In the summer of 1969 I embarked on a special journey. That 16th summer of my life in Niagara Falls, NY I discovered a book on the family bookshelf that I had not read, and so I began to read it. Now I'm a half continent from my home town and still reading that Book -- and still finding it full of surprises.
During my 40th summer in the Word (2008) I complied a list of forty lessons I have learned since that teenage summer. That was one of the most trying periods in our nation's history. Here is one lesson for each year of my journey to be shared during another trying time in history.
1. If there is a God, I want to know what he has to say.
2. If there is no God, then nothing anyone says or does will matter.
3. What the Bible says and what people say it says are two different things. Read it for yourself and learn the difference.
4. Jesus is Lord of all. Because he is Lord of all, his teachings should be at the center of all I think, say, and do.
5. The Bible has all the basic principles of a successful life.
6. Everybody needs a day off at least once every week.
7. We are all free moral agents. Therefore I cannot impose my religion on others.
8. The Bible is the foundation of all knowledge, but it is not all knowledge. Read widely. Learn from those smarter than you.
9. Life is too short to spend reading bad books.
10. When it comes to money, give some, save some, and spend some.
11. Your god is what you think about most of the time.
12. God knew what he was doing when he initiated a flat tax of 10%.
13. When I stand before the judgment seat no one – not even a minister – will be standing next to me. Only the Lord Jesus will be next to me. Do not follow a man if you are looking for a savior or advocate.
14. The corn grows tallest in the middle of the cornfield.
15. A three-fold cord is not quickly broken. Hang with people of like minds and values.
16. Money is a tool, not a goal.
17. The borrower is servant to the lender. Stay out of debt.
18. We have two major political parties in this country: the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
19. Don’t sell your birthright for a bowl of soup.
20. Good times are more fun than bad times, but bad times are necessary for the soul.
21. We all have our own section of the wall to mend.
22. If you ask God for patience, he’ll give you the opportunity to be patient.
23. It’s what you learn after you know it all that really counts.
24. Before getting to the Promised Land, we must first pass through the wilderness.
25. Don’t despise the day of small things. The smallest match can light a mighty fire.
26. Accept wisdom even if it comes from an unexpected source. God once spoke through Balaam’s ass.
27. If you find the perfect church, don’t join it because then it won’t be perfect anymore.
28. Moses argued with God and God changed his mind. What does that tell us about God?
29. The National Anthem ends in a question mark. May the answer always be “yes”.
30. Every day is a divine appointment with God.
31. Good men respect strong women.
32. Give things time. The difference between a bad haircut and a good haircut is seven days.
33. God won’t give up on you. Don’t give up on yourself.
34. I don’t accept it all on faith. Science and reason prove a lot of it.
35. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
36. Don’t confuse Christianity with Christians.
37. It’s okay to help your brother remove the speck from his eye, but only if you first take the beam out of your own.
38. The lesson of the Good Samaritan is not “who is my neighbor.” It’s “am I a good neighbor?”
39. Jesus got angry when people were being hurt and abused.
40. When the facts change, I change. I would rather be right than consistent.
LC
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Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
God Is Not a Republican
And He’s not a Democrat either. From what I know of the Man, he has better things to do than to align himself with various factions vying for political power. Ultimately, he has all of that in abundance anyway.
It’s instructive that even though Jesus held many positions in common with the Pharisees (resurrection of the dead, acceptance of all the Hebrew Scriptures and not just the Torah, belief in angels), he never once identified himself as a Pharisee. It is also instructive that he socialized with people from all backgrounds and factions, including Pharisees (Luke 11, John 3), Samaritans (John 4), people from Herod’s household (Luke 8), Roman soldiers (Matthew 8), Gentiles (Mark 7), fisherman (Matthew 4), publicans (Matthew 21), Zealots (Luke 6), and anyone else who would hear his message.
As a self-described political junkie I have been tempted the past year or so to stop describing myself as an Independent and to affiliate formally with an established political party. As a practical matter, the party system offers a mechanism to join forces with others of like values and convictions in order to affect a peaceful change in the body politic and ideally in the direction of the country.
I like that thought and believe it a legitimate one. But then I ask myself, if Jesus were a citizen of the United States today would he join the Republican Party? How about the Democrats, or the Libertarians, or Constitutionalists? I think not, but not because it is inherently wrong to be involved in politics and make common cause with those of like minds. Jesus refused membership with any faction because his purpose transcends politics. His purpose is to establish a better kingdom that is not of this world’s order (Greek: cosmos, John 18:36).
It’s doubtful that I’ll join up again with either of the parties that once had my allegiance, or any other party for that matter, not because I’m Jesus, but because running for office is not my calling. I don’t need any party’s imprimatur on my backside, and I’m sure not going to give any party mine.
In the book Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, author Joseph J Ellis refers to “the monarchical principle”, a phrase John Adams used to describe one of his bedrock views of Presidency. One might think that this implies autocracy, and perhaps to an extent Adams had that tendency. But a Monarchical Presidency implied something more. Both Adams and Washington viewed the Presidency as an office above politics in the same way that the British Monarch is supposed to be above politics and thus not a member of any political party. The president was to be president of all the people and a unifying force for the nation.
That concept ended with Jefferson. Says Ellis, “As Jefferson had understood from the moment Washington stepped down, the American president must forever after be the head of a political party.” (p. 204)
That’s the sad way the world will always unfold, but we don’t have to play that game in order to be salt and light to the world. Political parties have their place, but don’t let them own you.
It’s instructive that even though Jesus held many positions in common with the Pharisees (resurrection of the dead, acceptance of all the Hebrew Scriptures and not just the Torah, belief in angels), he never once identified himself as a Pharisee. It is also instructive that he socialized with people from all backgrounds and factions, including Pharisees (Luke 11, John 3), Samaritans (John 4), people from Herod’s household (Luke 8), Roman soldiers (Matthew 8), Gentiles (Mark 7), fisherman (Matthew 4), publicans (Matthew 21), Zealots (Luke 6), and anyone else who would hear his message.
As a self-described political junkie I have been tempted the past year or so to stop describing myself as an Independent and to affiliate formally with an established political party. As a practical matter, the party system offers a mechanism to join forces with others of like values and convictions in order to affect a peaceful change in the body politic and ideally in the direction of the country.
I like that thought and believe it a legitimate one. But then I ask myself, if Jesus were a citizen of the United States today would he join the Republican Party? How about the Democrats, or the Libertarians, or Constitutionalists? I think not, but not because it is inherently wrong to be involved in politics and make common cause with those of like minds. Jesus refused membership with any faction because his purpose transcends politics. His purpose is to establish a better kingdom that is not of this world’s order (Greek: cosmos, John 18:36).
It’s doubtful that I’ll join up again with either of the parties that once had my allegiance, or any other party for that matter, not because I’m Jesus, but because running for office is not my calling. I don’t need any party’s imprimatur on my backside, and I’m sure not going to give any party mine.
In the book Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, author Joseph J Ellis refers to “the monarchical principle”, a phrase John Adams used to describe one of his bedrock views of Presidency. One might think that this implies autocracy, and perhaps to an extent Adams had that tendency. But a Monarchical Presidency implied something more. Both Adams and Washington viewed the Presidency as an office above politics in the same way that the British Monarch is supposed to be above politics and thus not a member of any political party. The president was to be president of all the people and a unifying force for the nation.
That concept ended with Jefferson. Says Ellis, “As Jefferson had understood from the moment Washington stepped down, the American president must forever after be the head of a political party.” (p. 204)
That’s the sad way the world will always unfold, but we don’t have to play that game in order to be salt and light to the world. Political parties have their place, but don’t let them own you.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Why I Enjoy Country Music
How anyone can't get a grin out of such masterpieces as the lyrics from Tim McGraw's Back When is beyond me.
"Back When"
Don't you remember
The fizz in a pepper
Peanuts in a bottle
At ten, two and four
A fried bologna sandwich
With mayo and tomato
Sittin' round the table
Don't happen much anymore
We got too complicated
It's all way over-rated
I like the old and out-dated
Way of life
Back when a hoe was a hoe
Coke was a coke
And crack's what you were doing
When you were cracking jokes
Back when a screw was a screw
The wind was all that blew
And when you said I'm down with that
Well it meant you had the flu
I miss back when
I miss back when
I miss back when
I love my records
Black, shiny vinyl
Clicks and pops
And white noise
Man they sounded fine
I had my favorite stations
The ones that played them all
Country, soul and rock-and-roll
What happened to those times?
I'm readin' Street Slang For Dummies
Cause they put pop in my country
I want more for my money
The way it was back then
Back when a hoe was a hoe
Coke was a coke
And crack's what you were doing
When you were cracking jokes
Back when a screw was a screw
The wind was all that blew
And when you said I'm down with that
Well it meant you had the flu
I miss back when
I miss back when
I miss back when
Give me a flat top for strumming
I want the whole world to be humming
Just keep it coming
The way it was back then
Back when a hoe was a hoe
Coke was a coke
And crack's what you were doing
When you were cracking jokes
Back when a screw was a screw
The wind was all that blew
And when you said I'm down with that
Well it meant you had the flu
I miss back when
I miss back when
I miss back when
"Back When"
Don't you remember
The fizz in a pepper
Peanuts in a bottle
At ten, two and four
A fried bologna sandwich
With mayo and tomato
Sittin' round the table
Don't happen much anymore
We got too complicated
It's all way over-rated
I like the old and out-dated
Way of life
Back when a hoe was a hoe
Coke was a coke
And crack's what you were doing
When you were cracking jokes
Back when a screw was a screw
The wind was all that blew
And when you said I'm down with that
Well it meant you had the flu
I miss back when
I miss back when
I miss back when
I love my records
Black, shiny vinyl
Clicks and pops
And white noise
Man they sounded fine
I had my favorite stations
The ones that played them all
Country, soul and rock-and-roll
What happened to those times?
I'm readin' Street Slang For Dummies
Cause they put pop in my country
I want more for my money
The way it was back then
Back when a hoe was a hoe
Coke was a coke
And crack's what you were doing
When you were cracking jokes
Back when a screw was a screw
The wind was all that blew
And when you said I'm down with that
Well it meant you had the flu
I miss back when
I miss back when
I miss back when
Give me a flat top for strumming
I want the whole world to be humming
Just keep it coming
The way it was back then
Back when a hoe was a hoe
Coke was a coke
And crack's what you were doing
When you were cracking jokes
Back when a screw was a screw
The wind was all that blew
And when you said I'm down with that
Well it meant you had the flu
I miss back when
I miss back when
I miss back when
Friday, January 22, 2010
Peggy Noonan at her un-nuanced best
Peggy Noonan at her un-nuanced best in her Wall Street Journal column. Excerpts:
Chances are pretty good you came to see the two major parties not as the Dems versus the Reps, or the blue versus the red, but as the Nuts versus the Creeps. The Nuts were for high spending and taxing and the expansion of government no matter what. The Creeps were hypocrites who talked one thing and did another, who went along on the spending spree while lecturing on fiscal solvency.
[Senator Brown] needs to avoid the Descent of the Congressional Vampires, who'll attempt to claim his victory as their own and suck from his neck until he's a pale and lifeless husk. Not to understate.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Pop Quiz: Giving to a Worthy Cause
I have in my bank account $20,000. I want to use it for the good of society. My city has many worthy charities to which I have contributed lots of money in past years. There are also hard-working but poor people in my church, and also neighbors in need. What is the most charitable thing I can do with this money? Pick one.
1. Donate $20,000 to a worthy charity. They have experience in determining those in real need.
2. Use it to help support the poor in my neighborhood and church. Person to person charity is the best and gives the most satisfaction
3. Give it to an international charity. Missions are important, and poverty abroad makes the poor at home look like royalty.
4. Do a combination of all three.
5. Forget the charities. Use it to start a business.
Correct answer? The first 4 are all honorable choices. But have you thought about #5 as being the best way to benefit society?
If I start a business and turn a profit, I have more money to donate to charities. As a businessman, I’ll buy goods and services from others, helping them stay in business and keeping people employed.
If I’m successful in business, I’ll need to hire people to work for me, taking them off the unemployment and welfare lines, a benefit to both the taxpayer and my new employees.
My employees, in turn, will donate more to charity and will also buy more stuff including houses and cars, which will help other people make more money and donate more to charity.
By starting a business, I’ll generate more good in dollar terms than the $20,000 I would have contributed and at the same time reduce the need for charity. Sounds like a good deal to me.
Small business is the primary creator of wealth in the USA. Successful private businesses make more money available for charities while at the same time reduce the need for it. Sounds like a heckuva deal to me.
1. Donate $20,000 to a worthy charity. They have experience in determining those in real need.
2. Use it to help support the poor in my neighborhood and church. Person to person charity is the best and gives the most satisfaction
3. Give it to an international charity. Missions are important, and poverty abroad makes the poor at home look like royalty.
4. Do a combination of all three.
5. Forget the charities. Use it to start a business.
Correct answer? The first 4 are all honorable choices. But have you thought about #5 as being the best way to benefit society?
If I start a business and turn a profit, I have more money to donate to charities. As a businessman, I’ll buy goods and services from others, helping them stay in business and keeping people employed.
If I’m successful in business, I’ll need to hire people to work for me, taking them off the unemployment and welfare lines, a benefit to both the taxpayer and my new employees.
My employees, in turn, will donate more to charity and will also buy more stuff including houses and cars, which will help other people make more money and donate more to charity.
By starting a business, I’ll generate more good in dollar terms than the $20,000 I would have contributed and at the same time reduce the need for charity. Sounds like a good deal to me.
Small business is the primary creator of wealth in the USA. Successful private businesses make more money available for charities while at the same time reduce the need for it. Sounds like a heckuva deal to me.
Monday, January 18, 2010
When I Run I Feel God’s Pleasure
Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to the Father. (Col. 3:17 NASB)
In the movie CHARIOTS OF FIRE Eric Liddell, the Scottish Olympic runner, faced a dilemma, or so his sister Jenny thought. Liddell felt a call to the mission field in China, but his Olympic training interfered with his religious calling. Sister Jenny was upset.
“Jenny, Jenny,” Eric tried to explain, “you’ve got to understand. I believe God made me for a purpose – for China. But he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure!”
In I Corinthians 10:31(NASB) we read, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Liddell’s dedication and his refusal to run on his Sabbath in fact did bring glory to God, and later in life Liddell suffered a martyr’s death in the Chinese countryside.
In our daily endeavors our actions should bear “the exact representation of His nature” (Heb. 1:3 NASB), just as Jesus’ did. When we complete a project, it should bear the imprint of God’s glory. It should reflect the quality and character that would honor the Father. According to the scriptures, we are God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10), and we know that when God creates, it is very good. Our workmanship should strive to reflect the same quality.
When we run, do we feel God’s pleasure?
Scattered throughout the Holy Land are the ruins of amazing structures from 2000 years past. The remains of Herod’s Palace still stand in the desert. In Capernaum archaeologists have found ruins of a meticulously crafted first century synagogue. Even at the Western Wall (the only part of Herod’s Temple that remains today) we find a quality of workmanship that rivals the best of today’s artisans.
We don’t know what structures Joseph & Sons Carpentry might have constructed, but it is no stretch to believe that their handiwork would have borne the imprint of God’s character. Joseph and Sons would have felt God’s pleasure.
Lenny C.
In the movie CHARIOTS OF FIRE Eric Liddell, the Scottish Olympic runner, faced a dilemma, or so his sister Jenny thought. Liddell felt a call to the mission field in China, but his Olympic training interfered with his religious calling. Sister Jenny was upset.
“Jenny, Jenny,” Eric tried to explain, “you’ve got to understand. I believe God made me for a purpose – for China. But he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure!”
In I Corinthians 10:31(NASB) we read, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Liddell’s dedication and his refusal to run on his Sabbath in fact did bring glory to God, and later in life Liddell suffered a martyr’s death in the Chinese countryside.
In our daily endeavors our actions should bear “the exact representation of His nature” (Heb. 1:3 NASB), just as Jesus’ did. When we complete a project, it should bear the imprint of God’s glory. It should reflect the quality and character that would honor the Father. According to the scriptures, we are God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10), and we know that when God creates, it is very good. Our workmanship should strive to reflect the same quality.
When we run, do we feel God’s pleasure?
Scattered throughout the Holy Land are the ruins of amazing structures from 2000 years past. The remains of Herod’s Palace still stand in the desert. In Capernaum archaeologists have found ruins of a meticulously crafted first century synagogue. Even at the Western Wall (the only part of Herod’s Temple that remains today) we find a quality of workmanship that rivals the best of today’s artisans.
We don’t know what structures Joseph & Sons Carpentry might have constructed, but it is no stretch to believe that their handiwork would have borne the imprint of God’s character. Joseph and Sons would have felt God’s pleasure.
Lenny C.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Another Silent Night
A young lady named Allie sang this at church yesterday. She didn't look my way while singing. If she had, she would have seen tears down my cheeks. "A nation with no room for its King. While we are sleeping."
While You Were Sleeping
While You Were Sleeping
Monday, January 11, 2010
Revisionism and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Several years ago William J Bennett published his Book of Virtues, a compendium of literature from around the world meant to illustrate the seven virtues of classical thought. In his book were a couple of selections from the works of Martin Luther King, Jr., including his Letter from a Birmingham Jail.
The letter was an eye-opener to me because I had always been led to believe that King was either an incendiary left-wing ideologue (from one side’s perspective) or a saintly left-wing ideologue (from the other side’s perspective). But the letter from the Birmingham jail reveals someone who does not fit into either of those mischaracterizations. In fact, it would be fair to say that Dr. King’s position on natural law would cause him to be considered unqualified to sit on the Federal bench in today’s political environment. Dr. King’s justification for his acts of civil disobedience relied heavily upon his belief in a law higher than man’s law, and that a person is justified in defying unjust laws if one must do so in order to obey the higher law.
That’s why I was distressed by what I found on the University of Pennsylvania’s African Studies website, edited by Dr. Ali B. Ali-Dinar. I was searching the net for the text of the Birmingham letter and found the following URL:
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html
I posted this on my Facebook Wall, and then began to read the letter for references that I knew Dr. King had written. After reading what was on the site, I immediately removed the post. Specifically, I was looking for his scriptural references (Dr. King equated natural law with the Law of God, a disqualifying conviction in the minds of many on the left today), and virtually none of them were there. His references to natural law were also largely expunged, and what remained were what seemed like the diatribes of a secular humanist playing the roll of victim.
I wondered if maybe Dr. King wrote two letters from jail, so I searched further, and came across the archives of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. The URL:
http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/resources/article/annotated_letter_from_birmingham
The Institute houses the official archives of Dr. King and includes transcripts of some of his sermons (well worth the read). They clearly state that the posted version of the Letter from the Birmingham Jail is only excerpts. Even so, Dr. King’s clear references to Scripture, classical Western thought, respected theologians, and American ideals are there for all to see.
I’ll leave it to Dr. Ali-Dinar to explain why he edited the University of Pennsylvania’s version the way he did without disclosing what he was doing. Surely a Ph.D should know better. In any case my point is as it stands: Dr. King’s philosophical heritage was squarely in the mainstream of Western thought and furthermore reveals a man of deep intellect, love for country, and respect for Scripture.
And in my humble opinion, he would not be comfortable in today’s Democrat party.
The letter was an eye-opener to me because I had always been led to believe that King was either an incendiary left-wing ideologue (from one side’s perspective) or a saintly left-wing ideologue (from the other side’s perspective). But the letter from the Birmingham jail reveals someone who does not fit into either of those mischaracterizations. In fact, it would be fair to say that Dr. King’s position on natural law would cause him to be considered unqualified to sit on the Federal bench in today’s political environment. Dr. King’s justification for his acts of civil disobedience relied heavily upon his belief in a law higher than man’s law, and that a person is justified in defying unjust laws if one must do so in order to obey the higher law.
That’s why I was distressed by what I found on the University of Pennsylvania’s African Studies website, edited by Dr. Ali B. Ali-Dinar. I was searching the net for the text of the Birmingham letter and found the following URL:
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html
I posted this on my Facebook Wall, and then began to read the letter for references that I knew Dr. King had written. After reading what was on the site, I immediately removed the post. Specifically, I was looking for his scriptural references (Dr. King equated natural law with the Law of God, a disqualifying conviction in the minds of many on the left today), and virtually none of them were there. His references to natural law were also largely expunged, and what remained were what seemed like the diatribes of a secular humanist playing the roll of victim.
I wondered if maybe Dr. King wrote two letters from jail, so I searched further, and came across the archives of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. The URL:
http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/resources/article/annotated_letter_from_birmingham
The Institute houses the official archives of Dr. King and includes transcripts of some of his sermons (well worth the read). They clearly state that the posted version of the Letter from the Birmingham Jail is only excerpts. Even so, Dr. King’s clear references to Scripture, classical Western thought, respected theologians, and American ideals are there for all to see.
I’ll leave it to Dr. Ali-Dinar to explain why he edited the University of Pennsylvania’s version the way he did without disclosing what he was doing. Surely a Ph.D should know better. In any case my point is as it stands: Dr. King’s philosophical heritage was squarely in the mainstream of Western thought and furthermore reveals a man of deep intellect, love for country, and respect for Scripture.
And in my humble opinion, he would not be comfortable in today’s Democrat party.
Friday, January 8, 2010
What's With the Briefcases?
Today I am going to pick on Chris, but since Chris is going to read this anyway, I don’t feel the least bit guilty about it.
Chris and his family started to attend our congregation a few years ago, and while they were familiar with our doctrinal peculiarities, they were completely new to our way of doing things. They immediately and enthusiastically jumped into the life of the church, and although Chris never said anything, I would occasionally notice an impish grin over something or other that we would say or do.
One weekend Chris was out of town and visited a sister church in another city. The next week he had a question for me. “What’s with the briefcases?” I patiently explained to him that briefcases are to carry things. But Chris was having none of it.
“When I first started coming here I noticed that the guys come in with briefcases. No big deal. Then I visited this other congregation in a different city, and it’s the same thing. So why the briefcases?”
Now, bringing a briefcase to church has great practical value. You can carry your entire family’s Bibles, a couple of notebooks, and other needed miscellany. But still, that question got me thinking. I know of no command in the Bible to carry briefcases, but here is a denomination of sorts where somewhere in our misty history someone decided to stuff his briefcase with religious paraphernalia, and it is now an international distinctive unique to a certain subculture of a small faith community. And our guys never think about how unique this tradition is in the history of Christianity.
But more than this, the briefcase can be taken as a metaphor. Chris noticed our briefcases, but what about the other baggage that we carry as a congregation? What will someone who is visiting us for the first time see that we don’t see because we just accept things as a matter of course?
Is our song service uplifting and inspiring? Are the messages relevant and thought provoking? Or are they dry and pedantic? Do we nurse wounds from past hurts, and are such wounds on open display? Do we come across as sincere students of the Bible and disciples of Jesus, or are we just playing church? Will the first impression be such that people will look forward to coming back, or will our baggage litter the aisles and become a stumbling block? What will they see when they come through your doors?
Questions worth asking, I think. What kind of baggage do you have at your church?
Chris and his family started to attend our congregation a few years ago, and while they were familiar with our doctrinal peculiarities, they were completely new to our way of doing things. They immediately and enthusiastically jumped into the life of the church, and although Chris never said anything, I would occasionally notice an impish grin over something or other that we would say or do.
One weekend Chris was out of town and visited a sister church in another city. The next week he had a question for me. “What’s with the briefcases?” I patiently explained to him that briefcases are to carry things. But Chris was having none of it.
“When I first started coming here I noticed that the guys come in with briefcases. No big deal. Then I visited this other congregation in a different city, and it’s the same thing. So why the briefcases?”
Now, bringing a briefcase to church has great practical value. You can carry your entire family’s Bibles, a couple of notebooks, and other needed miscellany. But still, that question got me thinking. I know of no command in the Bible to carry briefcases, but here is a denomination of sorts where somewhere in our misty history someone decided to stuff his briefcase with religious paraphernalia, and it is now an international distinctive unique to a certain subculture of a small faith community. And our guys never think about how unique this tradition is in the history of Christianity.
But more than this, the briefcase can be taken as a metaphor. Chris noticed our briefcases, but what about the other baggage that we carry as a congregation? What will someone who is visiting us for the first time see that we don’t see because we just accept things as a matter of course?
Is our song service uplifting and inspiring? Are the messages relevant and thought provoking? Or are they dry and pedantic? Do we nurse wounds from past hurts, and are such wounds on open display? Do we come across as sincere students of the Bible and disciples of Jesus, or are we just playing church? Will the first impression be such that people will look forward to coming back, or will our baggage litter the aisles and become a stumbling block? What will they see when they come through your doors?
Questions worth asking, I think. What kind of baggage do you have at your church?
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Climate Change vs. Global Warming?
This article (Hundreds rescued as heavy snow slams Britain) in itself is generally a typical news story, nothing intrinsically remarkable about it, until near the end. Here is a direct quote:
Notice a subtle semantic trick -- "cold weather isn't necessarily a sign of climate change". We're beginning to see a shift in how words are defined. In the not too distant past, Global Warming was equated with "climate change." As it becomes clear that there is no global warming, the definition of "climate change" morphs into something else, which I would surmise will be a new crisis of some sort, different from Global Warmimg, but the responsibility nevertheless of the tax payer.
The national weather office says Britain is experiencing its longest cold snap since 1981. The unusually cold weather is expected to continue for the next two weeks. Forecasters say that, while rare, the recent bout of cold weather isn't necessarily a sign of climate change.
Notice a subtle semantic trick -- "cold weather isn't necessarily a sign of climate change". We're beginning to see a shift in how words are defined. In the not too distant past, Global Warming was equated with "climate change." As it becomes clear that there is no global warming, the definition of "climate change" morphs into something else, which I would surmise will be a new crisis of some sort, different from Global Warmimg, but the responsibility nevertheless of the tax payer.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Lesson: Passengers Are Not Helpless
Excellent commentary from Time Magazine. Click on the link.
The Lesson: Passengers Are Not Helpless
Let's look at in semi-metaphorical fashion. Typically, the government spends boat-loads of money, screws everything up, and then it's the Johnny Lunchbuckets and Joe the Carpenters -- the "you and me's" -- who must step up and bail out their incompetence. That's the pattern, and this incident over Detroit was no different. After everything settles down, the government takes the credit ("the system worked") and then punishes the innocent ("no, Mr. Pilot, you may not use the restroom").
The Lesson: Passengers Are Not Helpless
Let's look at in semi-metaphorical fashion. Typically, the government spends boat-loads of money, screws everything up, and then it's the Johnny Lunchbuckets and Joe the Carpenters -- the "you and me's" -- who must step up and bail out their incompetence. That's the pattern, and this incident over Detroit was no different. After everything settles down, the government takes the credit ("the system worked") and then punishes the innocent ("no, Mr. Pilot, you may not use the restroom").
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Congress is not in session
Ever notice how the country is in a better mood when Congress is not in session? Most of them are out of the country now, which is okay with me. The only problem is that they always come back.
Friday, January 1, 2010
End of the World in 2012?
The Nostradamus Channel (sometimes called the History Channel) has touted again and again that the end of the world will be some time in December 2012.
Christians accepting the idea that Mayans in the ancient Americas can be the carriers of prophesies from God is a puzzle to me. Do Christians really believe that God would use a pagan people with a pagan calendar to convey an exact date about the end of the world?
Consider:
1. Jeremiah 10:2 -- Thus says the LORD, "Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the Gentiles are dismayed at them.”
2. If the two witnesses are supposed to preach 3-1/2 years before the end, where are they?
3. Why would God use a pagan calendar to pinpoint the end, but not the Hebrew calendar?
Don’t be terrified by the signs of heaven like the pagans. Maybe the Mayan calendar ends in 2012 because the ancient timekeepers got tired of counting and went on to something else.
Christians accepting the idea that Mayans in the ancient Americas can be the carriers of prophesies from God is a puzzle to me. Do Christians really believe that God would use a pagan people with a pagan calendar to convey an exact date about the end of the world?
Consider:
1. Jeremiah 10:2 -- Thus says the LORD, "Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the Gentiles are dismayed at them.”
2. If the two witnesses are supposed to preach 3-1/2 years before the end, where are they?
3. Why would God use a pagan calendar to pinpoint the end, but not the Hebrew calendar?
Don’t be terrified by the signs of heaven like the pagans. Maybe the Mayan calendar ends in 2012 because the ancient timekeepers got tired of counting and went on to something else.
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