Being a Church of Christ

I recently got a note from some former members who were asking my input in their search for a church home in their new city. I spend some time looking at a church website and reading the preacher's blog so that I could get a feel for the church and give a reasonably intelligent answer to their questions... at least as intelligent as I get. One of the preacher's blog entries got me thinking.

He said that when he is around peers from different Christian fellowships and is asked what is his church background, he usually tells them "I'm Church of Christ." OK, that is grammatically awkward, but we don't have an "ist" that fits (like Baptist or Methodist). And that is really the point, isn't it? He went on to suggest that he is always a little hesitant when he says "Church of Christ." I run into people who connect "Church of Christ" with a smug, arrogant and prideful "We're the only ones who are right" attitude. In fact, I ran into the manager of a store in the Beverly Center in Beverly Hills California (long story) who heard "Church of Christ" and responded, "That's the church that thinks its the only one going to heaven!" Unfortunately, that is the baggage that "Church of Christ" carries. Some congregations have stopped using "Church of Christ" in their name just because of that negative baggage.

But that isn't the point the brother made in his blog. The hesitancy he feels in using the name "Church of Christ" is the "of Christ" part. What enormous pressure it is to wear the name of Christ in your church name. What great responsibility to model the life of Christ, the teachings of Christ and the sacrifice of Christ in your church. Quoting from his blog--

The name Church of Christ should always cause us to ask: "Are we of Christ?" "Are we Christ-like people?" "How well do we live up to a name that describes a people belonging to him?" If we claim to be the Church of Christ, we must recognize that we'll have to conform our American way of life to His death and resurrection way of life, not the other way around...To be a church that is worthy of the name Church of Christ will require relinquishing power and becoming vulnerable in order to serve others who are different from us. May the Lord give us the grace we need to more fully become a Church of Christ.

I think that is pretty much on target.

The Lips of Flattery

1 Help, Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.
2 Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception.
3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue
4 that says, “We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips—who is our master?” (Psalm 12:1-4)

David is so upset here by the wickedness he sees around him that despairs that righteous people were disappearing from the earth. Maybe you have felt that way as you've read newspaper reports of the latest examples of man's inhumanity to man. But what has David so upset here are neighbors who lie to one another "with flattering lips and insincere hearts." Of all the sins evidenced in the world around him, it was insincere flattery that upsets David! He is so moved by what he see that he cries out to God, "May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue..." (12:3). And God responds that He will do just that (Psalm 12:5).

Is flattery really such a bad thing? In the way in which we generally use the word, flattery isn't a bad at all. It certainly isn't bad for a husband to tell his wife that she looks nice or for a parent to praise his or her child for getting an "A" on the big spelling test. David isn't discouraging co-workers from commending one another on a job well done or one church member from recognizing the faithful ministry of another. Hey, it is even OK to tell the preacher that he did a good job on a sermon.

This flattery isn't really flattery, at least not in the sense in which David uses the word in Psalm 12. He is speaking of the untruthful and insincere compliments that some dole out in an attempt to deceive or manipulate another person to achieve their own end. If complimentary words are used to put someone off guard or to mislead them into thinking one thing when the person giving the compliment really thinks something else entirely-- that is the flattery David is striking against here.

Here is a rule of thumb that you can use to make sure that your compliments are not really flattery. If your compliment was given or your kind words were spoken for the benefit of the person receiving them, then that is not the kind of flattery that David warns us against. However, if your compliment or kind words were said because of a benefit that you receive or an ulterior motive that you have, then you are on dangerous ground. It is good and holy to uplift the heart of another with kind words. But God will cut off the lips of the flatterer!

Cookies and Kool-Aid

I am writing this on the computer in the auditorium after sneaking away for a few minutes during a break in our first night of VBS. I remember going to VBS as a kid; it was the only time we got cookies and Kool-Aid at church. They told us that we were to be a "Booster" (not grouchy like a rooster) and invite all our friends to VBS so that we would all get cookies and Kool-Aid. Cookies and Kool-Aid at VBS was a pretty big deal.

Now VBS is a multimedia Bible adventure with a science lab, craft station, and outside game activities that all support a Bible lesson that is presented on a special set by Bible teachers in full costume. The refreshments are built into the Bible lesson to reinforce the story (tonight they had pop-rocks in a orange soda with mint that foamed up to remind them of the burning bush story). Actually, the burning bush was a great first lesson because the whole church building smelled like burning Styrofoam from last minute additions to the set. Yep, this is a long way from cookies and Kool-Aid and flannel-graph lessons.

But then, it's the same old story. God spoke from the burning bush; God speaks to us today through his word. The packaging is different; the refreshments are different. The truth is the same. So is the excitement on faces of the kids.

Everything Is Broken

It is good to be back home after our sojourn in the far country. We had a great visit with my parents. I didn't get to play golf with my Dad this trip; there's nothing like 105 degree heat to get one out of the golfing mood! But we had a great visit.

Not long before I left, Julia Denton mentioned a Bob Dylan song to me and how well the lyrics fir in with my sermon series on the 7 Churches of Asia. I've never been much of a Dylan fan; I get too tired listening so hard because I'm to understand the slurred lyrics. As it turns out, the song she sent me does fit well, and I will probably use it in my sermon on Sardis. As it also turns out, I bumped into to Dylan's lyrics Wednesday night. The church Sonya and Bob attend in Nashville is having a summer series that they call "A Musical Conversation." They have been having local music talent (and there is a little of that in Nashville) come in a perform and discussing faith issues as raised by the music. We were there for Buddy Greene, who did a great job singing a little and talking about the gospel and the stories behind some of the songs.

As it turns out, the first son that he did was an old Bob Dylan song called "Everything is Broken." I don't think I'd ever heard the song before, but then I'm not a Dylan fan. But the song really does capture the essence of our world, doesn't it--

Broken lines broken strings; broken threads broken springs
Broken idols broken heads; people sleeping in broken beds
Ain't no use jiving; ain't no use jokin'-- everything is broken.

Broken bottles broken plates; broken switches broken gates
Broken dishes broken parts; streets are filled with broken hearts
Broken words never meant to be spoken-- everything is broken.

Seem like every time you stop and turn around
Something else just hit the ground
Broken cutters broken saws; broken buckles broken laws
Broken bodies broken bones; broken voices on broken phones
Take a deep breath feel like you're chokin'-- everything is broken.

Everytime you leave and go off someplace things fall to pieces in my face
Broken hands on broken ploughs; broken treaties broken vows
Broken pipes broken tools; people bending broken rules
Hound dog howling bullfrog croaking-- everything is broken.

The reason that we need Jesus is that everything really is broken. A correct understanding of the gospel has to begin with a correct understanding of the fall. What happened in Eden was not that Adam and Eve just broke God's rules-- they broken God's heart. The result of sin was that the entire world shifted on its axis and everything became broken. The entire creation groans under the weight of that brokenness and looks with expectation to the time when everything will be un-broken (see Romans 8:18-25). The problems we see in the world today are the result of our brokenness-- everything is broken. The only thing that can put our Humpty-Dumpty world back together is the power of the cross. And one day it will. Until then, everything is broken.

Vacation Time

Well, I spent my first day of my visit with my parents the same way that I spent our last visit with them... installing a microwave often. This time, it was uinstalled in their kitchen rather than in mine. The good news was that it was the exact same model that Dad and I had installed at my house during their last visit, and we managed not to make the same mistakes this time. The bad news is that we managed to make some brand new ones. But we finally got'er done; supper is warning up even as I peck this out on my phone.

Family Reunion

As it turns out, our hastily thrown together trip to Arkansas could not have come at a better time. We didn't know for sure that we were coming until Sunday; with Roger and so many more gone on the Mexico trip this week, getting someone to preach for me Sunday was problematic (thanks to Jeff Denton for taking on that task). As it turns out, we were able to be in Little Rock at the same time that my niece Martha and her family were coming through town. We had not seen Martha and Keith and their children in four years... which means we had never seen her two youngest. It was good to meet them for the first time. And we also got to see more of Lezley (another niece) than we have ever seen before-- she is expecting her first child this fall. Sonya (my sister) and Darcy (her seven year old) drove in with us from Nashville, so we were practically all together for a big (Mom must have cooked for 3 days) family reunion meal tonight with only three of our extended family (my girls and Bob) missing. Angelynn will be here tomorrow for her fourth year at Harding; we'll go ahead and count her as here-- she's usually a little late anyway!

Summer Slump

We are in the midst of our summer slump. Traditionally during this time of the year, we have a big dip in our attendance and contribution figures. So many of our Denbigh people aren't from around here, when the summer comes, they end up taking trips to wherever it is that they have come. (It is NOT that we are too busy at the beach and lake to come to church; our folks are much too spiritual for such things!). While our numbers are off, that is not the slump I'm talking about.

My "summer slump" has to do with the fatigue that comes from all the stuff we have going on in the summer combined with the people that are gone. We have had all kinds of extra activities going on in the summer-- Upwards Soccer/Cheer Camp, our week at Idlewild Christian Camp, Mexico Mission Trip, and Vacation Bible School. We have these labor intensive activities at the precise time when we have so many people gone for summer. It would be better if we could schedule summer activities at some time other than the summer! Lynn and I have had about 10 days this summer that weren't prgrammed for some scheduled activity! No next year, I think will have summer during another time of the year.

To protest against the busy summer schedule... we're leaving Wednesday for a unscheduled quick trip to Arkansas to see my folks. Can't let those 10 unscheduled days go to waste!

For Such a Time As This

The book of Esther (my OT reading for today) tells the story of the deliverance of the Jewish people from the plot of the wicked Haman during the reign of Xerxes, king of Persia. The book reads like a series of fortunate coincidences that saw the Jewish people saved from the hand of a megalomaniac intent on destroying them.

• Queen Vashti was deposed and a Jewish girl named Esther was chosen as the new queen of Persia, but she just happens to keep her Jewish heritage a secret.
  
  
• Mordecai, the cousin who raised Esther, just happened to overhear the plot to assassinate King Xerxes; he revealed the plot to Esther who then revealed it to the king.
  
  
• The king just happened not to be able to sleep one night, and he just happened to have read to him the chronicles of the kings read to him, and the selection that was read just happened to include the story of Mordecai and Esther saving his life.
  
  
• So when Esther reveals the plot of Haman and her Jewish ancestry, the king just happens to side with Esther, executes Haman and spares the Jews.

Fortunate coincidences. There are no great miracles stories in this book; in fact, God’s name is not even mentioned in Esther. And yet, His activity in the lives of His people is seen throughout this story; His fingerprints are all over this book. God sometimes shakes mountains and appears in burning bushes; more often, He appears between the lines of our lives.

When Esther hesitates to risk her life to use her position to intervene with the king to save the Jews, Mordecai says, “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). That becomes an interesting question given the fact that there were no burning bushes or shaking Sinai. Moses didn’t have wonder what it was that God wanted him to do; God’s voice from the bush and the mountain were breathtakingly clear. But Esther didn’t have that clarity. What Esther had was an opportunity, faith, a lot of uncertainty and a pretty insistent cousin. She made her choice based on faith, and God honored that choice and worked through it. That’s what you and I are called to do today.

Wayne Watson has a great song that is inspired by the Esther story reminding us that we all have been placed upon the earth for such a time as this.

For Such A Time As This Wayne Watson

Old and New Testaments

I think it’s interesting the way we have often used the Old Testament. When we find something we like “back there” in the Old Covenant, then it provides an illustration for us. After all, “everything that was written in the past was written to teach us” (Rom 15:4). But when we come across something back there we don’t like so much, we dismiss it with one of those “but that is just the Old Testament.” So Noah’s gopher wood and the “strange fire” of Nabab and Abihu apply to us. But Nehemiah’s restoration of Israel’s worship in song (today’s reading in Nehemiah 12) through instruments and choirs doesn’t apply to us because it is just the Old Testament. In fact, for many of us Nehemiah’s instruments and choirs ARE gopher wood and strange fire. (I bet if I looked hard enough through my old sermons, I’d find that point in there somewhere.)

Our reading today does illustrate one huge difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament, and it has nothing to do with worship styles. In our Old Testament reading from Nehemiah 13, Nehemiah’s final reforms focus on the removal of Gentile influence from Jewish life. Gentiles had intermarried with Jews and Gentiles were even using storeroom in the Temple itself. In fact, the biggest Gentile enemies of Jewish restoration (Sanballat and Tobiah) are mentioned here. Jewish religion had to remain pure from pagan influences, and this demanded that Jews separated themselves from Gentiles.

In our New Testament reading from Acts 13, Paul is preaching for the second time in the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia. The is an organized opposition from the Jews there, and Paul ends his sermon by saying, “We had to speak the word of God to you [the Jews] first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). Paul applies the prophecy of Isaiah to himself, “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 13:47).

For Nehemiah, faithfulness meant excluding Gentiles. For Paul, faithfulness meant including the Gentiles. Paul says that the cross tore down the dividing wall that the Law (a covenant between God and Israel) had created (see Eph 2:14-16). The difference between the Old and New Laws is not really about worship forms and formats; Paul was perfectly comfortable with Jews carrying over many of those forms and formats from the Old Testament to the New... as long as they didn't bind them on Gentiles. The real difference is that now as we are brought to God through Jesus, we are also brought together as one people, one church.

Back From Camp

The ol' blog was off-line all last week because I and 32 folks from Denbigh (16 staff and 12 campers) spent the week at Camp Idlewild in Surry, VA. This was my 31st year at Idlewild (I started when I was 9) after taking 12 years off. This year we worked with kids in grades 4-8, a span of ages from 9-14 years old. I have never had a year where so many of the people there came from my own church family. It really was a lot of fun. I had intended to post to the blog from camp, but there was never enough spare time to indulge in such frivolities!

It was in one sense a blessedly uneventful week compared to some weeks in the past. No one exploded poisonous gas bombs outside the girl's cabin or threw cherry bombs into the campfire... both of those have happened in the past. Two precious souls were baptized, and that is certainly not uneventful! The kids really seemed to get closer to each other as the week wore on. And they were really more into singing than in past years; we must have sung "Prince of Peace" 25 times.

It was a great week. I have to say that I have missed ol' Camp Idlewild for the last decade or so. And I don't mind admitting in this public forum wouldn't mind doing it all again next year. But then again, this public forum does have an edit feature!

Sue the Bible Guys!

A man named Bradley Fowler is suing Zondervan, the Bible publishing company, for $60 million because the company published a version of the Bible that translated the word for “homosexual” as “homosexual.” Fowler claims that because his pastor used a Bible published by Zondervan, he preached that homosexuality is a sin, and thus Fowler's “family considered him a sinner and he suffered.” So now he is entitled to $60 million to compensate for “the past 20 years of emotional duress and mental instability.” (Well, he does seem to have proved the "mental instability" part of his lawsuit).

In the list of sins that keep one from inheriting the kingdom of God in 1 Corinthians 6:9, the Greek word arsenokoites is rendered as “homosexual offender” in the NIV. The KJV renders the word as “abusers of themselves with mankind” (not as clear and apparently not as offensive to Mr. Fowler). Because the NIV is clear, it is being sued! (The NET better really look out; it redners the two Greek words here as “passive homosexual partners" and "practicing homosexuals.” One might could get the impressiion from that translation that homosexuality is a sin ).

OK, not everyone believes the Bible. And not everyone believes that homosexuality is a sin. And some scholars do suggest other possible translations of the sins Paul condemns. But to sue a company that publishes (they didn’t do the translation themselves) the Bible because your preacher takes it seriously and his preaching makes you feel bad? Come on!

I'm not one to pound the podium agaihst homosexuality as being the worst of all sins. It is a perversion of nature... but so is gossip, which is actually condemned more in the Bible. But let the Bible say what it says! I once heard a panel discussion of scholars debating what the Bible says about homosexuality. The scholars that defended homosexuality as not sin made this statement, “Except for the Old Testament and the writings of Paul, the Bible doesn’t really condemn homosexuality.” That is a pretty sizable chunk of the Bible.

Family Values Statement

One of the first US laws to legitimize divorce took place in 1787 when a prominent gentleman named Isaac Governeur petitioned the New York Legislature for a divorce from his wife who had been unfaithful. The petition was referred to a committee chaired by Alexander Hamilton (yes, that Alexander Hamilton). The committee decided that divorces could be granted by the courts of new colony only on the grounds of adultery. Ironically, Governeur’s divorce attorney that successfully represented him in that divorce lawsuit was Alexander Hamilton.

Hamilton’s legislation remained in effect in the State of New York until the 1966 New York Divorce Reform Law. Until that time, the only way to secure a divorce was on grounds of adultery. What if you wanted a divorce and your spouse would nor cooperate and commit adultery. You could hire someone who would claim to be the other woman (or man, I suppose) for the purposes of divorce. One 20-year-old mother of three named Sarah Ellis was named as the “other woman” in 35 divorce cases in 18 months. She was paid $10 per divorce for her services.

There is an old saying, “You can’t legislate morality.” Of course, that is exactly what we legislate! The things that are illegal are so because they are wrong. But then illegal actions that come to be accepted will eventually cease to be illegal. Over time, the grounds for divorce were expanded to include things other than adultery. And now in most states today, adultery is not even permitted as a legal grounds of divorce. My how times change?

Want to make a strong statement about family values and the sanctity of marriage? Make your marriage work. Granted, that kind of statement takes time; my own family values statement has taken 30 years up to this point. But it is gaining credibility, I think. It is rather ironic that so often the political candidate that supposedly supports family values is the one who has himself been divorced. Not a very stable family values platform.

The Aroma of Christ

In his book What’s So Amazing About Grace, Philip Yancey tells of an experiment he conducted several years ago (the book is copyrighted in 1997). He asked every non-Christian person that he came in contact with, “What comes to mind if you hear the phrase 'evangelical Christian'?” He says that the answer that he most often gets has to do with political positions on what what Christians are against-- anti-homosexual, anti-abortion, pro-censorship of the web, etc. He says that he even hears some people mention “The Moral Majority.” a group that disbanded years ago. What most non-Christian people don’t seem to connect with “Christians” today is Jesus Christ. Yancey writes, “Not once—not once— have I heard a description redolent of grace. Apparently that is not the aroma that Christians give off in the world.”

So what’s the point? Yeah, that’s what I want to know! What is the point of wearing the name of Jesus if we are unsuccessful of bringing Him to the minds of people around us? The fact is, Jesus had a pretty “street cred” with the marginalized, powerless, sinful and unchurched of His day. Maybe we need to do better?

They Humbled Themselves

Our Old Testament reading for today (2 Chronicles 12) tells of Solomon’s son Rehoboam and his first "official act" as the first king of the divided kingdom of Judah (often referred to as “Israel” in Chronicles since the Chronicler doesn't cover the northern kingdom called “Israel” in Kings). Rehoboam’s first official act as king was to be invaded and overwhelmed by Shishak, the king of Egypt (2 Chron 12:6). God makes it plain that this crisis was brought about because Rehoboam and his people were not following God. Rehoboam and all the people repent, and God acts to remove the Egyptian threat. Notice just a smattering of verses from this story—

• “The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves” (6)
  
  
• “The LORD saw that they humbled themselves” (7)
  
  
• “Since they have humbled themselves” (7)
  
  
• “Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the LORD’s anger turned from him” (12)

What would you say is the key ingredient to repenting before God as seen in this storry? Could it have something to do with humbling ourselves?

We aren't very good at grovelling, are we? We tend to apologize by defending our actions as if they were really understandable reactions to circumstances beyond our control. We say things like, “I sorry I said those things, but I had this really bad day at work…” That suggests that our really bad day somehow justifies (or at least mitigates responsibility for) our bad behavior.

One guy that I once went to school with did some terrible things that created some very serious legal problmes for him (and even more serious problems with God). He went forward one Sunday night to "repent," and part of his statement to the church was to read a couple of passages on forgiveness and inform the church that they were now required to forgive him. That not really repentance, is it?

Even Rehoboam, who was no spiritual giant, understood that repentance meant throwing down all pretext of pride and falling down before God begging for His grace. We would be better at repenting—to God or to one another—if we understood this as well.

Solomon and Me

2 Chronicles 9 tells of the visit of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon to discover for herself whether the reports of his great wisdom and wealth were true. When she got there, she played “stump the wise guy,” but none of the questions that she asked were too hard for Solomon to answer. The text says that when she saw his wisdom, his palace and all the trappings of his wealth, she was “overwhelmed” and said—

“The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard. (2 Chr 9:5-6)

Solomon was an impressive guy. Based on the gifts that she brought him at the beginning of her visit, the Queen of Sheba was not without resources. And yet Solomon impressed her. One translation said that Solomon’s wisdom and wealth “left her breathless and amazed” (2 Chr 9:4). Well, Solomon did have a way with the ladies! It is what follows that I find interesting. Immediately after she makes her statement about the reports not even being half right, she says—

How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! (2 Chr 9:7).

Solomon’s people must have been so proud, so happy because of his greatness and majesty. Well, not really. The beginning of the next chapter tells us that Solomon was not cold in his grave before the 10/12’s of the nation rebels against his son because of the severity of the taxation that Solomon had to impose on his people to put on the kind of show of wealth and power that left the Queen of Sheba so giddy. Solomon's people were not happy because of his wealth; they were oppressed because of it.

Solomon’s reign was not about making his people happy. And it was not about making God happy. Solomon’s reign came to be all about Solomon. All his wealth, building projects, wives, foreign treaties and power were the attempts of a man who had everything to get just one more thing. Solomon chronicles all that for us in Ecclesiastes, and in the end he found it all to be a “chasing after the wind,” and a “vanity of vanities.”

Solomon had everything and he had nothing. Solomon had all the trappings of wealth, power and prestige, but there is no indication that he was ever happy. Maybe we need to remind ourselves of his story the time we decide that we just have to have that one new thing that will make us happy.

Wednesday Nights and a Word from God

Yesterday wrote about our declining interest in Wednesday night Bible study (or Prayer Meeting or WOW or BBFP or whatever we call it these days). Bob commented (with tongue planted firmly in cheek) "I am glad you are thinking through all this, I eagerly await the
solutions you will discover long before I even fully understand the
problem." Yeah, right! I was not attempting to think through anything; that is too much work. I was complaining; that is much more therapeutic.

Roger reminded me that Mike Cope and his minions were discussing ideas for Wednesday nights over at his blog. Read through some of the ideas mentioned there (and in the comments).

So then I was doing my Bible reading this morning and found a word from God. Obviously, there is always a word from God when we read scripture; sometimes they just hit home harder, right? David is encouraging Solomon to be faithful in building the Temple (after David did all the heavy lifting of gathering materials and drawing up the plans). David says this in 1 Chronicles 28:20

David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.

God would always be there for Solomon; He never fails or forsakes. God calls us to is faithfulness; He will always be with us as long as we seek Him. We don't have to come up with solutions; we must continue to seek God and be faithful. God is with us, and that means that we don't have to be afraid or discouraged. even if we don't have the solutions to Wednesday nights.

Wednesday Night: BBFP and Beyond

Our Wednesday night service for the summer is going to be a very informal gathering Dan Hawley dubbed BBFP or "Breaking Bread, Fellowship and Prayer." This is our summer replacement for WOW ("Worship on Wednesday") which was a replacement for Wednesday Night Class... which was a replacement for Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting. I suspect that Prayer Meeting was a replacement for something, but I'm too young to know what that might have been.

What is BBFP? We eat, pray and hang-out together. OK, it's a little more formal than that; there is a short class in the Family Room. The kids will probably play together while we pray together. The whole thing may die a horrible death, but it kinda started out pretty positively last night. I'm looking forward to seeking how it ends up.

There are two truths that we more or less accept as true. First, our church leaders believe that we need a "peak of the week" meeting in the middle of the busy workweek to center our people back on God and to provide balance to the competing voices that seek our attention. Second, it is becoming more and more evident that our church members don't necessarily agree with that. We have well under half of our Sunday morning attendance here for Wednesdays; sometimes we have about one-third. At some point we let people think that they wouldn't go to hell because they miss Wednesday night... so they miss. What does out declining interest in Wednesday night services show?

• Our people don't have their priorities straight? (True if going to the building is the priority)
  
• Families are just too busy? (So they solve that by cutting back on church?)
  
• Families need more time together? (Which usally means watching more TV)
  
• What we do on Wednesday doesn't seem spiritually significant?

Maybe we need to move away from the attactional mode (doing neat stuff to get people here) to a more missional approach (go out into the community to do good deeds)? Maybe what is changed in not that "you gotta go every time the doors are open" mindset that I grew up with (and still have). Maybe what has changed is the idea that coming to church is essentially serving God. Maybe our people are way ahead of us and understand that serving God is done out there and the last thing we need is more time at the building.

This is one of many things that I don't know.

With All Your Might

The familiar words of Ecclesiastes 9:10 remind us to serve God with all our strength, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." I remember reading of a small boy who came home from school all excited. He told he mother that he had tried out for a part in his first grade play, and he had gotten a part. When she asked him what was his part, he said, "I get to sit in the audience and clap and cheer!" We can learn two things from that little boy:

• First, it is important to have people who clap and cheer. Those who encourage and support are just as important as those who may have "bigger" parts.
  
  
• Second, if your gift is to clap and cheer, then you must do that enthusiastically and with all your might!

The church is a family where everyone is valuable and everyone has a role. To whatever degree God has gifted you, to that degree you must serve Him and His church. But no one gift is any more important than any other gift. No work is more important than any other work. However there is another important message in the end of Ecclesiastes 9:10--

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Whatever our task is in building up the body of Christ, we had better get busy doing it for the time is coming when there will be no more work. Whatever it is that God is calling you to do or to be in His kingdom, stop putting it off! We need people who clap and cheer alright, but we need them to start doing so NOW!

Voting for Issues... With Our Lives

The Congressional battle for Oregon's 5th congressional district illustrates the something of the problem of making moral issues the planks in a political platform. Businessman Mile Erickson is the Republican candidate in Oregon's 5th Congressional District and is running on pro-life platform against Democratic state Sen. Kurt Schrader. But when his girlfriend became pregnant some years ago, he told her that he didn't want a baby, offered to pay for the abortion and then drove her to the abortion clinic. And then they went off on a trip to Mexico together. So abortion is wrong, but then when I or my significant other needs one, maybe its not so wrong. I remember seeing polls that suggest that 75% of Americans believe that abortion is morally wrong and that about the same 75% believe that it should be a choice.

My point is not about abortion. The example could just as easily be the many pro-family, traditional-values candidates who themselves have been divorced (an all too common fact). Christians should be for Biblical values. Because we live in a country where we have the right to participate in the selection of leaders, it makes sense that our values will go with us into the polls. But voting for values is never a simple thing to do. I could say "I won't vote for McCain because he is divorced and I won't vote for Obama because he's pro-choice." We should be concerned with values like caring for the poor, caring for the environment and caring about peace. And we'll all have different ideas about which of those values can be best addressed by which party or candidate.

Do we care about traditional values? Here's what we need to do-- live them! The reason the church has such a muted voice in speaking to the world about values is not because we aren't politically savvy or connected. It is because we have been so ineffective in living our values before the world. The divorce rate for evangelical Christians is the same as the general culture. The number of Christian women who have had abortions is shockingly high. The church is better known by many for raising money for its own buildings than spending money to help the poor. Until we are known as people who consistently (though not perfectly) live our values, we will have little success in interesting the non-Christian world in them.

Sunday Complaints

I got some complaints about our worship service yesterday morning. No, it was not the video highlight montage from our Upwards soccer and cheerleading camp. And it wasn't that we sang "Friends" with all the pictures of the Foster's, Mack's and McDonney's (families that are leaving us) which brought tears to many eyes and lumps in many throats. No, the "criticism" was that the service was short; we ended almost exactly at 11:30! For the record, the sermon was 25 minutes long, so at least I gave everyone their money's worth there. We sang mostly up-tempo songs, so I guess we plowed through them quicker than usual. So we ended exactly "on-time" and many thought that it was too short! I promise to do better next week (hee hee).

Will King did a long version of the Upward video that we showed Friday night (with a U-2 soundtrack) and we showed the short version in church during the announcements. So being a true conservative, I re-cycled will's unused footage and made a new Sunday night. The lesson was on the "Ripples" of influence that our words and actions have on others. When the church lives together in peace and love, we shine like stars in the heavens (Phil 2:14-15). Christians wives (1 Pet 3:1-2), Christian slaves (1 Tim 6:1), and Christians under stress (1 Pet 2:12) all impact those around them through the way they live their lives. Our influnce goes out like ripples on a pond, and we never know who is going to to pointed to the Father because of us. The Fosters, Mack's and McDonney's have touched us (and hopefully, we them) in many ways. The ripples will be felt for a long time.

Here's the video--

Nemesis: No Ad Required

The following article was orignally an ad on craigslist; I stumbled on it on wadehodges.com. For the record. I don't routinely sit around reading other people's blogs looking for stuff to steal for my own. Most of the stuff on my blog is both good and original. Unfortunately, the stuff that is good isn't original, and the stuff that is original isn't very good! (And no, that last observation isn't orginal). Anyway, here's the craigslist post--

I’ve been trying to think of ways to spice up my life. I’m 35 years old, happily married with two kids and I have a good job in insurance. But somethings missing. I feel like I’m old before my time. I need to inject some excitement into my daily routine before its too late. I need a challenge, something to get the adrenaline pumping again. In short, I need a nemesis. I’m willing to pay $350 up front for you services as an arch enemy over the next six months. Nothing crazy. Steal my parking space, knock my coffee over, trip me when Im running to catch the BART and occasionaly whisper in my ear, “Ahha, we meet again”. That kind of thing. Just keep me on my toes. Complacency will be the death of me. You need to have an evil streak and be blessed with innate guile and cunning. You should also be adept at inconsicuous pursuit. Evil laugh preferred. Send me a photo and a brief explanation why you would be a good nemesis.
British accent preferred.

So do we all need a Goldfinger or a Dr. Moriarity always lurking in the shadows, waiting to do us harm? That would keep us on our toes, wouldn't it? The truth is that we have the arches of all archvillian's who "prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). He is never deadlier that when we get complacent and think that he isn't really there. He is there and he is the master of inconspicuous pursuit. He is real to jump out atanytime time with an evil laugh, "Ahha, we meet again!" Peter's warning in 1 Peter 5 begins, "Be self-controlled and alert." If we aren't ready for him all the time, we won't be ready.

Looking Upward

We are in the middle (as of about 7:15 p.m. tonight it will be the middle) of our week-long Upward camp. If you aren't familiar with the concept of Upward, you can read more here. But the short explanation is that Upward is like VBS using sports (in our case, it's soccer and cheer-leading). Kids learn about playing soccer and cheering, but the coaches teach them about Jesus at the same time. Some of the kids come from families that aren't in church, and that is the point. I get to get up during our final assembly and invite their parents to visit our church.

What is a bit different for us is that we are working with people from Denbigh Christian Church. And Warwick Memorial Methodist Church. And Saint Jerome Catholic Church. And those folks don't look exactly like us; some may not look anything like us. I guess if we wanted to, we could find a thing or two to disagree and debate over. But what we are doing for this week is just trying to stay focused on Jesus and to point children (and their parents) closer to Him.

And when this week is over, we'll try to keep doing the same thing! Maybe the more we look UPWARD, the less likely we are to fight OUTWARD. OK, so maybe it's not always that simple. But maybe it should be.

A New Command

Sunday morning's sermon stressed the need for Christians to "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God" (Rom 15:7). We bring praise to God when we are able to live in unity and love despite our differences. Paul quotes a series of OT texts later in the chapter that talk about being a light to the nations (Gentiles). In Philippians 2:14, Paul tells us that we are to shine like stars in the universe. Jesus' prayer in John 17 for his disciples is that the wold will know through them that the Father had sent Jesus into the world. The means by which all of these are to happen is that disciples live together in love and unity. We proclaim the gospel to the world by the way that we love one another and live with one another. The most familiar statement of this is our NT reading for today-- John 13:34-35

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

But for some reason, the immediate context of this new command never really hit me before... or at least, I don't remember it hitting me. Jesus gives the apostles this new command right AFTER he predicts the coming betrayal of Judas and right BEFORE he predicts the coming denial of Peter. So this "new command" stressing the absolute importance of disciples loving one another is given between the bookends of the two greatest failures of Jesus' closest friends to love Him. It is almost as if Jesus wants to make sure that we don't betray each other the way that His closest friends betrayed Him!

So... what are we going to do about that? Historically the church hasn't been very successful in living out Jesus' desires here. Are we going to get better at this?

Sad Commentary

An Indiana Wal-Mart gas station made one of those mistakes that caused local drivers to stampede to the pumps... at midnight, no less. Some sort of computer error (which is usually shorthand for "computer user error") had gasoline selling at well below the expected price. In the middle of the night, drivers began rushing to the pumps to get this once in a lifetime price break. Sadly, the error was discovered quickly... and corrected even more quickly. What was the low, low price that started the stampede? $3.09 a gallon! What a sad commentary on the state of our economy. Sad unless you are an oil sheik or have a lot of stock in Exxon! Who would have believed that $3.09 per gallon would ever be a "too good to be true" price for gas?

Four or five years ago, I got it in my mind that what I really needed was a Ford Explorer; I even got to the point where I was even pricing them at used car lots. I am so thankful that grand plan didn't work out! Never mind the environment... who can afford to fill up one of those things now?

Who Do You Smell Like?

I had to go pick up gas yesterday before I could cut the grass. I have two plastic 2 gallon gas cans, and 2-3 or three times a year I have to go fill them up. And I hate it. No matter how fast I zip to the gas station and back, the car ends up smelling like gas for several gas afterward. No, none of the gas sloshes out of the cans. Yes, I put the sealed cans in the trunk. But no matter how careful I am, the smell of gas permeates the car. Some people like the smell of gas. It should smell great since it costs as much a gallon as Channel #5. But once the car starts smelling like gas, it won't go away.

Paul talks about his life as a smell that permeates and affects those around him-- "For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." (2 Cor 2:15). The influence of the gospel permeated Paul's life and was unmistakable in everything he did. Not everyone liked the smell or appreciated the influence. So Paul says, "To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life" (2:16).

We are to be the aroma of Christ in the world today. He is to influence our lives to the point where we look like Him, sound like Him and smell like Him. And then we will impact the world like Him. The when people want to know more about Christ, they can just follow their nose!

Object Permanence and the Unseen God

Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget coined the term “object permanence.” Newborn infants are incapable of believing in what they don’t see. Hide a favorite toy under a blanket, and for them it no longer exists. Piaget studies led him to conclude that says infants don’t outgrow this until about 7-8 months of age (now believed to be 3-4 months). It is part of the maturation process to be able to believe that things that you don’t see really do exist.

Many in our materialistic world lack the spiritual maturity to live out this object permanence. “Seeing is believing,” we say. Only those things which are verifiable by our senses are real, and while we may give lip-service to spiritual realities beyond, they have little to do with how we live our lives day to day. God is unseen, and therefore for many He remains unreal.

Tell that to Sennacherib. Sennacherib commanded an army that had never known defeat. The Assyrians were feared all over the world for their brutal conquests. They had developed the chariot as weapon of war and invented the chain-mail armor that would continue to be used for several thousand years. For Assyria, war was a science and slaughter was an art form. This was an army that had never known defeat, and in our Old Testament reading for today, that army was camped right outside the gates of Jerusalem.

In 2 Kings 18:19-25, the field commander of the Assyrian army issued a challenge to Hezekiah of Judah, spoken in the hearing of all of Jerusalem. In that challenge he chides Judah for depending on their alliance with Egypt to protect them; Pharaoh was but a “splintered reed of a staff, which pierces a man’s hand and wounds him if he leans on it” (18:21). He also chides Judah for depending on their God to protect them. Had not Hezekiah removed the high places and idols from Jerusalem? Every nation that had been ground up by the Assyrian war machine had their gods, but not god could protect them from the might of Assyria. How much less could this unseen God without idols and high places save them?

Hezekiah refused to answer the challenge. He took the transcript of the challenge of Sennacherib to the Temple. Hezekiah had no army and no options. Part of the Assyrian taunt had been “I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them!” (18:23). Hezekiah had no options but faith. So he spread the transcript of Sennacherib’s challenge before the Lord and prayed—

"It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men’s hands. Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.” (2 Kings 19:17-19)

The next morning, Sennacherib woke up to find 185,000 of his crack troops had died during the night. Sennacherib and his army fled in terror back to Nineveh where he was assassinated by his own sons. Sennacherib and his army that had never known defeat had been destroyed by an Unseen God.

It is easy for us to become so busy with the things of this world that we can see that we forget about the reality of what we cannot. Sennacherib would today trade the totality of his empire for one more moment of time to fall before that Unseen God.

Accept One Another

In the 1930's, the key issue that divided many churches was pre-millennialism, an understanding of end-time events that believes Jesus will return to earth to establish a literal thousand year reign over a literal earthly kingdom. Churches were split and relationships lost over this issue. I met a brother several years ago who, as a young man in the 1930's, was forced out of the church that brought him to the Lord because he held the "wrong view" on the end time. His eyes glistened with tears as he told me the story more than 50 years later.

In 1933, Foy E. Wallace and Charles Neal met to debate this issue. Neal began his first speech with an appeal for unity and mutual understanding among brothers who differed in how they approached the texts that taught about the end time. Wallace, who had led the charge to eradicate pre-millennialism among our churches, made it clear what would have to happen before there could be unity among us--

I would like to say, with all kindness and reverence, as I begin my part of the discussion, that if Mr. Neal and those who stand with him had always preached only as I have been preaching, and as those brethren that stand with me on these issues have preached, there would have been no alienation.”

Wallace basically says, “We can have unity when and only when you agree with me!” That does not sound much like either kindness nor reverence, does it? That rather smacks of the Pharisaic arrogance that is destined to perpetually divide and alienate! If unity and fellowship is only possibly when we can agree on everything, then we may as well turn our the light, cause the party is over!

Do we really want to make salvation depend on a correct understanding of the book of Revelation as it relates to the end-time? Do we really want to make fellowship and unity also depend on our understanding it alike? Unity will never come from our agreement on the issues or our similarity in church practice. Unity is the creation of God; only Christ makes us one. This unity is lived out in practical terms when we "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." (Rom 15:7). If Christ accepts us despite our flaws, then we must be willing to accept each other that way as well. We must fellowship our “erring brethren” because that's the only kind we have!

A Wing and a Prayer

Grant Stubbs and Owen Wilson were enjoying their hobby-- flying their Microlight Airplaine. Evidently, some people enjoy strapping an engine to a kite and taking it up a couple of thousand feet. Go figure! They were flying up the sloping valley of Pelorus Sound in New Zealand when their engine spluttered and shuttered and then died. It's pretty serious to be flying a single-engine airplane of any kind when the engine dies., so Stubbs and Wilson did what most of us would do in similar circumstances. THEY PRAYED! "My friend and I are both Christians so our immediate reaction in a life-threatening situation was to ask for God's help," Stubbs told The Associated Press.

Obviously, since Stubbs was being interviewed about the incident, things must have turned out well. They did. The men were able to make a dead-stick landing, and the plane lightly came to rest. As they say, "Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing." But what made this story a story is that they happened to land right beside to a sign that read, "Jesus is Lord." Cool! It would have been better if the sign said, "Jesus Saves" or "God is My Co-Pilot." But what a great reminder that prayer really does work.

Here's a little known, less often relied upon truth. Prayer works even when you are not in life-threatening situations!

Suspending Disbelief

I went to see the new Indiana Jones movie last night. Hey, small groups are over and I had to do something on Tuesday night! The best (and most accurate) summary of the movie I have heard was that it was like being in the middle of a video game. It was a non-stop run-jump-shoot action game from the opening scene, and I found myself reaching for a video-game controller. And the action was not exactly what one would call believable. I wonder how many people will come out of the movie thinking that all you need to do to survive a direct nuclear explosion is hide in a lead-lined refrigerator? And if I ever need to catch up to a speeding truck, I now know that you can do so by swinging through the trees on Tarzan vines! Well, you know that you are really going to exercise your "suspend disbelief" muscles when you come away thinking, "Boy, that wasn't nearly as believable as Raiders of the Lost Ark."

Is faith in God something akin to suspending disbelief? Do some of the stories in the Bible sound a bit like the plot from an Indiana Jones movie? A strong wind divides the Red Sea just in time for the Jews to make their escape? A chariot of fire swoops down to carry Elijah to heaven? An army walking around a walled city, blows their trumpets and the wall falls down? There are some pretty unbelievable stories in the Bible, aren't there? So must we suspend disbelief in order to embrace these stories? No, at the center of these stories is an All-Powerful, All-Just and All-Loving God who is acting in human history to accomplish His will. Once you believe in God, then these stories are much more than divine special effects. If God truly exists, then all things are possible.

For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
......you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived,
......no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. (Isaiah 64:3-4)

Divine Illumination

Just in case you are wondering where I get my sermon ideas, I thought I would share this picture of me at the moment of divine illumination. Kinda transcendent, isn't it?

Michele King took this at our church camp-out. The smoke from the campfire was drifting just right to picked up by the sun streaming through the trees. I wish sermons did come from above like this. Actually, they do come from above; they just take a lot more work than this. But then, if you look at the picture, most everyone else is ward at work getting camp ready and I'm just standing around with my arms crossed! Well, someone has to ponder the great questions of life... like "I wonder when they are going to get supper ready?"

You can see more pictures of our Memorial Day camp-out here.

The Kingdom of God and Man

My sermon yesterday was about the relationship of the Christian to the government from Romans 13. It isn't surprising that Paul has information dealing with the Christian and the civil authority; he is, after all, writing to Rome. Knowing the persecution that is brewing on the horizon for the Romans church, we are a bit surprised that Paul is so gracious when addressing Caesar's government. Paul sees the king as God's servant (Rom 13:4-6) to do good. The word "servant" in verse 4 is the word for "deacon" while the different word for "servant" in verse 6 is applied to the priest in Hebrews 8:2. Paul's general teaching is that the Christian is to obey the civil authorities, honor those who serve, and pay our taxes.

That is his general teaching. The question that has stumped believers since Paul's day is when we get more specific. How involved should Christians to be in governmental affairs? Are we to be so focus on the kingdom of God that we refuse to concern ourselves the kingdoms of men? Should we use political process and power to to make the world better? Do we stand outside humans systems of power, pointing to their flaws and inviting people into God's rule? Do we compromise something about the kingdom of God when we combine it too closely with the power-structure of men? I used the examples of David Lipscomb and James A. Garfield to illustrate how differently some in our movement read scripture here-- Lipscomb believed that Christians shouldn't even vote and Garfield was elected the 20th president of the United States.

An excellent discussion of some of the issues can be viewed in this video. Here Chuck Colson, Gregory Boyd and Shane Claiborne take very different approaches. Obviously, there are generational differences here. (One of these three guys really dresses funny... in a coat and tie!). All three men have written books on the topic of the Christian, politics and the government. They all have substantive differences in their approach, and you will disagree with each at one point or another. But Colson, Boyd and Claiborne are all focused on serving the Crucified One and reflecting His values and kingdom in the world today.

As the election (finally) gets closer, we must avoid the temptation to think that all Christians can or should vote the same way. We must all be focused on the kingdom of God, but how to be the best stewards of our political freedom will certainly vary from Christian to Christian.

Take Up and Read

CNN reported that "a fairly large number" of New Testaments were burned in a town outside Tel Aviv. According to reports, Uzi Aharon, the deputy mayor of Or-Yehuda organized students who confiscated and burned several hundred copies of the New Testament. The deputy mayor gave several interviews to Israeli media talking about how he had collected the New Testaments and other Messianic propaganda to stop their spread through out his city. Soon he was doing damage control when pressed by foreign media whose Russian, Italian and French audiences back home were highly offended. He claimed that he had only confiscated the material and unruly students had burned them after he had left. The incident upset many religious freedom advocates and others in Israel; public burnings of sacred texts brings back images of Nazi book-burnings of Jewish sacred texts in the 1930's.

Messianic Jews are a minority in Israel. They are Jewish and practice the rituals of Judaism, but they also believe in the divinity of Jesus. Much like the first Christians in the New Testament, they maintain the dietary restrictions and festivals of Judaism, but see their meaning in the salvation brought by the Messiah Jehshua (Jesus Christ). Messianic Jews often suffer discrimination in Israel. The CNN story pointed to a bombing at the house of one Messianic pastor and the boycott of a high school Bible competition when one of the winners was discovered to be a Messianic Jew. (You gotta love that, right?)

On a lark several years ago, I counted the number of Bibles I had in my office-- there were 22. Granted, half of those were versions included with my computer Bible. But access to God's word is not much of a problem for any of us; no one come barging in to confiscate and burn our Bibles. That is a blessing that many in the world cannot claim. Read your Bible today... and then pray for your brothers and sisters around the world who may find that difficult to do.

On Mowing the Lawn

I am in the rather unique position (especially for a preacher) of living in the same house in which I grew up. Mom and Dad moved back to Arkansas after living 45 years in Virginia (they decided they didn’t like it) to help care for my grandmother in her declining years. They made us an offer we couldn't refuse, and we were able to buy the old homestead. If I would have known when I was a kid that I would one day own the place, I would have taken much better care of it!

Something dawned on me yesterday as I was mowing that same old lawn for what seemed like the two jillioneth time. When I was a kid, I hated cutting the grass more than just about anything. It wasn't like it was such extremely hard work. When my Dad was a kid, he had to chop cotton all day long. I know, because when I complained about cutting the grass, he would tell me about chopping cotton all day long. Mowing the lawn only took about an hour and a half, but that was time I couldn’t spend on more important things-- like playing basketball or tennis! Dad even at one point bought a riding lawn-mower. I still have the dent in the side of MY HOUSE where my sister crashed into the house on the mower, but that's another story. I don't know why I despised cutting the grass so much, but I did.

So there I was yesterday mowing the same lawn that I have mowed since I was 12, and it hit me, “I really kinda enjoy cutting the grass now.” It's not just that I don't mind it so much anymore; I really do enjoy it. It's relaxing. And it’s not like I have to waste time anymore playing basketball or tennis! What I once saw as a dreaded chore when I was a kid now is a source of relaxation. In other words, at some point between 1969 and 2008, I got older… and wiser.

A Place for Broken People

A Catholic church in Bertha, MN has filed a restraining order to prevent the parents of a severely autistic 13-year-old boy from attending services. The church claims that the boy (all 6 feet, 225 pounds of him) "struck a child during mass, nearly knocks elderly parishioners over when he hastily exits, spits, sometimes urinates in church, fights when he is being restrained." He once pulled a girl into his lap (his parents sit on his lap to calm him) and got into two cars and started the engines (his parents claim that the sound of revving engines also calm him). The church offered to set up live video in a private room or even have private services, but his parents refused. They sit on the back room or in the cry room, an they have been leaving during the closing song to avoid Adam contacting people. They believe Adam has a right to be in church, and his special needs create a special need for God to be in his life. They continued to bring Adam to church despite the court order, although they now have found a new congregation.

This is likely much more complicated than comes across in a short news story (which you can read and watch). Could it be possible that this church is much too concerned about decorum or embarrassment and not enough about meeting the needs of this family and teaching people how to mediate God's grace to broken people in a fallen world? Could it also be possible that Adam's parents, in a rush to have others accept him, are placing him in an overstimulating environment that he can't handle? Who knows. Is Adam behavior really dangerous to others or just embarrassing and undignified? (In the story, the truly dangerous behaviors appear to be largely one-time events). Are church leaders really trying to protect the safety of people or the image of the church? I don't think one can tell from this news article, and so its a good idea to reserve judgment. In fact, it is usually a good idea to reserve judgment!

But isn't church supposed to be a place for broken people? Most of us can sit quietly in our pew (well, our chair) and act dignified. We don't pee on ourselves, pitch fits or bowl over people in the foyer... So good for us! But we are all broken people. Our dignified and sanctified exterior is just an act. How embarrassing it must be for God to have people like us sitting in His church, singing His songs and eating at His table. But God loves us despite our brokenness. If want church to be a place where only the dignified and sanctified are allowed, then we'll have to take our restraining order against ourselves!

Small Group Me (Millennium Edition)

Just so the Looney's don't feel left out of my blog ramblings on small groups and technology, here is a picture snapped off of the Moore's TV as Bob, Kate and Jack (who had gone to bed before the picture was taken) joined our small group Tuesday night all the way from Houston via the magic of web cam. Isn't technology wonderful! It was great to hang out with them, even if it was long distance. (It might have just been me, but Bob and Kate sure seemed to move a lot more herky-jerkily than they used to!)

BTW, the iPhone is a wonderful phone and iPod... but what a lousy camera! Or maybe I'm just a lousy photographer. Or perhaps both.

Are You a Wise Guy?

In today’s Old Testament reading (1 Kings 2-3), Solomon begins his rule as king over Israel. God appeared to him in a dream telling him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you” (1 Kings 3:5). As children we often played the game of "If you could have any wish, what would it be?" My answer was always, "Three more wishes." Solomon plays that game for real, and he tells God that his heart's desire was for wisdom to lead God's people. That pleased God, and He tells Solomon in 1 Kings 3:10-13--

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.

So Solomon gets what amounted to three more wishes! He gets wisdom to rule... plus great wealth and honor. The stage is set for one of the most spectacular reigns in history.

But in the next chapter, the seeds are sown for Solomon's downfall. (Actually, it probably starts in 3:1ff as Solomon takes his frist foreign wife). Beginning in 4:20, Solomon begins to accumulate the baubles of power. He amasses great numbers of horses and chariots along with massive barns and stalls in which to house them. So what’s the big deal? Are not such extravagances the privilege of power? Not if Solomon would have been... well, wise! Moses instructs the future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 17:16,17—

The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.

But Solomon does acquire many horses and soon will amass staggering mounts of gold and silver (so much that he doesn't even count the silver, 2 Chron 9:20). Later will come the 1000 wives and concubines. And in keeping with the warning of Moses, the result was that his heart was led away from God.

Solomon here provides a warning between the difference in knowing truth and living truth, between having wisdom and living wisely. Solomon had great wisdom... he just didn't let it get in the way of how he lived! I wonder how many of us fall into this same trap? Do you believe that God and spiritual things are the most important realities? Do we really live that way? For a wise guy, Solomon was really pretty foolish. How about us?

Unity in Diversity

Someone has said that if two people in any relationship are exactly the same, then one of them is unnecessary. In the text we looked at in Sunday’s sermon (Rom 12:3-8), Paul makes it clear that he does not expect us to all be alike. We are as different from one another as are the different parts of our physical bodies different in form and function. Paul's point is that we are still one body despite those differences, connected not only to God but to each other as well (see verse 5).

And he argues here for a diversity of gifts that benefit the body. His whole argument for unity here is based on the assumption that real and necessary diversity exists in the body of Christ. The Christians in Rome were gifted in such diverse ways as prophecy, service, teaching, encouragement, financial giving, leadership, and showing mercy. And so it is with us. While we may all function in some ways in every one of these (and many other areas) areas, our diversity shows up in the unique ways that God gifts one area above others. Unity does not make us boring clones of one another. Rather our diversity blesses the whole body as we use our different gifts to God's glory.

In a good marriage, the husband and wife act as a unit; they are “one flesh” in a very special sense. But husbands and wives in even the best marriage always have differences. Show me a couple that never argues and I’ll show you a couple that never talks! (And even they “argue in their hearts”). Marriage is based upon a God-given difference between husbands and wives so that they complement one another in many different ways. Sameness will just not work… viva la difference! And unity in the church is also based on differences, the commitment to use our different gifts for the glory of God and the blessing of the family.

Like a human body and a good marriage, unity is found in diverse and different Christians using their very different gifts and perspectives to glorify the one God and uplift the one body. If unity requires us to become alike, then unity will always remain an impossible dream. Unity is possible (make that commanded) only when we accept our gifts different gifts along with the fact that they do make us different. When we are free to do that, then we are free to use our gifts to serve one another… and the one and only God.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Lynn and I were without a small group last night. The college age group that meets at our house ended early for the summer due to things like graduation and concerts and people moving away. We decided to use our unexpected free night to go see The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. It is very rare for us to see a movie at all (this is the first this year). But we had been blown away by the first installment in the Narnia series-- The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. We had been really looking forward to the sequel. I won't take the time to do a full review of the movie, but take the time to look at the reviews at New Wineskins and Plugged-In Online.

Here's my opinion. Prince Caspian was a great movie. There were some ways that it was better than the first. The special effects were stunning. There were more laugh-out-loud funny moments. It really was was a great movie. So why didn't I like it as much as the first one? Probably for the same reason that I didn't like the second book nearly as well as the first. Behind all the fantasy and epic battles, the story behind The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is Lewis fantasy version of the biggest story ever told. Aslan the Lion lays down his life to redeem Edmund's betrayal and rises from the dead to defeat the forces of evil. Hard to improve on that plot!

I read that the movie people were actually thinking about skipping Caspian (which is kind of a bridge story to the rest of the Narnia series) and going straight to Lewis' third book, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (now in pre-production for a 2010 release). They did Caspian because it is the only other book to feature all four of the Pevensie children. Well, I'm glad they didn't skip it! Lord willing, well be right there in 2010 to see the next one. And we'll buy the DVD when it's out. We just might not watch it 5-6 times like we have the first one!

Small Group 2.0

During our Tuesday night small group Bible study a week ago, Ken told us that he would be in D.C. all this week and miss the next study. Ken and Alicia host the study, but Alicia assured us that the house would be there for us even though Ken would not. I jokingly said that Ken could probably set up a teleconference or something from his hotel room and join the small group that way. Evidently I had thrown down the gauntlet. So when I walked in to the study Tuesday night, there was Ken's face on their TV grinning at me and waving. We had our study as if Ken was sitting right there with us. The mike was so good that he said he could hear what people were saying went they went into the kitchen during refreshment time (so we had to be careful what we said about him).

What a great idea! Maybe if we wire people up like this, it will encourage more participation in Bible study. After all, everyone likes to watch TV, right? You get to stay home and watch TV and participate in the Bible study group discussion all at the same time! Sure, it was a little hard to share refreshments, so the Bible model of "table fellowship" will need to be adjusted a bit. And there would always be the temptation to change the channel when the study got a little slow (as if that could ever happen).

But it really was a interesting experience. We immediately started thinking about ways to do this same thing to include members of our group who have recently moved away from our area. We have this technology, we may as well use it.

Anniversary

I must really be getting old-- I totally missed my anniversary yesterday. It came and went and I didn't even think about it at all until Lynn reminded me last night. No, it wasn't my wedding anniversary; one doesn't grow old by forgetting many of those! No, it was the 28th year that Lynn and I have been at Denbigh. The second Sunday in May of 1980 was when I started working full-time with the Denbigh Church of Christ. I was hired as the youth minister... and 3 months later Lloyd Unsell left to move back to Oklahoma and I took over as the interim preacher. And I have been taking up space filling-in ever since. Wow, how time flies!

I heard about a guy who was asked at his golden wedding anniversary party what fifty years of marriage had taught him. He say, “Well, I’ve learned that marriage is the best teacher of all. It teaches you loyalty, forbearance, meekness, self-restraint, forgiveness... and a lot of other qualities that I wouldn't have needed to know if I would have stayed single.”

Bad joke... but an element of truth. Many of the qualities that God wants to teach us are important because we mush live together in community with other believers. And it is that community of believers that helps us to learn those qualities. I love and appreciate the Denbigh church community who has taught me so much about what it means to be a Christian. I look forward to the next 28 years.

Sore Spot

I have a blister on my big toe, and it really bothers me. Blisters are never fun, but this one is a particular sore spot because of where it came from. A little back story, which I know will be infinitely fascinating to you. Last year, I bought a pair of Nike Air Cross Trainers on sale at one of those factory outlet shoe places. I never wear Nike because they are usually much too narrow, but there were 4-E and they felt OK in the store. But soon thereafter I realized that I had paid $50 for a pair of shoes that killed my feet... and I went back to my old pair. Of course me being me, I complained about how uncomfortable those shoes were. And Lynn being Lynn, she thought that if I was going to spend $50 on a pair of shoes, I oughta wear 'em at least until they were completely broken in. After all, they look brand new (and they are because they're too uncomfortable to wear). And besides, you don't buy new shoes right before all the walking up and down all those stairs at Pepperdine.

Well, I went ahead and ordered a new pair of my old standard New Balance 608's so that I wouldn't have to wear those uncomfortable Nike's on our California trip. And now I have a blister on my toe, and it's a real sore spot. Not just because the blister hurts, but because (once again) Lynn was right and I wasn't. You would think with all the practice I have had being wrong through the years that I would be better at admitting it, or at least not being so shocked when it happens. But pride really can get in the way sometimes. Solomon said. "Pride only leads to arguments, but those who take advice are wise." (Proverbs 13:10, NCV). I should have listened.

Anyone in the market for a very-slightly-used pair of Nike's?

From Hosanna to the Heart of Worship

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
........“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
..............“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."
...............(from today's New Testament reading-- Luke 11:37-40)

Mike Pilavachi tells of a time when his church was making the transition from renting a school to moving into their own a state of art (i.e. “expensive”) church building. It was an exciting time, but to him it seemed that something had been lost in their worship. After thinking about the problem, he decided, “We became connoisseurs of worship rather than participants.” They fell into the trap of critiquing worship rather than worshipping. They had state-of-the-art sound and lights, so they were constantly fussing with them. They had access to audiovisuals, so they tweaked and experimented. So Pilavachi got rid of their “order of worship.” He decided (with advance planning, one might assume) that everything would be spontaneous. People got into circles and shared prayers, readings. Songs were started by one group and were gradually picked up by other groups. When they stopped focusing on the worship event, they found the heart of worship.

The people in Jerusalem worshipped Jesus… with their words. These same voices only a week later latter would be screaming “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” As Jesus rode into Jerusalem admit the shouts of praise and outward signs of devotion, was he not struck by the difference between their words and their heart? I wonder if He is ever struck by that difference today? Can we give God our worship acts and our worship words without ever giving Him our hearts?

When the church mentioned above did finally go back to their normal order and routine of worship, they sung a song especially written by their worship leader Matt Redmond for the occasion, “The Heart of Worship.” The song is a powerful reminder of what gives our "Hosannas" real meaning--

When the music fades, all is stripped away, and I simply come,

Longing just to bring, something that’s of worth that will bless Your heart.

I’ll bring you more than a song, For a song in itself
........is not what you have required

You search much deeper within, the way things appear,
........You’re looking into my heart

I’m coming back to the heart of worship—
........and it’s all about You, it’s all about You.

I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it—
........When it’s all about You, it’s all about You

God is calling us to the heart of worship. The heart of worship isn’t our songs, our order or even our preaching. It’s all about Him.

Risky Business

In our Old Testament reading for today (1 Samuel 25), David is on the run from Saul and making a living in the "security business" or maybe the "protection rackets." He was hiring out his sword to protect wealthy landowners from robbers and rustlers. Or maybe he was taking payments not to do the robbing and rustling himself. One of his clients is a wealthy land baron named Nabal who was described as “surly and mean in his dealings” while his wife Abigail is said to be “an intelligent and beautiful woman” (1 Sam 25:3), and these descriptions become the backdrop of this story. David provides his basic no-frills protection services to Nabal and his men. The name “Nabal” means “fool” in Hebrew, and Nabal lives up to his name when he decides not to pay David in 1 Samuel 25:10-11—

“Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?”

That reminds me of Robert Duval’s famous line in True Grit when he answers John Wayne, “Well, that’s mighty big talk for a one-eyed fat man.” Nabal thought David’s status as a fugitive from Saul would cause him to turn and run. He thought wrong; David straps on his sword and rushes to make Nabal an offer that he can’t refuse.

One of Nabal’s servants sees disaster riding down upon them and rushes to Abigail to beg for her help. Outwardly Abigail is the most powerless person in the story. She was a woman in a patriarchal culture in which women could not own property, testify in court, or control their own lives apart from their father or husband. And yet, it is Abigail alone who has the courage to do the right thing. She steps between the irresistible force which was David and the immovable object that was Nabal. She makes David a gift of food and speaks words of peace, truth and reconciliation, and she succeeds in averting a massacre. David recognizes in Abigail the working of God (25:32-33) and he sends her home in peace.

Abigail was used as God's instrument of peace, but that was only possible because she was willing to put herself at risk in the process. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9). Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and those who follow Him must be people of peace. And when act to bring God's peace in the lives of others, then we are being children of God. But like Abigail-- and like Jesus Himself-- we will never be peacemakers until we place ourselves at risk. To step between warring factions in an effort to broker peace is always risky business-- whether that is in families, in the workplace or in our churches. Peace is always risky business, but it is also God's business. And that makes it our business.

Poscards from the Left Coast

Our annual oddysey to the land of fruits and nuts for the Pepperdine Lectures is now in the books. My Google gadget countdown timer now reads 364 days until Pepperdine 2009. (Sigh). The trip was wonderful-- after our initial flight was postponed 3 hours; everything went as smooth as silk. Air Tran did much better than Delta has the last 3 years-- we did get tired of pretzels after awhile!

We spend 4 days on the front end in Palm Springs doing absolutely nothing except relaxing. Well, we did have to go to the timeshare sales pitch as payment for the stay, and that was fun. We have stayed in these resorts for the last 3-4 years (this was the first time in Palm Springs). At some point they will figure it out that as long as they keep giving us a nice room for $200 or so for 3-4 days, there is do reason to buy anything! Lets hope they don't.

It reached 101 degrees one day, but it didn't seem all that hot (dry heat). We took the tram ride up from the desert some 10,000 feet or so o the top of Mt. San Jacinto. Lynn loved it... except the part where we rode the tram 10,000 feet up the side of the mountain. It was about 30 degrees cooler once we got there, and we enjoyed hiking around for several hours.

Everything changed once we got to Pepperdine-- from lazy-laid-back to frenetic. The lectures started at 7:30 each morning and went until 10:00 that night, and we didn't miss but one session one day. It was good having Randy and Better Tanner with us again this year. One day we hope to have a whole group of folks from Denbigh trek out there with us. We were so busy that I forgot to do to the displays and buy books like I usually do. I think maybe that as we (I) get older, it is taking longer up and down the mountain between sessions! The lectures and worship times were great. As always, we were there an hour early to stake the front row for praise time with Hallal.

I tried several times to make entries to the blog from my phone, but alas the technology would not cooperate. It seems that Blogger doesn't work with the Safari browser on the iPhone, so the real-time reports that I intended to make did not materialize. And now I have forgotten all the witty things I was going to say. Suffice it to say that this weeks was once again a great time of spiritual renewal and uplift. To paraphrase Jim McGuiggen, "Everyone should be forced to attend the Pepperdine lectures... if they want to."