Out in the Sticks: The Archive

Blog is moving...

2007-03-28T14:51:00.000-06:00

Several folks in my church have recently discovered my blog Out in the Sticks. I've decided to update things a bit and create a new Out in the Sticks and have this blog serve as an archive.

Why you ask? Partly because hawkenstein.blogspot.com is confusing for folks. I picked hawkenstein to honor two of my favorite scientists, Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein. But it's a bit strange and difficult for many to remember. So I thought preacherkoops.blogspot.com would be easier. Hopefully, preacherkoops is self explanatory. So here we go. Hope you enjoy!

Sermon on Mark 10:13-16

2007-03-19T10:29:00.000-06:00

Here is a sermon that I didn't get to deliver as we were unable to make it home to Wray from Denver. I hope you enjoy!

Today we are beginning a new series called People Bringing People leading up to Easter. We will be looking at stories in the gospels of people who bring people to Jesus. What can we learn about bringing people to Jesus from these stories? How can these stories help and motivate us to bring people to Jesus today?

I have mentioned many times before that only 15% of Americans 30 and under attend church and only 5% of Americans 18 and under attend church. That means that the vast majority of children in our country are growing up apart from the influence of the church. Fewer and fewer children are growing up with knowledge of Jesus Christ; with a relationship with Jesus Christ.

And those that are growing up in the church usually don’t stay throughout their lifetime. In fact only 1 in 8 children who are raised in the church will still be in the church when they are 22 years old. These are discouraging stats. But it makes it even more important for us to bring the children of our day to Jesus.
Here in Mark 10:13-16 we see people bringing children to Jesus. They bring their children to Jesus to have him touch them. Now why do they want Jesus to touch them? There is no mention of these children being sick or demon possessed. Why do they want Jesus to touch these children? These people want these children to be touched by Jesus to bless them. They are seeking a visible means of conveying God’s blessing on their lives. It was common for parents to seek the blessing of a Rabbi for their children and it makes sense that many would seek the blessing of Jesus for their children.

It seems to be an innocent enough request. We’ve all seen paintings with Jesus and children. Jesus welcoming little children, laughing, hugging. But the children first need to get past the disciples. Past the bouncers. We see here the disciples rebuking those who are bringing children to Jesus. This seems so strange to us. What is going on?

It’s like the disciples are saying, “Don’t you know who this is? Don’t you know how important his time is? He doesn’t have time for little children! He doesn’t have time for the unimportant, the insignificant, the powerless. Children can’t help fulfill the mission. Children can’t bring about the kingdom of God. They have no political clout, no useful contacts.”

But Jesus sees this completely differently. Jesus is indignant! He is ticked off! He is angry. He is outraged! He is furious! This is the only time in scripture that Jesus is said to be indignant. He is indignant because this is wrong! The disciples are once again demonstrating that they don’t get it! Once again we see that they misunderstand the Kingdom of God, they misunderstand Jesus’ work.

So Jesus rebukes the disciples for their rebuking the people bringing the children. And he has two commands…let the children come to me and don’t hinder them. Start allowing them to come to me and stop preventing them from coming to me.

Then he tells his disciples something amazing. He says they must become like little children to receive the kingdom. Those they were preventing they must now be like. The scene ends with Jesus not just briefly touching the children but hugging them, taking them into his arms, laying his hands on them, and blessing them. We see that Jesus has time for children. Jesus values little children. Jesus values the unimportant, the insignificant, the powerless.

This story leads me to ask several questions. First; are we bringing people to Jesus for him to touch? Like those that brought the little children are we bringing people to Jesus? I assume Jesus has blessed you in some way. I assume you have experienced his touch on your life. That he has begun the process of transformation in your life. That he has saved you from a life of sin and hopelessness. That he has given you peace with God through faith in him. I assume that you have experienced the grace of God through Jesus Christ. That’s why you’re here and keep coming back each week.
Are you seeking to share that blessing with others? Are you inviting others to church? I hope you believe that this church is a place that you can invite others to. We are seeking to make this a safe place for people to come and learn about Jesus. A safe place to experience the touch of Jesus through his followers. To experience love from us, his hands and feet.

When was the last time you invited someone to church? I have read several books and studies on church growth and nearly every one says that churches grow through the members inviting others. In fact, many of those studies say that as much as 80% of new attendees are people invited by current members. 80%! Do you want this church to grow? More importantly, do you want God’s kingdom to grow? Do you want others in our town to experience the peace and joy and new life in Jesus Christ through faith in him? Then invite them to church!

In a few weeks we will be celebrating Easter. Easter is the perfect Sunday to invite someone to church. I am planning to do a very unorthodox message, one that I hope God will use to excite others about our church. Let me encourage you to invite your friends to our church on Easter Sunday. You may be surprised at how open they are to attending with you because you invited them.

In order to invite someone to church, you need to be investing in the lives of people who do not attend church. Do you have people in your life that you are investing in in hopes of introducing them to Jesus Christ? If not let me encourage you to begin investing in the lives of others. We need to be sharing what God has done for us with others. We need to be sharing our faith with others.

Think about how you came to be part of the church. My guess is that someone invited you. I hope that we will become a church that creates opportunities to invite others to our church.

A second question that emerges from this text for us to consider is this; are we hindering people from experiencing Jesus’ touch in any way? Do we have attitudes or actions that prevent people from coming to Jesus? Sometimes we do this and don’t even know it. Many times in churches, there is an unwritten code of conduct, of dress, of respectability, of status in the community, of influence. We are rarely aware of these unwritten codes. But we all live by them and we expect visitors to live by them as well. Without even knowing it, we may make others feel unwelcome or unwanted. Are we a welcoming church? Do we make others feel welcome? Do people feel free to be themselves here? Do they feel safe here?

Along with these unwritten codes that make others feel unwelcome, Christians can also hinder others in their behavior throughout the week Have you ever had someone say to you that they will never go to church because of all the hypocrites? Sadly, we all know that this charge against some in the church is true. And it should cause us all to take a long hard look at ourselves. Are we practicing what we preach? Are we living consistent, authentic lives all week long? Are we truly developing a relationship with Jesus Christ or are we being religious? Does the way you conduct your business draw people to Jesus? Or does it turn people off to Jesus? Does your home life draw people to Jesus? Does the way you manage anger demonstrate to others that you know Jesus?

The world is watching us. And they can’t wait to point the finger at our failures, at our hypocrisy. But if we are consistent, if we practice what we preach, if we are growing in our walk with Jesus Christ, they will see that too. How we live our lives is vitally important to the witness of Jesus Christ in the world.

Along with our unwritten codes and our hypocrisy, we can often blatantly hinder othes from coming to church. Sometimes as Christians and sadly in the name of Jesus, we are rude and judgmental. Many times we believe that Jesus has made us the moral police in the world and our job is to point out the sins of others. But if we are going to point the sins of others out, Jesus teaches we need to start with ourselves.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that instead of pointing out the splinter in someone else’s eye we should concern ourself with removing the log from our own eye. But sadly we rarely practice this. We like to see ourselves as having it together and others are the ones who struggle. We see others as not being good enough, righteous enough, repentant enough, rich enough, powerful enough, or straight enough to come to Jesus. But Jesus commands us to start allowing and stop preventing. We need to seriously consider this question: are we hindering others from coming to Jesus like his first disciples?

A third category of question for us to consider is this: are we becoming like little children? Have you ever noticed that you always know what little children are excited about? You know what has captured their heart. They blurt it out. They talk about it incessantly. They think about it all the time.

Are we childlike in our excitement about Jesus? Has he captured our hearts? Are we childlike in our enthusiastic devotion to him? Or have we grown up? Have we stripped our relationship with Jesus of its passion and replaced it with religion that’s prim and proper. Have we lost our passion and enthusiasm for Jesus? Have we become dignified and dead?

Look at the picture of Jesus in this passage. He is childlike in this scene. All the cares of the world are gone. He is one his way to the cross, making his final trip to Jerusalem and he knows that execution awaits. Yet he stops and hugs children. He holds them. He laughs with them. He blesses them.

Do we have time for the least important in our world? Will we bring them to Jesus?
This leads to my final question. As a church are we welcoming children? What kind of facilities are we devoting to children’s ministry? How much of our budget is dedicated to children? Do we recruit and train quality teachers to work with kids? Are we creating a safe environment, a loving environment for children? Are we reaching out to unchurched kids?

Are we people bringing people to Jesus? Let me challenge you this week. Do you know an unchurched child in your neighborhood who you could invite to church? Let me encourage you to invite that child to church. Bring that child here for Jesus to touch.

The Brick Testament

2006-07-20T15:07:00.000-06:00

Just found this in a Google search. Looks very funny!

The Brick Testament

Hospitality and our "enemies"

2006-05-24T12:57:00.000-06:00

Several weeks ago, Soulforce Equality Ride came through Colorado and stopped at my alma mater Colorado Christian University. I was very pleased to see how the school handled the riders. This article from Christianity Today points out The Power of Hospitality

In an increasingly polarized political culture, shouting slogans is predictable, not newsworthy. As biblical Christians find themselves at odds with various groups, it's worth remembering that "fighting the culture" is more effective with meals and washbasins than it is with posters and bullhorns.

More goofy evangelicals

2006-05-15T13:50:00.000-06:00

Christianity Today has a fascinating and disturbing article concerning Patrick Henry College and the recent depart of 9 professors. Take a look:

Shakeup at Patrick Henry College - Christianity Today Magazine

On March 8 another Source article, this one by Noe and Culberson entitled "The Role of General Revelation in Education," again prompted the administration's response.

"A common misconception among American evangelicals, and one that cannot be supported by the Scriptures themselves, is that the Bible is the only source of truth," the article began. "We argue that this misconception amounts to a blasphemous denial of Christ's words in Matthew 5 that 'he sends rain on the just and the unjust.'"

The 900-word article argued that "a Christian must refuse to view special and general revelation as hostile to one another. Nor should he hesitate to learn from a pagan. There is much wisdom to be gained from Parmenides and Plato, as well Machiavelli and Marx."

The article prompted a 2,600-word response by college chaplain Raymond Bouchoc, sent to students, faculty, and staff. The response, endorsed by Farris and Sanders, discussed seven "harmful implications" that could be drawn from the professors' article and claimed the piece "diminishes the import of Scripture."

Does acknowledging that the Bible is not the only source of truth reduce the significance of Scripture? What are your thoughts?

McLaren on The DaVinci Code

2006-05-09T14:34:00.000-06:00

SojoMail sent out a great interview with Brian McLaren concerning The DaVinci Code. His comments, true to his form, will probably prove to be rather provacative. Below is a teaser:

SojoMail

One of the problems is that the average Christian in the average church who listens to the average Christian broadcasting has such an oversimplified understanding of both the Bible and of church history - it would be deeply disturbing for them to really learn about church history. I think the disturbing would do them good. But a lot of times education is disturbing for people. And so if The Da Vinci Code causes people to ask questions and Christians have to dig deeper, that's a great thing, a great opportunity for growth. And it does show a weakness in the church giving either no understanding of church history or a very stilted, one-sided, sugarcoated version.

On the other hand, it's important for me to say I don't think anyone can learn good church history from Brown. There's been a lot of debunking of what he calls facts. But again, the guy's writing fiction so nobody should be surprised about that. The sad thing is there's an awful lot of us who claim to be telling objective truth and we actually have our own propaganda and our own versions of history as well.

Let me mention one other thing about Brown's book that I think is appealing to people. The church goes through a pendulum swing at times from overemphasizing the deity of Christ to overemphasizing the humanity of Christ. So a book like Brown's that overemphasizes the humanity of Christ can be a mirror to us saying that we might be underemphasizing the humanity of Christ....

I would like to see churches teach their people how to have intelligent dialogue that doesn't degenerate into argument. We have to teach people that the Holy Spirit works in the middle of conversation. We see it time and time again - Jesus enters into dialogue with people; Paul and Peter and the apostles enter into dialogue with people. We tend to think that the Holy Spirit can only work in the middle of a monologue where we are doing the speaking.

So if our churches can encourage people to, if you see someone reading the book or you know someone who's gone to the movie, say, "What do you think about Jesus and what do you think about this or that," and to ask questions instead of getting into arguments, that would be wonderful. The more we can keep conversations open and going the more chances we give the Holy Spirit to work. But too often people want to get into an argument right away. And, you know, Jesus has handled 2,000 years of questions, skepticism, and attacks, and he's gonna come through just fine. So we don't have to be worried.

The conversation surrounding The DaVinci Code continues. What are your thoughts? Do you think Christians are looking for an argument? Do you think the average Christian is uneducated concerning church history and would be greatly disturbed if they started to learn?

End of the "E" Word?

2006-04-28T15:18:00.000-06:00

It's so nice to feel affirmed by others in my reaction to the word evangelical. Here's a tease from a great article calling for the end of the word evangelical.

Christianity Magazine: Editorials - Editorial comment on christian issues by John Buckeridge: Church finances and christian giving

I’m an evangelical – but sometimes I’m reluctant to own up. I’m not alone – in a survey conducted for Premier Radio and the Evangelical Alliance 87% of the sample describe themselves as evangelical but only 59% reveal their ‘evangelical’ identity to others (News page 8). Not that we’re ashamed of the gospel of the Lord Jesus or being identified as Christians, it’s just the ‘evangelical’ tag that we sometimes struggle with.

So what should evangelicals who don't like the word call themselves? Any ideas, suggestions?

Students, Staff Involved in Fatal Crash - Taylor University

2006-04-28T15:09:00.000-06:00

This is a terribly tragic incident. May we all be in prayer for the families and friends of these 5 people.

Taylor University officials report that a van carrying professional staff and students was involved in a collision with a semitrailer on Interstate 69 near Highway 18.

Dr. Blomberg and the Gospel of Judas

2006-04-25T17:29:00.000-06:00

Dr. Craig Blomberg reviews "The Gospel of Judas". Here's a quote to encourage your engagement:

Denver Journal - 9:0211 - The Gospel of Judas.

The acceptance of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John cannot be reduced simply to the choices of the winners in ancient ecclesiastical politics. But the vehemence with which some people keep repeating this mantra shows that in our increasingly postmodern, ahistorical world, history today can be rewritten and re-invented by those who shout the loudest, whether or not they have the necessary supporting evidence!

So what do you think about all of this?

Conservatives and liberals : Living with tares

2006-03-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that I pastor, is struggling with the issue of "living with tares." We are a conservative church in the midst of a liberal denomination. What do we do? I found this article insightful. Here's a quote:

Living with Tares - Christianity Today Magazine

Why do I not join those who have left or are leaving? Why do I stay? Serving a broken and divided church is a hard calling, and I do not minimize the difficulty of the task or the inevitable disappointments that I will encounter on the journey. But the Lord, for his good purpose, has (I humbly believe) thrown into one church Christians of radically different and sometimes theologically incompatible perspectives. Is it possible that in the midst of this painful discontinuity, he may do a work that none of us can foresee? It is in that hope and in remembering that he is Lord of the church and in charge of the big picture that I follow Jesus in the Episcopal Church.

So what do you think? Should conservative, evangelical churches and pastor's stay in liberal denominations?

Wray's close call

2006-03-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in a long time. I'm really enjoying my silence. I have been reading a lot of great books and praying about my future and the future's of the churches I serve. I have become rather self-conscious about my blog and what I have written, mostly because of the possible pending search and call process. How will my blog effect that process? My brother thinks I should delete it. I 'm most concerned about my thoughts being taken out of context by others. Oh well, I'm probably over-analysizing!

So what has prompted this post? This local story and some photos I took. I couldn't resist.

Rocky Mountain News: Local

Yuma County Sheriff Sam McCoy said arching power lines caused by high winds yesterday may have sparked a 23,000-acre prairie fire that injured four firefighters and burned at least seven buildings.

Power, Possessions and Stewards

2006-02-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

These are challenging words from Andy Crouch concerning possessions and power.

Learning from Fools - Christianity Today Magazine

Possessions and power are instruments of blindness. They endanger our very souls. The only safe thing to do with them is to forsake them, to put them beyond use, beyond the reach of our foolish dreams.

Rich aliens: possessions and God's Kingdom

2006-01-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

This is a very interesting article on the relationship of church and culture. Listen to these challenging words:

Too often, of course, the contemporary church simply mirrors the culture. Increasingly, we are less a holy city drawn together around Christ and more a part of the suburban sprawl that celebrates individual autonomy, choice, entertainment, and pragmatic efficiency.

Sadly, I feel this statement is true. This morning I finished the excellent book God & Your Stuff: The Vital Link Between Your Possessions and Your Soul. In this book, the author Wesley Willmer, argues that the use of our possessions is our trademark as Christians and a test as stewards. Willmer argues that "if Christ is not first in the use of our money, he is not first in our lives." Jesus said it this way, "where your treasure is, there your heart is also." By this challenging standard, no wonder the church mirrors culture typically just creating a christianized subculture of the larger culture. Sadly, most in the Christians in the church mirror cultural attitudes toward money and possessions. Few Christians call into question our materialistic lifestyles.

And it is in large part the clergy's fault! Pastors have not been trained in a theology of stewardship and therefore are not training the church. My seminary education did not include a mandatory class on stewardship. And the church I grew up in tended to preach the subject when it was necessary.

This year I am planning on preaching on stewardship once a quarter. It will not be a desperate appeal for funds. It will be an invitation to discover the powerful spiritual discipline of giving. And hopefully, slowly but surely, the folks in my church and their pastor will begin shattering the mirrors of culture in our lives.

Technorati Tags: theology, materialism, money

The last bag of tortilla chips in town...

2006-01-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

There are some unique experiences to living out in the sticks. Last night I had a particularly funny one.

At about 5pm, my wife asked me to go to the grocery store for a few items: tortilla chips, bananas, cheese, and a lime. The plan was to have nachos for dinner. All was going well until I turned down the chip aisle. I wish I had my camera with me. There were very few bags of chips left and not a single bag of tortilla chips.

"No problem," I thought, "I just go to Alco next door."

There were no tortilla chips at Alco. "I'll check Ampride," I thought.

After waiting at the train crossing for the train to pass, I entered Ampride. No tortilla chips! The last possible store is 7-Eleven.

There at 7-Eleven was one bag of Tostitos bite size tortilla chips! Dinner was saved!

Just another day living out in the sticks!

Commercialization, Aslan, Hobbes, and the Church

2006-01-06T16:34:00.000-07:00

This is a fantastic article, dealing with commercialization and Narnia. It is utterly amazing to me how the church is seen as an opportunity to make a buck selling worthless books and tons of unecessary knicknacks!

A Tale of Two Kitties - Christianity Today Magazine

In an age in which any notable spiritual movement immediately begets a plethora of associated products (calendars, Bible covers, journals, T-shirts), the logic and form of commercialism demand our critical attention, not merely our easy acceptance. When does the logic of commercialism not make sense? When is it a problem to turn certain ideas or realities into merchandise? When is defying popularity and consumer demand an act of integrity? When should form outweigh marketability? When should a lion remain bookish, and a tiger remain cartoonish?

Great questions for us to consider (even though I really liked the movie!).

Technorati Tags: Narnia, commercialism, church, culture

Pat speaks, God listens!

2006-01-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

Pat strikes again! Yesterday, Robertson suggested that Sharon's stroke is God's judgment. This guy is truly unbelievable!

``God considers this land to be his,'' Robertson said on his TV program ``The 700 Club.'' ``You read the Bible and he says `This is my land,' and for any prime minister of Israel who decides he is going to carve it up and give it away, God says, `No, this is mine.'''

Sharon, who ordered Israel's withdrawal from Gaza last year, suffered a severe stroke on Wednesday.

In Robertson's broadcast from his Christian Broadcasting Network in Virginia Beach, the evangelist said he had personally prayed about a year ago with Sharon, whom he called ``a very tender-hearted man and a good friend.'' He said he was sad to see Sharon in this condition.

He also said, however, that in the Bible, the prophet Joel ``makes it very clear that God has enmity against those who 'divide my land.'''

Sharon ``was dividing God's land and I would say woe unto any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course to appease the EU (European Union), the United Nations, or the United States of America,'' Robertson said.

Technorati Tags: religion, evangelical

Finding True North

2006-01-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

This is a great article. I have felt much of what the author feels. Many times serving small churches (especially after serving in large even mega churches) is difficult especially when it comes to comparing what you are doing with others. But I know God has called me here.

Yet I do not know for how long. In September 2005, the session of the Presbyterian Church I serve voted to end the yoke relationship with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). This decision is effective when I leave. Yet both churches are not in a hurry to see me leave. Kind of a crazy situation.

This is why this article is so great. Especially powerful are these thoughts:

As appealing as the church may have been, we had not been given the liberty to leave. I chose to remain at my post.
I had several other opportunities to change churches. Most of them seemed like "better" opportunities—larger congregations, more staff, nicer locale. Some were opportunities I had solicited.

In most cases the thing that kept me from accepting a call, even when I wanted to say "yes," was the lack of a personal sense of release. Yes, this is subjective. But I did not feel that I could go until I sensed that the Holy Spirit had said, "You are dismissed."

So that's where I am. Praying, waiting, seeking God, asking, "Am I dismissed?"

No Church? No Problem

2005-12-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been gone so long. I think I burned out on the whole blogging thing and needed some time away. I am seeking to bring more balance in to many areas of my life. We'll see how it goes.

Here's an interesting quote from an article at Christianity Today called No Church? No Problem.

Unlike the Great Awakenings, which brought people into the church, this new movement "entails drawing people away from reliance upon a local church into a deeper connection with and reliance upon God." Already "millions of believers have stopped going to church," so Barna expects that in 20 years "only about one-third of the population will rely upon a local congregation as the primary or exclusive means for experiencing and expressing their faith." Down will go the number of churches, donations to churches, and the cultural influence of churches.

This doesn't sound too good for job security for pastors! But I hope it spells great things for the advancement of God's Kingdom. What are your thoughts about this trend?
Filed in: church, trends

Ben Witherington on The Problem with Evangelical Theology

2005-12-05T16:24:00.000-07:00

Recently I wrote about Ben Witherington's new book The Problem with Evangelical Theology. Thanks to D.P. here's a quote from Ben Witherington's blog concerning his book and what he hopes will be achieved by it:

It is my hope that this book which I have written will stir up a lot of discussion, not defensiveness or furor. I think in the 21rst century we need to learn to do our theology in a more Biblical way, not just use the Bible as a justification or proof text for the theology we want to do anyway. If we manage to do this then perhaps those two reformation principles will come alive again-- in reforming ourselves, we may become more Biblical persons, thinkers theologians, ethicists. And this would be an exceedingly good thing. The time for posturing, pretending, and polemics should be over.

So how can we do theology in a more biblical way? What would it mean to be more biblical in our theology?

Just for fun: the graphic above comes from a shirt.

Filed in: quotes, books, theology

Reading reflections - Paul Among the Postliberals

2005-12-01T16:44:00.000-07:00

A friend and I are currently reading this book. Here's an interesting quote from the end of chapter 1:

That message and missions [Paul's mission to the nations] is precisely about God's deliverance of the Gentiles from their former religious-sociopolitical allegiances, in order that they might give their unreserved loyalty (pistis) to the one God of Israel who has invaded their world in Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, in order that they might become a new people, under a new Lord and a new regime called the kingdom of God, the body of Christ, the ekklesia. That is justification. The Gentiles share in this new people and new regime by being baptized into the body of Christ and, in their newfound freedom from other gods and other lords, by becoming obedient and faithful to their Lord, repeating the pattern of his obedience and faithfulness in their whole way of life, in body and in soul, social and personal, active and passive, economic and political, within the body of Christ and as the body of Christ. That is faith. Their justification, therefore, is or ought to be immediately marked by a specific and visible way of being and living in the world as a social body. Every letter of Paul is oriented to that end; one searches in vain for any section within those letters that is not oriented to it. (emphasis is original)

At the core of this book and the first chapter is the discussion of the "rendering of the Greek phrase pistis Christou Iesou (Gal. 2:16 and its variants elsewhere)." Is this phrase to be understood as faith in or toward Jesus Christ with Jesus Christ as the object of the faith thus translating the phrase "faith in Jesus Christ" or is it a subjective genitive thus translating the phrase "the faith(fulness) of Christ."

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this issue and especially on the quote concerning faith and justification. Are those definitions that you can live with? How do you understand pistis Christou Iesou? Why do you understand it the way you do?

Filed in: books, quotes, theology, bible, hermeneutics

Catholic AnalysisCatholic Analysis: Full Text of New Document on Priesthood

2005-11-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

The Catholic Church is getting a lot of press on the newly released Document on Priesthood. Here is an excerpt containing the most controversial portion:

(20) The spiritual director has the obligation to evaluate all the qualities of the candidate's personality and to make sure that he does not present disturbances of a sexual nature, which are incompatible with the priesthood. If a candidate practices homosexuality or presents deep-seated homosexual tendencies, his spiritual director, as well as his confessor, have the duty to dissuade him in conscience from proceeding toward ordination. It goes without saying that the candidate himself has the primary responsibility for his own formation.(21) He must offer himself trustingly to the discernment of the Church, of the bishop who calls him to orders, of the rector of the seminary, of his spiritual director and of the other seminary educators to whom the bishop or major superior has entrusted the task of forming future priests. It would be gravely dishonest for a candidate to hide his own homosexuality in order to proceed, despite everything, toward ordination. Such a deceitful attitude does not correspond to the spirit of truth, loyalty and openness that must characterize the personality of him who believes he is called to serve Christ and his Church in the ministerial priesthood.

So here's an interesting question. If, for the purposes of this discussion, some people are predisposed genetically to homosexuality, but they vow to be celibate as a priest, and indeed they truly remain celibate, then should they be banned from ordination and serving as a priest? Is this fundamentally different from a celibate heterosexual being ordained and serving as a priest?

Another intriguing way of wording this question is this: If some people are genetically predisposed to homosexuality, then would God call these people to serve as celibate priests?

What do you think? I can see arguments for both sides.

Filed in: catholicism, ordination, ministry, church, theology

C.S. Lewis and the consolation of religion

2005-11-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

From the Writer's Almanac for November 29, 2005:

It's the birthday of C. S. (Clive Staples) Lewis, born in Belfast, Ireland, (1898), the author of the children's series about the land of Narnia. He also wrote The Screwtape Letters (1941), in which he wrote, "The safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts." He was a confident Oxford philosopher, not at all prepared to find himself a Christian convert. To his friend Owen Barfield he wrote: "Terrible things have happened to me. The 'Spirit' or 'Real I' is showing an alarming tendency to becoming much more personal and is taking the offensive, and behaving just like God. You'd better come on Monday at the latest or I may have entered a monastery." He said, "Talk to me about the truth of religion and I'll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I'll listen submissively. But don't come talking to me about the consolations of religion or I shall suspect that you don't understand."

This is rather timely as the release of Narnia is a little over a week away. I love Lewis' quote on "the consolations of religion."

In our town, we buried 70 people this year. That may not sound like a lot until you know that our town has a population of only 2200! We lost 3% of the town's population by death this year!

And talking about the consolations of religion does very little for deeply grieving people. In fact, I've seen it do much more harm than good. Sometimes words seem so shallow when the pain is so deep!

As a pastor, I find that I often need to give people permission to be angry, to question, to allow themselves to hurt. Sometimes I have to help kick start the grieving process and give them permission to keep it going as long as they need. Many of my pastoral visits following the funeral are sitting with someone, holding their hand, allowing them to weep, and weeping with them. I believe one of the greatest "consolations of religion" as Lewis puts it, is presence. "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood" (John 1:14, The Message).

More and more, I am convinced that in our ruggedly individualistic, independent, disconnected and fractured society, becoming flesh and blood, and moving into the neighborhood is one of the greatest challenges and opportunities for the Church today.

So how do we move into the neighborhood? And if we do it well, what price is there to pay? What will we sacrifice to make it happen?
Filed in: quotes, C.S. Lewis, ministry

Messy Scriptures - The Story of the Sacred Scroll

2005-11-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

Here’s a quote from Dr. Jim Dixon, senior pastor of Cherry Hills Community Church in a message he delivered entitled “The Story of the Sacred Scroll.” This quote comes in the context of discussing biblical infallibility and inerrancy:

But you see, there is a problem with these words. A problem with the word infallible, a problem with the word inerrant. And the problem is these words are not found in the Bible. The Bible doesn’t use these words to describe itself. Now the concepts behind these words may be found in the Bible, depending on how you define those concepts, but you see the Bible doesn’t include those words.

And there’s a deeper problem. The deeper problem is that the words inerrancy and infallibility, they tend to kind of give you a static view of the Bible. And the Bible proclaims of itself it is not static it is dynamic, it is active, it is alive. I mean this is not some kind of a carcass you can perform an autopsy on. The Bible is living and active.

Of course the word the Bible uses to define itself with regard to its authority is inspiration. All Scripture is inspired of God. But the Greek word, the Greek word is theopneustos which literally means God-breathed. That’s what the Bible says of itself, all Scripture is God-breathed. The breath of God is on this book.

His discussion of these doctrines really resonates with me!

So what do you think? Do you agree that there is a problem with these words, with these concepts? Do these concepts cause us to see the Bible as static rather than dynamic?
Filed in: quotes, theology, scripture, bible

The Underrated Spiritual Secret

2005-11-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

Before we eat turkey and watch the Broncos beat the Cowboys, take some time to read this great article on the spiritual discipline of being grateful. Here's a quote to whet your appetite:

Developing the meditative habit of constantly whispering thanks to him—no matter the situation—is, in fact, a mustard seed of life-changing power. Radical, for it goes to the root of who we are. Small, seemingly insignificant, yet it has the power to change our lives and blow our socks off, right in the midst of the everyday. When we really give God thanks in everything, we are acknowledging that he is sovereign and that we trust him. And we find that it changes us.

Go Broncos!
Filed in: spiritual discipline, holiday

Theological distinctives poll

2005-11-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

Since we are having such a great discussion concerning theological distinctives (and tomorrow's Thanksgiving and I may not be able to update the blog for a few days!) I thought we'd try a little poll.

Theological distinctives
As to theological distinctives, I fall most in this stream...
	Traditional Roman Catholic
	Lutheran
	Anabaptist
	Reformed
	Arminian
	Wesleyan
	Pentecostal
	Neo-orthodox
	Liberal
	This Poll by hawkenstein
Click here to view results

Filed in: quiz, theology

Redeeming Harry Potter

2005-11-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter. For some in the Christian community them's fightin' words! Here's an interesting article and a quote to grab your attention:

I was recently interviewed on live radio about current movies, and when asked which I was looking forward to the most, I rattled off a few of my obvious choices—including Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which opens this week.

"Uh oh," said the host half-jokingly, "you've just lost half our audience." I was then asked to justify how a Christian could possibly accept and endorse a series of books and films that promotes the occult. Looking back on my fumbled response, I can't help but think of that verse in 1 Peter about being prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks.

Harry Potter remains a hot potato, polarizing Christians left and right because of three words: wizards, witches, and magic. Deuteronomy 18:10-11 warns us to avoid engaging in pagan rituals and sorcery, and for sure, Christianity and witchcraft don't mix.

So what's your opinion of Harry Potter? Can Christians and Harry Potter get along?
Filed in: movies, culture

Megachurch Google sightseeing: Pulpit Rock Church

2005-11-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

I grew up at a megachurch in Denver called Cherry Hills Community Church. I also served there as the junior high youth pastor for awhile. Now I serve two small churches that between the two average 150 in attendance. I arrived here three years ago and both churches have experienced growth. But in a town of 2000, we can only expect to grow so much. We actually have nearly 10% of the town's population attending one of our two churches. How many churches can make that claim!

In these small churches I am often amazed at the scarcity mentality. Much of the time, the leadership is just trying to survive. It's frustrating because it can keep us from risking, moving out in faith.

But a scarcity mentality also characterizes many large and megachurches. It seems to me, that it's just human nature. To think about what we don't have or can't do comes easily to us.

Earlier this year, when Google first released Googlemaps, I started posting megachurch Google sightseeing posts just for fun. There's not really a purpose to them. But it does allow me to visit many megachurch websites and get a feel for them. It also shows me just how many resources the kingdom of God has (though this is obviously just the tip of the iceberg!) Here's the vision and mission for Pulpit Rock Church.

Our Vision
To see lives transformed as we influence our world out of our intimacy with God.

At Pulpit Rock Church we want to see lives transformed by the power of God. In order for that to happen we know that our influence on our world must grow out of an intimate relationship with God.

Our Mission
To passionately pursue God, extend the hands and heart of Christ, build biblical community, and establish a legacy of faith.

To the extent we do these things, we are confident the Spirit of God will transform our lives and transform our community for His glory.

I remember spending staff retreats hammering out vision and mission statements. It was a good exercise but it always looked better on paper. On paper we could say we were going to do or be about anything we wanted to. But to actually achieve those things in the vast majority of the thousands that came on any given Sunday? That is quite another thing.

My two little churches don't have a written vision or mission statement. Do you think churches need one? It seems the more statements like these I read, the more they sound the same. What's the value of a vision and mission statement for a church?

Filed in: church, googlemapssightseeing

Expletive Undeleted 2: The F-bomb Fallout

2005-11-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

I earlier blogged about part 1 of Expletive Undeleted. Here's part 2. The quote tells you what Mike Sares, the pastor of Scum of the Earth decided to do:

Before Makkai stood up to read, Sares thought it best to issue a disclaimer. “I told the congregation that the next piece was R-rated,” Sares recalls.

Read the rest and tell me what do you think? Did he make the right decision?Filed in: worship, theology, culture

The Problem with Evangelical Theologies

2005-11-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

From Christianity Today here, is a fantastic interview with Ben Witherington III. I really need to get his book The Problem with Evangelical Theology. Here's how Dr. Witherington describes the problem:

It (evangelical theology) has exegetical weaknesses that are not recognized or owned up to by the various evangelical Protestant strains of theology. That's what it boils down to...

The issue is not really with Christology, the Trinity, the virginal conception, the bodily resurrection of Jesus, or the Bible as the Word of God. The issues I'm concerned about are the distinctives of Calvinist, Arminian, dispensational, or Pentecostal theology. When they try to go some particular direction that's specific to their theological system, that's precisely the point in their argument at which they are exegetically weakest.

Books like this give someone like me hope. I have long struggled with the theological distinctives in each theological stream. I am from a reformed presbyterian background, but I am not Calvinist enough for most Calvinists. My parents and grandparents grew up in the Assemblies of God and we attended until I was in sixth grade. Yet many of the pentecostal distinctives do not resonate with me. (Though I greatly respect my cousin's beliefs and scholarly insights!)

I have found it difficult to find a theological home in which to minister. Initially this is what attracted me to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). But they are "so open minded that their brains leaked out" (Steve Taylor, Whatcha Gonna Do When Your Numbers Up).

So are there any good theological homes for a mutt like me?

Witherington argues that postmodernism presents us with a "new opportunity to re-engage the biblical text, which is trying to present word pictures and stories to a world that wants not just answers to its questions, but also its imagination fired up."

These observations are especially poignant:

We have to remember that those who wrote the Bible were not late-Western Christians suffering from post-Enlightenment psychoses. These were people who lived in storied worlds, in an oral culture where storytelling was the essence of the thing. Most people in that culture were not even literate. They didn't live in a world bound by texts.

The Bible was not written in a text-oriented culture but for an oral culture. So these documents were meant to be heard. When you read them out loud in Greek, you notice alliteration and poetry and all kinds of things going on that are totally lost in translation. I think the oral dimension of the biblical world, very much connected to storytelling, is a crucial dimension and is a key to understanding the theology in those texts.

So a question for you all: Is Witherington on to something here? If so, how can we become more faithful to what the Bible teaches? Does postmodernism truly represent a new opportunity to be more faithful to what the Bible teaches as opposed to doctrinal distinctives?
Filed in: theology, hermeneutics

Electrocuted pastor's final prayer: 'Surprise me, God'

2005-11-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

It was bound to happen. Christians are seeking to make sense of Rev. Kyle Lake's tragic death a few weeks ago. This article describes the incident and the theological questions surrounding it:

During a service last Sunday morning, Rev. Kyle Lake was standing in waist-high water as he prepared to baptize a woman. When he reached for a corded microphone, the 33-year-old was jolted by electricity, and did not survive. The woman going to be baptized was unharmed.

The incident took place just minutes after the 800 members in attendance had prayed aloud, "Surprise me, God."

When asked if he thought the events were result of asking to be surprised, Esau, who witnessed the electrocution, said, "I wish I could answer that. I honestly, truly don't know. That gets you into all kinds of really, really hard questions. 'Does God cause everything to happen?' or 'Is there tragedy and chaos and stuff in the world because it's the natural consequences of humankind and our freedom of choice?'"

These are indeed very hard questions. Yet some are confident they have the answer and are pronouncing this as God's judgment on the emerging church.

This tragedy forces us to ask why. Why? Why did this happen? Why did it happen this way? Were was God? Why did God allow this to happen?

Clearly there are no easy answers. So what do you think? God's judgment for heresy? Tragic accident? If it was an accident, what about God's sovereignty?
Filed in: theology

Hermeneutics, Anyone? - Christianity Today Magazine

2005-11-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

Beyond the Bible sounds like a very interesting book based on this review. Check out this quote:

The book's title, Beyond the Bible, is a recognition that doctrine develops. Even Protestants who are fond of proclaiming the Reformation battle cry "Scripture alone!" cannot pretend that every aspect of the Christian faith is explicitly taught in Scripture. The most obvious examples are the doctrine of the Trinity and the high Christology of Chalcedon. Biblical revelation points us ineluctably toward those truths, but the Bible writers never make them explicit.

Filed in: books, interpretation, hermeneutics

Christian Meditation part 2, quiz

2005-11-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

Christian meditation
Do you practice Christian meditation regularly?
	Yes, daily
	Yes, weekly
	Yes, monthly
	No
	No, Christian and meditation are oxymorons
	This Poll by hawkenstein
Click here to view results

Filed in: spiritual discipline, quiz, religion

New Scientist Breaking News - Meditation builds up the brain

2005-11-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

This article is fascinating to think about. Here's the opening lines:

Meditating does more than just feel good and calm you down, it makes you perform better – and alters the structure of your brain, researchers have found.

Meditation has come under attack from many in the Christian world and for good reason. Sadly, the new age movement and other non-Christian religions have used meditation for centuries. Yet we read in the Bible, about meditating all over the place, especially in the Psalms.

It looks to me that Christians need to reaquaint themselves with the practice of meditation. So what should a Christian meditate on? What is Christian meditation?

The Psalms give us many ideas:
God's law
God' unfailing love
God's precepts and his ways
God's decrees
God's wonders
God's statutes
God's promises
God's works

Other ideas can be found on the web including this wikipedia article, which describes Christian meditation as

a form of quiet (but not necessarily silent) contemplation often associated with prayer or scripture study. It is rooted in the Bible, which directs its readers to meditate. In Joshua 1:8, God commands his people to meditate on his word day and night to instill obedience. The psalmist says that "his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:2). The Bible mentions meditate or meditation twenty times.

That's quite a list to get started with! So what's your experience with meditation?
Filed in: spiritual discipline, science, religion

Tagging with BlogThis! - Freshblog

2005-11-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to find a way to tag my posts on blogger. I think I've found a way. Basically my tags will be located on a del.icio.us account specifically for my blog. Clicking on the tag will take you to the del.icio.us page and allow you to find items from the same category. These are the instructions via FreshBlog for adding this ability to your blog.

CategoryTagBlogThis!

I have made some very minor changes to the script so that the tags link to my del.icio.us account (and as we know by now, will still be visible in technorati!!) As before, all that you need to do to make this bookmarklet work for you is to right click it on your links bar, select properties, scroll through the script to the very end and replace my del.icio.us signon at the end of the URL http://del.icio.us/***** with your own. Now you can tag & categorise with blogthis!! Tag keywords should be seperated with commas.

Filed in: tagging, blogger

Pat Robertson Warns Pa. Town of Disaster

2005-11-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

Pat strikes again!

"I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: If there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God. You just rejected him from your city," Robertson said on the Christian Broadcasting Network's "700 Club."

Does anyone else cringe whenever you hear this guy open his mouth?
Filed in: quotes, religion

Priest Idol

2005-11-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

Just came across this interview. Here's the introduction to orient you to it.

How many American priests end up in their own reality show on British television? James McCaskill did just that when he moved last year from Pittsburgh to the town of Lundwood in England's South Yorkshire district. He was brought in to revitalize a church whose congregation had dropped below ten, and his turnaround efforts were filmed for one year by a camera crew. The results will air—under the name Priest Idol—in a three-part series in November on the UK's Channel 4. Nate Anderson sat down with McCaskill on a recent visit to the U.S. to talk about ministry and media.

I have quite a mixture of feelings regarding this idea. Number 1 is the intrusion of a camera crew into the work of a pastor. How on earth could people open up with the minister and really share their lives with a camera crew present?

And talk about being in a fishbowl:

The worst aspect of it was that I did feel a lot of pressure from the film crew to "film this tomorrow," and I was trying to earn the trust of people in the congregation who didn't want things to happen so fast, and I had the archdeacon tell me, "You need to make this happen and that happen," and all this is being filmed, and they're all watching me, and I'm supposed to perform and produce and succeed—which really overwhelmed me at times. There was a point, after I'd been there about three months, I started having a panic, thinking, "We're not going to have anything to show; we're not going to have anything to make good TV." Which sounds terrible—a minister of the church saying that he's worried about making good TV.

This sounds like such a bizarre experiment! What are your thoughts?
Filed in: religion, tv, culture

Out in the Sticks on SuprGlu

2005-11-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

SuprGlu is one of the coolest things I have come across in a while! You can set it up to receive all kinds of RSS feeds in one place. My page shows my RSS feeds from my blog, my playlist, my 43 things, my 43 places, my All Consuming, my del.icio.us links, and my flickr photos.

The style is that of a blog. Check it out and try your own!

Expletive Undeleted: Dropping the F-bomb in Church from the Leadership Blog

2005-11-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a great case study (though I doubt I'd ever be faced with this dilemma in my two churches).

"A few days before Christmas, pastor Mike Sares got a call from his associate. “Mike,” he said, “Mary Kate Makkai has agreed to read one of her poems at the Christmas Eve service. It’s really, really good, but it’s got the F-bomb in it several times, and I just thought I should check with you about that.”"

Check out the entire article here.

Warfare worldview evidence: Copts' Night of Terror

2005-11-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

"Copts will long remember Friday, October 21, as a night of terror, flame, and violence in Alexandria. Late that evening, thousands of rioting Muslims targeted three poorly protected Protestant congregations and an Orthodox church in the Muharram Bey section of Alexandria. Muslims were venting their anger over a video of a Christian play, produced at an Orthodox church. Muslims allege the video defamed Islam.

Days after the violence, I visited Christian congregations all over Alexandria and found everyday believers in a state of anxiety and shock over the attacks. Muslim-Christian violence, they told me, was something that happened in poor areas of Cairo or rural Upper Egypt, not Alexandria."

Wired News: Eat, Sleep, Work, Consume, Die

2005-11-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

Ted the Gerbil
Originally uploaded by meke.

This is a powerful article that speaks much truth. Consider this great quote:

"My expectations have been raised to this ridiculous level by technology running amok through my heretofore-bucolic existence. I used to be a laid-back guy. Now I'm impatient. I chafe. I get irritable when my gratification isn't instantaneous. And it isn't just me. The whole world is bitchier these days.

I'm old enough to remember when waiting a few days for a letter to arrive was standard operating procedure, even in the bare-knuckles business world. I recall a time without answering machines, when you just had to keep calling back on your rotary phone until someone picked up. (Which had the unintended benefit of allowing you to reconsider whether the original call was even worth making in the first place.) The world moved at a more leisurely pace and, humanistically speaking, we were all the better for it.

Just because technology makes it possible for us to work 10 times faster than we used to doesn't mean we should do it. The body may be able to withstand the strain -- for a while -- but the spirit isn't meant to flail away uselessly on the commercial gerbil wheel."

The author, Tony Long is copy chief of Wired News. Maybe you thought you were reading an excerpt from the Constructive Curmudgeon but alas this is Wired News making this commentary all the more powerful.
For discussion: How do you feel about work, technology, and consumerism? Is your body keeping pace but your soul falling behind?

Good Morning, Evangelicals! - Christianity Today Magazine

2005-11-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

The following quote describes an interesting approach to church and church programs. This sounds a lot like Frank Tillapaugh's ideas as communicated in his book Calling.

"Haggard is so enthusiastic about free-market economics that he applies it to church. New Life offers hundreds of small-group activities, everything from 'Growing in God as a Wife and Mother' to 'Holy Hip-Hop Jam Session.' How do the pastors decide what to include? They don't. If someone comes up with an idea, and that person passes a basic screening, the church will help promote the group. New Life organizes the marketplace but leaves the details to the people, who write their own programs."

Sounds like a great idea to me! It would definitely keep churches from uttering those seven last words of a church: "We've never done it that way before!"

Good Morning, Evangelicals! - Christianity Today Magazine

2005-11-09T22:47:00.000-07:00

Here's another excerpt from the Christianity Today article on Ted Haggard. At the end of this quote is a great line:

"Prominently displayed are books by culture warriors like Pat Robertson and Phyllis Schlafly, but also books by public-policy experts, historians, and analysts of secular culture like Dinesh D'Souza, Samuel Huntington, Bernard Lewis, Newt Gingrich, Thomas Friedman, and David Gergen. Yet we are in a church bookstore, where nearly all the titles are inspirational. Haggard is telling his congregation, Think big. Think about the whole world. The Bible does not tell you everything you need to know."

What is your experience in this area? Do you agree with this idea?

Good Morning, Evangelicals! - Christianity Today Magazine

2005-11-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting article on Ted Haggard teh president of the National Association of Evangelicals. The following quote includes Haggard's definition of an evangelical:

'When I became president of the NAE [National Association of Evangelicals],' Haggard tells the Inquirer's Nussbaum, 'the talk was about doing away with the term evangelical. Evangelicalism was morphing and changing so much that people were wondering if the term applied. The first decision I made as president was to start using the term prolifically and defining it simply. I define an evangelical as a person who believes Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that the Bible is the Word of God, and that you must be born again.'

So what do you think of his definition? Do you agree or disagree? Are you an evangelical according to this definition?

"All things to all men" or "Be ye separate"? - Christian History

2005-11-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

Here's another great article from Chris Armstrong encouraging all of us to read more great church history biographies. I have included a passage from his article that I found particularly interesting. Please read it and let me know what you think. Specifically, do you think his assessment of the Emergents (as he calls them) is correct? Do you believe Emergents agree with both the peculiar people thinking and the intrepid translator thinking? Here's the quote:

"Christian churches, say the Emergents, need to look like Christian churches—down to the crosses, candles, and even (if necessary), the stained glass; and they need to teach like Christian churches—including a hearty dose of good 'vintage' doctrine.

So our Emergent friends would likely agree with both parties in this dispute: the church needs both to find new ways of translating the gospel to directly address the questions of the day (per Niebuhr), and to refuse to buckle to secular culture by knocking the sharp edges off of Jesus' radical kingdom message and pretending that 'we Christians are really just like the rest of you folks!' (per Hauerwas)."

Exploring a Parallel Universe - Christianity Today Magazine

2005-11-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

In this article Philip Yancey asks "why does the word 'evangelical' threaten so many people in our culture." His thoughts, especially his closing paragraph should be taken to heart by us all! Here's the opening to get you started:

"For almost ten years, I have participated in a book group comprising people who attended the University of Chicago. Mostly we read current novels, with a preference for those authors (Philip Roth, Saul Bellow, J. M. Coetzee) who have a connection with the school. The group includes a Marxist-leaning professor of philosophy, a childhood-development specialist, a pharmaceutical researcher, a neurologist, and an attorney.

I marvel in our meetings at how the same book can evoke radically different responses."

Does Electrocution Happen for a Reason? - Christianity Today Magazine

2005-11-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Here is an excerpt from Kyle Lake's book to ponder at the time of his tragic death.

"We'll never know what Kyle Lake would have said about the reason why, when he reached for a microphone as he was performing a baptism in front of 800 people, he was fatally electrocuted. But his explanation of a verse that may be infuriating to hear right now to some of those he left behind—Romans 8:28—may at least hint at his answer. It is reprinted, with the publisher's permission, an excerpt from Understanding God's Will: How to Hack the Equation Without Formulas (Relevant, 2004)."

Warfare worldview evidence: Christian Teens Beheaded in Indonesia

2005-11-01T10:55:00.000-07:00

Ever since I became familiar with Greg Boyd and his books, especially God at War, I have been wrestling with my reformed roots, which emphasize the sovereignty of God and understand God's sovereignty and omnipotence to mean total, absolute meticulous control. The understanding is that God has a "blueprint" for history that he is following. But does the evidence in the world around us support this view? Or does the evidence suggest a warfare worldview as argued for by Greg Boyd? To help me and perhaps you wrestle through this issue, I've decided to start blogging evidence for a warfare worldview. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this issue as we seek to sort this out. Here's the first post:

In what one Indonesian human rights activist describes as the latest attack in an ongoing terror campaign against Christians of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, three teenage girls en route to school through a cocoa plantation were beheaded Saturday morning, apparently by Muslims.

Theresia Murangke, 14, and Ida Lambuaga and Alfina Yarni Sambue, both 15, were attacked one mile from Sayo village near the town of Poso, reports Indonesian Christian journalist Ibrahim Buaya, who formerly lived in this volatile region of Indonesia. A fourth girl, Noviana Malewa, 14, escaped from her attackers with machete wounds to her face. Buaya reported that she is in Poso General Hospital under heavy guard. The Associated Press reported that Noviana told police the six attackers wore black shirts.

1,000 Attend Service For Pastor Electrocuted During Baptism

2005-10-31T12:59:00.000-07:00

This is a terrible tragedy. Kyle Lake will be missed. May he rest in peace.

A Halloween Solution - Christianity Today Magazine

2005-10-31T10:53:00.000-07:00

Halloween...probably the most controversial of holidays in America. Here's a fun, short article dealing with the day.

Emerging Solutions—and Problems - Christianity Today Magazine

2005-10-26T15:08:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the long delay since I last posted! I've been rather busy with hospital visitation, funerals, leadership issues, denominational meetings, alt.worship services, some big time spiritual warfare, and my growing family. Here's an article that caught my eye. Perhaps you have followed the flap over Carson's book Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church. If not, this article will introduce you to some of the issues. I feel I often straddle the fence on the issue of the emerging church. I haven't jumped in with both feet, but the preaching of Tim Keel and Rob Bell really resonants with me and much of what I have read by McLaren and others does as well. Yet I find myself torn. I also find much that doesn't sit well with me. I think that's why the following quote from the article sums up my feelings as well:

Rather than becoming antagonists, Carson and McLaren should continue in dialogue, so the academic theologian and the missional practitioner might be mutually enriched and refocused.

The 100 Minute Bible

2005-10-21T13:02:00.000-06:00

The 100-Minute Bible is primarily intended for people who have an interest in Christianity but not the time (nor tenacity!) to read the whole Bible

This concept is really bugging me! What has been determined to be the "core" of the Bible? Can you really pick out the principle stories? And who says which stories are the principle stories?

I have found that people make time for the things they are interested in. If you are interested in fly fishing, quilting, mathematics, philosophy, etc. there are no shortcuts to growing in your understanding of these things. You have to put effort forth. And people do, if they are interested. Why should the Bible be any different? I think the 100 Minute Bible is sending the wrong message! What do you think? Are you as bugged by this as me, or do I need to just chill out?

Old Words, Vibrant Faith - Christianity Today Magazine

2005-10-21T12:36:00.000-06:00

Check out this interview with Charlie Lowell of Jars of Clay taking about the band's CD, Redemption Songs. I appreciate his thoughts and his sentiment concerning the hymns!

These songs have been in the band for years. Some of them we wrote for the record, like 'God Will Lift Up Your Head' and 'Jesus, I Lift My Eyes.' Some of them we have been singing backstage in our dressing room or at church for years. But it's new to our audience. It's something we haven't really talked about. There was this sort of modern worship thing, and we felt like black sheep. But times came around and we felt like this is really valuable and could be something that the church even needs right now. Maybe the church needs some of these songs that take us back to our roots and foundation.

Why? - Christianity Today Magazine

2005-10-21T12:23:00.000-06:00

Here's a short article giving several different answers to the question of why concerning hurricane Katrina and Rita.

The debate over the meaning of the hurricane started when it became clear that federal, state, and local officials were having trouble responding to the disaster.

Democrats said the hurricane revealed inept leadership and bias against the poor. Republicans said government failures showed that the private sector could do a better job.

Muslim militants said it was Allah's judgment. Louis Farrakhan trumpeted a Black Muslim view that Katrina was judgment for the Iraq War. Ovadia Yosef, a leading Orthodox Jewish rabbi in Israel, said the hurricane was punishment for U.S. leaders forcing Israel out of the Gaza Strip.

Book Review: 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper

2005-10-19T15:30:00.000-06:00

Have you ever wondered what life after death is like? Do books about near death experiences interest you? Then you may enjoy this book. Don Piper shares his incredible story of death, pain, and life in his book 90 Minutes in Heaven.

Piper died in a terrible car accident on a rural Texas highway. He was dead for 90 minutes. During that time, he went to heaven but came back to life on earth after a pastor prayed for him.

Repeatedly, Piper says that words cannot possibly describe what heaven is like. Piper is greeted by deceased friends and family, sees the pearly gates and golden streets, and hears wonderful music.

After describing his brief glimpse of heaven, the rest of the book recounts his trying struggle to recover from his horrific injuries. The intense pain and knowledge that he will never again be normal lead Piper to despair, depression, and frustration. Fortunately, God places several people in Piper’s life who help him through his depression and despair. Piper begins to share his experience with others and finds God working through his story.

Overall it is a good book. His description of the car accident, heaven and the painful recovery are powerful. Many of the lessons he learned through this ordeal are very helpful. One such lesson for me was allowing people to minister to me because it enables them to live out their calling.

But several things bothered me in the book. One was the author’s repeated attempts at interpreting what he experienced in terms of his theological presuppositions. Most obvious were Piper’s repeated comments concerning the absence of time in heaven and yet he experienced sequence. He met one relative first, then another, then a friend, and so on. He did this first, and this next, and so on. He heard this song, which had these notes, played in this sequence, and so on. If he experienced obvious sequence in heaven, which would indicate the passage of time, why doesn’t the author reinterpret his theology in light of his new experience?

Another frustrating aspect of the book was the overall weakness I see in many evangelical Christians (myself included!) as exemplified in Piper. Piper is a Baptist minister and I kept asking myself what this book would be like if a minister with a more contemplative, sacramental worldview had experienced this same trial. I commend Piper for his openness and allowing himself to be vulnerable. I commend Piper for allowing us to see him when he was not at his best. I commend Piper for writing a book that doesn’t present himself as the most likeable guy. But overall, I feel he reflects so many Christians today who do not have a deep, contemplative relationship with God and who lack a theology that includes suffering.

Don’t get me wrong. I would not have handled his situation any better than he did. But I do believe that his analytical approach to this ordeal by seeking to find answers is typical of many evangelical Christians today. We rarely seize moments that will allow us to contemplate the sufferings of Christ (and obviously none of us want to do this!). To me some of his reflections highlight some of the weaknesses of a purely analytical, rational approach to our relationship with God. It feels to me, based on the teachings of Jesus and Paul, that we should have a far better perspective on suffering and pain than we typically do.

Let me encourage you to read this book. And let me encourage you by reading this book to place yourself in Piper’s place and develop a powerful, thoughtful theology of suffering.

Thanks to Paige Harvey of PS Media Relations for sending me a copy of this book to review.

Out in the sticks extreme makeover coming (I hope!)

2005-10-08T17:07:00.000-06:00

Outinthesticksoct
Originally uploaded by hawkenstein.

I am growing tried of the look of my blog. I am currently trying to rework it and learn a thing or two along the way. Please be patient if things go completely crazy!

These changes will coincide with some huge changes going on at the churches I pastor. I plan to share about all of that in the near future.

Grace and peace,
Steve

Book Review: Calling by Frank Tillapaugh and Richard Hurst

2005-10-07T01:06:00.000-06:00

I have been familiar with Frank Tillapaugh and his work at Bear Valley Church in Southeast Denver for quite sometime. Though he has not been the pastor there for over 2 decades now, his legacy there is widely felt. I worked as the youth pastor at Centennial Community Church which was birthed out of Bear Valley as a reclamation project which he briefly mentions at the end of the book.

Frank's work has been profound in the Denver area. And yet his work is really a result of creating what he calls an "open system" which allows people in the church to pursue their God given calling. He truly believes that the Bible really means it when it says that, we are all ministers, that all have been given a gift by the Holy Spirit to use in ministry, and that all beleivers are a royal priesthood. He really believes a pastor is "to prepare God's people for works of service" (Ephesians 4:12).

This belief has caused Frank to take helping people live their callings seriously. As a result the ministries below have come into existence:

Denver Street School (check out the history page)
Mile High Ministries (check out the About Us page
Inner City Health Center
Whiz Kids Tutoring
Project Cure
Alternatives Pregnancy Center

...and many others.

Wow! Isn't it great to see the power of calling? Just think of the impact these ministries have had and continue to have on so many people in Denver! And few people relize that these ministries owe there existence to followers of Jesus being faithful to their calling...to the want-to that God placed inside their hearts.

If you want to get a taste for how this might be accomplished in your church (though it is not a how-to manual) read Calling. I highly recommend this book. If used copies of the book are not available from Amazon, the book is available from Frank's organization Dreamtime listed on this product page.

Emergents, Meet Saints! - Christian History

2005-10-05T12:29:00.000-06:00

Here's a great article on studying church history to inform our current wrestlings with church and culture. Here's a great quote from the article and I agree with the author.

The Emergents seem to me to have it right: No single program or rulebook can possibly speak to the hearts of this diversely gifted, diversely perceptive, and diversely wounded young generation who yearn for spiritual fulfillment yet deeply distrust 'organized religion.' We need to reassess—to find new models of creative ministries.

What to do in such a time?

This is a time for stories. Maybe stories from history, 'straight up'—carefully researched and narrated by the scholars who have given their lives to unearthing and interpreting historical evidence and shaping the clearest, most accurate and unbiased story they can out of the shards and shadows of the past. Maybe edifying allegories, plays, and tales of various kinds.

And maybe, too, the life stories of those 'dead Christians' who translated the Gospel for their own generations—forcing the church in their times to shake itself out of deep ruts and see the world in new, challenging lights. Maybe these lives can teach us something about how to translate the Gospel for the lost of our own new patchwork, post-Christian generation.

I like this idea of looking to the past for ideas for future new creative models of ministry. What are your thoughts? Is there anything we can learn from the past to help the church move forward into the future?

The Power of Media: Interview with Micheal Flaherty

2005-10-04T16:17:00.000-06:00

Here's an interesting interview with Micheal Flaherty, the president and co-founder of Walden Media which is bringing The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe to the big screen this December. I find the following quote from the interview particularly interesting:

I was thoroughly depressed after Columbine, but I started to get encouraged when I read about how strong some of the young victims' faith was, particularly Cassie Bernall and Rachel Scott. One thing I found interesting was that these kids loved films. Cassie's favorite movie was Braveheart, and I think Rachel's was as well. In contrast, the killers' favorite films were reportedly things like Natural Born Killers.

I decided I would like to find a way to make more great, inspiring films that can lift people up and encourage them, particularly for this age group. So I called my old roommate from college, Cary Granat, who at the time was president of Dimension Films. Cary also wanted to do something more inspirational for the family. So that was the origin of it, acknowledging that media really does have a role in influencing hearts and minds. And finding a way, rather than just to curse the darkness, to light a few candles and get more great films out there.

Particularly interesting to me is Flaherty's acknowledgement that the "media really does have a role in influencing heart and minds." It is refreshing to hear someone in the media say this. It seems to me that whenever concerns are voiced about the media and how it depicts violence, sexuality, religion, etc...that those voices are drowned out by others crying for free speech and seeking to argue that the media does very little to shape people's hearts and minds.

Watching my children grow has only made me more aware of the power of the media to shape hearts and minds. Last night we were reading from Laura and Mr. Edwards a Little House on the Prairie chapter book. In this book, Laura Ingalls describes winter on the prairie and how the girls passed the time. Listen to her description:

Now that winter had arrived on the Kansas prairie, the days were short and very cold. The wind howled and a hard rain fell. But there was no snow. Laura and Mary stayed inside, close by the fire. They listened to the wind and the wet sound of rain as they sewed on their quilts and cut paper dolls from scraps of wrapping paper.

Can you imagine kids today being content doing these things? I know my kids wouldn't be! They have been so shaped by the media that they believe they must always be entertained. Commercials on TV are particularly powerful to a 5 year old! I can sit and watch as their little eyes grow bigger and bigger as their excitement concerning a toy or a snack food increases. Then when the commercial is over they turn to me and say, "I want that! Can we go get that now? Can I have that for my birthday? I want that for Christmas!" The power of the media to shape the heart and mind. I believe it's very real.

What do you think?

Book Review: Provocative Faith by Matthew Paul Turner

2005-09-28T15:15:00.000-06:00

Every once in a while you read a book that you needed to read. I needed to read Provocative Faith at this time. From the first page of chapter 1 you know this is not your run of the mill Christian answer book. Right there, in black and white, at the bottom of page 31, Matthew boldly confesses his sin, his struggle with porn. His authenticity and transparency are disarming...and so refreshing.

This book relates Matthew's journey from ordinary, mundane Christian faith to passionate, provocative faith. Matthew challenges the reader to move from the "same ole same ole" faith to a faith that is "centered, stimulating, controversial, challenging, powerful, miraculous, vulnerable, frustrating, and fearful--in a word, provocative" (p. 21).

This book is full of great reminders and insights for all disciples. I am currently examing my call in light of several things that are happening at my two churches. So far, God has been silent. I'm learning to wait patiently as Matthew describes in his chapter "the burning bush isn't for everyone." I'm taking inventory, seeking to "participate in God's dream for (me)" (chapter 10). Is this call where God wants me? Matthew says it well,

If God has given you a dream, and chances are he has, it is imperative that you seek his will on how to make it a reality. Never lose focus on the truth that the dream is a blessing and a gift from Jesus. But in the end, don't you want to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant"? I want to hear Jesus say to me, "Matthew, you took my dream in you and made it what I wanted it to be; good job!"

I too want to hear those words.

Matthew also reminded me of one way to tune into Jesus and his dream and will for me: meditation.

If you get one thing from this book, let it be this: meditation on Jesus will change your spiritual life. It will rejuvenate your faith like nothing else you will ever experience. More than a great sermon, more than listening to a radio teaching, more than reading this book, meditation on Christ--what he did, who he is, and what he wants of you--will give your life focus, and it will make your faith provocative. And you will begin to know him like never before.

I needed this book at this time. I needed the reminder to be authentic, transparent, and bold. I needed to be reminded to wait on God, that he is good, that he has a dream for me to achieve which he has uniquely gifted me for, and that he will share with me what it is if I'll just sit still, shut up, and listen.

Thanks to Paige Harvey of PS Media Relations for sending me a copy of this book to review! Paige, your sending me this book really ministered to me! Grace and peace!

To Conserve Gas, President Calls for Less Driving - New York Times

2005-09-27T14:55:00.000-06:00

A qoute from the article:

Mr. Bush's comments, while similar to remarks he made shortly after the disruption from Hurricane Katrina pushed gasoline prices sharply higher, were particularly notable because the administration has long emphasized new production over conservation. It has also opted not to impose higher mileage standards on automakers.

In 2001, Vice President Dick Cheney said, 'Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it cannot be the basis of a sound energy policy.' Also that year, Ari Fleischer, then Mr. Bush's press secretary, responded to a question about reducing American energy consumption by saying 'that's a big no.'

'The president believes that it's an American way of life,' Mr. Fleischer said.

It finally appears that conservation is on the President's radar! Yet, what will truly cause people to conserve is the expense and not a plea from the government. Could it be that the American way of life is wrong? What do you think?

Jesus Isn't Cool: Challenging Youth Ministry

2005-09-26T15:28:00.000-06:00

Here is a fantastic article for all youth ministers to read! I know as a former youth minister I really struggled with the concepts in this article.

Religion may help teens find a sense of purpose, stay focused on schoolwork, avoid drugs, drive responsibly, and so on. These are good and important things and they are all part of the 'religious package,' but they are not the point. They are like the paper bag you get for free if you buy the groceries.

Sadly, so much of our ministry to youth (and adults!) can be summed up in trite t-shirt slogans. How far does the t-shirt slogan religion take a person?

After a particularly difficult night, I shared my struggles with a young woman interested in becoming a youth minister. "I'm not sure you want to get into this," I said. "There are other things you could do." She sat in a moment of stunned silence. Then she told me about her college years.

"My faith was no match for college," she said. "Youth group was fun, but no one taught me anything." She recalled those years marked by drugs, broken relationships, an eating disorder, sex, pregnancy and eventually abortion. Finally, with tear-filled eyes, she said, "Don't you see? If I had grown up in a youth group like yours, I would have had a fighting chance."

Christianity boiled down to a t-shirt slogan, no matter how cool or stylish will ever give our youth a fighting chance.

Suddenly Single

2005-09-23T11:35:00.000-06:00

This article reminded me of our friend Mel West (she's wearing the cowboy hat in the picture) who is walking the suddenly single road after her husband Ken died last year following a long, painful battle with cancer. We love you Mel and are praying for you!

'In most cases you’re dealing with the loss of someone close,' Grissom says. And whether or not it’s expected, the person is still going through a deep grieving process.

He says that when there’s a death, 'there’s an enormous amount of support around the funeral and maybe for a couple of weeks afterward, but then everyone around starts to resume their lives in a normal fashion; yet the person in grief is still trying to rebuild his or her life.'

LeadershipJournal.net - Prn Sundy

2005-09-23T11:10:00.000-06:00

October 9 is National Porn Sunday. Below are some sobering statistics:

Every day, nearly 40 million people visit one or more of 4.2 million porn sites the internet. At $6.2 billion yearly, porn revenue exceeds the combined revenues of ABC, NBC, and CBS. According to statistics at XXXchurch.com, nearly 50 percent of Christians say that pornography is a major problem in the home.

Check out these links for help in dealing with addiction to pornography:

Porn Sunday
XXXChurch.com
Help for Porn Addicts
Covenant Eyes

Book Review: Intercessory Prayer: How God Can Use Your Prayers to Move Heaven and Earth

2005-09-20T16:35:00.000-06:00

I really wanted to like this book! This book was handed to me by a true prayer warrior, a woman in one of my churches that really spends serious time in prayer. I had great hopes for this book because of this.

However, I am really disappointed with this book. I found Sheets' style to be inauthentic and "preachy." It didn't feel real or vulnerable to me. Nearly every anecdote that is shared about prayer is miraculous and incredible in some way. Never is there a serious wrestling with unanswered prayer. Overall, if your prayers go unanswered it feels that Sheets' answer for you is that you are doing it wrong.

Sheets' also demonstrates an overall ignorance of biblical Greek and Hebrew. The only scholarly works cited are lexicons and concordances and not a single biblical commentary is mentioned for any passage he discusses. Sheets' does know his way around a Greek or Hebrew lexicon and Webster's Dictionary. Unfortunately this leads him down the path of many Exegetical Fallacies.

The most common fallacy of Sheets' is defined by D.A. Carson as "unwarranted adoption of an expanded semantic field." The following is what Carson means:

The fallacy in this instance lies in the supposition that the meaning of a word in a specific context is much broader than the context itself allows and may bring with it the word's entire semantic range. Exegetical Fallacies, p. 60.

Sheets' regularly brings to bear the word's entire semantic range even if the context does not allow this.

Another fallacy Sheets' falls into is "semantic anachronism".

This fallacy occurs when a late use of a word is read back into earlier literature. At the simplest level, it occurs within the same language, as when the Greek early church fathers use a word in a manner not demonstrably envisaged by the New Testament writers...But the problem has a second face when we also add a change of language. Our word dynamite is etymologically derived from dynamis (power, or even miracle). I do not know how many times I have heard preachers offer some such rendering of Romans 1:16 as this: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the dynamite of God unto salvation for everyone who believes" -- often with a knowing tilt of the head, as if something profound or even esoteric has been uttered. This is not just the old root fallacy revisited. It is worse: it is an appeal to a kind of reverse etymology, the root fallacy compounded by anachronism. Did Paul think of dynamite when he penned this word? Exegetical Fallacies, pp. 33-34

He probably didn't, seeing that dynamite had not yet been invented!
But here is another pastor committing this same fallacy! Sheets on pages 169-170 says,

On the other hand, we have weapons that are "divinely powerful" to pull down strongholds, if we would only realize it...The word "powerful" is dunatos and is actually one of the New Testament words for a miracle...And, of course, this is the Greek word from which we get the word dynamite. This stuff is explosive!

This dynamite is explosive for the "destruction of fortresses"...

Sadly and obviously these are not the word pictures the New Testament writers had in mind as they had no experience or understanding of dynamite.

I'll let Carson have the last word, as I believe many popular level books consumed by Christians are full of these "word-study fallacies":

But as important as word studies are, it is very doubtful if profound understanding of any text or of any theme is really possible by word studies alone.

Perhaps the principal reason why word studies constitute a particularly rich source for exegetical fallacies is that many preachers and Bible teachers know Greek only well enough to use concordances, or perhaps a little more. There is little feel for Greek as a language; and so there is a temptation to display what has been learned in study, which as often as not is a great deal of lexical information without the restraining influence of context. The solution, of course, is to learn more Greek, not less, and to gain at least a rudimentary knowledge of linguistics. Exegetical Fallacies, p. 64

resettle.org

2005-09-19T15:25:00.000-06:00

Here's another group trying to help the victims of hurricane Katrina.

A realistic and holistic solution for the victims of hurricane Katrina

Our Mission: To mobilize every community of 10,000 people within 1000 miles of the gulf coast to provide for the temporary resettlement of up to 10 families.

I have been reading about the aftermath of hurricane Katrina today online. This article at the Ooze by Jim Henderson is a difficult one for me to process. Yes, I believe that institutional racism exists and keeps people down. Yes, it is possible that the federal government's slow response was in part due to racism in our nation. But I struggle with the desire to reduce this catastrophe to one cause, namely racism.

One of the TV news shows the other night discussed other very possible catastrophes. These catastrophes included an influenza pandemic, a dirty bomb being denoted in New York city, and an earthquake in San Francisco. The overwhelming reality for all of these potential crises is that we are not prepared. We are not the masters of our world that we like to think we are. And each of these crises are color blind.

If any one of these other catastrophes hit us (actually more like when, since all experts agree it is only a matter of time until the big one hits San Francisco), which will come with no warning like hurricane Katrina, we will be caught flat-footed, scratching our heads, wondering how this could happen to Americans. And many of our nations poorest, the elderly, and the sick will suffer the most.

Sadly so many didn't leave the gulf coast. Sadly, many couldn't leave the gulf coast. Sadly, local, state, and federal officials did not prepare for the worse case scenario. Sadly, local officials did not use 100's of buses that ended up under flood waters to evacuate the poor.

And sadly, we aren't prepared for the worse case scenario in San Francisco, New York, or any number of other cities either. Makes you want to live out in the sticks doesn't it!

Out in the sticks

2005-09-17T15:22:00.000-06:00

I've just looked at my blog in Internet Explorer for the first time in I don't know how long. I've been using Firefox as my primary browser for a year or so. One question...does my blog look really weird in IE? The sidebar seems to be misplaced when I look at it.

Thanks for the input!

Steve

Brad Stine - Comedy - Arts - John Leland - New York Times

2005-09-17T15:06:00.000-06:00

Here's an interesting article about Brad Stine a Christian stand-up comic.

In the competitive world of stand-up comedians, Mr. Stine, 45, has found a niche as a conservative Christian, riffing on topics like gay marriage, judicial activism and judges who cite precedents from foreign courts. If this seems like an unlikely route to the "Tonight" show, it has its rewards. After years in secular comedy clubs, where he made up to $1,500 a week, he now performs at basketball arenas and football stadiums for gatherings of the Promise Keepers, a ministry aimed at men. For less than an hour onstage, he earns $20,000.

$20,000 for one Promise Keepers gig! Wow! I should have been a comedian!

The Making of the Christian - Christianity Today Magazine

2005-09-16T12:30:00.000-06:00

Dallas Willard and Richard Foster are two of my heroes (though I believe they would hate being called that!). Recently Willard and Foster along with Eugene Peterson and Walter Brueggeman teamed up to edit The Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible. I'm usually not one for niche Bibles. But I don't think this Bible should be understood in that way. Here's a great quote by Dallas Willard from the first part of the interview which is here. Part two here.

What sometimes goes on in all sorts of Christian institutions is not formation of people in the character of Christ; it's teaching of outward conformity. You don't get in trouble for not having the character of Christ, but you do if you don't obey the laws.

It is so important to understand that character formation is not behavior modification. Lots of people misunderstand it and put it in the category of Alcoholics Anonymous. But in spiritual formation, we're not talking about behavior modification.

Better Together, an initiative of the Saguaro Seminar: Civic Engagement in America, Kennedy School of Government

2005-09-16T11:07:00.000-06:00

This looks like an interesting website. I found it through a link in the Sojourners enewsletter which is a sermon by Yonce Shelton called "Still Bowling Alone?". The premise of the website is found in this quote:

The Saguaro Seminar issued the report Better Together, in December of 2000, calling for a nationwide campaign to redirect a downward spiral of civic apathy. Warning that the national stockpile of "social capital" --- our reserve of personal bonds and fellowship -- is seriously depleted, the report outlined the framework for sustained, broad-based social change to restore America's civic virtue.

I hope to explore this website more in the future. I think the collapse of American community is a fascinating subject. I would also say that it isn't just American community that has collapsed. My experience is that community in our churches has collapsed as well. How do we reestablish community in our churches which appears to currently be a counter cultural idea?

Finding God in Odd Places : Interview with Donald Miller

2005-09-14T12:10:00.000-06:00

Here's an interview with Donald Miller in Chrstianity Today. Miller is the author of Blue Like Jazz a book I reviewed earlier. The quote below is one of several that could be rather provacative.

I don't think about how we should do church. I love my church, and I love my pastor. But there's been a length of time where I did not feel like I fit in church culture in America. My theology is not run through the grid of self-help formulas. It's run through the grid of relational dynamics. There is a stark difference between the way the church in America is communicating faith and the way the Bible is communicating faith.

Does the church in America run it's theology through the grid of self-help formulas? Are we too focused on the results rather than the relationship? Is there "a stark difference between the way the church in America is communicating faith and the way the Bible is communicating faith"?

Impractical Christianity - Christianity Today Magazine

2005-09-14T11:43:00.000-06:00

This is a great article and I encourage you to read it. For me, the quote below from this article articulates why so many in the emerging church discussion are appealing to me. They are honest, authentic, fellow strugglers trying to follow Jesus.

The way forward for Western and other imperfect Christians is the path of humility and brokenness. Of course, humility and brokenness don't sell very well from the pulpit, not to mention in our society. But that's irrelevant. What matters is that the Lord, in his sovereign ingenuity, wills to teach us trust and humble dependence by bringing us through hardship; trials represent the roundabout, yet only true way toward spiritual maturation. And the Lord includes among these hardships the spiritual turmoil suffered by forgiven sinners who become painfully aware they are far from the peak of holiness.

Are humility and honest confession characteristic of our churches? Not much of the time. Increasingly common is the self-assured, goal-oriented, achievement-driven, human-centered outlook. What would the evangelistic impact be if the popular profile of today's Christian emphasized sin and brokenness, if we just went public and admitted it: 'This is who we are, prone to wander, slow to learn, still in process, far from having 'arrived,' grateful for mercy ... so don't expect anything else.'

So what do you think? Are today's churches too goal driven and self-assured?

Keepin' It Holy - Parenting and Sabbath keeping

2005-09-13T16:56:00.000-06:00

Here's a good article on Sabbath keeping written for parents. The article prompts me to ask: are we doing a good job challenging ourselves and our families to be counter cultural in Sabbath observance? Don't get me wrong, I'm not for legalism. But we do need to teach ourselves and our children to rest and attend to God.

Sabbath, after all, is very counter-cultural. It's a godly way of challenging many false assumptions that govern our broader culture. As Dorothy Bass says, 'Sabbath-keeping forms habits of cultural resistance around pressure-points that are at the heart of our culture's distress: consumerism, time-famine, family fragmentation.' For Bass, 'decommericalizing the Sabbath is a key thing. I realized I needed to stop shopping on the Sabbath because shopping was one place where my own sin and the culture's need intersected. I was finding myself sitting in church thinking about getting a new piece of furniture rather than being properly attentive to God!'

Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-12T14:54:00.000-06:00

Hurricane Katrina (4 of 9)
Originally uploaded by hynesic.

Check out these amazing photos of hurricane Katrina's approach taken by Bob Dorosky.

Interviews: Scott Derrickson - The Exorcism of Emily Rose

2005-09-09T15:56:00.000-06:00

The Exorcism of Emily Rose opens today and the director, Scott Derrickson is a Christian. Here is an interview with him from Christianity Today. He has some very interesting and I suspect controversal opinions concerning the horror movie genre.

In my opinion, the horror genre is a perfect genre for Christians to be involved with. I think the more compelling question is, Why do so many Christians find it odd that a Christian would be working in this genre? To me, this genre deals more overtly with the supernatural than any other genre, it tackles issues of good and evil more than any other genre, it distinguishes and articulates the essence of good and evil better than any other genre, and my feeling is that a lot of Christians are wary of this genre simply because it's unpleasant. The genre is not about making you feel good, it is about making you face your fears. And in my experience, that's something that a lot of Christians don't want to do.

To me, the horror genre is the genre of non-denial. It's about admitting that there is evil in the world, and recognizing that there is evil within us, and that we're not in control, and that the things that we are afraid of must be confronted in order for us to relinquish that fear. And I think that the horror genre serves a great purpose in bolstering our understanding of what is evil and therefore better defining what is good. And of course I'm talking about, really, the potential of the horror genre, because there are a lot of horror films that don't do these things. It is a genre that's full of exploitation, but the better films in the genre certainly accomplish, I think, very noble things.

He has some profound points in this quote. But is it right? I know I was very offended by a preview for this movie, not because of the movie itself but because of the time of day it was shown (during prime time when many children are watching!).

So do you agree with Derrickson? Is the horror movie genre a good genre for Christians to be involved in?

Where Most See a Weather System, Some See Divine Retribution

2005-09-09T12:56:00.000-06:00

Thousands Feared Dead
Originally uploaded by villany.

'In my belief, God judged New Orleans for the sin of shedding innocent blood through abortion,' said Lefemine, who e-mailed the flesh-toned weather map to fellow activists across the country and put a stark message on the answering machine of his organization, Columbia Christians for Life.

Is Lefemine right? What are we to believe concerning the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina? The theodicy discussion surrounding Katrina is ramping up. Here are a few links.

Seeking Justice, of Gods or the Politicians
Katrina: Not God's Wrath--or His Will
Hard Path to Salvation

This section from Greg Boyd's response to the 9/11 attacks has always resonated with me. I think it is again apropriate to consider when wrestling with a Hurricane Katrina theodicy.

Jesus had a very different approach to atrocities like the one we have experienced. When a multitude of Galileans were murdered by Pilate, Jesus asked a crowd, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?” He answered, “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did” (Luke 13:1–3). When a tower fell and killed eighteen people, Jesus asked, “do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem?” And again he answered, “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did” (Luke 13:4–5). Jesus is saying that people should not try to discern the punishing hand of God in atrocities. They should rather concern themselves with their own relationship with the Father.

This attitude characterized all of Jesus’ ministries. He spent his ministry reaching out to people who were in different ways victims of a fallen, cursed world: the marginalized, the oppressed, the deaf, the mute, the blind, the deformed, the demonized. And Jesus never suggested that their affliction was punishment for sins they or someone else committed. Indeed, never once did Jesus suggest that their affliction in any way fit into a divine plan. On the contrary, Jesus assumed that their affliction was contrary to God’s will. Rather, Jesus expressed God’s will by coming against these afflictions. Indeed, often Jesus explicitly identified the ultimate source of their afflictions as being Satan or one of his demonic cohorts (e.g. Luke 11:14, 13:11–16; Mark 9:25; cf. Acts 10:38; 1 John 3:8).

So what do you think?

HurricaneHousing.org - Hurricane Katrina Housing and Disaster Relief Help

2005-09-08T12:06:00.000-06:00

My eyes teared up as I read several of the generous offers made by thousands of Americans to help house those devasted by the hurricane. I found this link in a Christianity Today article. Here you can read about how churches are helping the evacuees in Houston. And here, you can read about what Gulf churches were doing on the first Sunday after Katrina.

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Resolution 0518

2005-09-08T10:15:00.000-06:00

Definiens of Love
Originally uploaded by bitterlysweet.

This is point 13 of resolution 0518 which passed at the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) General Assembly:

We find further theological incentive for interreligious engagement through our belief that all people share a common humanity, that is, all are created imago dei, (Gen. 1:27) in God’s image and have been already profoundly reconciled to God and to others, including the creation, in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18ff.; Colossians 3:15ff.). Every person embodies something of the divine image and therefore may possess some ray of truth, some aspect of the Mystery of God we know to be revealed in Jesus Christ. Even while we know God through Jesus Christ, we affirm that all human understanding of truth is inherently limited and conditioned. The reality of God, in contrast, is intrinsically unlimited. God will always be greater than any human can comprehend or any religion can convey. We affirm that it is morally, ethically, and spiritually wrong for any person, group, or religion to claim exclusive access to God, God’s love, grace, or salvation. When Christians and others have made such claims to exclusivity, much suffering and degradation has often been the result.

I find this to be a very problematic resolution by the Christian Church (DOC). It is nearly incomprehensible to me for a church to "affirm that it is morally, ethically, and spiritually wrong for any person, group, or religion to claim exclusive access to God, God's love, grace, or salvation." Though we must be careful with our claims of exclusive and that we aren't prideful or hurtful in our claims, I do believe the church can with confidence claim that "Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by him." Jesus himself speaks of exclusion.

Ultimately, it's a matter of proclaiming truth. As I have read this resolution it is clear that the Christian Church (DOC) wishes to love others and do it well. But is not speaking the truth a loving action? If we fail to speak the truth are we acting in a rather hurtful, hateful manner?

We must be loving. We must speak the truth. We must speak the truth in love!

Book Review: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

2005-09-07T16:50:00.000-06:00

First impressions, snap judgments, and intuition are the subject of Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. I found this to be a fascinating book. Anecdotes fill the pages as Gladwell relates story after story of the unconscious mind's ability to influence us without our conscious mind even knowing.

Especially powerful are his discussions concerning snap judgment in regards to race and gender. For a taste of the power of the unconscious mind try a computerized Implicit Association Test (IAT).

Particularly intriguing, especially from a Christian warfare worldview is this statement:

The results from these experiments are, obviously, quite disturbing. They suggest that what we think of as free will is largely an illusion: much of the time, we are simply operating on automatic pilot, and the way we think and act -- and how well we think and act on the spur of the moment -- are a lot more susceptible to outside influences than we realize.

I find this quote so intriguing from a warfare worldview because it begs the question of just how much unconscious influence over our daily actions the demonic and angelic realms have on us. What are your thoughts?

Last.fm

2005-09-07T16:21:00.000-06:00

I have been using Audioscrobbler (now last.fm) to log the music played on my computer for quite a while now. Check it out as there has been a lot of nice developments.

Petty squabbles cause empty pews

2005-09-07T16:19:00.000-06:00

IT ISN’T the big questions that stop people going to church — it is the little irritations, research has suggested.

Most churchgoers who abandon their weekly worship do so because they have had a dispute with a fellow member of the congregation.

A disagreement on a range of issues, from the way the organ is played to the content of the sermon, was the reason that nearly three quarters of respondents to a survey gave for why they felt people had left the Church.

This has been my experience in my churches. I have had numerous people tell me that they enjoy my preaching and enjoy the church but are currently in a conflict with someone at church and can't attend until things are worked out. Here's a question: how should pastors respond to such statements?

PreachingToday.com: Preaching Resources Workshops Library Topical Sermons Tools Outlines Lexicons

2005-09-07T16:03:00.000-06:00

Here are some great thoughts on the use of imagination and preaching from Haddon Robinson:

The best sermons don't describe emotions; they create them. That requires your imagination.

Jesus told stories—secular, worldly stories—that changed his listeners' angle of vision. They were not 'Bible stories' as we think of them. He didn't read them out of a book. He made them up on the spot. He created them out of life. He used his imagination. Some hearers followed him; others wanted to murder him. But they got his point. If the sermon is for our hearers, then we must serve the hearers as our Teacher did. We must use our imaginations and help them use theirs.

So fire up that imagination for this Sunday!

The New Monasticism - Christianity Today Magazine

2005-09-07T16:02:00.000-06:00

'How can you worship a homeless Man on Sunday and ignore one on Monday?'

A powerful and challenging quote from a powerful and challenging article!

Hurricane Katrina [Emergency Exit]

2005-09-02T01:33:00.000-06:00

Hurricane Katrina [Emergency Exit]
Originally uploaded by slight clutter.

What a powerful image. Lord, have mercy!

LarkNews.com

2005-09-02T01:11:00.000-06:00

The latest issue of LarkNews is up. Check out "a good source for Christian news." Also be sure to check out their new t-shirts!

'Chinese Christians used to sacrifice everything for Christ. Now they only want God to bless them,' says one Chinese elder who has served five prison terms for planting churches."

Searching for the Living, but Mostly Finding the Dead - New York Times

2005-09-01T10:44:00.000-06:00

'I made her leave for Ivan,' Ms. Burnett said of the storm last year that, it turned out, did not cause much damage here. 'She never forgave me.'

'She said, 'I'm not leaving, even if it's Category 10'; well, she's so damn stubborn,' Ms. Burnett said, beginning to cry.

Then Ms. Burnett saw a dog. 'Buddy, that's her dog,' she said. 'My mom's with the dog.'

The workers untangled a gently barking Buddy from some branches and then, when one spotted a body farther on, turned and signaled to another worker, who led Ms. Burnett off the roof and back to the rescue truck.

'Buddy, you're a miracle,' Ms. Burnett said to the dog, then turned to the worker, Debbie Crisher.

'She's in there, isn't she?'

'They're still looking,' Ms. Crisher said.

The search team turned over the body. It was that of Ms. Burnett's mother. They trudged back through power lines, trees and mud as heavy as wet concrete.

'Did you find her?' Ms. Burnett asked.

The squad leader, Jon Rigolo, took her aside and gave her the news. Ms. Burnett nodded and began crying again...

"The hardest part is, it didn't have to be this way," said David Cash, one of two doctors with the Virginia Beach team. "If people had evacuated - of course, where are they going to evacuate to? But other people did evacuate. Everybody that died here was needless. It's just the senselessness of it all."

Why are we so stubborn? Why are we so self-assured that we will survive, that these things will not happen to us? Lord, have mercy!

Superdome: Haven Quickly Becomes an Ordeal - New York Times

2005-09-01T10:16:00.000-06:00

Once inside the dome, refugees were told that for their own safety they could not leave - the flood waters climbed four feet up the walls outside - and many likened the shelter to a prison.

Michael Childs, 45 and a housepainter, went a step further.

"It's worse than a prison," said Mr. Childs, who knew something about the subject, having spent three months in the Orleans Parish Prison on a drunken-driving charge. "In prison you have a place to urinate, a place for other bathroom needs. Here you get no water, no toilets, no lights. You get all that in prison."

Lord have mercy!

High-Tech Circuit Riders

2005-08-31T10:19:00.000-06:00

Seacoast is one of almost 1,000 U.S. churches to embrace a multisite approach, according to the Leadership Network (www.leadnet.org). Sometimes called a 'satellite' or 'franchise' model, going multisite is seen by advocates as one of the leading innovations of the 21st century and by critics as a sign that the church has sold out to consumerism—becoming just another big-box retailer, selling salvation with convenient hours and a discount price. The answer, as usual, lies somewhere in between.

Currently in the PCUSA there are about 17 models of how to do ministry without a full time seminary trained pastor. There are so many models because there are so many small rural PCUSA churches that can't afford a full-time minister. This is true for many small, rural churches. Could the multisite approach work in the rural church context?

Pros:
1. If the rural churches used a DVD the cost of the technology is relatively inexpensive (especially compared to hiring a full time seminary trained minister!).

2. Most people in a rural church have a lot of ownership in the church and would be able to facilitate the business of the church on a daily basis.

3. The church could hire a part-time pastor who is gifted in visitation and building relationships to meet the daily needs of the congregation.

4. The church would receive better teaching and worship than is common in your typical small rural church.

5. Partnering small rural churches with large mega-churches would open them up to the resources and opportunities that mega-churches provide.

6. Something similar worked once before in a rural setting: Methodist circuit riders

Roger Finke, a Penn State sociologist and coauthor of The Churching of America, 1776-1990: Winners and Losers in Our Religious Economy, sees a parallel between the multisite or franchise approach and the Methodist circuit riders of the 19th century.

"The Methodist circuit rider was basically the pastor for multiple satellite churches," Finke told CT. "They tried to start up satellite congregations as quickly and as cheaply as possible. When the circuit rider was not there during the week, the satellite had a class leader or layperson who kept things going. Then the circuit rider would come in every once in a while and fire people up."

Cons:
1. Would mainline churches (which dominate in the rural context) buy into this model of ministry and be willing to partner with evangelical churches currently using this model?

2. Would small town folks accept the video teaching as a replacement for a pastor?

3. Would the video teaching connect with rural people and their lives and issues? (Many illustrations that work in the city don't connect in the rural context because they describe events or places that don't exist in the rural context.)

4. Would it all feel too fake and phoney to rural people?

5. Would it all feel too distant, too coerographed, too professional for rural people?

6 Would it draw the unchurched in rural areas?

7. Is something lost in worship with videotaped preaching?

At the very least I'm tempted to give this a try next time I'm out of town. Maybe I could videotape a sermon and they could watch it when I'm gone. Then I could get feedback and see what people think.

Those are my thoughts. What do you think?

Luther: The daily gift of new life - Christian History

2005-08-20T14:31:00.000-06:00

'In the morning, as soon as you get out of bed, you are to make the sign of the holy cross and say: 'God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit watch over me. Amen.' Further directions follow: say the Apostles Creed, pray the Lord's Prayer. … Then 'you are to go to your work joyfully.'

Good simple advice on a daily spiritual discipline from Luther.

What I did on my summer vacation...

2005-08-20T14:29:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the long delay inbetween posts. We have been on vacation and also to my wife's grandfather's funeral. Lots of miles on the van. But we are finally home.

TIME Magazine -- Reworking Work -- Jul. 25, 2005

2005-07-29T11:36:00.000-06:00

The transition required a lot of deprogramming of old attitudes, and it produced a lot of pain. Some employees break down and cry in ROWE training sessions. 'People in the baby-boom generation realize what they gave up to get ahead in the workplace, and a lot of times it's their families. They realize that it doesn't have to be that way,' says Ressler, her eyes tearing up. In particular, men thank her and Thompson, who run the sessions, for giving them permission to spend more time with their families. 'They know now they can do it and not be judged,' says Thompson.

This article reminds me of a great talk I heard Andy Stanley give at a Youth Specialties National Youthworker Conference several years ago. Andy Stanley said something along these lines: "Tell me, who was the youth pastor at your church before you? Will there be a youth pastor at your church after you leave? Now tell me, who was your spouse's spouse before you? Who was your children's parent before you? Who will be their spouse or parent after you are gone? In ministry we ask God to take care of our families when we know we are robbing them of time, of us so we can accomplish the work of ministry, the work of God. Maybe we have this backwards. Shouldn't we be present and available to our families and trust God to get the work of His ministry done?"

Sounds like Best Buy is leading the way in helping people get their priorities straight! How can the church assist? How can the church meaningfully challenge the priorities of our culture?

Book Review: Blue Like Jazz by Don Miller

2005-07-29T10:53:00.000-06:00

Let's get right to the point: I love this book! It is funny, insightful, powerful. Miller's honesty and authenticity are so refreshing. Run out and start reading it today if you haven't already!

Some of the highlights include Miller's thoughts on attending Reed College, attending a Unitarian church in Colorado Springs, living as a fundamentalist Christian for a summer, and wrestling with how to love others.

I feel that it is probably the best book for handing seeks who want to learn more about Christian spirituality but aren't interested in the church. There are so many folks in my life that I want to give this book to!

Here's a great quote for the church to keep in mind:

"A friend of mine, a young pastor who recently started a church, talks to me from time to time about the new face of church in America--about the postmodern church. He says the new church will be different from the old one, that we will be relevant to culture and the human struggle. I don't think any church has ever been relevant to culture, to the human struggle, unless it believed in Jesus and the power of His gospel. If the supposed new church believes in trendy music and cool Web pages, then it is not relevant to culture either. It is just another tool of Satan to get people to be passionate about nothing." (p. 111)

I think this quote resonates so much with me because it's true. I know it to be true through my experience. Churches out in the sticks struggle with being relevant. Actually most of the time we don't even struggle! We just aren't relevant. We don't play all the latest greatest music. We sing hymns with an organ. Sometimes we sing some "newer" praise songs like "Lord I Lift Your Name On High" and "Shine, Jesus, Shine" but we sing them with organ accompaniment! We don't have a website. We don't market ourselves. We are far from relevant to the culture.

Yet people come. Young and old. And they are growing. Many tell me they are growing more than ever before in their lives! Why? Because I believe in Jesus and the power of His gospel. What could be more relevant than that?

spamgourmet - free disposable email addresses, spam blocker

2005-07-28T13:46:00.000-06:00

This looks like a great tool. I have been using Mailblocks for several years but have wanted a spamblocker for my gmail account. Enter spamgourmet! Depending on how well it works, I may not have to renew my Mailblocks subscription this year.

Downloads | Konfabulator

2005-07-25T17:31:00.000-06:00

Windos users! Do you have widget envy? Then get Konfabulator!

PDF Online : Create PDF for free, PDF software programming, PDF toolkit, convert to PDF and HTML, PDF converter, PDF api, PDF SDK / COM and PDF server

2005-07-25T17:25:00.000-06:00

Free PDF Conversion Services. Very helpful!

Flickr related tag browser

2005-07-25T17:22:00.000-06:00

Type in a word and it will search flickr tags for you.

Very cool.

Google Maps - 115 Federal Street Pittsburgh, PA 15212

2005-07-21T16:26:00.000-06:00

Where are the Colorado Rockies playing tonight? PNC Park. I love baseball and Google maps with the satellite feature makes it really fun to explore all the great ball parks!

Speaking of Faith | The Religious Roots of American Democracy | Krista's Reflection

2005-07-21T13:11:00.000-06:00

If you get a chance to hear this program, it sounds like it will be excellent and timely. From this brief quote, it is interesting how the founding father's defined terms like happiness and how most Americans today define it.

A few years ago I came across this fascinating observation by the Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville from his famous report of 1831, Democracy in America:

"Religion in America takes no direct part in the government of society, but it must be regarded as the first of their political institutions. I do not know whether all Americans have a sincere faith and religion, for who can search the human heart? But I am certain that they hold it to be indispensable to the maintenance of republican institutions. This opinion is not peculiar to a class of citizens or to a party, but it belongs to the whole nation and to every rank of society."

These days, there is a new discussion building in our culture — in both public and private spaces — about the role of religion in American life. As we began to prepare this program on the religious roots in American democracy, I wanted to probe something de Tocqueville saw that I find underrepresented in our contemporary dynamics: a religious sensibility in the origins of our national ideals that goes deeper than our modern debates, and transcends them.

I found a modern de Tocqueville in philosopher Jacob Needleman, and our conversation felt like an adventure. Needleman spent several years tracing the spiritual and intellectual content of the American founders' thought. Spirit and intellect, he says, always worked in concert in the formulation of American democracy and the writing of the documents that define American identity even today. Rights implied duties. Happiness was an inalienable right, but it was not synonymous with pleasure, with having or acquiring what one wants. It meant "well-being." It was linked with conscience. In the "idea of America," Needleman asserts provocatively, democracy is not just a set of laws and societal structures. It is also inner work.

Needleman enlarges the notion of America's founders to include important thinkers who helped form the virtues of our republic beyond revolution and constitution. So in this week's program, alongside Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine, we have wonderful readings from Frederick Douglass and Walt Whitman. In the context of conversation with Needleman, I heard what each of them had to say with new interest and insight. I came away feeling that we can invoke the religious sensibility of the founders precisely as an antidote to the confusion and excesses of religion in American life today.

This serves to illustrate the need for careful hermenuetics. Whenever we are dealing with an historical text, we must seek to understand what the authors original intent was. We must define the words the way the authors did.

Perhaps we rely too much on reader response today.

The Matching Game update

2005-07-21T01:16:00.000-06:00

Several days ago I posted the Matching Game quiz challenging players to match the church with the statement of faith. Here are the results. The correct answer was Willow Creek.

The Matching Game : Match the church with the statement of faith!

This statement of faith belongs to:

Willow Creek Community Church - Bill Hybels

Cedar Ridge Community Church - Brian McLaren

Saddleback Church - Rick Warren

Lakewood Church - Joel Olsteen

Thomas Road Baptist Church - Jerry Falwell

New Life Church - Ted Haggard

The Potter's House - T.D. Jakes

This Poll by hawkenstein

Click here to view current results

The Constructive Curmudgeon

2005-07-15T13:09:00.000-06:00

Dr. Groothuis from Denver Seminary is now blogging atThe Constructive Curmudgeon.

Out in the Sticks: The Archive

Blog is moving...

Sermon on Mark 10:13-16

The Brick Testament

Hospitality and our "enemies"

More goofy evangelicals

McLaren on The DaVinci Code

End of the "E" Word?

Students, Staff Involved in Fatal Crash - Taylor University

Dr. Blomberg and the Gospel of Judas

Conservatives and liberals : Living with tares

Wray's close call

Power, Possessions and Stewards

Rich aliens: possessions and God's Kingdom

The last bag of tortilla chips in town...

Commercialization, Aslan, Hobbes, and the Church

Pat speaks, God listens!

Finding True North

No Church? No Problem

More Problems with Evangelical Theology

Ben Witherington on The Problem with Evangelical Theology

Reading reflections - Paul Among the Postliberals

Catholic AnalysisCatholic Analysis: Full Text of New Document on Priesthood

C.S. Lewis and the consolation of religion

Messy Scriptures - The Story of the Sacred Scroll

The Underrated Spiritual Secret

Theological distinctives poll

Redeeming Harry Potter

Megachurch Google sightseeing: Pulpit Rock Church

Expletive Undeleted 2: The F-bomb Fallout

The Problem with Evangelical Theologies

Electrocuted pastor's final prayer: 'Surprise me, God'

Hermeneutics, Anyone? - Christianity Today Magazine

Christian Meditation part 2, quiz

New Scientist Breaking News - Meditation builds up the brain

Tagging with BlogThis! - Freshblog

Pat Robertson Warns Pa. Town of Disaster

Priest Idol

Out in the Sticks on SuprGlu

Expletive Undeleted: Dropping the F-bomb in Church from the Leadership Blog

Warfare worldview evidence: Copts' Night of Terror

Wired News: Eat, Sleep, Work, Consume, Die

Good Morning, Evangelicals! - Christianity Today Magazine

Good Morning, Evangelicals! - Christianity Today Magazine

Good Morning, Evangelicals! - Christianity Today Magazine

"All things to all men" or "Be ye separate"? - Christian History

Exploring a Parallel Universe - Christianity Today Magazine

Does Electrocution Happen for a Reason? - Christianity Today Magazine

Warfare worldview evidence: Christian Teens Beheaded in Indonesia

1,000 Attend Service For Pastor Electrocuted During Baptism

A Halloween Solution - Christianity Today Magazine

Emerging Solutions—and Problems - Christianity Today Magazine

The 100 Minute Bible

Old Words, Vibrant Faith - Christianity Today Magazine

Why? - Christianity Today Magazine

Book Review: 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper

Out in the sticks extreme makeover coming (I hope!)

Book Review: Calling by Frank Tillapaugh and Richard Hurst

Emergents, Meet Saints! - Christian History

The Power of Media: Interview with Micheal Flaherty

Book Review: Provocative Faith by Matthew Paul Turner

To Conserve Gas, President Calls for Less Driving - New York Times

Jesus Isn't Cool: Challenging Youth Ministry

Suddenly Single

LeadershipJournal.net - P*rn Sund*y

Book Review: Intercessory Prayer: How God Can Use Your Prayers to Move Heaven and Earth

resettle.org

Out in the sticks

Brad Stine - Comedy - Arts - John Leland - New York Times

The Making of the Christian - Christianity Today Magazine

Better Together, an initiative of the Saguaro Seminar: Civic Engagement in America, Kennedy School of Government

Finding God in Odd Places : Interview with Donald Miller

Impractical Christianity - Christianity Today Magazine

Keepin' It Holy - Parenting and Sabbath keeping

Hurricane Katrina

Interviews: Scott Derrickson - The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Where Most See a Weather System, Some See Divine Retribution

HurricaneHousing.org - Hurricane Katrina Housing and Disaster Relief Help

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Resolution 0518

Book Review: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

LeadershipJournal.net - Prn Sundy