of phrase, elect exiles.

The question isn’t whether we have elected to believe in God but whether God has elected (or chosen) us. If he has, this should show itself in our own choices – not so much for president (since we have so little choice), but in the 1,000 other choices we make each day.

1 Peter: Grace and Suffering

2006-12-02T11:04:00.000-05:00

I’ve recently begun a study of 1 Peter, the sturdy epistle written by the fisherman whose name Jesus changed from Simon to the Rock.

Some people like to check out the ending of a book, its conclusion, before starting into it. After all, if the butler didn’t do it, why bother reading? Here’s how 1 Peter ends:

“This is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it” (5:12).

Understanding, and standing firm, in the true grace of God sounds like a good goal. But what is this true grace that Peter speaks about? Perhaps it has something to do with what Peter says immediately prior to this statement:

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (5:10-11)

Grace and suffering. Do these relate?

American evangelicals (like myself) probably are not quick to understand the connection. Oh, perhaps we do as a theological abstraction but that’s about all. Yet grace in suffering, grace alongside suffering, grace in spite of suffering… these ideas are deeply embedded in the entire New Testament. Jesus was born into hostility; was tortured and crucified; and his followers were oppressed, threatened, and persecuted. Yet Jesus was raised from the dead and his followers lived with the joy and confidence of the resurrection during their fiery ordeals.

This is not to say that the early Christians weren’t caught off guard. Peter found it necessary to reassure his audience, “Don’t be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes to test you…” (4:12)

“Don’t be surprised…” If we are likely to be surprised by difficulty, opposition, or even persecution, perhaps 1 Peter is a book we ought to examine more closely. This is my goal in the coming weeks.

Jesus made a rock out of the disciple who denied him. He can make us stand firm as well.

NOTE:
The commentary pictured here is one that I am using as I work through 1 Peter. The Baker Exegetical Commentary series is evangelical, scholarly, and edifying – a breath of fresh air as commentaries are concerned. I highly recommend the series.

Worship: A Tall Order

2006-11-30T08:02:00.000-05:00

“Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!” Psalm 103:1

If we view worship as primarily an external exercise, it will make us proud. We will boast in our particular worship tradition: ours is more historic, or more refined, or more cutting edge, or whatever. But if worship makes us stand tall, it is no longer worship.

Worship is a tall order, however: All that is within me, bless his holy name. God deserves more than a well crafted hymn or a cool praise song. He demands far more than an appearance on Sunday morning, or even a resume of religious accomplishments. Worship is something that demands all that is within us, and we should be brought low by our failure to accomplish this.

Then again, this tall order doesn’t seem quite so far reaching when you consider the end of Psalm 103:

“Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!” (vv.20-23)

No matter how tall we stand, we cannot give God all the praise he deserves. We will forever be, at best, but one voice offering praise.

Grammar Rock

2006-11-25T15:20:00.000-05:00

Who said English grammar couldn't be fun? If you've ever listened to Schoolhouse Rock, you know just how fun pronouns can be.

Pronouns can also have huge societal consequences. The Beatles proved it with their song, "I, Me, Mine," a George Harrison tune that lamented the ease with which people live for only themselves.

Centuries earlier, the Hebrew songwriters also knew the importance of pronouns. Although we don't have the original tune, we do have the words to this temple favorite:

Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. (Psalm 100:3)

Look at those pronouns go! To take just one example, look at how important that third person male pronoun is, especially in its possessive form. "It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture..."

Not only is this a lightning rod in the gender wars, it should engender in us a reverence for the God who owns us. We are not our own... We should therefore not live for ourselves, but for Him.

Take a moment this weekend and think about which pronouns most profoundly control your daily life.

Checked and Balanced?

2006-11-23T11:35:00.000-05:00

What a great idea the American form of government was. Knowing that we all share a human nature prone to greed, selfishness, and corruption, a system of checks and balances was put in place. No one person would hold all the power, and those who held a portion of power would be held accountable through a system of checks and balances. Thus, in the system we enjoy, the Administrative, Judicial, and Legislative branches of government serve as one another’s watchdogs. Hopefully.

In Don’t Know Much About History, Ken Davis states that this system of checks and balances was put into place “whether out of wisdom or fear,” and “the fear was obvious: no one wanted anyone else to become too powerful.”

I think that in this case, wisdom and fear go hand in hand! “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” and “the fear of human corruption is the beginning of wise government.”

Have we ceased to fear the corruption of the human heart and what it means for those who govern us? There is certainly evidence for this. We look to those who lead as a kind of nobility, as those who are above the law. While this is true of each branch of government, I’m struck in particular by the way the legislature – the representatives of the people – have become a kind of “elected nobility.” Rather than being truly of the people, they are an elite class that vote for their own pay raises, fly their own planes, and are shielded from the effects of their legislation.

Oh, for a return to a Senate and Congress that had to live under the laws it passed: that had to pay their taxes, send their kids to their schools, and fight in their wars.

And now the punch line: hasn’t this happened in our churches as well? Some pastors (or “evangelical leaders”) are seen not as servants of the people, and accountable to their fellow believers, but high above them. And I think we somewhat enjoy the illusion that it is possible to achieve such super spirituality and bulletproof integrity. We like to have someone to point to of whom we can say, “See, world? See how good we are?” But this is foolish, and leads - as we know too well - to shock and heartache when spiritual celebrities come crashing down.

Church leaders need to be seen as fellow sinners who are gifted with teaching the word of God and shepherding souls. While they need to be held to a high standard of conduct, they need to be held to this standard by people who recognize just how much they need help – first from Jesus Christ, second from their fellow believers. There is no spiritual nobility, except in the sense that God's children are all "heirs of eternal life."

Solitude

2006-11-17T16:39:00.000-05:00

"Your religion is what you do with your solitude."

This quotation, possibly a paraphrase, is from Archbishop William Temple. I heard Tim Keller speaking about this in reference to the passage "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength."

He then gave the following challenge: Examine where your mind goes when you have nothing to do, nothing to read, no one to talk to. Does it fly to thoughts of God - his character, his love, his gospel? No? Then to where does it go? Where our mind runs says much about who we are, and what we feel to be our greatest needs...hopes...desires.

When I take this test, I am humbled by the results. I think I would like to take it again after further preparation...

I have heard it said before that character is "who you are when no one's looking." But the point here is that your heart religion is determined by "who you are when even you're not looking"!

This weekend, monitor your thoughts. After they have gone running, chase after them and see where they have gone. And pray that you find them in a safe place, in the care of Jesus Christ, rather than wasting time with worry, trapped in self-absorption, or engaged in some other destructive activity.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. - Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 22:37

"You shall have no other gods before me." - Exodus 20

Thanksgiving Cancelled Due to Lack of Funding

2006-11-14T07:58:00.000-05:00

My wife asked what happened to Thanksgiving, and I didn’t have a good answer.

A manger scene is being erected in our front yard. The Christmas lights are already decorating a nearby town, and Santa is showing up early at the mall. Even the cups at the local coffee bar display a Christmas theme.

I understand the rush to celebrate the Messiah’s birth, but something seems amiss here. Setting aside a day to give thanks would seem a perfect way to celebrate the bringer of eternal life.

But, I hear someone saying, Christmas falls inconveniently on a Monday. That means there are only four full weekends of shopping between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, the day set aside for intentional last-minute shopping.

But why did our little Thanksgiving holiday have to get trampled in the mix? Couldn’t we have just extended our shopping an extra few weeks or months into the new year? Or extend the days prior to Christmas, perhaps keeping our stores open longer each day? Or couldn’t our “After Thanksgiving Sales” begin dreadfully early on the Friday after Thanksgiving? At this point I’d even be willing to sacrifice a little sleep on Friday for a chance to say “thanks” on Thursday.

The sudden loss of Thanksgiving this year caught us by surprise. We had plans to see family and friends: should we cancel these?

Well, I suppose that as we begin Advent we can try to work in some Thanksgiving sentiments edgewise. But we also need to think about something else. When Messiah appears, we really need to find a more polite way to say, “It’s the economy, stupid.”

Election 2006: The View from Here

2006-11-07T14:20:00.000-05:00

One of our the freedoms granted to us by the Chicago Manual of Style is to end sentences with prepositions, contrary to popular belief. So with that in mind, today's post:

What an election season it’s been. There are many people to vote against today… but I’m not sure how many people there are to vote for.

It seems that every generation of Americans must learn afresh what it means to live in a democracy, both its benefits and frustrations. Therefore, certain questions recirculate, such as these: Must I vote for the lesser of two evils? Why vote at all? Will our form of government stand the test of time?

For Christians, another question that has been raised - and will continue to be raised - is whether we can expect much from the political process at all. Christians have been elated at apparent political success only to feel betrayed more than once in our history.

The reality I find myself facing today is that there are two high profile candidates seeking a Senate seat in my state. I have the privilege of voting, yet I find myself wondering whether to vote at all. And trust me, I know that it is extremely unpopular to make such a despairing choice. So let me explain.

The candidate on one side of the aisle is opposed to everything I believe is important. I am not ashamed to be considered a values voter because, first, all legislation represents someone’s values. Second, to be a values voter means, to me, that the most pressing issues are deeper than economics or geopolitics. I do not wish for a theocracy prior to the heavenly one, but I do believe that we ignore the Theos to our own peril.

The candidate on the other side of the aisle is… well, it turns out he’s also opposed to those issues I believe are most important. His view of government is a little more promising, however, and so he would surely be the famous “lesser of two evils.” Yet here’s my problem: I heard him interviewed on the radio last week, and was incensed by his refusal to answer the questions the host asked him. Instead, every question was answered with an intelligence-insulting sound byte intended to demonize his opponent.

It may be – and I’m not so sure – better that this second candidate go to Washington. However, I don’t want to send someone like that there.

So, will I vote? Yes, I think I’ll go vote for a third party congressman and perhaps for a lenient dogcatcher. But I don’t think I’ll be able to vote for a senator today. Just can’t do it.

Martin Luther King, Jr., famously described the plight of African Americans this way: “We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.”

Christian citizens should make wise choices concerning their civic privileges. But sometimes after giving thought and prayer to the matter a Christian may conclude that they have “nothing for which to vote.”

In which case, they should continue exercising their other civic duties with even greater earnestness: prayer, proclaiming the gospel, and helping the poor.

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-3)

Leaving a Legacy

2006-10-31T14:05:00.000-05:00

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.

They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.

Psalm 84:4-6

The verses above describes sojourners who pass through dry, desert places. Yet as they do, they prepare the land to catch the water for those who will come after them.

Spiritually, we also should leave a legacy for those who will come after us. And this legacy is not necessarily created in the good times. In fact, it is more likely that what we need to pass on to the next generation will be forged in our difficulties.

Who are those that we esteem from the past? Think of a few right now. Then ask yourself, was their life one of ease – or one of difficulty? Were they swept along in a stream of comfort, or did they have to overcome tremendous obstacles to keep, and then to pass on, their faith?

Chances are good their legacy was forged in the furnace of difficult choices, opposition, and perhaps martyrdom.

Be encouraged as you experience the difficult periods of life. You have a chance to hammer out your legacy, and swinging that hammer will indeed make you stronger. You will go “from strength to strength.”

* * *

Well, speaking of "leaving." I will be unable to post on Bible in the Basement over the coming week. I hope you will enjoy perusing the archives, and check back again next week!

This is Only a Test

2006-10-28T20:12:00.000-04:00

In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Psalm 81:7

Psalm 81 contains a review of God’s actions toward Israel, whom he redeemed from slavery in Egypt. In the verse above, look at the different verbs used to describe God’s dealings: delivered… answered… tested.

“Delivered”: great.

“Answered”: thank you.

“Tested”: wonderf—wait, what?

The testing of faith is indeed a part of our spiritual journey, as any patriarch would tell you. Even those God delivers, he tests. Even those God answers, he tests. In fact, Jesus himself was tested. The gospels record that step one of Jesus’ journey was that “The Holy Spirit drove him into the wilderness” where he experienced severe testing and temptation. The Garden of Gethsemane was another place where we see that Jesus’ life was marked by painful tests.

Tim Keller raised an important question on this subject. Concerning the fact that Jesus himself experienced such trials, he asked, If you could live up to your highest standards of morality, what do you think your life would be like? If you could actually live the way you believe you should live (but don’t), do you think your life would be easier?

Our tendency is to answer, “Why, yes! Of course my life would be easier if I lived right.” Yet if Jesus’ perfect life was marked by struggle against Satan and a sinful world, why wouldn’t ours?

Lest you feel blogged down by all of this, let me also add this from Tim Keller:

If we don’t expect life to include tests and trials, it will be twice as difficult. We will not only experience the difficulty, but the shock: why did this happen? what did I do wrong? who's to blame?

Life is tough enough without having to be shocked and dismayed by the trouble. But the greatest hope is to realize that Jesus promises to be with us through all life’s war zones. In fact, God’s promise is that such times will produce in those who love him depth of character, an experience of God’s sustaining grace, and the assurance of faith.

And, if obedience is at all important to us, we should also note that “Jesus learned obedience through what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).

* * *

NOTE: To obtain the above referenced sermon by Tim Keller, one of my personal favorites, visit www.redeemer3.com/store and search the individual sermon section for “The First Temptation of Christ” (12/22/02).

Forgotten New Jerusalem

2006-10-26T21:48:00.000-04:00

There’s a new book out entitled Forgotten New York, which has been discussed on the radio recently. The book describes historical sites in New York City that are often overlooked as attention is focused on the Empire State Building, Times Square, Woody Allen, and other famous attractions.

This reminded me of another book, Simply Christian by N.T. Wright, which I have found to be a pleasing update (as if one were necessary) to Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I commend both books to you as thoughtful presentations of the Christian faith.

The reason Forgotten New York reminded me of Simply Christian is an illustration that N.T. Wright gives concerning the Bible. He says that the Bible is much like the computer in front of us: capable of so many things, yet often used for so few. Like a computer that is used for word processing and email, with hundreds (thousands?) of other features left undiscovered, so also God’s word is intended to accomplish so much in our lives and yet we usually use it, as Wright says, to prop up the two or three things we are already doing.

In other words, we see clearly in the Bible what we want to see, and what is familiar to us, but we miss that which would be more likely to challenge and correct us. (If it’s not in the tourists’ guide, we miss it!)

What aspects of the Bible are “forgotten”… to you? to me? to the church? And how do we go about reclaiming the lost ground?

Another question we might ask is, what do we consider to be the Empire State Building of the Scriptures? What is at the center of the biblical world, the attraction that surely should not be missed by the traveler? Surely this would be the cross of Jesus Christ, the focal point of all God’s redemptive purposes.

Where the analogy breaks down somewhat is that the cross should be revisited time and time again. Though we must visit the forgotten parts of the Scripture, absorbing all its sights and sounds, these should always place us on paths that lead once again to the cross. From there, everything else is seen most clearly.

Message From the Trees: "Don't Worry"

2006-10-22T06:56:00.000-04:00

"There's so much beauty around me, but just two eyes to see!"
- Rich Mullins

I've been thinking about Matthew 6 recently, where Jesus says: "If God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"

The dazzling colors of autumn are further examples of how God clothes his creation. Jesus' point is that if you believe that God is your caretaker, and you also believe that he is creation's caretaker, then you can (and should!) be free from worry. You should recognize that God has many creative ways to care for you.

Yet it takes eyes of faith to draw such conclusions from the world around us. Jesus is not speaking these words of counsel to just anyone, but to his disciples who were (supposed to be) men of great faith. They often only possessed "little faith," however...as do we.

If you possess faith, what conclusions do you draw from the world around you? Is all this beauty around us simply "the environment" that we need to care for? Or is it the creation of God, a sign that God cares for us?

Faith and Doubt, Part Two: Disappointed Thomas

2006-10-19T18:03:00.000-04:00

The apostle Thomas had the opportunity to be the first person to believe the gospel by faith. Instead, he became the 15th or so to believe the gospel based on sight.

Here’s how the story goes. Jesus appeared to several women, and to ten apostles, after his resurrection. But Thomas wasn’t around. Then we read:

So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."

Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe."

Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"

Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:24-29)

Notice how strongly Thomas expressed his doubt: “Unless I see…I will never believe!” Rather than Doubting Thomas it would be more accurately to speak of Unbelieving Thomas.

What do you think led to Thomas’ disbelief? There are a variety of possibilities. Perhaps he was simply a skeptic, the sort we encounter in our culture regularly – someone who believed only what his eyes could see. Yet this seems the least likely option considering that he was born into a long tradition of monotheism, had witnessed firsthand the miracles of Jesus, and had confessed his faith in God in the past. Thomas is probably not the patron saint of skepticism – if skeptics have need of such patronage.

Another option is that Thomas was unwilling to quickly adopt a belief that would so radically change his life. To believe in Jesus’ resurrection would affect his understanding of the resurrection - first century Jews believed the righteous would rise someday, but not now. More significantly, such a belief would radicalize his understanding of Jesus and of himself as Jesus’ disciple and spokesperson. I know that many people are hesitant to truly give Jesus a chance because they don’t want their life changed too dramatically.

But I think the strongest option is that Thomas had been deeply and painfully affected by Jesus’ death. Having followed Jesus for years, he had grown to like him, believe him, and hope in him. To see him violently executed was too much to bear. For a million personal, emotional, and religious reasons, he no doubt found himself saying to God: “Why? Why? Why?”

After all, isn’t disappointment often the birthplace of doubt? Although doubt sometimes creeps into our intellect, it can also burst onto the scene when suffering or pain explodes our expectations of what God “should” be and do.

Do you believe, or does personal pain, disappointment, or perhaps the fear of a changed life keep you from faith? Or for you is it something else?

The gospel of Thomas is that Jesus does not leave Thomas to die in (and for) his unbelief. He mercifully appears to Thomas, taking him up on his challenge. Thomas, however, simply worships – we don’t read that he ever put his fingers in Jesus’ wounds. And he gave a great confession of faith: “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus, after taking Thomas up on his challenge, then leaves us with a challenge: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Faith and Doubt, Part One

2006-10-17T10:29:00.000-04:00

Doubt is closely connected to faith, the way an annoying relative comes packaged with an otherwise delightful spouse. It’s not that faith requires doubt. Rather, flawed as they are, human beings are simply bound to have some fragility associated with their faith.

This is why the Bible does not teach that we are saved, in the first place, by our faith. We are not made acceptable to God based on the perfection of our faith but by God’s grace. This word means that God takes hold of us in spite of our many defects – including defective faith.

We are saved by faith in the sense that faith is the lifeline that God throws us to connect us to his Son, Jesus Christ. But we don’t always hold as tightly to the line as we should, and we may even have doubts that the line will hold… but it is God who has thrown us the line, and God who will make sure we’re holding onto it in spite of ourselves.

This lifeline of faith is a gift. Yes, this gift becomes tarnished once it’s placed in our hands. It’s like a child who takes a shiny toy and within the hour has it dented and dirtied. And that’s why we need to recognize that we are not saved as much by the gift as by the giver of the gift.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8

Now, what about doubt – is this a gift as well?

Stay tuned…

Who Is Responsible

2006-10-12T06:09:00.000-04:00

Yesterday President Bush gave a press conference. The first question asked was, are you responsible for the problem in North Korea?

His answer was no.

The question who is responsible colors most political discussions these days. Who is responsible for Iraq? For North Korea? For job losses, gas prices, and any other economic reality? For Foley? For Katrina? (I actually heard a Christian on TV admit God was responsible for that one, to Bill Moyer’s surprise.)

In most cases these are legitimate questions: what is a leader if not one who is given responsibility?

But wait – is responsibility truly something that is given, or is it seized…or won…or earned? What fascinates me is that such enormous responsibility as our leaders bear is something fought for, something campaigned for. Speeches are given, frequent flyer miles racked up, makeup worn, and sleep lost – all for the purpose of obtaining responsibility for thousands of people (and in the case of the president, hundreds of millions).

Of course, many don’t think about responsibility at all. Leadership might appear as merely a big paycheck and a shot at glory, rather than responsibility for the lives or welfare of others. Marriage might appear as a chance to have our needs or urges met, rather than a God-given opportunity for sacrifice and service to another. Children may seem to simply be cute accessories, rather than gifts of God who require two full time parents as long as they both shall live. You get the idea.

As Christians, we should recognize responsibility for what it is. It is not merely a political tool used to win elections or, more precisely, to keep our opponent from winning them. Nor is it simply an old-fashioned American value that old guys and pastors talk about. It is, instead, a reality that rests on the fact that God owns all things and is willing to hand some over to us for a time. And, in fact, God desires that our responsibilities would increase over time - as a sign of his blessing, our growth in godly wisdom, and our willingness to serve others.

Jesus, by the way, was given the greatest responsibility of all: living, dying, and indeed, bearing the wrath of God for the billions who would trust in his “leadership.” He was given this responsibility, Scripture says, and he willingly accepted it. And he never needed to apologize, blame others, or try to pass the responsibility to someone else… even when, in Gethsemane, he saw the terrifying end result of taking responsibility for such a sinful and helpless bunch.

So, for us, is responsibility given, earned, or seized? That depends… But if you have some of it, you are wise to recognize it as a gift and tend to it diligently. Because while we might find the question who is responsible elusive, God does not.

Autumn Arrives in New Jersey

2006-10-10T06:01:00.000-04:00

What impresses me about autumn is just how impossible it is to capture its splendor through pictures. Oh, the pictures are nice and all, and I hope you like these. But the reality is so much better still... Fyi, our home is in the foreground.

Are microwaves a blessing?

2006-10-05T17:07:00.000-04:00

“Since microwaves exist, God cannot.”

This is what I call “The Fallacy of the Microwave”: the belief that because human beings have come so far technologically, God simply cannot exist. I must have read someone else discuss this, because otherwise I don’t know why of all things I would have chosen a microwave as the example.

In any case, this attitude seems truly embedded in our culture – I was even reminded of it again today while reading a discussion of faith and science. Yet it has often eluded me. Exactly why would someone believe that technological advancement, be it space exploration or human inventiveness, would eliminate the possibility of a creator?

I think there are a couple answers to this.

The first is, “Scientific discoveries provide sufficient explanations, thus eliminating the need to posit a creator.” In other words, religion is yesterday’s thing. One problem with this is that we haven’t come as far technologically as we think: at least seven wonders have been around for a long time, as well as mathematics, astronomy, and discoveries of all sorts. Also, the claim rings false because scientific explanations are insufficient in many areas. We do not have scientific explanations for morality and beauty and personhood that are compelling improvements upon the religious ones. (Yes, I know we’ve already debated this point to death; the fact that it can be so debated proves my point, I hope.)

The second reason is more subtle.

Second: People are accustomed to thinking in terms of how they can manipulate the world around them, what they can achieve. Yet the Bible contrasts human achievement with divine blessing, and to think in terms of blessing is essential to think religiously.

For example, in Genesis 11 those who built the tower of Babel said: “Let us make a name for ourselves.” After God ends this building project, we read about his call to Abraham in the very next chapter. He says to Abraham, “I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.”

That's not the only time in the Bible that God says, "I will." And sometimes he means, "I - yes, I and only I - will!"

Do you see the contrast? Religious thought – thought about God, at least in the biblical sense – is predicated on the notion of blessing. This is the idea that we need God, we cannot obtain everything for ourselves. In a world where we are so impressed with our achievements, it becomes easy to forget all that we cannot do on our own: we cannot save ourselves (i.e., from death), we cannot control our destiny, we cannot enter into a relationship with our creator.

An old friend of mine (happy birthday, Shari) used to be known at her workplace for using the word “blessing.” Instead of speaking of luck or achievement, she would say things like, “It was such a blessing that such and such happened.” Her coworkers were puzzled, or at least amused, by this language.

Are you?

The Colors Are Coming

2006-10-04T21:43:00.000-04:00

Well, speaking of God’s creation, the leaves are starting to change color around here. I find that autumn is a great time to praise God for his creation. Sometimes it’s overwhelming... Not quite yet, though, there’s still more color yet to come.

The psalms are a guidebook for praise to God. On occasion, they move from creation to redemption – first recognizing God’s hand in creation (which all can see) and then moving to God’s hand in redemption (which some have seen). Psalm 19, a masterful example of biblical poetry, moves in this direction.

Psalm 65 moves in the opposite direction. Reading this psalm today, I noticed that it moves from praise to God for his “selective salvation” to praise for his abundant hand of grace in the world all around us. Praise flows both ways.

Psalm 65 begins with these words: “Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion.” It ends with, “The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.” Apparently, once one tunes his ear to offer praise he begins to hear it elsewhere as well.

A little color, then a lot more.

See comments for text of Psalm 65.

Is the Hard Edge the Straight Edge?

2006-10-02T21:33:00.000-04:00

Post-Debate Thoughts

A lengthy discussion broke out in the comments section of my post from September 20. Makeshift Renegade, who turns out to be a friend from child- and teenagehood, defended agnosticism; I defended Christian theism. I found that Makeshift’s comments were respectful and thoughtful, though we disagree concerning something fundamental. Yet I was troubled because I wasn’t sure he would say that I was likewise respectful and thoughtful concerning his position. This signaled that I should think a little bit harder about how I present myself, and the gospel, in conversations like these.

So first I reminded myself: I was not argued into the faith, so why would I act as if others could be? While I think it is valuable to debate the existence of God, I am questioning whether the tone of my particular debate gives sufficient honor to the one I’m seeking to honor.

Also, I decided that I want to rethink my view of conscience. The rest of this post gives my second thoughts on this issue:

In my comments, I advanced the belief that people are directed to God through nature. It’s not that I believe people are directed to a thorough knowledge of God, but to a certain confrontation with the creator nevertheless. Makeshift claimed, on the other hand, that he doesn’t at all resonate with this argument. He argued that nature is neutral on the idea of God, since nature could be explained other ways that are equally appealing to him philosophically.

All of this got me thinking. I take it as an article of faith (kind of a pun) that creation testifies to its creator. It’s a biblical concept, it’s reasonable, and (here I go again) it "makes sense of it all." So is my friend consciously resisting this reality? Is he lying? Is he not in touch with himself? How do we receive the testimony of one who looks at the world with all its beauty, complexity, and longings and says concerning God, “Maybe, maybe not”?

Another way of stating this is that I’ve often wondered whether certain questions are really “good” or “honest” questions, because I’ve wondered if people who question God’s existence are actually being honest with themselves. If one believes that such questions cannot be honest questions, then you are quickly committed to taking a hard edged approach to anyone who claims disbelief.

Yet while the Bible does state that conscience directs us to God, at the same time it teaches that the light of conscience can become dim… perhaps even extinguished? The reasons for this can be personal or societal. Not to mention that the bare idea of God is not necessarily attractive until combined with a vision of his glory and a taste of his mercy. All this means, practically, that many are not living with a strong awareness of God. While some may be shaking their fist at God, some may be simply shaking their head.

(As an aside, let me say that this cuts both ways. While I believe that people can question God in either an honest or dishonest way, I also believe that belief in God can also be argued in intellectually honest and dishonest ways.)

So, speaking of honesty, I owe that same honesty to others. So that is why I write this post – to confess that these are issues I am thinking through, and I hope that my testimony to my creator is not a bad witness to his character.

Thoughts?

Unexpected This Is

2006-09-28T17:02:00.000-04:00

Many Americans feel familiar with God as he is described in the Bible. Even if they don’t know him well, they think they have the basic idea: he’s loving, he’s forgiving, he’s big. He sides with the little guy and he’s against abortion. He was once more uptight (the Old Testament) but now he’s more relaxed (the New Testament). Of course these beliefs rotate between truths, half truths, and falsehoods – but this makes up the general picture of the American “God as we understand him.”

As a result of this felt familiarity, certain things surprise us and certain things don’t. For example, we are surprised if we find out that, yes, the Bible describes a God who doesn’t flat out love everyone equally. On the other hand, we are not surprised when we are told that God is willing to forgive…even if it means a violent crucifixion.

Today I felt a little bit of renewed surprise as I pondered just one verse of Psalm 60:

“O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses;
you have been angry; oh, restore us.” (Psalm 60:1)

Isn’t it something that the prayers in the Bible move from “you have rejected us” to “oh, restore us”? Not only “forgive us” which is a natural expression of self-defense, but “restore us.” It’s a bold prayer. It doesn’t make sense, really.

I am encouraged by knowing that even when I fail (whether I know I have failed or not), there are prayers that I can pray. God is willing to not only forgive, but to restore - to make whole.

May our weak understanding of God be forgiven and made whole as well.

Commenting in the Basement

2006-09-26T12:38:00.000-04:00

Most visitors to this site choose not to leave comments, but some do. For those who wish to leave comments, let me address a couple house cleaning items:

1. Despite appearances, you do not need a Blogger ID to post a comment. You may comment anonymously so you do not need to set up an account. However, signing your name is always nice.

2. If your comment does not appear immediately, it may be that your computer is caching the page. Simply ask your browser to refresh the page and it will update, along with your comments.

Keep up the conversation!

Crazy?

2006-09-20T17:50:00.000-04:00

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good. (Psalm 53:1)

We tend to think of atheism as a philosophical position. The Bible does not. Instead, both Old and New Testaments treat atheism as a moral problem; a malady brought on by a desire to convince oneself that God will not see and will not judge.

In this psalm, the “fool” speaks these words to himself in order to protect his psyche as he commits blatant sin. (Click here to read the entire psalm.)

Such self-delusion is common in all of us, unfortunately. Anytime we go against our conscience, and it’s more often than we think, we somehow have to convince ourselves that our particular sin isn't so bad: this is normally wrong, but not in my case; I am the exception; no one has been in this predicament before; life is unfair… Etc.!

If we did not lie to ourselves like this, our sins would drive us crazy. We would feel ashamed and harassed by our conscience, and we would fear God’s judgment. It would take a miracle to be delivered from such guilt.

But wait a minute… If we are lying to ourselves, and trying to lie to God, aren’t we all crazy to begin with?

Well, not me. I’m the exception.

The Main Event(s)

2006-09-18T13:35:00.000-04:00

Did you ever notice that TV specials no longer exist? Nope. Instead, what used to be called “specials” are now called “events.” In fact, TV shows hardly exist. Even these are advertised as “events,” so long as the advertisers can claim something slightly different about this week’s show – a longer running time, a main character who battles a cold, finds religion, or whatever.

This led me to reflect today on how the real eventful moments in life are rarely expected. Even something as life changing as a well scripted wedding takes place because two people, in seemingly less eventful moment, bumped into each other one day and found they enjoyed each other’s company. Or perhaps found they were both assigned the same seat on an airplane flight (as happened to friends of mine)!

As Edith Schaeffer once wrote, there are often drum rolls in our lives that we do not hear. We do not know the magnitude of seemingly simple events.

Yesterday, the New York Giants wholloped the hapless Philadelphia Eagles (pronounced “Iggles” by their fan base). This had all the makings of a made-for-TV event. Down 24-7 until the fourth quarter, some amazing drives, throws, and even a fortunate fumble brought the game to a tie and eventually to an overtime victory. One player remarked that they did not go into the locker room expecting to come out as champions. Nevertheless, a coach’s words gave a needed emotional boost. When the movie is made, a drum roll will be inserted right there.

The simple fact is that God controls the drum rolls. We would like to hear them, but we cannot.

A friend wrote to me the other day. Having just finished law school, he looked forward his new job that would perhaps, over the long haul, place him in position to have his own practice. Little did my friend know that a health crisis would lead his boss to suddenly hand over the practice, along with a teaching assignment. Now my friend finds himself fresh out of law school with a far heavier weight of responsibility, and opportunity, than expected at this time. Again, he couldn’t hear the drum roll that signalled these changes.

God is in control. We cannot know how he will direct our lives, or when. But there is one thing we can do, and that is to be faithful where he has placed us. After all, the one in charge of our fortunes says this: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.”

I guess the other thing we can do is pray. If we are so bold, our prayer might go something like this: “Drum roll, please!”

But don't spend too much time listening for it. Just remain faithful.

They Missed Him

2006-09-12T12:46:00.000-04:00

In the news today: A survey conducted by Baylor University finds that one’s view of God is likely to determine his political views. In USA Today, where I first learned of this survey, the headline reads: “View of God can reveal your values and politics: Baylor survey of religion maps four images of God that shape who Americans see the world.”

The four views of God are: Authoritarian, Benevolent, Critical, and Distant.

There is much interesting here, and I encourage you to check out the widely published news story. However, a fellow pastor and I discussed how our God did not make the Final Four. My view of God is that he is both “authoritarian” and “benevolent.” He is both angered at sin and willing to forgive sin; he both demands allegiance and offers comfort. I might add that this is, in fact, the traditional, biblical view of God that has been confessed for centuries.
Which only goes to show… Whether at Baylor U or Boston U, it’s hard to move beyond stereotypes concerning God.

Christians need to maintain a “fair and balanced” view of the God we confess. And by this God’s grace, we need to be his mouthpiece to a world that just doesn’t get it. After all, neither did we—until he benevolently and authoritatively overruled our natural tendencies.

Our Creative Creator

2006-09-09T19:44:00.000-04:00

More thoughts on the Book of books...

God's word is powerful, "like a hammer that breaks rocks in pieces" (Jeremiah 23). Why? Primarily, because God made us and knows our sins, pleasures, and longings. But the power of the Scriptures - testified even by those who reject their divine origin - is also based on the simple fact that the Scriptures are well-written.

The 66 books that compose our Bible represent numerous literary traditions. Contained in Scripture are varieties of narrative (story), poetry and song, prophecy and sermon, instruction, philosophy, and more. These different forms correspond to our diverse emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs.

Would we expect anything less from our creator than...creativity?

The fact that the Bible works this way is also important to note because often commentaries or books about the Bible don't do it justice. Here's a helpful quote I ran across recently that makes this point:

"We take in truths the same way we take in nutrients -- extracted an absorbed naturally from the food we eat. Yet, as a Church, we are so concerned about exactly what nutrients we need that we often forget what the meal should actually taste like. Our theological scientists in their research seminaries have spent years analyzing the things we eat, distilling them down to their constituent parts and then labeling them in systematic test tubes. It's vital that they do this, because without their tireless work we wouldn't have such a clear idea of what is needed for a good healthy diet. On the other hand, if it was left up to them to cme up with the menu, we would end up with a plateful of pills and tablets instead of, say, braised salmon fillet wrapped in prosciutto with herbs, on a bed of spinach and yogurt."

- David Salmon (seriously), writing in "The Heart of Worship Files" (Matt Redman, editor)

As with my last post, I don't intend to knock the value of good books, and apparently neither does Mr. Salmon. But we need to be aware that absorbing the word of God is not a merely intellectual process...nor a merely emotional process...nor a merely anything process. Other books may make good companions - but poor substitutes.

To take things a step further, we could also mention that God's word is not intended to be merely read. It is to be heard in corporate worship, sung, pondered, and prayed.

Let God do his work in you through his word. If we can't ask for more, why settle for something less?

Books a Million

2006-09-08T07:06:00.000-04:00

Solomon warned, “Of the making of books there is no end.”

For someone who loves to read books, this seems like great news. However, Solomon’s full quotation is as follows:

The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails-- given by one Shepherd. Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 11)

His point seems to be that there will always be new speculations, new philosophies, and new arguments. Wholeness is not obtained through keeping up with every latest book, but through understanding and fearing God. Those things we need to know are hard hitting truths – “well driven nails.” Elsewhere God asked, quite rhetorically, “Is not my word like a fire? And like a hammer that breaks rocks in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23)

For this reason God gave us, as one of my teachers used to say, “Only 66 books.” The 39 books of the Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus…) and the 27 of the New (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John…)

Don’t get me wrong. Other books can be insightful, funny, useful, whatever. I don’t believe Solomon, and the whole of God’s word, is urging us away from the gift of reading a good book. We’re being urged away from living a lopsided life. Most tragically this happens when one reads about God, about truth, about the world, but never truly engages it through righteous living and loving service to others.

Jesus kept busy.

Yet books often help us understand the One Book we’re expected to truly master. We read this ancient yet modern book called the Bible and naturally yearn to understand its background, or to uncover something about the original languages. As a pastor, I certainly use commentaries; they help to keep me honest and to keep me interesting.

Yet finding a good commentary is difficult. Here’s why. The Bible is described well by Solomon: its words are like “well driven nails.” Yet commentaries are generally dry, often self-indulgent, and nowadays are rarely aimed at promoting righteous living. Many commentaries belabor simple points (were there sycamore trees in Jesus’ day, or was Luke just making this up?) in order to appease Scripture’s nay-sayers. It’s harder and harder these days to walk away from a commentary feeling uplifted, challenged, repentant, or enamored of God.

I’m not saying commentaries are not helpful, and I might even say that some of the better ones are essential for a pastor’s work. But truth be told, I’m sure disappointed with the many words of men.

Which is why I have to go back again and again to those 66 books.

“Is not my word like fire?” (Jeremiah 23)

Yes, Lord, it is. Please keep your servants from quenching it!

Heavenly Minded?

2006-09-06T11:24:00.000-04:00

Speaking of heaven… the book pictured above is a recent publication by a pastor/writer who also wrote this book:

Now, does it seem strange that these books would be by the same author? One is on the glories of heaven, the other is on…money!

There are many books written about money management these days, including a wide assortment from Christian authors. But who is more qualified to write about money than one who has also thought deeply about heaven?

We should not partition these off in our minds. To think about money is to think about heaven, and vice versa. Jesus said. “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6). 1 Corinthians 15 speaks of our glorious resurrection and eternity, but then the Apostle Paul moves directly into speaking about money matters. Bear in mind that there are no chapter divisions in the original Greek text as you read this section from 1 Corinthians:

55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
16:1 Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.
2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made…

As Christians we should think about heaven – and we should think about our possessions, too. The challenge, as well as the lasting benefit, is to do both at the same time.

Mapping Out Our Future

2006-09-03T14:57:00.000-04:00

Today I had the opportunity to preach a sermon based on this text: "And they shall see his face..." (Revelation 22:4)

This provocative phrase reminds me of 1 Corinthians 13: "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." The culmination of our relationship with God is to see him face to face.

Why do we think about this so infrequently? I fear that even if we believe in heaven, we fail to ponder its specifics. I think it's that we're afraid to believe -- afraid to believe, really believe, something of such magnitude. Tragically, our unbelief serves as a check on our imagination.

This is not the case with everyone, however. A woman spoke to me after church and said that she thinks about this subject quite often -- ever since she had multiple heart attacks about 10 years ago. She had her brush with death, as she said, and now she thinks much more about eternity.

As a general rule, Americans are not strong in geography. I am sometimes privately embarrassed about how little I know of a city or state before visiting it. So much life, so much personality, so much beauty may be present in, say, Ashland, Oregon – yet I know nothing about it. And I’m sure it works the other way, too; I doubt many Ashlandians know about, say, the Great Swamp in New Jersey.

However… If I ever take a drive to Oregon, I will pull out the map, and perhaps some books, and get educated.

So, if I ever find that I’m on my way to heaven, I should probably pull out a book about it and get educated.

Lost Art of Loving God, Part Seven: Pray for Your Pastors!

2006-08-31T14:20:00.000-04:00

I love to go into New York City. I live about 45 minutes away, and approximately once a month I have reason to take a train into Manhattan. I enjoy seeing the people, feeling the energy, and being caught up in something big and merciless for a day.

On the other hand, I know people who work in the city; they rarely, if ever, wish to visit the city on their day off. They go when they must, which is most days. Otherwise, they would rather enjoy beautiful New Jersey.

Pastors have a unique dilemma. We are ministers of the word of God, which is filled with illuminating truth; glorious drama (the “greatest story ever told”); words of life; rivers of living water. It is the book of books. And yet, our day job is to study and teach this book. In fact, I am struck by how vain my job as pastor would be apart from this book. Yet because the study of this book is my duty, it is easy to fail be nourished and refreshed by its pages.

Pastors need spiritual disciplines as much as anyone. And pastors, as much as anyone, need to cultivate not only disciplined reading but delighted reading. I encourage you to pray for your pastors. You need them to communicate God’s word effectively, and they need you to pray that their own study would not create in them a harder – rather than softer – heart.

Lost Art of Loving God, Part Six: Humility

2006-08-28T22:13:00.000-04:00

Overheard on Christian radio yesterday, as part of a program counting down (or “counting up” as they say) the top Christian hits: “Coming up, you’ll hear our number one artist being really humble about it!” (Cue as-yet-unnamed artist saying that his band is just glad to have the opportunity to do what they do, etc.)

Do we know the real value of humility?

Humility must be cultivated at all times, including when we approach God’s word. We should arrive with humility and leave with greater humility. Bible reading alone doesn’t guarantee spiritual growth – you may grow, but only in knowledge or pride! Therefore I believe that to rightly understand and benefit from Scripture, we should examine each passage with a view to humbling ourselves before God with respect to that passage’s basic message.

Humility involves repentance – recognizing that you have not lived up to God’s will. It also involves recognizing that only through Jesus Christ can we continue to approach this God whom we have sinned against. Humility acknowledges our disease; humility receives God’s cure. It is sorrowful, yet joyful.

These recent posts have given fairly specific suggestions regarding Bible reading. I have worked on the assumption that being spiritually disciplined is a good thing, and is far different from being legalistic. Yet legalism is always on the prowl. How easy it is to think we’re spiritual because we’ve opened the Bible a few days in a row! We must constantly combat this ridiculous notion.

I believe J.I. Packer said all of this with greater brevity. He said that each person is either more hardened or more softened each time he reads God’s word (or hears God’s word preached, for that matter). By God’s grace, may we not be hardened, but humbled.

Lost Art of Loving God, Part Five

2006-08-24T20:45:00.000-04:00

Suggestions for Bible Study & Meditation on God’s Word, Part Two

11. Re-Read. Especially if the Bible feels familiar, you will benefit from the second and third read. This applies to verses, chapters, books.

12. Find a Bible with helps that you like, or a smaller commentary that gives background information. Spend time imagining the original context – sights, smells, surprises.

13. Yet always make sure you are studying the Bible and using the helps, not vise-versa.

14. Don’t get too hung up on which translation you use as long as it balances accuracy and clarity well. All the major translations (NAS, NIV, ESV) have their pros and cons. The ones to avoid are the loose paraphrases such as “The Message.”

15. Focus. Don’t be content to read the Bible “on the go,” when you know you’re not able to really process it.

16. But at the same time, you can add to your “quiet” time some “loud” time too – take advantage of podcasts, sermons, and websites that help you grow.

17. Three questions to ask of any chapter in the Bible:
• What does this teach me about mankind (me)?
• What does this passage teach me about God?
• How does Jesus Christ meet my needs or display God’s character?

18 & 19. Repent and worship based on what you read.

20. Don’t be legalistic. Seriously.

Lost Art of Loving God, Part Four

2006-08-21T17:04:00.000-04:00

A friend and fellow pastor once developed a list of Bible study suggestions geared toward lay people and those new to studying God’s word. I was impressed; The suggestions were basic, but helpful. I was impressed because I think sometimes pastors, in an effort to impress, fail to outline the fundamentals.

I have merged his suggestions with my own, and so I tend to call this the “Ken & Phil List.”
These are suggestions rather than God given rules. However, I think you might find some of them helpful.

Suggestions Bible Study & Meditation on God’s Word
PART ONE

1. Put consistency before quantity. Better 10 minutes a day than an hour “hit and miss.”

2. Find a time that is conducive to reading and prayer. You want to choose a time when you are alert, but also a time when you are least likely to have other concerns pulling on you.

3. Find a place that is conducive to reading and prayer as well. Mentally stake out this space as a place of daily reading and prayer.

4. Before you open the Bible, pray for insight & teachable spirit.

5. Have a “flexible plan” for what you will read. A plan is very important, as is some the flexibility to break out of your normal pattern here and there.

6. Many like to read through the Bible cover to cover, but this is not always the best approach. What will really help you grow? Consider starting with the Gospels, Romans, or Psalms.

7. As stated in part two of this series, find a friend who will keep you accountable to your plan. (Don’t underestimate the value of this!)

8. Bring your own Bible to church, especially if your church prints the Bible verses in the bulletin. It is helpful to get a “feel” for where things are located in your Bible, and a “feel” for the surrounding context.

9. Because the church was (and is) God’s idea, don’t feel guilty utilizing its resources. Consider making the sermon a springboard for what you read in the Bible one or two days of the week.

10. Use a notebook to record thoughts about what you read. You don’t have to be a writer, and you don’t have to write much, but consider C.S. Lewis’ words, “Writing takes the fuzz of our thinking.” It also helps us better retain what we have learned.

TO BE CONTINUED

Lost Art of Loving God, Part Three: Meditation

2006-08-19T09:59:00.000-04:00

Have you ever wondered how Joseph or Abraham lived a godly life without 66 books of the Bible to read through in a year?

The answer is found in this truth: We do not grow spiritually through reading God's word. We grow through meditating on God's word - and, one might add, on God's character and promises found there. Furthermore, God never says to simply "read" -- He tells us to meditate on what we read:

Psalm 1:1-3, emphasis added:

1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

This is not merely semantics. I think people are often discouraged because they read a chapter of the Bible each day, or a few chapters a day, yet don't find this rewarding - especially if they have read the Bible in the past and its pages are familiar. But to meditate on God's word implies pondering a passage's implications; it implies praying, repenting, changing direction in our heart, setting new goals, offering praise, and numerous other applications of the passage we read. It means, I think, reading slowly and thoughtfully. It means turning the passage over in our mind throughout the day, not merely reading it and hoping for the best.

Abraham and Joseph thought long and hard about God's promises. They lived not perfect, but certainly significant, lives of godliness. We have even more promises contained in God's word. Should we simply read them, or meditate on them?

Lost Art of Loving God, Part Two: Find a Friend!

2006-08-18T07:26:00.000-04:00

For a long time, I thought of Bible reading as a pretty individualistic routine. After all, I’m not going to ask someone to come to my house and read the Bible to me. This is between me and God… Right?

Well…

One of the best suggestions I can give for maintaining regularity in Bible reading and prayer is simply this: find a friend.

Meeting regularly with a friend to discuss your personal concerns, and to commit to praying for each other, will do three important things to your devotional life. First, it will keep you focused. Second, it will keep you praying. Third, it will keep you from focusing too much on yourself.

Over the past few years, I’ve also discovered the tremendous benefit of friendship in relation to Bible reading. If you have trouble being consistent in your Bible study, here is one of the best suggestions I can offer. Find a friend and commit to reading through the same section of the Bible (such as Psalms, one of the Gospels, Romans). Agree on a pace, such as one chapter per day. Then, keep each other accountable.

I started doing this with a friend a year ago. We’re currently reading through the Psalms. And we have a simple agreement: email the other person each day. In that email, we can simply say “I read Psalm 31 today” or we can share some thoughts from it. Most days, we are sharing our thoughts – and usually in a pretty brief manner. So, technology can be your friend too!

Some might think, why find a friend when I can have devotions with my family? No argument with that, but many people find they need extra fuel in order to best serve their family. Plus, someone out there needs a friend – it might be you. Even if your devotional house is in order, you can help someone else.

Some of you might say, “I have no friends.” Then here’s another thing you can do, especially if you really want to act like a Christian. Take a Bible and head to the nearest nursing home. These folks have bodies that are breaking down, like yours will one day soon, and many of them would love to be able to read the Bible but can’t. So read it to them. Start with Psalms.

By the way, when I’m really old, or if I end up in the hospital, I would appreciate it if you would do this for me. Then I really will need someone to come to my house and read the Bible to me!

The Lost Art of Loving God, Part One

2006-08-17T07:32:00.000-04:00

“Spiritual disciplines” are those things we do to add discipline and direction to our spiritual life. Usually Bible study and prayer come to mind, and rightly so: these are two broad categories that describe our hearing from God and our speaking to God. However, if you’ve read a good book on the subject (such as The Bible), you know that other practices are described as disciplines too – healthy habits of worship, fellowship, service, and (gulp) fasting.

Basically, our spiritual life can be undisciplined or disciplined; haphazard or intentional; careless or thoughtful. I am convinced that one who loves God cannot be satisfied with “little visits with God” that are squeezed into an already full life. One who loves God will wish to know Him and serve Him, and will quickly realize that this does not happen without demanding something of ourselves and our time.

Paul said it this way: “Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some benefit, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7-8).

Over the coming days, I am going to discuss spiritual disciplines. I find that people are often frustrated with themselves, or uncertain how to proceed, in this area—specifically in the area of what we call “personal devotions.” If you fall into this category, please check in. My plan is to both reflect on the topic and to provide specific suggestions concerning Bible study, prayer, and thinking deeply about our God.

Now, let’s see if I’m disciplined enough to really do it...

Wayward Sheep

2006-08-13T20:41:00.000-04:00

A few days ago I wrote about Psalm 23 in "The Godfather, God the Father, and Psalm 23." (Scroll down to read.) In that post, I argued that this is not your momma's psalm - while it is a psalm of comfort, it's not a psalm that says "everything will be okay." Rather, its message is, "Everything is not be okay...yet. But if the Lord is your shepherd, you're in good hands."

I bring this up because I found the following comment on a political site today. The topic was finding comfort from Psalm 23 in times of terrorism, presumably with its words "I will fear no evil."

"I'd like to note that while I am not particularly religious, I consider the 23rd Psalm one of the greatest pieces of literature of western civilization and also one of the greatest comforts in hard times even for an unrepentant sinner such as myself. Hat tip to David, or whoever wrote that." (Jules Crittenden, referring to his essay Psalm 9-11: I Will Fear No Evil.)

Hmm. It seems rather presumpuous to praise the shepherd psalm in one breath and in the next to admit, "I will have nothing to do with the Shepherd."

Unless, perhaps, the writer is one of God's lost sheep?

Recommended: Reformissionary

2006-08-12T20:35:00.000-04:00

One of the best ministry blogs I've run across is "Reformissionary," by Pastor Steve McCoy. I encourage you to visit at http://www.stevekmccoy.com

Pastor McCoy has good thoughts, quotations, and links related to reformissional ministry. "Reformission" (a buzzword these days) seems to refer to the more orthodox versions of emerging church ministry, and in particular the church assuming a missionary stance to its surrounding community.

If you like photography, you'll enjoy his site too. In fact, it's one of the big draws for me.

Check it out!

* * *

UPDATE: Here's a quote from Mark Driscoll that defines "reformission." Mark Driscoll is the pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, and as far as I can tell is the one who coined the term.

"Traditional churches have either leaned toward being fundamentalist and separated from culture, which has led to legalism and irrelevance; or they have leaned toward being liberally synchronized with culture, which leads to compromise and irrelevance. Either way, many traditional churches are irrelevant, whether they lean to the Left or the Right theologically and politically. Most contemporary churches are not very theological beyond a few evangelical basics, because they are guided more by pragmatism and programming than theology. At Mars Hill Church, we are driven by Reformed theological convictions and emerging missional methods. I like to say we are theologically conservative and culturally liberal.”

The Godfather, God the Father, and Psalm 23

2006-08-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

Near the end of The Godfather, Michael (played by Al Pacino) recites baptismal vows as he becomes “Godfather” to his niece. While he mouths words of peace inside the church, his enemies die violent deaths outside the church. Thus, as Michael promises to “renounce Satan and all his works,” his henchmen mow down Moe and Don in acts of family vengeance.

I don’t know if The Godfather was first, but this cinematic device has certainly been repeated since. Was it Schindler’s List or another film that showed a sniper taking shots while reciting Psalm 23? The point made is that the lofty hopes of Scripture do not translate so neatly into the real world. (Incidentally, that’s the overall point of The Godfather; Michael intends to keep out of the “family business,” but cannot. His father, famously portrayed by Marlon Brando, gives a dying speech to Michael to express his regret over this; yet Michael ultimately accepts and even embraces that he must follow in his father’s footsteps.)

I thought about these cinematic juxtapositions of Scripture and violence today as I read Psalm 23. While reading this famous psalm of comfort, cable news detailed the large terrorist plot that was reported today. This is the most violence that has been discussed on television since, well, yesterday.

So the question is, do the lofty ambitions of Psalm 23 fit into our violent world?

A psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

If Psalm 23 were merely wishful thinking or sentimentalism, the answer would have to be “no.” But here are some clues that it is not:

“He restores my soul.” … “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…” This psalm is concerned with stilling the conflict within us, not every conflict that rages outside us.

“He guides me in paths of righteousness…” This psalm is about learning righteousness, not obtaining consumerist comforts.

“…for his name’s sake.” The promises here are driven by God’s jealousy over his glory, not his desire to glorify us. (Although we sure do benefit, don’t we?)

“...in the presence of my enemies.” Enemies? This is sounding less sentimental all the time!

I could go on. The point is that this psalm deserves a second look. Don’t get me wrong, it is indeed comforting! It is comforting enough to work in a violent world just as much as in a peaceful one, for it moves us not toward retirement but to eternity. We might say that it is a psalm about God’s fathering rather than God’s mothering…though we often assume the reverse.

In The Godfather, Michael executes vengeance on his enemies. In Psalm 23, God the Father leads us in paths of righteousness and ultimately prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies. Can we find in this psalm what we need to find peace in a violent world? Have we tried?

News Roundup

2006-08-06T07:59:00.000-04:00

Since many folks read this blog with their morning coffee rather than reading the newspaper, I thought it important to share with you a few items found in today's Morning Call.

National News
One headline reads "Friends of accused serial killer surprised." I would hope so! You certainly don't want to ever find yourself saying, "Why, yes, he is a friend of mine. A serial killer? Of course, I've known that for quite some time now!"

Entertainment
In a story concerning marketing Oliver Stone's new movie World Trade Center to teenagers, a 14-year-old girl is quoted. Her words reveal much about teenagers and the media. Can you see the irony here? "I remember back in 2001 when it happened on the news. I kept thinking, 'This isn't real, it's just one of those disaster movies.' This movie made me feel Sept. 11 was real for the first time."

Religion & Society
Then there's this headline: "Church tells Katrina family it's time for them to leave." This is an interesting story about a church that took in a Katrina victim and her children, after her plight had been described on Oprah. She was given a home to live in, free of charge, for a year. Now she is getting the eviction notice, and she's more distressed and angry than, say, thankful.

It's an interesting story because, on the one hand, it is true that a year is not as long as it seems to get back on your feet (especially if you have children). Also, this reminds us that those displaced by Katrina are still trying to find their way. One University of Texas professor says, "In Houston, the welcome mat is not only longer out, it's been put through the shredder."

On the other hand, this woman was given a great place to live for a year. After one month, she quit her job. Says the United Church of Christ minister Michelle McNamara, who will now receive her parsonage back, "I'm certain there are thousands of people in Illinois or anywhere...who, if they were given the opportunity to live rent-free in a home the entire year and have their needs met, would seize the opportunity and change their life in such a way that the future would be radically different." She is careful to point out that hosting the family has been an "incredible blessing," that her "heart is breaking" over this, and that the church has put her needs first for an entire year. Maybe they are still putting her needs first...

That's the news! Have a great day.

Memo to Mel: We're Better than You!

2006-08-04T13:36:00.000-04:00

Actor and filmmaker Mel Gibson may never work in Hollywood again. After lashing out at a police officer with some hateful anti-Jewish comments, a boycott has been called on all things Mel. One site even explains how to most effectively ban Mel.

Now, I have to admit that I heard this story through the rather large grapevine and didn't research what he actually said until today. But as the coverage of this story magnified, and as the Mel Ban intensified, something didn't sit right with me.

It is quite ironic that Mel Gibson would be banned from Hollywood for sinning. Hollywood loves to sin, and to do it on a grand scale. If you've seen any trailer for the move "You, Me, and Dupree" you know this. Or, if you've seen any other PG-13 movie released in the past decade. Yet Owen Wilson and company are not banned from Hollywood -- their widely distributed sins are considered playful, funny, and harmless.

So I thought to myself, this is the problem with "political correctness." Much like a secular religion, and a fundamentalist one at that, political correctness allows people to feel smug as they judge others for those sins that are not socially acceptable...while engaging in countless others that are. How different is this from the fundamentalist preacher who wails against homosexuality but not divorce, who condemns Democrat sins but not Republican ones, who says "no rock music" but doesn't mind Frank Sinatra's "I Did it My Way," who condemns smoking but engages in gluttony?

The public stoning of Mel Gibson may be justified, for he has sinned. Sins against God deserve death, the Bible says. But the question is, why are so many eager to cast the first stone?

Boys Will Be Men

2006-08-02T07:53:00.000-04:00

From July 22-29 I was part of a missions team that travelled to Reynosa, Mexico to work with Isaiah 55 Deaf Ministries. Their website, which describes their priorities and vision, is here. During the week, there were 62 people from various churches who took part in the work along with the staff of Isaiah 55.

Although we offered a Vacation Bible School to children, I spent most of my time with the construction crews, improving and/or building schools (including a school for deaf children that will be operated by Isaiah 55). It was hot, hard work, the kind that dirties and destroys your clothes. Meanwhile, our attitudes were sustained by prayer and evening worship.

Many children came on this trip - more than they've ever had, in fact. Not just teens, but younger children as well. And what most impressed me on this trip was how hard and how well they worked. These kids were shoveling gravel and sand to mix concrete, digging a drainage ditch, cleaning up after the adults -- and they always asked for more work, not less.

After the trip, one of the teens commented about what he learned about himself: "I learned that I can work REALLY HARD," he wrote.

Throughout the week I found myself thinking, I wish that I had this opportunity...this attitude...this experience as a kid. Whether they realized it or not, the work instilled in these kids confidence and righteousness.

Wait a minute. Righteousness?

Yes.

To work hard, to grow into a man who can protect, provide, and use his hands, is a godly quality. Hear what the Apostle Paul wrote to some Christians who tended to be lazy and selfish:

"Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. " (2 Thessalonians 3)

This past week, cleanliness was not next to godliness. But sweatiness was!

From Darkness to Light

2006-07-30T07:27:00.000-04:00

While I was away, St. Louis experienced a major power failure. One person who found himself blacked out was Jim Armbrecht, who wrote the following "reflection."

The Second Coming of Electricity

Life without electricity was a shadow of our former life. In a hot, dark room, we crouched around the battery-operated radio with poor reception, listening for news. It was hard to see the dial by the flickering light of the candles lined up on the table. Outside the neighbor’s generator whined. Occasionally a hot breeze would come through the open window. The candles would flicker in the air casting grotesque shadows on the walls. The only relief was a cold soda from the ice cooler. Outside the street was totally dark. Life without electricity was not life as it was meant to be.

Without a warning, it returned! Bright light filled the room, the whole house! The refrigerator kicked on, the air conditioning whined, the telephone messages started to play. Light switches that were formerly dead now provided light on call. Outside, houses were now lit again up and down the street. Someone set off firecrackers in celebration.

Suddenly, our former efforts, as well meaning as they were, now seemed puny. The candles on the table, once so important, were now insignificant as they were bathed in the strong brilliance of the room lights. The scratchy radio was forgotten as we gathered around the big screen TV listening to the latest news. The window with its hot breeze was quickly shut to make way for the air conditioning. The contents of the ice cooler were quickly moved to the refrigerator. This is the way things weresupposed to work. This is the way things were meant to be. For a time that seemed like an eternity there was no electricity, but now it had come back again.

- Jim Armbrecht

Break Room

2006-07-21T22:37:00.000-04:00

Readers,

Thank you for visiting the site!

I will be away from the computer for about 10 days beginning Saturday, July 22. I look forward to returning at the start of August. Till then, I invite you to visit the sites linked from this one, or explore the archives here.

Till then!

Ken

World Without Actresses

2006-07-21T18:16:00.000-04:00

Can you imagine a world without actresses? No long, fancy, revealing dresses on Oscar night, no “best actress” awards, no heroines to be saved by the heroes. Definitely no damsels in distress.

About a year ago, I noticed something. In what seemed a rather sudden shift, I began hearing actresses refer to themselves as “actors.” I’m sure the trend began long ago, but I probably noticed it when I started occasionally surfing onto Inside the Actor’s Studio on Bravo.

I have now seen the elimination of actresses codified into law. In a recent list of proofreading guidelines that I received into my email box, I read this:

It is important to avoid exclusionary forms. The following words can be easily substituted with other words or expressions:
mankind—humanity/people
man the deck—staff the deck
chairman—chair
congressman—congresswoman (or congressional representative)
mailman—mail carrier
actress—actor
ladies—women
girls—women
stewardess—flight attendant
Miss or Mrs.—Ms.

No more actresses? It seems that this will make the movies quite boring. In fact, it seems this makes life a little boring, too.

I prefer the way God designed things: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

That verse is interesting because there is diversity (“male and female he created them”) within unity (“God created man...”). It's a beautiful balance that Hollywood doesn't understand.

God created actors and actresses! Of course, that was a long, long time ago…

Jump Right In

2006-07-19T22:00:00.000-04:00

Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Matthew 6:9-13)

The Lord's prayer contains a pattern for prayer. Years ago, I learned to extend my prayer time by working through these words as a template. To this day, I continue to do this.

I've often heard it said that this prayer begins with worship: "Hallowed by your name." The point often made, then, is that we too should begin our prayer with worship (rather than jumping right into petitions). Not a bad thought. However, there are two things wrong with this as an explanation of the Lord's prayer.

First, the prayer actually begins with an address: "Our Father in heaven." These are extremely important and intimate words. The prayer, then, does not begin with worship but with relationship.

Second, the words "hallowed by your name" (which means, "Let your name be regarded as holy") is a petition! It is a request to God that he would make us recognize his limitless worth. There is therefore no part of this prayer our Lord taught us to pray that is "mere" worship. Instead, we are taught to jump right in with our petitions!

So, it is no sin to spend a lot of time in prayer asking God for things. We shouldn't feel guilty that most of our prayer time is spent asking. But the question is, what kind of things do we ask for...and why? Our adoration of God should lead us to daily pray, "Father, let your name (not mine) be recognized as righteous, honorable, wonderful...holy." This is not a petition to rush through, to get out of the way in order to ask for what we really want. It is the first and foremost petition because it is most honoring to God and most satisfying to our own souls.

May the Lord transform our prayer lives -- not so we stop asking, but so that we finally start asking.

Wide Asleep?

2006-07-17T22:29:00.000-04:00

Just finished Mark Driscoll’s Confessions of a Reformission Rev. This is a popular new book concerning the history of Mars Hill Church, which has grown to over 4000 members in secular Seattle under Driscoll’s driving leadership. “Driving” as in “driving rain.” As you learn through this autobiographical tale, Driscoll nearly destroyed his health and marriage, and certainly destroyed a variety of relationships, as he surged forward with his vision to plant and grow a missional church.

(NOTE: I posted a full review on Amazon here. A longer review by Steve Camp here.)

Near the end of the book, after the chaos has seemingly ended and the church seems relatively stable, Driscoll writes:

“I was sitting at my new desk… I was sitting on a nice office chair, which someone had anonymously left with the note “For my pastor.” We owned our church building outright and had money in the bank. I had a large staff for a church our size and was sleeping like a Calvinist at nights because things were under control.” (page 140, emphasis mine)

I must admit, I laughed out loud when I read that line…but I guess you had to be there.

Let’s analyze this metaphor.

What is a Calvinist? In general, a Calvinist is someone like me – and I think like Driscoll – who affirms the biblical doctrine that everything that happens is under God’s dominion; nothing happens apart from his will. In this case, a Calvinist sleeps well because he knows he is not working to earn his salvation or to seal the fate of his fellow men – that is God’s domain.

But there’s another meaning, it seems. In Driscoll’s world, a Calvinist is someone who debates (Calvinistic) theology rather than practicing it, someone who is more interested in controversy than in evangelism. For example, here’s what he says elsewhere about some Calvinists who advocated theonomy – the view that (in his words) “the church should rule the world”:

The young rabid Calvinists who were pushing for this doctrine did not yet own homes, most did not even have wives, and some still lived with their mothers. I tried to set them straight by telling them to get dominion over their room before they took over the world, but like most fools, they were not deterred. (page 130)

In this case, to “sleep like a Calvinist” would mean to relax from the demands of the gospel, to live in comfort rather than maintaining a missionary mindset. It reminds me of the Apostle Paul’s words:

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

If anyone was a Calvinist, it was Paul (though of course we should say that John Calvin was Pauline). Paul reveled in the truth the God refused to advocate his throne, including his Lordship over who is and is not saved (see Ephesians 1, Romans 9). Yet he also said that he worked harder than the other apostles. He was a driving rain in his own right. Yet refusing to be misunderstood, he adds a qualifier: “Not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” Yes, God remains in charge – but this doesn’t slow us down, it speeds us up!

So this leads to the natural question… How hard am I working for the gospel? And how about you? And if you are working hard, is it a matter of sheer will power – or can you say, like a good Calvinist, “though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me”?

Why Believe?

2006-07-12T13:37:00.000-04:00

I wrote the following short essay a number of years ago. Recently, I found it floating aimlessly around the internet and decided to bring it back home. I'm posting it today after reading someone who posed a variety of questions on http://42lue.blogspot.com - you might want to read the questions on his site (the July 8 post) before reading my thoughts, below.

Why should you believe the Christian faith?

We believe that Christianity is not only reasonable, but it is indeed the best explanation for the world in which we live. It most consistently accounts for beauty, truth, sin and evil, human personality, meaning, concepts of right and wrong, science, and more. In this short essay, I seek to show you how the Christian world view is able to make sense of sin and evil.

This is only one example of the way that Christianity provides us with the answers we are looking for ‑‑ in fact, the answers we often don't want to hear. This is not a complete argument for the existence of God or of Christianity; it is a starting point for discussion. I welcome you to send your comments after you read.

Sin and Evil: Two Choices

The word sin is not used much anymore, but the word "evil" is. It is a word that we reserve for the worst human actions imaginable. Do you believe that what Hitler did to the Jews was evil? The Christian can say, "What Hitler did was absolutely evil." Can you? You may be surprised to find that you cannot.

Consider the thought, "It is wrong to mutilate my neighbor's child." Why is it wrong? Maybe it hurts the child and the parent, but why is hurting others wrong? Perhaps a billion people agree that it is wrong, but that is irrelevant to whether it is inherently wrong. Only God is the basis for any kind of absolutes, namely, absolute right and absolute wrong. Arguably, only a personal God ‑‑ a true, living God who is interested in the affairs of mankind ‑‑ is the basis for meaningful absolutes, because only a personal God will reward good and punish evil.

A major problem of the man who tries to think in a God‑free manner is that he naturally wants to think in categories of right and wrong. People want to determine good and evil, right and wrong. Admittedly, there are many today who claim that they hold to no standards of right and wrong, but in reality they continually attempt to make absolute statements. (Some examples of absolute statements: "It is wrong that he cut me off on the freeway," "It is good to eat this food," "All people deserve freedom," "All people do not deserve freedom," "There are no absolutes," etc.) Because there is no standard of right and wrong apart from God, the alleged God‑free person shows himself to be continually dependent upon the God he seeks to deny, thus affirming His existence.

The result of denying God is immorality and injustice. Having no "high" standard for right and wrong (God and His word), much lower standards are accepted. Here's an example of how God's word contains a much higher standard for right and wrong than everday human reasoning: God's word teaches, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition"; man apart from God has no reason to deny his appetite for wealth, power, sex, etc. God's word teaches, "Thou shalt not murder"; apart from God, man has no ultimate answer to the question, "Why is murder wrong?"

Sin and Evil: Two Illustrations

Allow me to illustrate this point with two illustrations. First: Following a debate regarding the existence of God, an atheist, Dr. Stein, was asked the question, "Why was Hitler's holocaust wrong, since the Nazis considered Jews to be non‑persons?" In other words, if morality is a matter of personal preference, why can't one group decide that it is not wrong to kill another group? Dr. Stein answered the question by appealing to tradition: "Hitler had no right to go against the consensus that had been established before him [in Germany] by its Judeo‑Christian heritage." This question, which begs for an absolute, receives none, because an atheist cannot simultaneously reject God and claim that murder is inherently wrong. Claiming that Hitler had "no right" to go against a consensus is still declaring an arbitrary absolute, and therefore begs the question. Until God is "allowed" into the reasoning process, the question can continually be asked: Says who?

Second: I decided to "try this at home." One day, I asked two seemingly intelligent men, "Why is murder out of hatred wrong?" The first said, "A feeling inside." The second, who to the best of my knowledge never met the first man, said the same thing, "A feeling inside." These men, who denied the certain existence of a personal God, had no absolute standard of right and wrong. If one claims that murdering out of hatred is wrong because of a feeling, another person can as easily claim that murdering out of hatred (or murdering for fun) is right because of a feeling. Until there is an absolute that transcends ourselves, reasoning is impossible.

A Basis for Morality

At this point, it should not be difficult to see how God‑free thinking leads to immorality. Autonomy has no basis for morality. Again, a vivid example of this is the holocaust, wherein a mass of people made their own decisions about right and wrong, and millions suffered unjustly as a result. The word "justice" does not even have meaning apart from the absolute standard of a God who declares what is right and wrong and therefore what is just and unjust.

Admittedly, religious people have also committed great injustices. All kinds of people have been immoral and unjust. There are non‑religious people who have been moral and just (at least in an outward sense). However, the question being asked here is: On what basis can a person determine what is right, wrong, just, or unjust? To answer these questions in any kind of meaningful, absolute way is to depend upon the transcendent God. One cannot meaningfully declare that murder out of religion" is wrong any more than one can meaningfully declare that murder out of hatred is wrong; both are absolute statements that depend upon the existence of an absolute standard ‑‑ God ‑‑ for their value.

Faith to Move Mountains (And a Whole Lot More)

2006-07-11T18:04:00.000-04:00

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" (Luke 17:5)

A time came in the training of Jesus' disciples that they asked for an increase in faith. It occurs to me that such a request would seem very unlikely today. People might ask for increased prosperity, increased pleasure, or improved relationships. But faith?

The disciples made this apparently exasperated request after Jesus dropped this command on them: "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him" (verses 3-4).

It takes faith to move mountains. But not much more faith than it takes to forgive, when forgiveness seems foolish. Not much more faith than it takes to practice patience, when God has taken too long. Not much more faith than it takes to profess our beliefs to friends or coworkers, when we fear we might lose them.

Oh, Lord, increase our faith!

No, Really, the Sky is Falling

2006-07-06T06:40:00.000-04:00

Yesterday morning, I was in a coffee shop and overheard a talk show. One of those morning shows where gender-diverse, good looking hosts sit around, laugh, and talk about local news and, on an as-needed basis, world events too.

At one point one of the carefully chosen hosts said, "This is a big problem for the whole world!"

I am not sure whether she was speaking about Iraq, Korea, or Brad and Angelina. I'm not sure it mattered. Something in her voice, and that of her co-hosts, told me they probably hadn't researched this story too deeply, or even researched it themselves, or even researched it at all. Planet Earth might live to see another day. I'll have a bagel and iced coffee to go, please.

But this got me thinking: we hear warnings and dire predictions almost daily. War and terrorism. Global warming, gay marriage, gas prices. Some of these warnings worry us, some don't. Some come from authorities we trust, some don't.

Who is it that we trust to warn us? And what kind of warnings truly concern us?

Jesus warned us about a number of things. For example, he warned us to beware of hypocrisy (Luke 12:1). He said, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed" (Luke 12:15). One day, when he was given the day's alarming news (about some innocent suffering in Galilee), he even said, "Unless you repent, you will likewise perish!" (Luke 13:5)

Jesus' warnings were on the mark. Planet Earth really has suffered a millenia-long plague of hypocrisy, greed, and hard heartedness.

If you're like me, you tend to worry about the wrong things. Let's trust Jesus' analysis and worry about the things we really can change... or rather, that he can change if we let him.

"And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end." (Jesus in Matthew 24:6)

Doctor Robert

2006-07-04T06:48:00.000-04:00

Last week, I sat in on my friend Rob Gibson’s thesis defense at MIT. I saw him make the transition from Mr. to Dr. Robert Ross Gibson.

Rob’s field, or rather Dr. Gibson’s field, is astrophysics. His thesis concerned AGNs (active galactic nuclei). I tremendously enjoyed observing his thesis presentation, although I understood almost nothing that was said. The language of astrophysics completely and embarrassingly flew by me.

Lacking the ability to think meaningfully about AGNs, I had these thoughts instead.

1. Way to go, Rob!

2. I am pleased to have such interesting friends. One of my close friends recently passed the bar, and now another has earned his Ph.D. in the incommunicable attributes of astrophysics.

3. God’s creation is wonderfully complex.

4. I can appreciate better why those in scientific fields sometimes (okay…often) have trouble relating to church people. The world they interact with is complex, so complex that ordinary folk cannot enter easily into it. Yet the great mysteries of the faith are often handled in a trivial manner. This drives thoughtful people nuts, especially if they are thoughtful for a living.

God’s word should be clarified. It should even be “popularized” in the best sense of the word – that is, expounded in a manner that any layman can understand. Yet it should never be treated as commonplace and superficial, as something small and inglorious. After all, faith in Jesus Christ is spiritually unattainable due to our darkened understanding; it comes as a surprising gift. The ethics of Jesus Christ are morally unattainable, yielding (if not despair) deep humility. The theology of God’s word is devotionally inexhaustible. If those in our pulpits and pews don’t remember this we won’t have much to offer those pursuing something more marvelous and mysterious than themselves.

5. A final thought. It will be nearly impossible to call my friend Rob “Dr. Gibson.” In fact, to do so would be offensive to our friendship. Friendship is a marvelous thing, too.

Friendship - An Introduction

2006-07-01T20:18:00.000-04:00

Friendship is making the headlines!

Or rather, the lack of friendship… A recent study claims that people have fewer close friends than in past decades – down from four to three. Well, three friends sounds pretty good – Jesus’ inner circle (as it is sometimes called) was three fishermen named Peter, James, and John.

But if nothing else, friendship is certainly in flux. We communicate with friends differently than in the past, now that we have cellphones, blogs, blogrings, and the like. We call some people “friends” who are not even acquaintances – they are merely links!

Well, we are in the middle of summer and July 4 is coming up. What better time than to think about friends? So for two or three days, this blog will be devoted to this subject. Today, I am going to feature a “guest blog” from my friend Peter Dishman.

I met Pete at Covenant Seminary. We studied together if I remember correctly. But what I know for sure is that we worked together, drove to church together, and talked together. Pete is a great counselor – he is good at taking your muddled thoughts and distilling them into a straightforward decision. Some other facts about Pete: He has strange eating habits, worse sleeping habits, and is a campus minister at the world’s largest university – in Mexico. He is a close friend and link.

May I introduce to you, then, Peter Dishman! His guest blog is below...

Peter Dishman, Emigrant for the Gospel

2006-07-01T19:49:00.000-04:00

Written by Peter Dishman, missionary to Mexico City and the guy in the middle with the tie - his website is here.

A long time ago, Ken asked me to send him a blog from Mexico City, where I work as a campus minister with Mission to the World (MTW) and Reformed University Fellowship (RUF). After a computer meltdown which may send me over to the dark side of Macintosh and a lot of end of semester activities, I am finally getting around to making good on my commitment to do something for BITB. Here goes…

On my desk I have a little green booklet that is very important to me. Inscribed on its drab green cover are these words: "United States of Mexico, Government Secretary, Non-Immigrant Migratory Document. FM3." This document brings joy to my heart.

Why do I love my olive colored booklet "printed in the graphic workshops of the nation"? First, because it represents a great deal of time fighting through bureaucratic madness. Although the National Institute of Migration has been upgraded substantially over the last several years, you still have to take the time to figure out that the "official payment forms" are to be found outside of the building at the snack bar, or that your picture will not be accepted unless it is precisely the right size and your hair is brushed off of your forehead so as not to obscure any potentially distinguishing marks.

Eventually you make it through, though, with the appropriate forms filled out, the appropriate documents translated, the appropriate lines waited in for hours, the appropriate moments spent wringing your hands and hoping that the agent won't be having a bad day or somehow take offense at you. It could take days, weeks, even months, but finally you are issued your new migratorial lifeline.

But my little booklet is important to me for another reason as well – it's my Mexican security blanket. When I take a trip out of Mexico and return, it says to the immigration agent that I am a legitimate visitor here. When I get pulled over by the police for a random check, it says to the police that they shouldn't impound my car since the green book protects it. And when I think about some official person asking whether I belong here or not on a long trip to a different part of the country, my little green book gives me increased confidence that even in that scenario things might still turn out OK. The little green book says that I belong here, if only temporarily.

All of this makes me wonder – what must it be like to live on the other side of the border, your side of the border, without a little green book? Definitely something to ponder and have a position on, given that an estimated 10% of Mexico lives in the United States, much of that percentage sans book.

And in a larger sense, what does it mean that our citizenship isn't ultimately in a country here on earth, but that "our citizenship is in heaven….[from where] we eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body"? (Philippians 3:21)

Are we a little too dependent on our blue and green books for comfort?

Walk the (Fine) Line

2006-06-26T08:51:00.000-04:00

Last night I saw the movie that documents a portion of Johnny Cash’s life, Walk the Line. Everything I know about Johnny Cash I learned in this movie, so I cannot vouch for its historical accuracy. However, this is the best movie I’ve seen in the past year. No scene, no line, no song was wasted or overdone. The music fit tightly into the movie’s storyline so you didn’t have to be a fan to appreciate the scenes that were powered by Johnny Cash’s (and June Carter’s) music. I am left curious about Cash’s faith, and will have to do some research on that. But overall, a great film.

My favorite scene is when Johnny Cash and his two backup men are auditioning for a recording contract. The executive isn’t impressed with the gospel song they are singing. The following exchange occurs between Cash and the exec:

“Gospel like that doesn’t sell.”
“Is it the Gospel or what I sing?”“Both.”
“What’s wrong with the way I sing?”
“I don’t believe you.”
“You don’t believe in God?”

The point is that Cash (at least at this point in his life) can’t sing the gospel convincingly. The executive urges him to sing something that he can sing from the heart.

Cash says:
“I got a couple songs I wrote in the airforce. You got anything against the airforce?”
“No.”
“I do.”

And with a soft snarl of defiance, of bottled anguish being cautiously freed, the music really begins…

A sort of conversion is hinted at later in the movie, when Cash receives a “second chance” from God and heads into a church with June Carter. One of the deleted scenes offered on the DVD shows the sermon Cash hears when he is in the church. It is not so much the gospel message as a description of Cain and Abel, and we are led to believe that Johnny Cash is finding that he can relate to the wayward characters of Scripture. He next heads to Folsom prison to benefit the inmates and record his greatest record.

It is interesting that the writer/director said he deleted the sermon scene because he couldn’t convincingly portray the powerful way in which June Carter brought God into Cash’s life. Thus, the director practiced what he preached in this movie: Those who present the gospel (in song, in film) must do so convincingly. Better to not do it at all than to do it unconvincingly!

It’s tough to be both deeply devout and deeply honest. The best Christian artists do both. The best preachers do both. The best Christians do both. It’s our high and holy calling to interact with the great mysteries of the faith with honesty and humility. Though we are forever pulled toward hypocrisy by inside pressure (pride) and outside pressure as well, we must resist this just as we resist every other sin.

Does God Believe in Miracles?

2006-06-23T21:42:00.000-04:00

"Is anything too hard for the LORD?" (Genesis 18:14)

This verse could also be translated from the Hebrew this way: "Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?" Or, "Is anything miraculous to the Lord?"

The word "miracle" refers to something that takes place outside the ordinary rules of nature. It should not surprise us that God could perform miracles, because he created what we call nature; he is above it, beyond it, outside it. Those who reject the miraculous are simply rejecting God and vice versa.

Yet to God, there are no "miracles" in a certain sense. That which is surprising to us is expected by him. That which is wondrous to us is straightforward to him. That which which is beyond our nature is never beyond him.

Is anything miraculous to the Lord? No. Although he has been known to marvel at human unbelief.

This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. (Psalm 118:23)

And he marvelled because of their unbelief. (Mark 6:6)

Who Do You Think You Are?

2006-06-21T12:11:00.000-04:00

Who do you think you are? When you get up in the morning, as life becomes less blurry and you begin to remember where you are and who you are – who comes to mind?

Spiritually speaking, some people define their identity by what they are not. They motivate themselves each day (perhaps subtly) by the assurance that they are not the spiritual “bad guys.” Compared to others, therefore, they are doing well; God must be proud of them. Here are some best selling identities in this category:

I am not a traditionalist
I am not a fundamentalist
I am not a Roman Catholic
I am not a charismatic
I am not a weirdo

Finding our identity in what we are not can allow us to avoid the tough, personal questions that Jesus would prefer we ask ourselves. Now don’t get me wrong – I completely understand that Christians are commanded to be opposed to certain ideologies and practices. However, a mature Christian will never be content to spend every waking moment in this mindset.

I propose the following test. When you get out of bed, and you are about to face the day, ask yourself this triad of questions:

Does God loves me?
Did Jesus die for my sins?
Does the Holy Spirit live within me?

Make this your “get out of bed” test. Quiz yourself each day. If you can answer these questions affirmatively, and with a growing confidence, you will have good reason to wake up each day.

Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace... (Hebrews 13:9)

Absentee Father?

2006-06-18T16:27:00.000-04:00

Were you ever embarrassed of your father?

Some are embarrassed that God, in Scripture, is called “Father” and referred to throughout both Old and New Testaments as "He." In fact, Dan Brown in The Da Vinci Code reveals a biting anger at the Bible’s insistence on God’s masculinity. So some would therefore ask today, Isn’t such masculine language a vestige of ancient patriarchy, something to be reformed rather than embraced in our advanced day and age?

First of all, it should be kept in mind that God is not called “Father” and “He” because He is a great big male in the sky. God is neither male nor female, but transcendent above these categories. Male and female were both created in the image of God (Genesis 1). On occasion there are even metaphors of God in Scripture that compare Him to a mother – for example, in Isaiah 66:13 God declares, “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you.” (Though note that in the next verse He says, “The hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants, and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.”)

However – and this is an important however! – He is rightly referred to as “Father” and “He” because God’s relationship to humankind is overwhelmingly masculine. C.S. Lewis once wrote that God reveals Himself with masculine imagery and pronouns because, before his mighty presence, everything is feminine to him! In other words, if masculinity is generally speaking defined in terms of strength (of body, of character, of will) – there is nothing more masculine than God. Or, if masculinity is defined (as in marriage) in terms of headship, there is no one who is in charge of God.

And that’s why you have to look hard for the references that compare God to a mother, but you can open the Bible to any page and find scores of references to God as “He,” “Father,” “Husband,” “King,” and so forth.

We lose something important if we are embarrassed that the Bible speaks of a masculine, patriarchal God. In fact, we lose a Father. And hasn’t that happened in our culture enough already?

The Perfect Church

2006-06-15T10:20:00.000-04:00

My friend Jeff recently sent along his thoughts on finding the perfect church. As some of you are still looking, I thought you might find this helpful:

Since finishing seminary three years ago, I have spent a good amount of time looking for churches in which I might like to minister. Its really not all that different from looking for any job, and so I made a list of church qualifications...

1. The Senior Pastor must be a committed, reformed, presbyterian, evangelical, semi-liturgical, covenantal, bibliophile, with the same interests as me, who also challenges me to grow.

2. The staff must be good looking and agreeable.

3. The structure and make-up of the church must be explicitly biblical.

4. It should be in a good part of town, the members shouldn't sin too much, or too greivously. All the children should be well-behaved, and generally pastor themselves. Everyone should get along swimmingly, know and apply the Bible consistently, encourage and exhort one another regularly, dress in a style that makes me comfortable, and live happy middle class lives while still taking risks for Christ.

5. The music should be perfect, the sanctuary beautiful, and the golf course pristine. (Oh wait, now I'm thinking of the country club I want to join.) And there should be a Starbucks in the Narthex.

In short, I want to join Perfect Presbyterian Church (PPC, for short). The trouble is, I've had a good bit of trouble finding this church. In fact, it doesn't exist.

The reason it doesn't exist is because churches are made up of people like us. Sinners who are still in the process of being made holy, but with a long ways yet to go. But as James encourages us, "He gives more grave." And not only does this grace help us to humble ourselves and draw near to God, rather than fighting and quarreling, it is the same grace that is purifying His church. Though we are, in James' words, "an adulterous people," God is purifying us, making us into a perfect bride for his Son, spotless and pure. He is sanctifying his people, and we will one day be holy and without blemish.

We are a work in progress, and the reason we volunteer in the church is not because we like working with "adulterous" people, but because it is a privilege to help the bride get ready!

Uh-Oh

2006-06-14T10:07:00.000-04:00

"The wicked accepts a bribe in secret
to pervert the ways of justice." (Proverbs 17:23)

"The show partiality is not good,
but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong." (Proverbs 28:21)

If you are not blind and deaf, you have probably noticed that our political system in the United States is in peril. The above verses tell us that, first of all, bribery destroys justice. The second verse says, basically, it doesn't take much to bribe someone... a man will forsake justice for merely a "piece of bread" -- how much more a freezer full of "bread"!

In order to avoid the injustice that springs naturally from human greed, a strong remedy is needed.

How about this: "Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast of restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law" (Proverbs 29:18). (Old version: "Without vison a people perish...")

What is needed is a return to the law of God. But a return to the law of God requires a return to the love and fear of God, and this requires a changed heart. And a changed heart requires repentance. And repentance will not happen apart from the proclamation of hard truths. And the voicing of hard, unpopular truths requires men with prophetic daring. And prophetic daring only arises by the Holy Spirit, moving men to love eternal pleasures and dismiss temporary comforts.

Lord, please raise up daring men!

"The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion" (Proverbs 28:1).

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Jesus, Matthew 9:37-38)

Despairing and Rejoicing

2006-06-11T08:24:00.000-04:00

In a recent New Yorker essay, “Headless Horseman,” Adam Gopnik discusses the inescapable brutality of the French Revolution. The word “headless” in the essay’s title refers to the beheadings that took place as liberty was established. He states, rightly, that the violence of that era cannot be easily reduced to merely intellectual or political realities of the time.

He ends the essay with these words, comparing the violence of the Eighteenth Century to the brutal regimes of the Twentieth:

It sometimes seems as if history had deliberately placed Hitler and Stalin side by side at the climax of the horror of modern history simply to demonstrate that the road to Hell is paved with any intention you like; a planned, pseudo-rationalist utopianism and an organic, racial, backward-looking Romaticism ended up with the same camps and the same carnage. The historical lesson of the [French Revolution] is not that reason devours its own but that reason cannot stop us from devouring each other.

There you have it. Even The New Yorker can admit, now and again, that humanity has a deep and disturbing problem. To recognize this, to really recognize this, leads one to either cry out to God for redemption, or to accept somehow that a cloud of despair must forever hang over humanity.

Many, believe it or not, take that second option. In fact, have you ever noticed how that which is considered “high art” is often dark and disturbing? This is because those who seek to look closer at humanity and its condition, when they are honest, realize that what is there is rather…well, dark and disturbing. Many wardrobes have been built on this premise.

What does the Gospel of Jesus Christ offer instead? Rather than despair, the Gospel promotes joy. Precisely because humans are so damaged, we need a God who rescues – not a God who merely educates or commands. Finding this merciful God, and seeing all he has done for us through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is a happy occasion indeed!

And yet…

Yet Christians like myself can sometimes lack joy. Why is this? Well, for me, I think the answer is that I take my eyes off that Gospel and place them back on myself. Even though I should know better, I forget that my sin-weakened frame will always disappoint me. I will always let me down. So I become glum, wishing I could do better, be better, pray better, love better, etc.

We must, ironically, begin with despair concerning ourselves. But if we are to honor the God of the life-giving Gospel, we cannot end there. We must discover and delight in the great rescue of God. When we do, we’ll have something to celebrate. We’ll have Someone to celebrate. May our worship today, and every day, reflect this true joy!