Warfare worldview evidence: Copts' Night of Terror

"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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Halloween Solution - Christianity Today Magazine

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

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

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

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

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

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!)

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

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

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

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?