Legalism

I think I have found a job that is close to what being God is like. I think it is a basketball referee. Where else can everyone hang on your every move and you can have everyone in a building angry at you at multiple moments in an afternoon or evening? I can't imagine how frustrating that job would be. Nor can I imagine being God and dealing with that.

I see several different types of people basketball games. There are those who are convinced the refs are against them. There are those who think that their team does no wrong. There are the players, who are hustling and doing the best they can. Yet others cheer the good and keep quiet on the not-so-good. And finally, there are those who want EVERYTHING called. Every rule, every violation, they watch with an eagle eye.

I spoke with a ref after one of my daughter's AAU games recently and he hit on that issue. For example, the 3 seconds in the lane call, at the 12-year old age level he only calls if a team gains an advantage. If a girl sets up camp in the lane and they never throw her the ball, there is no advantage. He will speak to her about it, but not call it. His observation is that people come to watch the kids play, not to hear the refs blow their whistles.

I like to think that we should operate like that. I know there is the "plank in your eye, speck in your brother's eye" saying from Jesus. But seriously, should we be watching people that closely? Or should we allow people to grow in grace as they mature in Christ? We cannot realistically expect a new believer to have the grace, wisdom and maturity of a seasoned believer. But that does happen, and people are spiritually harmed by it. That doesn't mean we turn our backs on sin. But we can adopt the ref's rule of talking with the player instead of making a big production out of it. Grace instead of judgment. If they persist, that is a different issue altogether.

I encourage all of us to look for the opportunities to extend grace and not be that guy yelling "3 seconds" all the time from the stands. Instead, let's cheer the accomplishments, and use the mistakes and failures as teaching opportunities. I suspect we will like the results that brings.

Creeds

I started thinking about the creeds, Apostle's and Nicene, and why they were created. The Nicene Creed was created to combat the heresy of Apollinarianism in the church. To make a long story short, Emperor Constantine convened an Ecumenical Council to deal with the issue. And one of the results of the Council of Constantinople was the Nicene Creed, which is still used in Eastern Orthodox and some western church liturgies. The Creed is below:

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

I say this not to provide an interesting history lesson into the decision-making process of the ancient church. Nor to provide info on ancient heresies. But rather, I wonder if an Ecumenical Council is needed today to deal with heresies in the church? Could the church, as a global body, even get together to talk right now? That is a good question and a source of amusement to the enemies of our souls.

There are some seriously flawed teachings in the church that could use a good hearing in front of the Global Church. Marxist Liberation Theology is one of them. I would like to see a good review of the Prosperity Gospel by the ecclesiastical authorities. The idea of lavish lifestyles for pastors seems to fly in the face of the New Testament church, the Apostolic Tradition, and church history. True, God does bless people. But I don't think we can build a theology on that.

I wonder if the individualism that is so prevalent in the Western Church would prevent this from happening. I imagine those whose theology is being attacked would just use the "Who are you to judge me" line and just keep doing what they are doing.

But let's pretend that they would play nice and allow themselves to fall under the discipline of the Church of Jesus Christ. What other heresies/teachings do you see out there that could be investigated? Share them as comments and I'll send a note to the Pope and the Eastern Orthodox leaders.

What do we believe?

In my Christian Discipleship class at Nazarene Theological Seminary I have been asking that question a great deal. What do we believe? How well do we convey what we believe to those new to the faith and to children. I've also been giving some thought to catechism, and the valuable teaching and integration of faith that it provides. So many of us know stories about Jesus/God, but how many of us know the Story of God? That narrative that transcends time from creation through the present on into infinity where God has set out a plan to "make all things new." We know stories of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon, Jesus, and John the Baptist. But how does all of that fit together? And how do we live the message that is contained within all of those stories?

The Apostle's Creed is a pretty good summary of the basics of Christianity. Sadly, in many of our churches, we do not recite the creeds any longer. If you haven't read it lately or heard it, here is the modern English version to reflect upon:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. AMEN.

And if you feel up to it, Rich Mullins did an excellent job of putting the Creed to music. The link is below if you want to listen.

St. Patrick's Day

I know I am a week late, but I came across this post on a blog called "Stuff White People Like" and I found it funny. I've never quite understood the appeal of St. Patrick's Day. To me, it is the bar owner's version of a Hallmark Holiday. Just another reason to get us to spend money on something that is not particularly valuable.

The opening paragraph of the article is what caught my eye:

Normally if someone were to wake up at 7:00 in the morning, take the day off work, and get drunk at a bar before 10:00 a.m., they would be called an alcoholic, and not in the artistic, edgy way that white people are so fond of.

That, in a nutshell, is St. Patrick's Day. Are we sure he isn't the patron saint of beer brewers?

Realizing how Ancient I am

No, this is not a post about me turning 40 last year. Rather, it is about God's timing. Last week my wife made a comment about me being "traditional" but not in what is considered the norm for traditional in the church. Rather she was talking about me falling back to traditions that predate the Reformation and the Enlightenment. Tradition in the ancient sense. This all came about as I was shopping for Orthodox Icons online.

Then I saw this article in Christianity Today about the revival of interest in the ancient church, especially among the younger evangelicals. It touches on an interest in a faith that seeks to do more than just explain the world (the Enlightenment model) but rather one that truly sought to Incarnate the Word (Pre-Constantine church). I encourage you to read the article, especially the cautions offered when looking at ancient practice. The dangers are:

1. Anachronism: Naively interpreting the tradition in light of contemporary assumptions;

2. Traditionalism: Being unwilling to see the flaws in the early church's traditions;

3. Eclecticism: Selectively appropriating ancient practices without regard to their original purposes or contexts.

We must, as Eastern University's Christopher Hall put it in his plenary address, attend carefully to "best practices" for drawing on the insights of the Christian past, while approaching earlier periods "honestly and openly."

I do find myself chafing at the shallowness of much of what passes for evangelicalism today. I am guilty of participating in this, so I am casting stones at myself here. Some of what we experience comes from the church in the USA being on the top side of power, not the underside as the early church was. Constantine changed all of that when he made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. When that happened, the church embarked on a process of acquiring power and influence and maintaining that power and the institutions it created.

During Holy Week, I encourage you to take a look at some of the ancient practices and see them for what they were. The way we do church has greatly evolved since then, but there is a lot we can learn from those who came before us.

What was he thinking?

Read this story from our county and see if you can figure out when this became a good idea. If you are going to steal gas from a car, make sure it's not a sheriff's car. It generally will not end well.

Two of the better publicity stunts I have seen

Most of you know I am in the public relations industry and have a somewhat critical eye toward these things. But these two clips are masterpieces of resurrecting somewhat flagging reputations.

Enjoy



This is one is older but worth a watch



U2 and Johnny Cash. It doesn't get much better than that.

A call for the redemptive power of Christ

The video link will take you to a thought-provoking song. I love the line "Love will come set me free" which speaks directly to Christus Victor, the image of Christ that resonates most strongly with me. As we enter Holy Week, I'm reminded of the power of what Jesus did, not just his suffering. He broke the power of sin, death and Hades and set the captives free.

As you watch the video, think about the sweatshops where clothes are made. Think about children hiding under their beds from fear of armed conflict and falling bombs. And pray that the Risen Christ can set these people free. And ask him how you can help. We are the incarnation of Christ in this world. I'd like to start living like He did.

This is pointless but cool

Just click on the link and turn your volume up.

Who are the bigots?

I always thought the Republicans were cast as the racists in general elections. But thanks to Geraldine Ferraro, that may not be true. It seems that Ms. Ferraro, a member of the Clinton campaign, said that if Barack Obama were not black, he wouldn't even be in this position. Hmmm.

Is she saying that her party is potentially nominating an unqualified candidate because he is black? I shudder to think of the furor if a Republican said that. But they seem to have more sense than that this year. I wonder how she would have reacted if they had said her gender is what put her on the ill-fated 1984 Democratic Party ticket.

Thanks Geraldine for showing your true colors.

Write your member of Congress

You can go here to email your member of Congress if you want. I sent a note to member-for-life John Dingell, who chairs the Energy and Commerce committee in the House. I don't expect much, but it is about all I can do at the moment.

$4 gasoline?

Read this article and scratch your head. I've touched on this before, but we have oil reserves we are not allowed to tap because of Congressional mandates. If that oil were brought online, we would not be funding dictators of regimes that support terrorism. Nor would we be converting our food to fuel. But this is what the Congress wants.

Now we learn that our leading source of oil, Canada, may not be able to ship the oil from its tar sands to the U.S. because they do not meet the criteria of "renewable energy." It seems as if we are rushing pell-mell to cripple our own economy.

Something weird is afoot here. In the words of Deep Throat, I think we need to "follow the money." In the meantime, the price of gas continues to climb as demand drops. That is not how free markets work.

The underside of power

My small group just finished a study of Revelation, and there is one thought that keeps recurring to me. The author of the book we were using as a guide said that Americans have a hard time understanding Revelation because we are no on the underside of power. Revelation is a letter written to an oppressed people who were on the underside of Roman power. They were being squeezed economically, politically and judicially. We as Americans are the top dog, and they were not. The message of hope that John is sending to the people in the seven churches in Chapters 2-3 may not resonate like it would with illegal aliens, slaves, homeless, or addicted people.

The next time you read Revelation, try to read it from a Native American point of view. It will be different. It might get you to stop looking for the Anti-Christ behind every bush.

Praise the Lord for Global Warming

I don't know where we would be without it. Just read this and then call Al Gore and tell him to back off.

Human Trafficking

Lest you think it doesn't happen here, read this. I've excerpted the first two paragraphs of the report below:

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency estimates that 50,000 people are trafficked into or transited through the U.S.A. annually as sex slaves, domestics, garment, and agricultural slaves. [map]

The United States is a source and destination country for thousands of men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. Women and girls, largely from East Asia, Eastern Europe, Mexico and Central America are trafficked to the United States into prostitution. Some men and women, responding to fraudulent offers of employment in the United States, migrate willingly-legally and illegally-but are subsequently subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude at work sites or in the commercial sex trade. An unknown number of American citizens and legal residents are trafficked within the country primarily for sexual servitude and, to a lesser extent, forced labor.

This is an issue that we as the church need to urgently pray about and take action when we suspect it is happening. Raising our awareness and praying for ways to intervene are good starts. You can also go to:

Stop the Traffic

International Justice Mission

For more information

Lent

I subscribe to Soul Care, a daily email from the Church of the Nazarene Office of Clergy Development. Today's email just struck me with its description of the season of Lent:

Wisdom from Fellow Pilgrims

In the daily round of life, dust and cobwebs accumulate in our souls. The hidden corners of our hearts become encrusted with grime or filled with forgotten debris. During the weeks of Lent, God's Spirit is given opportunity to clear away the clutter, sweep away the dust and wash us clean. We are invited to prepare ourselves heart, soul, mind and body for the new life of Easter.

— Marlene Kropf

Take some time to use contemplative prayer, to earnestly seek the Lord during this season of preparation as we wait to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Come and listen

The video clip below is of the David Crowder Band song "Come and Listen." I invite you to let it play and think about the implied message of the song. "Come and listen to what He has done" is an provocative statement for me. It implies that 1) someone is telling what God has done for him/her, for you, and for us; and 2) the "us" is a welcome trip into the world of corporate worship that veers away from the "Jesus and Me" individuality that has so infiltrated American Christianity.

"Come and listen. Come to the waters edge all you who know and fear the Lord." That is worship my friends. Listening to what God has done for us, sharing what God has done for us, and celebrating what God has done for us. In all of this the focus is on what God has done for us, not what we have done for God.

Dwell on this song a little during Lent. Let that thought process of "what God has done for us" take root in your mind. Meditate on what God has done for:

• you
• your family
• your church
• your neighborhood
• your job
• your town
• your state
• your nation
• and your world

Make that a focus of your prayers and it will help balance some of the fear, doubt, resentment, bitterness and other negative emotions that take root from time to time. It's not that they are not real, but perspective on what God has done for us will shine a light of peace and truth into the dark recesses of your soul and your mind.

Here are some links to meditative/contemplative prayer sites if you would like some assistance on how to do this. It is well worth your time.

Centering Prayer

Listening Prayer

A Prayer Labyrinth

Lectio Divina or Divine Reading

This is but a sampling of the types of contemplative prayer. There are many good books in your local library and church that can help you with this.

Take the season of Lent to reflect on what God has done for you. And celebrate it at Easter.

Greetings from Michissippi

If you haven't followed the latest from our great state, here it is. The mayor of Detroit evidently had an affair with his chief of staff. During an investigation, the police uncovered this and two officers were demoted/fired because of their uncovering this. They sue the city, which is BROKE, and win nearly $9 million. As part of the settlement, all sides agree to keep the affair quiet, since the Mayor and his mistress said under oath that there was no affair. The Detroit Free Press sues under the Freedom of Information Act to get the transcripts of text messages between the mayor and his mistress, which confirm the affair. Hence, what is being called the Text Message Scandal. Personally, I think it should be called the Perjury Scandal, which is the charge both of them will be facing shortly.

Forget the sex if you can. This man spent $9 million of a nearly bankrupt city's money to cover up his peccadillo and the firing of those who uncovered it. $9 million will buy a couple fire trucks and crews, put cops on the street, or just fix some of the broken infrastructure. This region is struggling economically as it is. It does not need the mayor of the biggest city distracted by his inability to control his hormones, when there are pressing issues to be dealt with.

The city council seems to finally be developing a spine and is willing to call Hizzoner out on this. This is all about abuse of power, perjury and wasting of taxpayer funds. It's not about sex, which is how he is portraying it. The mayor is using the Lewinsky playbook. First he trots his wife out, apologizes, questions the legality of the investigation, wants to "keep working for the people" and defiantly refuses to step down. The trial must be next.



It's a sad, corrupt mess we have here.

Come Lord Jesus, Come.

Chutzpah

The Detroit Lions, 31-81 under their current management, have decided to raise ticket prices 18% in order to "stay competitive." No kidding, that is what Tom Lewand said. They haven't been competitive in more than 10 years. They have only won 1 playoff game in my lifetime. But they want to stay competitive?

Sadly, people will pay it and keep watching the slop they put on the field.

They grow 'em big in Allen Park. I'll say that much for them.

The Sky is Falling! We are all going to die!

Maybe not. Read this and breathe deeply. It seems that climate trends are longer than cable news and presidential election cycles.

Fasting

I am in an extended season of fasting right now. I say that not to brag, but to make the following point more clear. I never realized how socially conditioned we are to eat. After the second day of fasting, the hunger issue settles down for me. I'm living on V8 juice, coffee and water with my multi-vitamin and supplements, and have been fine with the hunger aspect. But man, am I used to munching on snacks and eating meals at prescribed times. I find myself thinking about eating, not because I am hungry, but because it is a habit at a particular time of day. That is a bit of a surprise to me. This is the longest fast I have undertaken, and I still have some time to go. I am just really surprised at how much of a habit eating is. It is beyond a biological imperative, it is also a socially conditioned exercise. That is my fasting revelation.

Pray that God would grant the spiritual breakthrough that I am fasting about. And pray that He would use this time to open my eyes to other things he wants me to learn. It's a different thing, but I do feel the Lord's presence in my absence of eating. Maybe it just takes getting some clutter out of the way to be able to hear his voice.

Remembering what Lent is about

Take a look at this video clip if you would like a reminder of why we observe a season of Lent.

Let's move to Florida!!!!

This story just made my skin crawl. Literally. I still don't understand the fascination with Florida. Yes it is sunny, and ghastly hot in the summer. Throw in hurricanes, cockroaches (er, Palmetto bugs) the size of small birds, gators and snakes and it sounds like just a lovely place. Now they have added flea swarms to their collection of biblical plagues.

It's a nice place to visit....

More Letters from a friend

John continues in Revelation 2:

8"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

This is not a message that one could easily sell as a televangelist. 'Come to Jesus and suffer. Come to Jesus and you will be jailed, persecuted and possible killed." It's a much easier sell to say "come to Jesus and be wealthy and healthy." But that isn't the message.

It gives me hope to hear "He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death." We aren't promised an easy life. Actually, quite the opposite. Look at the disciples. Only John died of natural causes. But there is a promise that if we persist in our faith, there is an eternal reward that far surpasses anything we can imagine. That is something to hang our hope on.

Another Letter from a Friend

In the Spirit of Valentine's Day, today's letter is about love that has been lost. In Revelation 2, John writes to the church in Ephesus a letter that strikes me as tough news to hear.

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

It appears to me that the church in Ephesus had done fairly well. They had sniffed out and removed the false prophets from among them. They had suffered for Jesus with joy. But they had lost their love. They had right doctrine and right action, but they had no love. They had lost the love of God, and seemingly, their love toward others.

I've been there before as well. I can be so sure of what I am teaching that I lose compassion toward those that I am teaching. I can be consumed with the desire to be "right" and convinced that someone is either misinformed or bordering on heresy that I lose that which distinguishes Christians: love.

I've done it. Churches have done it, and even denominations have done it. Jesus calls us to love in all that we do. Let's heed that call

Happy Valentine's Day

In our annual Hallmark-driven paen to Eros love, I bring greetings. I thought this little video clip was worth a repost. Have a great day with the ones you love, but never forget about the One who loves you.

Letters from a friend, part 2

This is the letter to the church in Philadelphia in Revelation 3:

To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Wow. This is quite an encouragement to a church that is under pressure. They have liars in their midst, Rome is cracking down, and they feel persecuted. Yet they remain faithful and persevere in the faith. Note that God doesn't say "I'll make it stop and you will be happy" but he does say that justice will be meted out. God is just, and the hope that the one who called them will come back to right their wrongs is the hope he gives them.

He didn't promise us a bed of roses. But He is just, and will not allow injustice to prevail. That is some powerful hope in these often troubling times. Cling to it.

Looking for a great gift idea?

Especially for that person who doesn't need more "stuff?" Then consider a gift certificate to www.kiva.org which helps you make loans to the entrepreneurs in impoverished nations. Through Kiva, you can make loans, receive reports on how your money is being used, and when your loan is repaid, you can lend again or withdraw your funds. In the process, you are helping a person lift his or her self out of poverty. I encourage you to look here for more information.

You can give gift certificates for as little as $25, and the recipient then gets to determine how the money is put into use. It's a great idea that can help out people who have ideas but no cash.

Letters from a friend

Our adult small group has been working through Answers for Chicken Little, which is a study of the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John the Apostle. Early in the book, the author describes the letters to the seven churches as the "Roman Postal Route" from where John was on the island of Patmos. The letters were written to be read by all of the churches, but addressed specific issues within each church. I'd like to take a look at the letters individually if you would indulge me.

The first is a letter to the church in Sardis in Revelation 3.

1"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spiritsof God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. 4Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. 6He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Ouch. John pulls no punches here. "You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. " In essence, he is saying that they are living on their reputation and have fallen away from following the Lord. That is tough to hear when someone calls you out. The good news is that there is time to correct the problem.

That spoke to me because there are times when I live on my reputation but have slacked off in my obedience. The call to repentance is clear, and the assurance that God will work with those who genuinely repent to lead them into everlasting glory gives a great measure of hope. If these words cause you. as they did me, to look inward and see areas where you are living on your reputation, take the advice of John and repent. And go forward with the one who who is "faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

May God grant you mercy and peace.

Save the Planet (and protect your privacy)

Here are a couple good links for information on how to remove your name from mailing lists.

World Privacy Forum

Direct Marketing Association

The Ecology Center

Most of these are free, and should dramatically reduce your junk mail and pre-screened credit and insurance offers. According to this article, the average American receives approximately 41 lbs of junk mail per year. This is how you can do your part to reduce that.

I hate to say I told you so

One month after all of the pandering in Iowa is over, this story comes out. It seems that diverting our food supply into an inefficient method of propelling cars isn't such a good idea. Where have I heard that idea before? Oh yeah, I said that one year ago. Maybe I am just ahead of the curve. Or maybe buying votes just catches up with us eventually.

It seems that the production of ethanol will create 2x the level of greenhouse gases as the gasoline it would replace. You can read the article for all the details, but this quote is priceless:

"Using good cropland to expand biofuels will probably exacerbate global warming," concludes the study published in Science magazine.

Just remember, you heard it here first.

The overuse of adjectives

I learned as a kid through SchoolHouse Rock that adjectives describe persons places or things. I don't really want to get into the overuse of inappropriate adjectives that can be used as nouns, verbs, conjunctions, gerunds and nearly every other part of speech, in the same paragraph by the particularly loquacious and foul-mouthed members of our society.

Rather, I'd like to focus on the adjectives we use in church. There are ways to describe something that are just what country folk would call plain-spoken. For example one could say "Its my car." Or one could say its a "1996 Dodge Intrepid, 3.5 litre V-6." Or one could say its a "hooptie". Or any other number of colorful terms. We do the same thing in church.

There are times that descriptive labels are helpful, and times when they are not. Often it goes to intent, such as calling someone a "fundamentalist Christian." That once was a term that was not pejorative. Now, being called a fundamentalist or "fundy" is an attack on the person's beliefs and character. Couldn't we just call the person a Christian and leave off the descriptor?

While I was in Kansas City I attended three church services in one day. At 8:00 a.m. our Theology and Practice of Worship class attended Christ Church Anglican in Overland Park, KS. It's a very formal Anglican service. At 10:45 a.m. I attended Antioch Church of the Nazarene, where the people I was staying with worship. And at 5:30, our class attended Jacob's Well, an emerging church in Kansas City, MO.

What struck me in each of these churches, from very different traditions, is that God was there. His Spirit was present and he was worshiped by those in attendance. Given that as a base, I've been convicted that I too often use adjectives to label others, especially those who have different beliefs than me. The Lord is calling me to be more ecumenical and refer to fellow believers as Christians, since we are all part of one body. I'm not arrogant enough to think that I have cornered the market on religious belief, nor has my denomination. I believe that most Christians think that their denomination/theology is the best one, but I don't know that we think it is the only one.

To that end, check out the partial list of Christian adjectives below. Feel free to leave additional ones in a comment. It is by no means an exhaustive list.

Anabaptist

Anglican

Baptist

Bible-Believing

Catholic

Calvinist

Dispensational

Emerging

Evangelical

Fundamentalist

Lutheran

Pre-millenial

Post-Millenial

Missional

Nazarene

Wesleyan

These are some words we use to differentiate ourselves. I don't want to go all Rodney King and say "Can't we all just get along" but I do think that the fewer adjectives we include in our vocabulary, the more we will see each others as Christians, just plain, simple Christians, and fellow pilgrims on a journey. And maybe, just maybe, we will all get along a little better.

I'm nearly at a loss for words

I know that may sound odd for me, but it is true. Last night my Theology and Practice of Worship class led the chapel service at Nazarene Theological Seminary. It was an interesting chapel, and I won't go into the mechanics. Rather, what I wanted to talk about was what happened during that service.

We issued an invitation for people to come up and be anointed for healing. At first, no one came, and then it was as if a dam burst. We had more than a dozen people come forward and ask for anointing. What is still spinning in my head is that I was one of the ones doing the anointing, and that was the first time I had done that. It was one of the most humbling experiences of my life.

To have someone stand before you and ask to be anointed truly puts the "Priesthood of all believers" into an entirely different context. I was the emissary of Christ in that moment, anointing their head for a healing they were praying for. It was awe-inspiring and incredibly humbling at the same time. My head is still having a difficult time comprehending all that we did, but I know, in that moment, the power of the Holy Spirit felt more real to me than it had in a long time. It's not anything that I did. Rather it's the contrary. The Holy Spirit was able to use me with all of my infirmities, weaknesses and fears, to minister to people who needed to feel the healing touch of God. I'm still nearly choked up when I think about it.

I am so glad that God brought me to this place. It's scary and challenging, but I can't wait to see what is next. It's an incredible journey so far.

Keys for a Minister to Long-Term Ministry

Another good thought from The OOZE.

Key’s for Minister’s Aspiring for Long Term Ministries
By Phil Fairchild


1. Think Long-Term: Not Short-Term—Plan to remain in one church for the duration of your ministry or the rest of your life.

2. Honor God's Timing: Whatever the actual length of one's ministry in a given location, one of the most important things is to honor God's timing. The only way you will move is if God's timing indicates otherwise.

3. Don’t Be Reactive: The pain, hurt, failure and rejection you feel may or may not be real at all. It may simply be an over-reaction to negative—but "normal"—ministry experiences.

4. Prayerfully Seek God’s Direction: There are, I believe, two types of "prayer-led" Christians. They are the "Direction Seekers" and the "Direction Givers. Direction Seekers are those who pray genuinely seeking God’s direction for decision and His blessing. Direction Givers are those who make their decision first, then decide to pray to God tell Him what they’ve done—and what He must do. Long-term preacher must be driven by the experience of God’s answer to prayer, not by self-driven motivators

5. Think Vision: The quickest way to bring the possibility for a long, vibrant ministry to an end is to avoid casting a vision. Unless leaders continually cast the vision, the real challenges and opportunities needed to be addressed by long-term ministry may never surface. Vision also creates euphoria, purpose, and greater dependence on the leadership. It is that healthy dependency which forms the basis for a leadership team which is empowered, energized and equipped to aspire and attain God’s vision for the congregation.

6. Don’t Be Driven By Numbers And Externals: This does not mean to ignore them. Nor is it an excuse to avoid appropriate accountability. Instead, this advice is directed to look toward trends and movements, not "blips" and "bleeps." Numbers will rise and fall. Programs will come and go. Long-term preachers understand that ministry is more than numbers or programs. Instead, it’s the holistic effect of all the experiences of the unique journey of faith which God leads the congregation to experience.

7. Learn About and Love the Community: If you and your family don’t and can’t love where you are, you will likely not experience a long-term pastorate in that place. Long-term preachers allow themselves and their families to participate in the community. They love their community and support it, knowing that there is no place else on earth that God would have them minister. They are not just called to take care of the church. They are there to make an impact on the community, too.

8. Climb Off The Career Ladder: There are at least four problems with preachers climbing the professional ladder. It takes your feet off the solid ground and makes you susceptible to falling, takes you away from where you are supposed to be, gives you a fantasy-based view of the "greener grass" on the other side, and fuels and feeds a "built-in" "I’m outta here ASAP" mode of thinking.
Certainly God can and does call individuals to positions of greater responsibility and authority in the church. But it’s His calling—not our selfish, narcissistic impatient covetous—which should draw God’s chosen toward these positions.

9. Learn To Deal With Problems: Many preachers flee churches with problems. Every church, every ministry, has struggles. The most difficult problems, perhaps, are those which cannot be solved immediately…or at all. Some things can’t or won’t change. Learn them; deal with them, live with them. In many cases, the first step to dealing with congregational problems is to identify, learn and deal with one’s own personal issues

Worship

I'm taking Theology of Worship, which had quickly become a very fun class for me. Dr. Schwanz, who teaches it, is a great deal of fun as well as being a masterful worship leader. But what he has done for me is give me an appreciation for the richness of worship that I haven't felt for a long time.

Like any seminary class we deal in the possible. We don't deal with the limitations of our situation, the time constraints, musicians etc that are part of reality. Instead we deal with what worship could be and should be. Which is far more comfortable for me.

What I do know is that if God wants me to become a solo/senior pastor, I will be very intentional about how worship is led for the congregation. Worship should allow the congregation to express itself toward God in the ways that best suits the congregation.

I know this seems obtuse, but there are a lot of thoughts going through my head that I am struggling to put into a coherent form. Watch this space for more later.

Carmen Sandiego has a much cooler name

View Larger Map

We could play where in the USA is Roy, but after the driving day, I've been in Kansas City since Sunday. I'm down here for two weeks for two modular classes - Theology of Worship and Spiritual and Personal Formation of the Minister - which occupy my mornings and evenings. My spare time, other than this afternoon, is reading, completing assignments, and occasional sleep. It's tiring but fun.

I'm pleasantly surprised by my worship class. Worship has been a struggle for me for a while, and this class has opened my eyes to some things I had forgotten as well as some new things that are making worship far more alive than it had recently been. I realize Deb should be taking the class, since she is on the worship team at our church, but here I am furiously taking notes.

Pray for us. God seems to be preparing us for something that I'm not quite sure how to describe. It's as if I feel movement but I don't know where the movement is going. I'm sure it will be a good thing, but it can be unsettling. The last time this sort of movement occurred, we didn't recognize it for what it was and fought it. I'd like to avoid a repeat of that. Walking in stride with God, neither ahead nor behind, is my goal. But its not easy.

A good thought from The Ooze

This thread on The OOZE has some thoughts worth sharing on the relationship between a church and its pastor. As I move forward in my call to ministry, these become more real to me. I've copied them below:

Keys for Churches Aspiring Long-term Ministries
By. Phil Fairchild

1 Thessalonians 5:12&13—12But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 13and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.

1. Pray For Your Preacher: He is a target for the devil. You have a responsibility before God to hold your preacher in prayer, and seek God's protection over his life. Assure him of your love and prayers and as you do your part faithfully, the Lord will lead and guide, and strengthen him for his important work. This is the greatest gift you can give him.

2. Be Reasonable in Your Expectations: Too many people expect the preacher to be everything from all the shepherding & evangelistic calls to editing materials & teaching classes to doing secretarial, janitorial, and lawn care work. God has given specific instructions about what a preacher is supposed to be. Let him be it, and protect the calling and anointing God has placed upon his life. Allow him to carry out his function without frustration.

3. Be Team Players: Forget about the old game of Us vs. Them. Accept the preacher as a part of the leadership of the church. Consider him and equal among the Elders.

4. Let Your Preacher Dream His Own Dreams and Let Him Lead: Expect that your preacher will have a vision for the future and don’t expect it to necessarily be tied to the past. It may be something completely new. Pray that God would make that vision clear, not just to the preacher but to all the leaders and that when it is made clear that there would be an effort of unity to move toward that vision. Give him your allegiance; follow him as he follows Christ. He needs your support.

5. Hold onto the Vision: Once the leadership team has prayed, sought, and caught God’s vision for the church hang onto it tightly and never waiver.

6. Handle Conflict Quickly: Use the Biblical pattern of Matthew 18:15-17. Don’t immediately side with whoever is against the preacher. Just because they’ve been there forever and the preacher hasn’t doesn’t make them right.

7. Commit to Stand with Him through Hard Times: You know hard times and difficult times eventually come, conflict is inevitable in most places, because we are human beings. Be committed to the preacher for the long haul.

8. Don’t Let the Critic Run the Church: Christ is the head of the church and has placed the leadership team in their position, given them His vision for the church, and the Holy Spirit to lead and guide them through prayer and Bible Study. Remind the critic of this and the fact that they are to make carrying out leadership a joy and not a burden.

9. Compensate Him Appropriately: Preachers and their families have the same financial needs as everyone else in the congregation. In fact, they often have more expenses, because of the needs of visiting people and ministering to them. Consider selling or renting the parsonage and allow the minister to buy a home in the community and not only establish roots but build up equity.

10. Give Him a Concise Job Description and Contract and Stick with It: Your preacher must know what is expected of him and it must not be added to without mutual agreement. Sign a contract with him, one that both parties are to fulfill and not renege on.

11. Keep Him Apprised of Opportunities to Minister: Don't expect mystical premonitions. Keep the preacher informed about the various needs in the church family.

12. Assist Your Preacher in Ministry: Volunteer to accompany your preacher on visits or Bible studies. Cut out and share articles and illustrations to enhance the messages from the pulpit. Give him/her a copy of your favorite book, or a gift certificate to the closest Bible bookstore.

13. Take Your Own Spiritual Growth Seriously: He wants to hear is that you are growing in your walk with Christ. This is why he is in ministry, he wants to see people come to Christ and grow in Christ. He takes your spiritual growth seriously and one of the greatest encouragements to him is to see you taking it as seriously as he does.

14. Allow the Preacher to Have a Life Outside of Church: Respect his day off, encourage him to take all of his vacation, and allow him to go home to be with him family on special occasions and holidays.

15. Respect His Privacy and Time: So often, being a preacher is a 24-hour a day job. Granted, there are always emergencies that come up at the most inopportune times, but remember he needs time to study, time to pray, time to rest, and time to be with his family.

16. Let Your Preacher and His Wife Know You Appreciate Them: A kind, or encouraging word, a card, or even a small gift will work wonders to build up your pastor and help him to continue in the calling God has given him.

17. Take the Initiative in Communicating with the Preacher’s Family: Invite them home for dinner. At times, include them in some of your family trips and excursions of fun. Make sure the church family remembers the preacher on special occasions, such as Christmas, birthdays, and farewell events. Let them find in you a harbor of love and acceptance. In this atmosphere, strive to help them succeed as the Savior's ambassadors.

18. Let Him Be Himself: Expect differences from anyone and everyone who has ever been in this position before. If he is unusually funny, great—if they are unusually serious, that's okay too. Just let him be who he is by the grace of God. Appreciate his uniqueness as a person.

19. Care for the Preacher's Wife: They are often the unsung heroes. They are most often overlooked. Let her be herself. Don't anticipate a certain personality type. Don't expect that she will necessarily invest herself in ministry here. Don’t expect her to be doing particular ministries or be like former preacher's wife. Just love her into finding her place.

20. Develop a Genuine, Authentic Relationship with Your Preacher: Not one of facades. Sincerely assure them that you are their friend. Be inclusive and don't treat them as unapproachable. This will develop a community of love that is recognized as a unique, warm, innovative church family.

My vote may actually matter

For the first time in my memory, the Michigan primary will not just be a formality, at least on the Republican side. All of the major Republican candidates have been inundating us with phone calls and mail for a couple weeks now. The only viable Democrat on the ballot is Hillary Clinton, since the others bowed to the party leaders and withdrew their names after Michigan dared ask that our primary not occur after the issue is decided.

So here are our choices, from a slightly cynical point of view.

Mitt Romney - son of former Michigan governor, businessman, savior of Salt Lake City Olympics and former Massachusetts Governor. Mr. Romney is noted for his malleability on positions of interest to the Religious Right.

Mike Huckabee - former Arkansas Governor (yikes), Baptist preacher and darling of the Religious right. Notable for his fondness for tax hikes and pardoning prisoners who later commit additional crimes.

John McCain - Vietnam Vet (not again), prisoner of war, Senator from Arizona noted for his ability to vote against President Bush's tax cuts, vote for fuel economy standards that will hurt the domestic automakers and passage of the incumbent protection act known as McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform.

Rudy Guiliani - former Mayor of New York, September 11, 2001 icon whose personal life is a train wreck. He is avowedly pro-choice but a strict constructionist on judges. He was a tax cutter as mayor and cleaned up the porn shops and prostitutes in Times Square while dramatically lowering the crime rate in the Big Apple. Religious Right says he is not family-friendly, despite record of cleaning up city.

Fred Thompson - Former Senator from TN, and actor on Law and Order, The Hunt for Red October etc. He may be the most genuinely conservative candidate running, but his lack of "oomph" leaves many wanting more.

Ron Paul - Member of Congress from Texas and this year's Ross Perot.

So which of the seriously flawed candidates do I vote for? I won't tell you, but it isn't Hillary.

We are picking a leader to run our country for 4 years, and it is a 2-year process to do so. There are no easy choices this year. But at least my vote will mean something.

Is our Gospel too small?

A recent Christianity Today article has me thinking about the Gospel we preach. Is the Gospel we preach like a bowl of Lima Beans and bland? I know few people who get excited about eating lima beans. I eat them, but I wouldn't special order them. I sort of tolerate them as filler in with other vegetables in a medley. Is that the Gospel we preach today?

Quoting from the article:

"How could it be, some believers might balk, that "the hope of the world," the One given "the name above every name," could ever seem bland? Well, because often the church is bland. Pale. Gullible. Pasty. Just there. The fruit of this vine appears to be lima beans. If bland is the flavor of the church, then it is presumed to be the flavor of the One the church calls Lord.

This anemic image of Jesus has many adherents, both in and outside the church. Their innocuous Jesus is the result of social, political, economic, and spiritual accommodation. Who needs more from Jesus than some simple stories of a loving example? To go further would be zealous, and to be religiously zealous is definitely not a current cultural ideal. Those in the church who stand out are often seen as intolerant and intolerable. Better the disdainfully bland than the dangerously zealous.

It's a misstep, some would say, to take Jesus—his example and his teaching—too seriously. To do so is to get too close to all those details that hound religious specialists, breed religious acrimony, and cause war. Jesus from 10,000 feet away is close enough. The Google Earth view of Jesus identifies only the most prominent features of his life and teachings, bringing nothing too close and taking nothing too seriously. Such a Jesus may be vaguely interesting, but he is consigned to blandness and faint praise."

The church is bland and lacks spice. I'm surprised he didn't say that it has lost its saltiness. That would tie right back into one of Jesus' admonitions. Not that the church needs to be the coolest, hippest, spiciest thing out there. But we have a message of revolutionary love that is like nothing that the world has to offer. The Creator of the Universe wants to dwell with us an in us. He wants to make it so that we can have communion with Him and live in the power of His Love. That is spicy, not bland.

As you may have read, our congregation is in the process of securing our first building. This has me asking "how has the place where we corporately worshiped shaped what we do?" Have the limitations of space and availability taken some of the zing out of our Gospel? If so, how do we remove the blandness and present a full gospel with all of the excitement, hope and passion that our Lord brought to us?

Pray for our tribe as we sort through this transition time. Jesus deserves a robust gospel presentation, not lima beans.

God is still moving

Here a just a couple snippets from the Mexico and Central America region of the Church of the Nazarene. Bernie Slingerland and Milton Gay, both mentioned in the stories, were missionaries who shepherded us on our 2005 Jesus Film trip to Guatemala.

New Church planters

Maxima Mission reaches 5th anniversary

Pray for these folks. God is moving in this region, and great things are happening.

Disenfanchised Voters

It seems to me that only Democrats talk about disenfranchisement, and then only when they lose. Think back to the Bush-Gore 2000 Florida fiasco. Gore was screaming about disenfranchisement, even though all of the counties in question had elections run by Democrats. Now Hillary is saying that the caucus format disenfranchises voters. She may be right, but there is an elephant in the room that the Democrats seem to be ignoring. I think she doesn't like the format because she doesn't win with it. But that is my opinion.

Here in Michigan, Hillary is the only leading Democrat on the Jan 15 primary ballot. The rest removed their names because Michigan moved its primary up on the calendar into the sacred slots given only to Iowa and New Hampshire. Imagine that. A state going through a one-state recession/depression wanting to have its issues debated and its voice heard. Perish the thought.

So how do the bastions of fairness and "let every vote count" react to this heresy? Why, they strip the state of its delegates for violating party rules. If that isn't disenfranchisement, I don't know what is. But the same people screamed when the Supreme Court applied the constitution to their selective recount in Florida. It's OK to trash the constitution, but not the party rules. That is the new Democrat mantra.

Hypocrisy is such an ugly thing when it is exposed.

Do you have a bucket list?

By now you have probably seen the advertisements for the movie "The Bucket List." It has me thinking about a list of things I would like to do before I "kick the bucket." So here is my list, in no particular order.

1. Visit Machu Piccu. It is an ancient Incan village in Peru at an elevation of 7900+ feet. It takes several days to get there on foot through a series of tunnels, bridges and narrow paths. It just looks awesome to me. It predates Columbus' discovery of the New World and is remarkably well-preserved. I've seen some Mayan ruins in Guatemala, and I would like to visit Tikal, but Machu Piccu trumps Tikal by far.


2. Visit the Missionaries of Charity mission in Calcutta, India. This is the mission founded by Mother Teresa to care for the poor, sick and dying members of India's lower castes. This is from Wikipedia: "Missionaries care for those who include refugees, ex-prostitutes, the mentally ill, sick children, abandoned children, lepers, AIDS victims, the aged, and convalescent. They have schools run by volunteers to educate street children, they run soup kitchens, as well as many other services as per the communities' needs. They have 19 homes in Kolkata alone which include homes for women, for orphaned children, and for the dying; an AIDS hospice, a school for street children, and a leper colony. These services are provided to people regardless of their religion."


3. Fly an airplane solo. I would love to get my pilot's license, but I've never devoted the time or money to that cause.

4. See my girls grow up and live God-honoring lives. That is all I can ask.

5. See Mount Everest. I have no desire to climb it. This stocky, middle-aged flatlander was sucking wind in Colorado. I believe my lungs would explode on Everest.

That pretty much sums up my list. There are a few things I would like to see AFTER I kick the bucket too. I'm hoping God has some sort of video archive of stuff I read about in the Bible. There are some things that would make for great viewing there.

Happy New Year

Last year I shared with you my resolutions for the new year. I apologize for the delay this year, I think I may be operating on the Julian calendar.

I did a reasonable job of keeping my resolutions from last year. I do note progress in being more accepting of my Christian brothers and sisters who worship in a different manner. My Theology of Worship class that I am currently taking will help with that as well.

Here are my plans for the new year.

1. Continue to plow ahead with my seminary education. I transferred to Nazarene Theological Seminary this year and am taking 8 credit hours this spring. At this pace, by this time next year, I will be nearly 50% done with my MDiv degree.

2. Actively begin seeking a formal ministry role. This February I will have the opportunity to renew my ministry license. With the progress on my degree and my second year of licensure, I need to begin looking at ministry opportunities that will count toward the experience necessary for ordination. I'm not sure where or when to begin this, but I do know that the Lord is moving me in that direction.

3. Find ways to impact the community around me. It may be as simple as helping my neighbors and sharing the love of Christ with them. It may be more complicated than that. But I will do what God leads me to do.

4. Be more intentional about sharing my ministry call with my family. My wife and kids will play a huge role in how the Lord uses me in ministry, and I want them to be fully on board with what the Lord is calling us to do.

I have a lot of optimism for this year. I pray that the Lord will continue to be central in my life as he calls me into a new phase of life.

Maybe these explain the Detroit Lions

Let's get this straight. Matt Millen is 31-81 as President of the Detroit Lions. what is the logical thing to do to fix this sorry situation? Fire the offensive coordinator of course! Then promote the offensive line coach, who had 2 guys in the top 5 in sacks allowed, to offensive coordinator. That my friends is Lions Logic.

I wish I knew how to quit this team.

These fine posters from Despair.com pretty much say it all.

How is this a good idea?

This week begins the official portion of the 2008 Presidential Beauty Contest. The Hawkeye Caucii (or Iowa Caucus) kicks off the season, and all political eyes are on Iowa. This brings a few questions to mind for me.

1. Why does Iowa get to go first? It is a relatively small state that requires candidates to pander to the ethanol and farm lobbies.

2. Is Iowa representative of America? Fewer than 150,000 people, or less than 5% of Iowans will probably participate in a non-secret ballot format, and this will determine delegates to a nominating convention?

3. Is making people stand in squares in the high school gym the best way to pick a president?

All of this just boggles my mind. And the folks in Iowa treat this as their birthright, as if they were destined to be the arbiters of who is elected. By the time this rolls through Iowa and New Hampshire (another bunch of self-important election snobs) half of the candidates will be knocked out of the process. Two relatively small states function as the winnowing agent? I just don't get it.

A very different Christmas Carol

One of the things that attending seminary has done for me is that I have gained a new appreciation for the seemingly forgotten Christian brothers and sisters in the Orthodox Church. That is another post in and of itself, but take a few minutes to listen to the Byzantine Hymn of the Nativity in the clip below. It's very different, and very cool.

And Pray for our brothers and sisters in the Middle East. It's not easy being a Christian there.

Thanks to Fr. Deacon Raphael for the tip on the video. He is one of my favorite OOZERS.