Politics without Principle
Wealth without Work
Commerce without Morality
Pleasure without Conscience
Education without Character
Science without Humanity
Worship without Sacrifice
-- Mahatma Gandhi
Friday, November 25, 2005
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Memories...
Debby and I were toodling around on the internet the other day, looking for house prices in Colorado - not to move there, but my brother is moving back from Arizona in December, so were checking to see if the crazy Colorado market finally settled down. It has - some.
Anyway, we were looking, and the next thing we know, we see our first house on the market. It brought back a lot of memories. When we were married, we lived in a condo - a nice three bedroom condo on the top floor on the end - we really liked it, but we knew that we were ready to get a house. So we bought a new house in the town where I grew up - Parker, Colorado. We were there for about two years before we both felt that we were called to Dallas. Which was a big mistake, but that's okay, I'm almost over it.
It was nice to see our old house, even though it was on the market, which was kind of sad.
Here's the link:
first house
Anyway, we were looking, and the next thing we know, we see our first house on the market. It brought back a lot of memories. When we were married, we lived in a condo - a nice three bedroom condo on the top floor on the end - we really liked it, but we knew that we were ready to get a house. So we bought a new house in the town where I grew up - Parker, Colorado. We were there for about two years before we both felt that we were called to Dallas. Which was a big mistake, but that's okay, I'm almost over it.
It was nice to see our old house, even though it was on the market, which was kind of sad.
Here's the link:
first house
Friday, November 18, 2005
Acceptable Sacrifice
"There's a very tangible cycle of how it all works. The book of Isaiah asks, what is our acceptable sacrifice? What is our acceptable worship? God's people say, 'we bring burnt offerings, and we give it to You. We have these literary things that are part of our tradition that we do for worship,' and God basically comes back and says all these things have no connection to real relationship. What about taking care of widows and orphans and healing the sick? Taking care of the naked and giving shelter? All these things are relational. With relationships you have to engage another person. Obviously we all know that relationships are incredibly difficult and incredibly messy.
I hope people see the privilege in serving this way. Many think it's the government's job to help; it's not. It's the Church's job to do it. The problem is that the Church isn't doing it. I think we have a responsibility to serve, but at the same time it's not as much a responsibility as it is a privilege. We just don't know what it's like to enter into suffering and to know God in the midst of that. And yet, that is what the gospel is about. I mean, if suffering and sorrow and pain were not really meant for the Christian life, why did Jesus die on the cross? Why did He endure such suffering? It doesn't make any sense. The Bible just wouldn't be true because the Bible says, 'We enter into Christ's suffering.' It's a part of us. And yet the Christian life at this point is more represented by safety than risk. It's more represented by comfort than pain and sorrow, and I think we see how that can destroy the Church or distract the Church into thinking that other things are more important."
- Dan Haseltine in Worship Leader Magazine
Haseltine and the rest of Jars of Clay aren't just about talk, of course. The mission they have started, called Blood:Water Mission, is simple in theory: help the people of Africa by focusing on an essential element confronting them: contaminated blood supplies and the lack of clean water. "The image is a powerful one since the water and the blood that poured from Christ's side represented the ultimate sacrifice. How appropriate for the Church to take the images of our spiritual transformation and use them to bring concrete relief to people who are hurting in our world."
Their website gives more information about this mission of theirs, including their 1,000 Wells Project, with a goal of raising funds to build, rebuild and repair one thousand wells in urban and rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa.
Erwin McManus, in a message given to the 7:22 worship service at Northpoint Community Church in Atlanta, GA, said that today's believer lives in a period of history where he/she has the most opportunity and the most resources to DO SOMETHING. He spoke on ambition, and how we tend to think that all ambition is bad - yet Paul says "Do nothing out of selfish ambition". Some ambition is good. McManus says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition, but by God, don't just do nothing!" He also notes: "And yes, the Scriptures are laced with promises, but they are also packed with commands. And a command is just a religious way of saying 'things God holds us responsible for.'"
I've been thinking about all of this stuff because the House of Representatives passed their budget reconciliation bill - a bill that was supposed to be done November 10 - eight days late, but they passed it. This bill axes billions of dollars allocated to help the poor - the food stamp program, medicaid, and more. I know not to get too political about all of this, but it frustrates me. I agree with Jim Wallis that the U.S. budget is a moral document - and when help for the poor is cut and the rich - both individuals and corporations - continue to get big tax breaks - it breaks my heart. I have been extremely upset all day, and it's been wearing me down. However, after reading the above Haseltine quote, I now realize that what this seemingly bad thing does is give the Church another opportunity to reclaim its responsibility to help the poor, to take care of the downtrodden, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to visit the prisoner - to be Jesus. Someone once said, "Your faith hasn't taken hold of your heart until it extends to your hands and your feet." Will the Church have the selfless ambition to be the light of the world and to do unto the least of these?
I hope people see the privilege in serving this way. Many think it's the government's job to help; it's not. It's the Church's job to do it. The problem is that the Church isn't doing it. I think we have a responsibility to serve, but at the same time it's not as much a responsibility as it is a privilege. We just don't know what it's like to enter into suffering and to know God in the midst of that. And yet, that is what the gospel is about. I mean, if suffering and sorrow and pain were not really meant for the Christian life, why did Jesus die on the cross? Why did He endure such suffering? It doesn't make any sense. The Bible just wouldn't be true because the Bible says, 'We enter into Christ's suffering.' It's a part of us. And yet the Christian life at this point is more represented by safety than risk. It's more represented by comfort than pain and sorrow, and I think we see how that can destroy the Church or distract the Church into thinking that other things are more important."
- Dan Haseltine in Worship Leader Magazine
Haseltine and the rest of Jars of Clay aren't just about talk, of course. The mission they have started, called Blood:Water Mission, is simple in theory: help the people of Africa by focusing on an essential element confronting them: contaminated blood supplies and the lack of clean water. "The image is a powerful one since the water and the blood that poured from Christ's side represented the ultimate sacrifice. How appropriate for the Church to take the images of our spiritual transformation and use them to bring concrete relief to people who are hurting in our world."
Their website gives more information about this mission of theirs, including their 1,000 Wells Project, with a goal of raising funds to build, rebuild and repair one thousand wells in urban and rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa.
Erwin McManus, in a message given to the 7:22 worship service at Northpoint Community Church in Atlanta, GA, said that today's believer lives in a period of history where he/she has the most opportunity and the most resources to DO SOMETHING. He spoke on ambition, and how we tend to think that all ambition is bad - yet Paul says "Do nothing out of selfish ambition". Some ambition is good. McManus says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition, but by God, don't just do nothing!" He also notes: "And yes, the Scriptures are laced with promises, but they are also packed with commands. And a command is just a religious way of saying 'things God holds us responsible for.'"
I've been thinking about all of this stuff because the House of Representatives passed their budget reconciliation bill - a bill that was supposed to be done November 10 - eight days late, but they passed it. This bill axes billions of dollars allocated to help the poor - the food stamp program, medicaid, and more. I know not to get too political about all of this, but it frustrates me. I agree with Jim Wallis that the U.S. budget is a moral document - and when help for the poor is cut and the rich - both individuals and corporations - continue to get big tax breaks - it breaks my heart. I have been extremely upset all day, and it's been wearing me down. However, after reading the above Haseltine quote, I now realize that what this seemingly bad thing does is give the Church another opportunity to reclaim its responsibility to help the poor, to take care of the downtrodden, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to visit the prisoner - to be Jesus. Someone once said, "Your faith hasn't taken hold of your heart until it extends to your hands and your feet." Will the Church have the selfless ambition to be the light of the world and to do unto the least of these?
Thursday, November 17, 2005
What Are Your Little Icelandic Elves?
I was in Barnes and Noble the other day, sipping some coffee and reading through some of my favorite magazines that I like to peruse while sipping coffee at a Barnes and Noble - and I came across an interesting interview with a personal favorite band named Sigur Ros. They are from Iceland, and it's very hard to describe the type of music that they play. It's mostly instrumental, with a few icelandic words here and there (although on their last CD, titled strangely ( ), all the words were words that they made up). Their music is beautiful, haunting, strange, and great for listening to - while sipping coffee at a Barnes and Noble, perusing through your favorite magazines.
Anyway, Sigur Ros has released a new CD named Takk, and its great. The lead singer was interviewed for the magazine Paste (a great magazine, by the way - its founder and editor is a Christian and was featured in Relevant Magazine a couple of issues ago), and he started talking about superstitions and strange beliefs that people in Iceland have. I guess there is still a strong belief that there are Icelandic island elves that haunt the island. The lead singer described how the Icelandic government will build roads that are windy and that go around large boulders - boulders that could be moved by heavy machinery - because of the belief that elves live in the boulders. He described a recent story about how a large boulder could not be moved - for days, heavy machinery kept breaking down - until someone came and asked the elf living in the boulder if they could move it. After the elf gave its blessing, the rock was moved without any problem whatsoever.
It got me thinking about what my elves are. Well, not necessarily elves, but what are those strange superstitions or even beliefs about the Christian life that really are silly and don't really have any support behind them - yet I still hold onto them anyway? I think that one of those elves that I'm trying to let go is the idea that conversion is a one-time event that takes place and then is over. Although I do think there is a specific moment when Christ took hold of me - at baptism - I don't think that it was a moment-only event. I think that salvation is continuing to happen - not so much in the justification idea of the term; but most definitely the sanctification idea. ("Work out your salvation with fear and trembling" comes to mind) Sorry about the big words.
Another one is my concept about eternal life. I used to think that eternal life only meant after I died. I now believe that eternal life is supposed to be experienced in the here and now as well, right here, right now. Jesus said, "This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." (John 17:3) It would seem to me that Jesus is saying that eternal life starts when we begin to know God. So as a missional Christian, I shouldn't be just happy that I'm saved and that eternal life begins after I die, I should be helping to bring forth eternal life and God's kingdom here on earth before I die. If that doesn't make sense, it's probably because I'm still thinking through this. If you want more on this subject, I would recommend "A Generous Orthodoxy" by Brian McLaren and any Dallas Willard book.
We even have our little Icelandic elves at Christmastime - which might seem appropriate given that there are elves at Christmastime of the Santa persuasion - yet some of them are gaps in the Christmas story that we've filled using Christmas carols, our imaginations, movies and more. Let me give you some examples:
- in the carol "Away In A Manger" it states "the little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes." Why wouldn't he cry? He was a baby at the time, you know. It was probably a little chilly. He was just born. I think he would cry.
- We Three Kings: News bulletin, folks. They weren't kings, they were astrologers. We don't know how many there were - we assume there were three because three gifts were given. Historic tradition says twelve. And they weren't at his birth, as you see so often in nativity scenes. They showed up two years later or so, and by that time Mary and Joseph would have had a house.
- there was no room in the inn: There certainly was no inn or innkeeper. The Greek word Luke used was "kataluma," as in "There was no room for them in the kataluma." Scholars agree that this word should never have been translated "inn," but instead describes a spare room of some kind or perhaps a common room for travelers who needed a roof over their heads. On busy nights there would have been several families snoozing in the corners of the village kataluma, covered with blankets and robes. (taken from reallivepreacher.com)
- the nativity scene itself: In a place like Judea, wood was scarce, which would make a wooden "barn" structure unlikely. More likely was the idea of the nativity scene taken place in a limestone cave, or even at someone's house. Archaelogists have uncovered structures that showed that most houses in those days had two levels: one level for the family, the lower level for the animals. In any case, Jesus' manger was probably of stone.
Hopefully I haven't ruined your idea of Christmas - and I don't think it's bad that we fill those gaps with ideas that may be wrong but warm-hearted and good-intentioned - yet at the same time, we need to realize that the birth of Jesus wasn't a warm fuzzy occasion. I think one of the best songs to describe the scene is called "Labor Of Love" from one of the best Christmas CDs - Behold The Lamb of God by Andrew Peterson:
It was not a silent night
There was blood on the ground
You could hear a woman cry
In the alleyway that night
On the streets of David's town
And the stable was not clean
And the cobblestones were cold
And little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
Had no mother's hand to hold
It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
With every beat of her beautiful heart
It was a labor of love
Noble Joseph by her side
Calloused hands and weary eyes
There were no midwives to be found
On the streets of David's town
In the middle of the night
So he held her and he prayed
Shafts of moonlight on his face
But the baby in her womb
He was the maker of the moon
He was the author of the faith
That could make the mountains move
It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
With every beat of her beautiful heart
It was a labor of love
For little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
It was a labor of love
What are your little icelandic elves - Christmas or otherwise? Again, it's probably not bad to have them for the most part, but it's always good to put a magnifying glass to what we believe and analyze our traditions and beliefs in the light of Scripture and history.
Anyway, Sigur Ros has released a new CD named Takk, and its great. The lead singer was interviewed for the magazine Paste (a great magazine, by the way - its founder and editor is a Christian and was featured in Relevant Magazine a couple of issues ago), and he started talking about superstitions and strange beliefs that people in Iceland have. I guess there is still a strong belief that there are Icelandic island elves that haunt the island. The lead singer described how the Icelandic government will build roads that are windy and that go around large boulders - boulders that could be moved by heavy machinery - because of the belief that elves live in the boulders. He described a recent story about how a large boulder could not be moved - for days, heavy machinery kept breaking down - until someone came and asked the elf living in the boulder if they could move it. After the elf gave its blessing, the rock was moved without any problem whatsoever.
It got me thinking about what my elves are. Well, not necessarily elves, but what are those strange superstitions or even beliefs about the Christian life that really are silly and don't really have any support behind them - yet I still hold onto them anyway? I think that one of those elves that I'm trying to let go is the idea that conversion is a one-time event that takes place and then is over. Although I do think there is a specific moment when Christ took hold of me - at baptism - I don't think that it was a moment-only event. I think that salvation is continuing to happen - not so much in the justification idea of the term; but most definitely the sanctification idea. ("Work out your salvation with fear and trembling" comes to mind) Sorry about the big words.
Another one is my concept about eternal life. I used to think that eternal life only meant after I died. I now believe that eternal life is supposed to be experienced in the here and now as well, right here, right now. Jesus said, "This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." (John 17:3) It would seem to me that Jesus is saying that eternal life starts when we begin to know God. So as a missional Christian, I shouldn't be just happy that I'm saved and that eternal life begins after I die, I should be helping to bring forth eternal life and God's kingdom here on earth before I die. If that doesn't make sense, it's probably because I'm still thinking through this. If you want more on this subject, I would recommend "A Generous Orthodoxy" by Brian McLaren and any Dallas Willard book.
We even have our little Icelandic elves at Christmastime - which might seem appropriate given that there are elves at Christmastime of the Santa persuasion - yet some of them are gaps in the Christmas story that we've filled using Christmas carols, our imaginations, movies and more. Let me give you some examples:
- in the carol "Away In A Manger" it states "the little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes." Why wouldn't he cry? He was a baby at the time, you know. It was probably a little chilly. He was just born. I think he would cry.
- We Three Kings: News bulletin, folks. They weren't kings, they were astrologers. We don't know how many there were - we assume there were three because three gifts were given. Historic tradition says twelve. And they weren't at his birth, as you see so often in nativity scenes. They showed up two years later or so, and by that time Mary and Joseph would have had a house.
- there was no room in the inn: There certainly was no inn or innkeeper. The Greek word Luke used was "kataluma," as in "There was no room for them in the kataluma." Scholars agree that this word should never have been translated "inn," but instead describes a spare room of some kind or perhaps a common room for travelers who needed a roof over their heads. On busy nights there would have been several families snoozing in the corners of the village kataluma, covered with blankets and robes. (taken from reallivepreacher.com)
- the nativity scene itself: In a place like Judea, wood was scarce, which would make a wooden "barn" structure unlikely. More likely was the idea of the nativity scene taken place in a limestone cave, or even at someone's house. Archaelogists have uncovered structures that showed that most houses in those days had two levels: one level for the family, the lower level for the animals. In any case, Jesus' manger was probably of stone.
Hopefully I haven't ruined your idea of Christmas - and I don't think it's bad that we fill those gaps with ideas that may be wrong but warm-hearted and good-intentioned - yet at the same time, we need to realize that the birth of Jesus wasn't a warm fuzzy occasion. I think one of the best songs to describe the scene is called "Labor Of Love" from one of the best Christmas CDs - Behold The Lamb of God by Andrew Peterson:
It was not a silent night
There was blood on the ground
You could hear a woman cry
In the alleyway that night
On the streets of David's town
And the stable was not clean
And the cobblestones were cold
And little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
Had no mother's hand to hold
It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
With every beat of her beautiful heart
It was a labor of love
Noble Joseph by her side
Calloused hands and weary eyes
There were no midwives to be found
On the streets of David's town
In the middle of the night
So he held her and he prayed
Shafts of moonlight on his face
But the baby in her womb
He was the maker of the moon
He was the author of the faith
That could make the mountains move
It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
With every beat of her beautiful heart
It was a labor of love
For little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
It was a labor of love
What are your little icelandic elves - Christmas or otherwise? Again, it's probably not bad to have them for the most part, but it's always good to put a magnifying glass to what we believe and analyze our traditions and beliefs in the light of Scripture and history.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Why I Am Not Emergent
This title doesn't refer to me, of course. I don't call myself an emergent Christian; I like to call myself a "missional follower of Jesus Christ". Yeah, I know it sounds like I'm about ready to move to Waco with my wife and my other wife and thirty followers and invest in Kool-Aid packets, but I like the term personally.
"Why I Am Not Emergent" refers to this article. It reminds me that a lot of people have some really whacked out ideas of what the emergent church believes. Obviously this piece is satire; however, I have heard similar claims by those who don't like the emergent movement simply because they have seen a quote from a book by Brian McLaren, or they've heard through the grapevine about a fringe emergent church, and assume that these small things add up to the whole of the emergent movement. Which obviously isn't true.
"Why I Am Not Emergent" refers to this article. It reminds me that a lot of people have some really whacked out ideas of what the emergent church believes. Obviously this piece is satire; however, I have heard similar claims by those who don't like the emergent movement simply because they have seen a quote from a book by Brian McLaren, or they've heard through the grapevine about a fringe emergent church, and assume that these small things add up to the whole of the emergent movement. Which obviously isn't true.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Statistics.
One pregnant woman dies of complications every 60 seconds.
One child dies of Malaria in Africa every 29 seconds.
Someone in the world dies of tuberculosis every 18 seconds.
One person is affected with HIV every 6.4 seconds.
The United States ranks last in foreign aid development giving as a percentage of national income.
- Time Magazine
One child dies of Malaria in Africa every 29 seconds.
Someone in the world dies of tuberculosis every 18 seconds.
One person is affected with HIV every 6.4 seconds.
The United States ranks last in foreign aid development giving as a percentage of national income.
- Time Magazine
Interesting quote
"Think of the impact if the first thing radical feminists thought of when the conversation turned to evangelical men was that they had the best reputation for keeping their marriage vows and serving their wives in the costly fashion of Jesus at the cross. Think of the impact if the first thing the homosexual community thought of when someone mentioned evangelicals was that they were the people who lovingly ran the AIDS shelters and tenderly cared for them down to the last gasp. A little consistent wholesome modeling and costly servanthood are worth millions of true words harshly spoken."
- Ron Sider
- Ron Sider
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