Our Long National Nightmare is Over

Barry Bonds' death march to the home run record is officially over, and now we can all go back to ignoring the woeful San Francisco Giants team. Congratulations to Barry, who evidently took the "better living through chemistry" credo to new heights (and widths of his head) as he pursued Hank Aaron's record.

This record will forever be tainted because it happened in the Steroid Era of baseball, when the owners, media, commissioner and fans ignored the obvious use of performance enhancing drugs. Baseball needed excitement following the 1994 strike and World Series cancellation, and juiced-up players provided that spark. Suddenly, the league seems to have gotten religion about this and is trying to crack down on steroid use, long after the horse has left the barn.

Give Barry his props. He is the greatest of the steroid era.

More on the cosmos

I may have been a bit trite yesterday in my treatment of the Opus comic. In an email conversation, someone told me that the way we get off of it being about ME is this: "The only real way to stop believing that I am the center of the universe is to recognize that Someone Else is the center of the universe. Acknowledging that Someone else is the center of the universe occurs most easily when I realize that the Center of the universe wants a personal relationship with me."

Read this article, which reflects many of my thoughts on how creation calls us to God. My apologies for giving God short-shrift yesterday.

Isn't this the truth?

Sadly, for so many people, that is true. We can stare at the vastness of creation and it is all about us. Not about God, the infinitely creative one who made all of this, but just about me.

Things haven't changed much since Adam and Eve. It's still all about them. And us.

Longing. Hungering and Thirsting. Wanting more.

In the post-vacation avalanche of mail that awaited us was a Christianity Today magazine with an intriguing article on "hungering and thirsting" that caught my eye. Matthew 5:6 teaches "blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." It seems that hunger and thirst are strong metaphors in the Christian walk, which goes will with the emphasis on fasting throughout the Bible. Anyone who has seen me knows that I am not a natural faster. I have to work at it, and don't always see the joy in it. But I do it as the Lord instructs, and it has benefited me.

There is a world around us hungering and thirsting for many things, including righteousness. The world attempts to slake this thirst in many ways. Alcohol, sex, drugs, money, power, busyness, work, other people, etc. There are countless ways to fill Decartes' "God-shaped hole" in us, and we are all trying. Some are trying to fill that hole with God. Others are trying to do it with a form of religion, such as works, trying harder, or other ways that do not rely on the grace and power of God.

The U2 song "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" expresses that thought well. They are striving for God, but it seems like they are doing it in their own strength, which will end in disappointment. It's so easy to say that Jesus is what we are looking for, and that is true. I believe we need to condition our hearts to properly search. We don't need to do more, but rely more. And that is tough, especially in the United States with the "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" mentality. Our spiritual formation emphasis should be on growing closer to the Lord, which takes time. Many of us (hear me speaking of myself here) try to rush the process and devote X chapters of reading and X minutes of prayer as if it were formulaic. It isn't. Take it from a pilgrim who has slammed into that wall many times. Take time to practice solitude and rest in the Lord. Listen more and talk less in prayer time. I wish I had done that many years ago.

Here are the lyrics and a YouTube link to the video, which appears to have been shot in Las Vegas. A place where so many try vainly to satisfy their longings. Sorry I can't embed the video for you.

I have climbed highest mountains
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you
Only to be with you
I have run
I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with you

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I have kissed hardened lips
Felt the healing fingertips
It burned like a fire
This burning desire

I have spoken with eternal angels
I have held the hands of a devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I believe in the Kingdom Come
When all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
Well, yes I'm still running

You broke the bonds
And you loosened the chains
Carried the cross
Of all my shame
all my shame
You know I believe it

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

This is definitely worth listening to

If you have time, I encourage you to listen to this chapel service at Asbury Seminary. Dr. Steve Stratton, a professor of counseling offers a thoughtful and thought-provoking message on the difference between repentance and shame. While much of it I knew at some level, he does a wonderful job of stitching together several thoughts that do help explain how our attempts at change and the change wrought by the Holy Spirit are very different. If you want to receive the chapel services via Itunes, go here and follow the link.

My presuppositions are showing

And I think it is a good thing.

I read this article in Christianity Today and was simultaneously saddened, sickened, and surprised. I have long cast a wary eye toward any religion or teaching that claims 'God wants you to be rich" because I just don't see evidence of that in scripture. I know that the proponents of this movement have constructed a series of "Proof Texts" to support their position, but I just can't bring myself to believe that all of the suffering references in scripture are overridden by a prosperity gospel. Not everyone is going to be healthy and wealthy, and this movement leaves those people spiritually devastated because the implied assumption is that there is something spiritually wrong with them. Otherwise, God would show them favor. And I imagine deathbed counseling for someone in this situation is extremely difficult.

I'm still early in my theological education, but I have been around the block a couple of times. I cast a wary eye at any theology that uses a couple verses of scripture to make a far-reaching claim. It was for that reason that the Jabez Prayer movement made me a little nervous. It seems to take an isolated prayer and make it universal in its application, which is very dangerous.

I post this merely to make you aware of some trends in the rapidly-growing Christian church. Pray hard for sound biblical teaching, or we will devastate Africa again, as we did during the colonial era.

One of the more fun days in Colorado

Just a quick note to show one of the more fun things we did during our trip. This was one of the "necessary" items on the trip, since the kids had never been rafting with their friends. We went in 2004, but with the Duce's, not the Risters. It was a blast on a day when there was a great deal of water on the Arkansas River near Buena Vista. If you make it out here, you need to do this. It's a lot of fun.

Looking for places to bury me

On Wednesday we hiked the Crags, a spectacularly beautiful section of Colorado near Pikes Peak. The hike should have only been 3.5-4 miles, but was nearly doubled because the road to the trailhead was only open intermittently due to road construction. The additional 2 miles each way strained this flatlander to the point of fearing he would meet Jesus on the trail. I even went far enough to point out to Dr. Alan Duce and my wife Deb places that would be appropriate, in my opinion, to bury me if I succumbed to the combination of thin air and poor physical conditioning.

Deb took a great number of flower photos on this trip, which you can enjoy here. There are some birds, a few bugs and a wonderful spot that reminds me of the verse from the hymn "he hideth my soul, in the cleft of the rock, and covers me there with his hand." Alan told us that he and his wife had taken refuge in that cleft during a storm. I'm glad we didn't face that. There are also some great photos from the top of the Crags, which is at approximately 10,700 ft in elevation.

We head home on Friday afternoon, so this may be the last post for a few days. God has used this trip to bring us closer together, and inspire my soul. I find that the scenery reminds me of the power, creativity, and absolute majesty of God. And I take great comfort in that. I also had some time to spend with Alan, who is my ministry mentor, and a trusted confidante to talk about how my ministry preparation is going and some of the associated issues that go along with that. I truly value his counsel. And we all were able to spend time with the Rister's, who were our closest friends in Monroe until they moved last year. My daughters have been anxiously waiting for this trip so they could spend time with their friends. You never have enough time for something like that, but we have greatly enjoyed our time together out here. Leaving will be a sad moment for all of us.

Tuesday was a killer

We had a fabulous time hiking on Tuesday. In the morning we hiked the Cutler Trail and a trail above Helen Hunt Falls and Seven Falls. The photos located here show some of the beauty that we saw and give an idea of how much fun Cheyenne Canyon can be. We had the great pleasure of hiking with Dr. Alan Duce and Rev. Jan Duce, professors at Nazarene Bible College and our former pastors. We visited the Duce's in 2004 and greatly enjoyed our time with them. The trail offers some spectacular views of Seven Falls, Cheyenne Canyon and the Will Rogers Shrine. It is a breathtaking (especially for a middle-aged, overweight flatlander like me) view in the early morning, and one of the many reminders that God loves beauty, and in His creation, displayed His creative genius.

In the afternoon we went to Waldo Canyon and hiked part, but not all, of that trail. It was different type of trail that offered some nice side views of Pikes Peak and the canyon. All totalled, we hiked about 8 miles that day, and by the end of the day, I was feeling it. We attended a Colorado Springs Sky Sox baseball game, and I could barely stay awake. And I love baseball. But it was a grand day, and better than any day in the flatlands where we live. I am grateful that we could come here and enjoy the magnificent scenery that is in this country.

Blooming where they are planted

On Monday we took the white-knuckle drive up Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs. Here are some pictures from the drive. There are many hairpin turns on a road that will make anyone afraid of heights grip their car door. But along the way, we stopped and played a little at Crystal Reservoir and climbed up a rock formation above the treeline. What is amazing is the number of beautiful flowers that can live under rocks, in shadows, and in some of the harshest environments you can find.

God makes people like that. Those who can bloom wherever God plants them are like the hardy little plants. They beautify some of the ugliest places, and make the world a little prettier place. That is the kind of Christian I aspire to be. One that makes the world around me a little better, no matter where God plants me. I hold fast to my pastor's favorite scripture, Psalm 16:6, that my boundary lines are drawn in pleasant places.

The Sunday Hike

All of the photos are here for your viewing. We took a hike in the Red Rocks Open Space in Colorado Springs. There are some magnificent views of Cheyenne Mountain, the Garden of the Gods (at left), and the Colorado Springs community. It was an afternoon hike and hot, but we all did remarkably well with the temperature. This is truly an amazing place to view creation.

Pictures from our Saturday adventure

On Saturday, we went to Buena Vista, Colorado for a 1/2 day whitewater rafting trip. The drive down US 24 between Colorado Springs and Buena Vista was absolutely breathtaking as we drove through the Pike and San Isabel National Forests. Click here to see the pictures. The mountain pictures are primarily of the Collegiate Peaks near Buena Vista.

I can't say enough how much I appreciate the beauty of what God has created out here. It isn't idyllic, but it certainly shows the creative power of God. I know it is good for my soul. We are going walking this evening near the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. I look forward to that.

Wikiklesia?

My classmate Derek is a contributing author to Wikiklesia: Voices of the Virtual World. Take a minute and check out the site and the book if you are interested in the convergences of faith, technology, art and the Internet. It looks interesting.

Seeing America

We are now 7 days into our trek across America's midsection. So far we have gone from Michigan to South Dakota, stayed with friends for a few days and then moved on to Colorado Springs. We have seen some amazing country as we drove. We felt a tug back to South Dakota that was far stronger than I expected. And the drive from Hot Springs, South Dakota to Cheyenne, Wyoming was breathtaking. Here are a few photos of our trip so far. Enjoy.

These are just a few of the photos. Yes, there really is a Lost Springs, Wyoming. I'm not sure how an election would work there, but you never know.
God has blessed us with an amazingly beautiful country. There are places that just take your breath away, and inspire awe at the grandeur of what He has created. If you get the chance, take a trip and admire what the Lord has blessed us with. It is good for the soul. At least my soul is blessed.

Paranoia

I really don't know how to add to this story. It just demonstrates the depth of paranoia and distrust in Iraq. Man eating Badgers? That is a new one on me. The video clip at the end only seemed appropriate.

British blamed for Basra badgers

British forces have denied rumours that they released a plague of ferocious badgers into the Iraqi city of Basra.

Word spread among the populace that UK troops had introduced strange man-eating, bear-like beasts into the area to sow panic.

But several of the creatures, caught and killed by local farmers, have been identified by experts as honey badgers.

The rumours spread because the animals had appeared near the British base at Basra airport.

UK military spokesman Major Mike Shearer said: "We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area.

It is the size of a dog but his head is like a monkey Housewife Suad Hassan

"We have been told these are indigenous nocturnal carnivores that don't attack humans unless cornered."

The director of Basra's veterinary hospital, Mushtaq Abdul-Mahdi, has inspected several of the animals' corpses.

He told the AFP news agency: "These appeared before the fall of the regime in 1986. They are known locally as Al-Girta.

"Talk that this animal was brought by the British forces is incorrect and unscientific."

THE HONEY BADGER Also known as a ratel, it is a large, sharp-clawed mammal At around 100cm (39in) long it is slightly bigger than its British woodland cousin Capable of taking on a cobra, the animal weighs up to 14kg (30lb) Its Latin name is melivora capensis, and it is indigenous to Africa and the Middle East

Dr Ghazi Yaqub Azzam, deputy dean of Basra's veterinary college, speculated that the badgers were being driven towards the city because of flooding in marshland north of Basra.

But the assurances did little to convince some members of the public.

One housewife, Suad Hassan, 30, claimed she had been attacked by one of the badgers as she slept.

"My husband hurried to shoot it but it was as swift as a deer," she said. "It is the size of a dog but his head is like a monkey," she told AFP.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/6295138.stm

Published: 2007/07/12 13:00:42 GMT

© BBC MMVII

A Little Light-hearted Nazarene Rap

I'm pretty sure this isn't heretical :) But I found it on The OOZE. It seems like a good sendoff as we embark on a 2-week vacation to South Dakota and Colorado Springs. I'll try to throw some stuff up while we are on the road.

Show her some comment love

Lauren, a young lady from my congregation, is embarking on a 10-month trip to Pune, India as an exchange student. If you feel so inclined, go to her blog and send her some comment love as she prepares to go to the other side of the world. I'm sure she would appreciate the encouragement.

This is a pretty big deal for her and her family. Prayers are also appreciated.

Running Away from it all

If only it were that easy. Imagine all the grief that could be avoided if you, if you wanted to run away from all your problems, could do it without having to resort to drug and alcohol addictions, extra-marital relationships and all of the various and sundry ways people use to get away from life. Some even resort to death to avoid the problems.

Jesus never promised that our problems would go away. In fact, he warned us to expect more because of our faith. But he did promise to give us a more abundant life in John 10:10. No matter how hard we try, we cannot run away from our problems. Jacob tried it. Elijah laid down and asked to die. But we can turn to the One who will always be there for us to help us do what is the best for us and in God's plan.

The comic is cute, but the issue is very real. Pray hard for those who seem in danger of being overwhelmed. All running does is make you tired and put you farther away from where you need to be.

Pure Joy

Over the weekend we attended the Spirit Song festival at King's Island near Cincinnati, Ohio. Spirit Song is a three day Christian music festival that is sold with an admission to the amusement park. On the last night there was a family with two little girls, about 6 and 3, sitting behind us. The older child loves TobyMac and had never seen him live. Throughout the hour-long TobyMac show, she was waving her arms, singing along and had a look of radiant joy on her face. She was in the presence of someone that she admired and adored. And it was a pleasure to watch her.

Her joy reminded me that what I saw was but a pale imitation of the joy we will have when we see Christ. We will adore and be in awe of the One who redeemed us. That is heaven to me. And I had a little piece of it this weekend.

Here is the video to "Extreme Days" by TobyMac, a song she just rocked out to.

I think these guys are my neighbors

Last night we were treated to several thousand dollars of fireworks being shot off in our neighborhood. One site went on for a good 20-30 minutes with brief breaks between barrages.

I love Independence Day.

Happy Independence Day!

Today marks the 231st year since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Enjoy the day and the fireworks, and all the patriotic hoopla that goes with the day. The United States is the greatest nation on earth, and we have unparalleled freedom to practice our faith. Praise God for that. Praise him for the people who sacrificed their lives to give us what we enjoy today.

But also think of another Independence Day. That is the day Christ rose from the dead and forever broke the power of sin and death for the believers. There was no long protracted war, but the simple submission of the Word of God to death on a cross. And his sacrifice and shed blood are what give us eternal LIFE, LIBERTY in Christ, and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS as we share in the joy of the Lord through His Son. Take a moment today to celebrate that independence as you cook out, hang with family and watch the fireworks. On Resurrection Day, there were no fireworks, but the Light of the World was blinding, especially to the powers of darkness.

The clip below shows the Disney/MGM Studios July 4th fireworks show. Enjoy.

The Slippery Slope

Click on the image to enlarge it for easier reading.

You know, this is funny. But it also points out what happens when we take our eyes off of Scripture as our spiritual starting point. Once we move away from the Word of God as revealed by Christ and witnessed by the Holy Spirit, then all bets are off. We can say, do, or teach anything we want.

Sadly many have fallen into this trap. I recently had to do a brief presentation on Schleiermacher's theology for my church history class. I think Schleiermacher's intentions were admirable, but as the "father of modern, liberal theology" what others did with the Pandora's box that he opened has made a mess. That is unless you are a theological publisher, in which case you have made money on all the critiques of Schleiermacher.

I think I have seen someone like the Church Of Danae on TV here. I'll go watch again to make sure. Sadly, others may be watching and believing.

Better late than never I guess

It seems that the United Nations is finally going to shut down the inspectors looking for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The war there started more than four years ago, and it has been a foregone conclusion that whatever weapons were in Iraq have pulled an "Elvis has left the building" move some time ago. Yet the U.N. keeps paying its staff out of the Oil-For-Food boondoggle fund that Kofi Annan's family enriched themselves with.
At least they can start to face a little bit of reality, albeit belatedly.

What's truly important

You know, I think many in our world spend more time thinking about where they will be buried than they do about where they will spend eternity. I know that sounds a little harsh and backward, but many people I know will spend more time planning their funeral than they will on their eternal destination, which is truly sad. I've heard discussions of whether they will be in the shade, sun, crypt and which cemetery from people that seem to be apathetic about their destination.

In some ways I share some of the blame for that. I have been too reticent in my sharing of my faith in Christ, the hope that I have in this life and the next, and the reality of what life apart from Christ is like. I don't mean to suggest that I am going to turn into a crazed street-corner preacher, but when those opportunities come up, I need some Holy Boldness to speak the truth of the Lord to people who are in danger of focusing on the trivial, such as their burial plot, while the truly important, their eternal home, is neglected. That is one of the primary tasks of the church: To proclaim the good news in such a way that disciples are made. Pray for me in that task.

I don't want the pendulum to swing too far, so that I become so heavenly minded that I am of no earthly good. I've met those people too. We have a mission here on earth beyond developing our faith so that we spend eternity with the Lord. We are to make disciples of all nations, as the Great Commission commands. It wasn't just an instruction for the first disciples.

I've even gone as far as to tell my family that I don't care where, how, or even if, you bury me. When I breathe my last, I am done with this body. If they want to part it out to science, I'm good with that too. But I want to use it to build the kingdom while I am here.

The song, All my Tears, on the Jars of Clay CD Good Monsters, really speaks to this issue. I can't find a decent recording of it to share with you, but the clip at the bottom of this post has most of the song but ends abruptly. I've printed the lyrics for you to read in case the audio is a little rough.


When I go, don't cry for me
In my Father's arms I'll be
The wounds this world left on my soul
Will all be healed and I'll be whole.
Sun and moon will be replaced
With the light of Jesus' face
And I will not be ashamed
For my Savior knows my name.

It don't matter where you bury me,
I'll be home and I'll be free.
It don't matter where I lay,
All my tears be washed away.

Gold and silver blind the eye
Temporary riches lie
Come and eat from heaven's store,
Come and drink, and thirst no more

It don't matter where you bury me
I'll be home and I'll be free
It don't matter where I lay
All my tears be washed away

So, weep not for me my friends,
When my time below does end
For my life belongs to Him
Who will raise the dead again.

It don't matter where you bury me,
I'll be home and I'll be free.
It don't matter where I lay,
All my tears be washed away.

The Apocalypse is not imminent

I am relieved to read this story. I can't even imagine how this show would have looked with her as the host. At least this isn't one more sign of the apocalypse, as I had feared.

Living in Denial

The Michigan Legislature and Governor have figured out a way to erect a Potemkin Village for the state's ongoing budget crisis. Here is one example of their fine work. For a state that takes great pains to make sure that everyone knows about the water recreation available here, they decide that budgetary smoke and mirrors are a better use of the fund for cleaning up leaking underground fuel tanks.
Speaking of smoke, this is a beauty. The money that was supposed to be used to get people, especially kids, to stop smoking has been sold off too. All because they don't want to face the reality that the world as they knew it is gone. The state has serious economic problems, and they are rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. This is the best government that money can buy?

Stop the presses!

Read this and brace for a bevy of live remotes as cars move on Los Angeles streets. It looks like a good day to boycott media and work on the church history papers I have due on Friday. I saw Fox News breathlessly broadcasting about this today. And they wonder why their ratings are down.

Our denominational identity

Bishopman has a good post on the internal discussions within the Church of the Nazarene regarding its distinctive doctrine of Entire Sanctification. I'm not going to go into a discussion of the doctrine, except to note that it is the reason the Church of the Nazarene exists. In the 19th Century, the Methodist church tried to distance itself from the doctrine, and the Holiness Movement was in large part created by a bunch of churches that held to that doctrine and wanted to create a church featuring that doctrine.
Sharktacos has a nice review of church history and how there have been groups distinguishing themselves as time passes. I hope that the Church of the Nazarene can peacefully work out these doctrinal issues without a major schism that creates another denomination. The doctrine has been around for a long time. I concur with Bishopman that an update of the methodology is probably in order.

God is faithful

As we plow through church history,reformation to the present, one thing has struck me. God always provides for his church. He always has the faithful that try to honestly serve him, no matter how awful the situation. Whether it be Hus and Wycliffe, Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Zinzendorf or any number of people, God always has a faithful core of people to keep the church alive an on the path.

He is truly amazing. And the church perseveres, despite the wickedness of some of its leaders.

Praise God.

It's like Deja Vu all over again

Pray for me this week. I am on campus at Asbury Seminary taking Church History 2 (Reformation to the present). Once again I am living in a dorm room with a roommate. The good news is that for the first time I have an air-conditioned dorm room.

I'll post insights and comments as time permits. I'll be 40 this summer and I'm back in a dorm. The world has come full circle.

Oh what a night!

Tuesday, June 12 is a day I will remember for a long time. I went to the Detroit Tigers vs. Milwaukee Brewers game at Comerica Park. Justin Verlander, the Tigers' 24-year old flamethrower was on his game and threw a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts. It was as dominant a performance as I have seen in baseball. The Brewers were facing 102 mph fastballs in the 9th inning mixed with 83 mph curveballs and changeups. They looked helpless on the field that night.

Here are a couple photos from the game. I was there with most of my fantasy hockey league for our end of the season get-together. I came in next to last, but hey, I had fun. I never professed to know what I was doing in the league, and I proved it.

The electricity in the crowd was unreal the last three innings. Magglio Ordonez made a sliding catch in right field in the 7th. Neifi Perez stabbed a hot smash up the middle and turned a double play in the 8th. In the 9th, Verlander was hopped-up on adrenaline and broke 100 mph a couple times in striking out the first two batters before retiring the last on a fly to right.

The crowd and the Tigers went crazy. This was the first no-hitter by a Tiger since 1984 and the first at home since 1952. The celebration was long overdue.

Just in case you ever forget...

Guiding Scripture Verse?

Do you have one? I was riding home from the June 12 Detroit Tigers game (yes the one with Verlander's no hitter) with my friend Kurt and we were discussing "life verses" or scripture that guides our thinking and actions. I've never formally said something is my life verse, but it got me thinking that the closest I have come is Micah 6:8 "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

I know that the Lord has been working on me in this area for some time. Humility is not my strong suit, and as a former pastor wisely said "If God has to teach you humility, it will be painful." He is so correct. Loving mercy was harder than I thought. But as the Spirit has shown me the depths of my sin, my heart has softened toward many people. I better understand the concept of those who have been forgiven much loving much. And that I believe, along with some spiritual maturity, is helping me see people differently.

I've always liked Susan Ashton's song "Beyond Justice to Mercy." Take a look at the lyrics and let them dwell in you. I'm sorry I can't find a YouTube of it for you to listen.

I know we don't see eye to eye
We've let angry hearts flare and the bitter words fly
The common ground we used to share
Is harder to find but I believe that it's still there.

I don't know if now is the time
To surrender the silence between your heart and mine
But the love that I've chosen cries out to be spoken
Leaving the heartache behind.

Chorus:
We must reach out beyond justice to mercy
Going more than halfway to forgive
And though the distance seems so far
The love that used to hold our hearts
Longs to take us beyond justice to mercy.

It doesn't matter who's to blame
The love that I have for you is still the same
A tender voice is calling me
To that place of compassion where hearts run pure and free
Where the hunger for vengeance gives way to repentance
Where love will teach us to see.

We can reach out beyond justice to mercy
Going more than halfway to forgive
And thought the distance seems so far
The love that used to hold our hearts
Longs to take us beyond justice to mercy.

To mercy, to mercy.

Chorus:
We must reach out beyond justice to mercy
Going more than halfway to forgive
And though the distance seems so far
The love that used to hold our hearts
Longs to take us beyond justice to mercy...

Doing Christian justice is something I viscerally feel, but struggle to implement. It's different than what she is talking about, which is punishment. Acting justly is being Christlike and righting wrongs. Maybe it is that I am still in school, and not in a position to affect change as strongly as I would like. I'm not sure, but I feel the need, but I struggle with the action. Pray for me on this.

Do you have a life verse? If so, how does it affect your Christian faith? I'd like to hear that.

The Pot calling the Kettle Black

Read this and shake your head. Dan Rather thinks that the news was better when he was making up stuff about President Bush. And they wonder why we don't watch anymore.

Decisons Decisions

Bishopman had a good post on freedom and decisions recently. As did Kurt's Korner on the wisdom of decisions. I was thinking about that this morning as I listened to sports talk radio in Detroit discuss the legal troubles of Detroit Lion's player Shaun Rogers. It is alleged that he was in a seedy strip club in Detroit and groped a stripper in her dressing room. She also alleges that he was carrying a gun, which is a mandatory 2-year felony if he was in possession of a gun during the commission of a felony.

The Sean Baligian made a great point on WDFN this morning about our responsibility to others. In this case, he is talking about Sean Roger's responsibility to his team, his family, and himself. Even if he did not do what is alleged, he was in an awful situation where nothing good can happen. With all of the legal troubles in the NFL, this was just plain stupid. It's not like Shaun Rogers is unknown in this city. He is 300+ pounds and his face is on television every Sunday in the fall. What he did may or not be a crime. It may also be a money grab on the young lady's part. I don't know what the truth is. But I do know that Shaun Rogers made a series of bad decisions that got him to this point. And now his name, and his teammates names, are being dragged through the mud.

Too many in the church have this same selfish attitude about their lives. It's as if they can do what they want and it doesn't affect others. Nothing could be farther from the truth. When a Christian sins, the entire body suffers. When the world sees bad behavior from Christians, we are all tarred with that brush. Just like Shaun Rogers' teammates are all looked at a little differently now. People are thinking "What kind of organization is that?" about the Lions. The same thing happens when prominent and ordinary Christians fall.

Take heed of Kurt's advice here:

Here's what I'm taking away from these verses based on the following scripture:

"As I stood at the window of my house
looking out through the shutters,
Watching the mindless crowd stroll by,
I spotted a young man without any sense
Arriving at the corner of the street where she lived,
then turning up the path to her house.
It was dusk, the evening coming on,
the darkness thickening into night.
Just then, a woman met him—
she'd been lying in wait for him, dressed to seduce him."
(Proverbs 7:6-10, The Message)

1. Only the mindless even "stroll by" temptation's dwelling. The smart person in this text (the narrator) was observing from a distance. He was safe and sound in his own home, "looking out through the shutters." Who was frequenting the corner of Mindless and Senseless? "The mindless crowd." How often are we mindless about the temptations we're susceptible to, only to fall?

2. Giving in to temptation requires action on my part. The "young man" being observed in this text isn't a passive victim; he's more like Samson, flirting with disaster as he (a) arrives at the adulteress' corner, (b) walks up the path to her house, (c) at night. Even though v. 10 says the adulteress had been "lying in wait for him," she would have had to wait all night long if this young man had simply avoided this danger zone altogether. When we "end up doing something wrong," it's not as if we were ambushed. We were close enough to the problem to do something wrong in the first place!

3. You can always walk away - even when you've been ambushed. Even though this young man did every wrong thing he could possibly do, the temptress didn't tackle him, drag him into her bedroom, and forcibly take advantage of him. That was her intent - she was lying in wait, "dressed to seduce him" - but even when she surprised him with her offer, he could have walked away. So can I. And so can you.

Let's do ourselves a favor and just stay away from the tempting corner of Mindless and Senseless.

That is some great advice. Many problems can be avoided by staying out of situations where nothing good can happen. Some to consider are;

1) Parties with large numbers of people and volumes of alcohol
2) Being out after 1:00 a.m. Unless you are working, there is little good that can happen.
3) Going to places where criminals and seedy folks are known to hang out.
4) Going anywhere your wise friends are cautioning you against. In Mr. Roger's case, reports say that his coaches have instructed the players to avoid these types of establisments.

We can learn a hard lesson from this. I pray we don't have to learn it first-hand.

How not to make a PowerPoint Presentation

Watch this funny video clip of common PowerPoint mistakes. It'll make you chuckle.



I have personally witnessed many of them, especially the bad color scheme and lack of spel chekking that just drives me crazy.

Have a great weekend.

Al Gore was right

This is the sad state of American news today. This was the lead story on the radio news at noon. Paris Hilton's mental state in jail. People dying all over the world, G8 summit going on, missile shields, congressional investigations etc, and we get a prima donna amateur porn star as our news lead.

And the media wonders why people tune out.

Keeping it Real

If you haven't read the comic strip "Real Life Adventures" click on the link. It is worth your time. I saw this one in today's Detroit News and I chuckled at the candor. What if all things had that level of honesty attached to them? It would certainly revolutionize food packaging. You could buy "Fat laden, vacuous calories with a pure sugar filling" instead of Hostess Ho Hos.

It would almost be good if our communication were more honest, not cruel, but not the normal Kabuki Dance or verbal gymnastics we go through in our typical day. Speak the truth in love. I think that is what we are called to do. I think that is what the restaurant here is doing.

Enjoy your day.

What does Love look like?

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

1 Corinthians 13

1If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,^[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now 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.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I went to a wedding this weekend and this passage was prominently featured. That is no surprise, but what was a little different was how this thought came into my head. While this couple was celebrating their love for each other, and we were there to share in the joy, God was talking to me about love for others, and not a romantic type of love.Later that evening, my daughter was listening to "Under Pressure" by Queen. The last verse of that song really rips at my heart in light of what we construe love to be.

Look at the song lyrics:

Under Pressure by Queen & David Bowie

Um boom ba bay
Um boom ba bay
Um Um boom ba bay bay

Pressure pushing down on me
Pressing down on you no man ask for
Under pressure
That burns a building down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on streets

Um ba ba bay
Um ba ba bay
Dee day duh
Ee day duh
thats ok

It's the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming let me out!
Tomorrow takes me higher
Pressure on people
People on streets

Day day day
da da dup bup bup
Okay

Chippin' around
kick my brains round the floor
These are the days
It never rains but it pours
Ee do bay bup
Ee do bay ba bup
Ee do bup
Bay bup
People on streets
Dee da dee da day
People on streets
Dee da dee da dee da dee da

It's the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming let me out!
Tomorrow takes me high high higher
Pressure on people
People on streets

Turned away from it all
Like the blind man
Sat on a fence but it don't work
Keep coming up with love
But it's so slashed and torn
Why why why?

(Love, love, love, love)

Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking
Can't we give ourselves one more chance?
Why can't we give love that one more chance?
Why can't we give love give love give love?
Give love give love give love give love give love give love?
Cause love's such an old fashioned word
And love dares you to care
For the people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way
Of caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
this is our sound

Under Pressure
Under Pressure
Pressure

Love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night. That goes right along with verse 7 where love always protects. What a thought that is for the church. To care for the forgotten, downtrodden and written off. I know many churches do this. I pray that God would make that the burden of my heart. That wherever God calls me to minister that we have a burden for people, and just not good tithers (I was once asked by a board member to bring those kind of people in an outreach program we were launching). Rather, we need to focus on people who need Jesus, not people who need a new church home.

God make it the mission of the church to reach the people on the edge of the night. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Desert Island Gear

Just for fun, let's assume you were going to be stranded on a desert island for a while. Think about what you would like to take along with you. After watching Cast Away, I realize the value of hockey skates (ugh) but I don't think that is high on my list.

Since we are suspending disbelief for this exercise, be creative. Think of a book or series of books, (other than the Bible which we will assume is there courtesy of the Gideons) musical selection (yes there is a player there with electricity) and one item you would want, and it can be from any category.

Here goes my list.

CD: Share the Well by Caedmon's Call - I love the sound they created on their mission trip to Ecuador and India. It transports me to a completely different place when I listen to it.

Book: The Lord of the Rings trilogy. If I am going to a desert island, what better reading that pure fantasy with Christian morality backing it?

Item: I was sorely tempted to say a hammock or Swiss Army Knife, but reality and my age set in and I have to go with my glasses. Unfortunately this fantasy exercise doesn't correct physical defects.

What are your selections? Post a comment and let us know.

Scriptural Holiness

The most recent issue of the Asbury Herald had an article on Scriptural Holiness, one of John Wesley's favorite themes, that caught my eye. In it, the author challenged the readers to allow the scripture to transform who we are into a Christlike being. To that effect, the author suggested that we use Psalm 51 as our daily reading every day for at least one week. Not only should we read it, we should allow the scripture to search us, guide us, rebuke us and comfort us.

Would you join me this week in doing this? Make Psalm 51 your daily reading and read it contemplatively? Let the scripture search your heart and mind, and let the Holy Spirit guide you as you read over David's heartfelt plea in this wonderfully moving section of scripture. Listen to the voice of the Spirit as he speaks to you. Then leave a comment if you feel so inclined.

Psalm 51 (New International Version)

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Psalm 51

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts ^[a] ;
you teach ^[b] me wisdom in the inmost place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.

14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifices of God are ^[c] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 51:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
2. Psalm 51:6 Or you desired?; / you taught
3. Psalm 51:17 Or My sacrifice, O God, is