Divine Conspirator

Remembering Not Over . . . Even If Regular Posting May Be

2011-04-01T11:06:00.000-05:00

For the last month I took the time to read back through nearly all of Lyle's posts from his blog. I managed to highlight one post a day for nearly every day.

The experience has been enjoyable. Occasionally I fought back tears as I remembered. One of Lyle's younger friends, John Elam, once remarked to me about how our minds work. He said once a person has thought something they cannot erase it. I believe John would say he heard that from someone else or synthesized another's thought.

Whatever the case, once a person has entered our sphere, our world, we do not forget. Our remembering goes on. And, I know not only will my remembering go on but so will all those who shared life with Lyle along his way.

Five Years . . . Hard to Believe

2011-03-01T21:38:00.002-06:00

Eleven days from now will mark five years since Lyle suffered a fatal heart attack. Lyle chose the title for his blog after beginning his trek through Dallas Willard's Divine Conspiracy. I am going to re-post some of Lyle's thoughts for at least the next month over on my website. You may expect and "Introduction" to the series tomorrow.

Thinking of Lyle watching Will

2008-03-04T19:25:00.002-06:00

We had not been over to Lyle and Evette's many times. I think we went over to watch an OU game. After the game Lyle wanted to watch, The Best of Will Ferrell. Some of the clips made Evette think, "Lyle, this is our pastor and his wife!" We laughed and laughed. I still remember that laugh we reflected on nearly two years ago - that laugh that seemed to emanate from deep in the belly. Lyle's body would shake.

Today I stayed home. Despite telling Patty I did not feel too bad, she thought it unwise to subject everyone that would be in the office today to the high fever I fought last night. On Tuesdays and Thursdays our Children's Day Out meets. We have received numerous calls over the past few weeks noting someone's child was still battling the flu. Whether or not is was the flu may be debatable. What is not is the need to keep from potentially exposing children and workers just because I sometimes feel overly compelled to push it.

I caught up on some reading and writing. I had been slow posting a series on the selected title for my blog. A proposal I noted I would accomplish some time ago. I offered a post on what it was like to feel good and then suddenly be hit with a fever reaching above 104. I remembered the SNL skit with the Blue Oyster Cult and Will Ferrell. The line that came to mind, "I have a fever and the answer is more cowbell." So, in memory of my late friend and his love for laughter I posted a clip on my site.

It would have been funny to watch this one with Lyle.

Providing the Balance

2006-10-27T15:10:00.000-05:00

I have been listed as a contributor on this blog for quite a while now, but have not posted anything until now. I am a believer in the old addage "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all." I am a believer in it, but not very good at practicing it. I just happen to be extra careful when it comes to group blogs. I have to say that I have been thinking about Lyle the last couple weeks. I have been wondering if I would be where I currently am theologically, if I still had Lyle to bounce things off of. Lyle always provided a good balance for me as I tend to jump in with both feet. He was usually there to offer a hand back out of the deep end and always without making me feel like the "greenhand" that I was. I always respected Lyle's experience. He had "been there and done that" with most of the theological wandering I was / am doing. I wonder if I would be as theologically liberal as I am right now if I still had Lyle to bounce things off of. I also wonder if I am as theologically liberal as I feel like I am. Lyle was often my counterweight on these issues. I hope I can someday help disciple someone in as kind and calm a manner as Lyle helped me.

Unfinished life

2006-10-17T20:48:00.000-05:00

My grandma mentioned tonight that my dad had been building shutters for someone right before he died, and the other day she came across everything that he had had laid out in the barn. So many more things were left unfinished…

The week after Dad’s passing, he and mom were supposed to have started planning for their retirement through the fire department.

One time while at a craft show with Mom, Dad had seen a tire swing that looked like a horse saddle. He wanted to buy it, so that maybe by the time he was a grandpa, the trees on our land would be big enough to hang a tire swing on.

Like Todd said at the service, Dad’s death came too soon. I think that’s okay to say. I think now we are realizing more and more the things that were left unfinished, everything from shutters to time spent with family and friends…

Memorial

2006-10-08T17:40:00.000-05:00

Today we went to the Fallen and Living Firefighters Memorial Service at the firefighters' museum to honor Dad.

The fire department has been amazing since we lost Dad, and they have considered his death one of "in the line of duty." For the memorial service, his name was listed under "supreme sacrifice," along with other Oklahoma firefighters who have died in the line of duty. He is also listed on the wall of fallen firefighters, and we got to do a pencil sketch of the engraving.

The grounds of the museum and the memorial wall are beautiful, and the Oklahoma State Firefighters' Association put on a moving, honoring service. It really is one big family, like they say...

Thinking about a phone call ...

2006-09-02T19:25:00.000-05:00

Last night Patty and I attended Stacy's wedding. We did not make the first Tuttle High School football game. Try as we might we could not find out how the game had gone. Late in the evening we discovered the weather had interrupted the game and Tuttle was behind. They lost to Marlow 8-7.

I thought of last football season. Generally when I did not make an away game I could count on a phone call from Lyle. He would give me a run down. I missed that call last night. During home games when he was at the station he would call me to see how the game was going. If he was not at the station we would be sitting at about the 50-yard line watching his Alma Mater tee it up. I will miss the calls and my friend in the stands.

I am watching the OU game. Right now OU is tied with UAB at halftime. Again, if Lyle were not at the game he would have invited friends over to watch the game. No doubt he would be a bit disappointed OU was not up at least 21-7. Yet, he would be optimistic.

The season will be a bit longer this year.

However, I am reminded of the description in Hebrews of the great cloud of witnesses that surround us. I suspect Lyle may see the games I see from a different seat. Who knows? We'll find out one day.

A reminder ... what would he have written? ...

2006-08-01T15:54:00.000-05:00

Charie and I shared an e-mail conversation yesterday . You can tell he read this blog from time to time as he wrote,

In my rant email yesterday I was thinking last night that it sure would be nice to have read what Lyle would have written in his blog. He and I seemed to have similar thoughts on things, while his were usually more down home and based on common sense.

This reminded me how often I too wonder what Lyle might have thought or written. I wonder if while working out and watching Fox just what he might say having read what provoked Charlie's original e-mail - Milking It?

I am not sure I could come close to putting into words Lyle's possible thoughts. Instead, Charlie simply reminded me of the various ways our friend comes to mind - with a great deal of regularity.

Living the "with God life" ...

2006-07-28T23:16:00.000-05:00

I found some talks online with Todd Hunter and Dallas Willard. Since some come to this site due to the title and its connection with Dallas Willard's, Divine Conspiracy. I thought it not a bad idea to link to them. Go here.

Glad your home ...

2006-07-01T13:39:00.000-05:00

My hard drive crashed a few weeks ago and I am just now getting things in order to post. I was able to recover my pictures. I will have some things to post in the coming days here at Divine Conspirator.

In the meantime I wanted to say it is good Natalie and Evette made it back from Chicago safe. It will be good to have Natalie around for a time. I am sure Nathan and Evette agree. We do too.

Familiar places ... reminders ...

2006-05-30T11:10:00.000-05:00

"I have seen you here before", commented the chaplain. She remembered me from a couple of months ago. The thought had already occurred to me. I knew it would not be long before I would join another family in the same room - a cold sterile room in which the first "Good-byes" are said. Emotions are raw in this room. No one is ready for loss.

Memorial Day originally signaled a time to remember those who gave their lives in battle. I saw a piece on the news yesterday where children from another country celebrated fallen U.S. soldiers by placing flags at a cemetery dedicated to these men. The children learned our "Star Spangled Banner." Their history would have been different had the U.S. not come to their aid during World War I. The comment was made, "All that was ever asked was a small piece of land to bury soldiers." Seems like a small thing.

Today, Memorial Day reaches beyond our military servants to remind us of those who fought for us in normal attire. The many who invested in our lives who may not have worn military uniforms deserve similar tribute. Many today find it hard to abide military language. However, when it comes down to it, much of what we face is well described as a "battle." We battle with loss, grief, depression and the like when thinking of those we love whose physical presence has been take from us.

I am glad we can move from the sterility of an Emergency Room to a place filled with the warmth of family and friends. We celebrated Jim's life in the same way we celebrated Lyle's with the hope of Resurrection. It may not be good to conflate the life of one into another. But, from this side of both losses it reminds of the variety of investments people make in our lives.

Lyle was a good friend. Jim offered my girls another "grandpa." Lyle seemed to fade pressure. Jim never let on to his physical pain. Lyle faced life with an apparent calm. Jim expressed his hope much the same. Lyle had that body-shaking laugh. Jim flashed that inimitable smile. Lyle taken early. Jim in twice the time. Both a loss. Commonalities help solidify reflections on the value of life, the value of people.

This reflection is a day late but the thoughts have been brewing since a week ago Monday evening ...

Strong Bonds ... Special Times ...

2006-05-20T14:35:00.000-05:00

Shared experiences strengthen relationships. Sometimes we face something bigger than us. We often look around for someone(s) to help steady the way ahead.

The beauty of the NT Greek word for comfort indicates what really helps is other people. Jesus described the Spirit as the very presence of God "coming alongside." Much could be made of what this means. One nuance for me indicates someone who walks beside. While they may help me move forward and may even know the way better, they have not run ahead calling back to me. Instead, they walk alongside, steady my balance.

It is special when those we find walking beside us share in our experience. The familiarity found breeds safety and not contempt. Others may mean well but there is nothing like that brother or sister in whom you can confide; in whom you can trust with your feelings without fear. Occasionally it will be the silence that helps.

The journey is made better together. Expressing our need for each other helps us understand and live into our humanity. Thinking we can go it alone, do it by ourselves, plays into the long standing temptation to be "god."

Jesus gathered disciples. He celebrated children. Accepted women. The relational nature of the Triune God. All remind us of the description of loneliness experienced by the first human when God said it was not good to be alone. We need traveling partners.

Our way is made warmer and stronger according the writer of Proverbs ...

Scenes from Wheaton ...

2006-05-16T00:25:00.000-05:00

I will be putting some pics up from Evette and Nathan's trip to see Natalie for graduation. Stay tuned.

Congratulatons!

2006-05-01T16:36:00.000-05:00

Sunday, May 7, at 3:00 p.m. Natalie will graduate from Wheaton. We are proud of you!

Life changes ... Our adjustments

2006-04-28T16:38:00.000-05:00

We may all be moving to cheaper forms of transportation if the price of gas holds at these levels and continues to climb. Surely the price of a gallon of gas used to fuel Lyle's motorcycle in this picture was much less than the $2.76 I paid this morning to fill up my truck. I am told that once we reach a given price per gallon for gas it is not long before we make the adjustments and accept the new price. The new price becomes the norm as we adjust our tolerance level up.

Life changes call for adjustments. We may not like the changes, but we have to make the adjustments in order to move forward.

I stopped by to drop off some information for Pastor Fred this week. We talked about life and how things were going as we continued to work through the loss of our friend. One of the things we talked of centered on our view of life after a dramatic change. We really would like to go back. I know I am not the only one who would prefer to roll the calendar back more than six weeks and see what could be done to avoid our loss. We cannot do that and so we are left to consider what to do about the changes in life.

My friend Brett led a grief seminar at our church a few years ago. I pulled out those notes to think through the loss of a friend. One of the key questions a person would need to answer in order to continue to work through the experience of grieving struck me. "What does this mean in my life?" There is a wide range of issues that accompany the consideration of this question. At the very least it means things have changed. I will have to make adjustments - to my thinking about life, friends, the future, health, family and on and on.

Too many times we think there is a prescribed period of time that will "heal all wounds." Time does not heal. Time gives us space and permission to continue to the other side. The other side does not mean forgetting. It does not mean the end of hurt and pain. Instead, the other side means a coming to grips with the answers to important questions raised by the experience. Time helps us to adjust.

We would do well to remember the amount of time one needs will vary from person to person. Continuing to answer the important questions together - as family and friends - will help us find strength in the relationships with which God blesses us. We need each other.

Heavier Things ... Daughters ...

2006-04-14T08:15:00.000-05:00

Robert Kellog, President of the Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma, once made a comment, "All great men have two daughters." My friend Jeff Moore found this a great comment as he and Sharla have two girls. Naturally, I found this to my liking.

Many would think this means men who have sons and daughters are not great men. I really think what Robert was saying spoke to the important relationship between "Daddys" and "Daughters." One of my favorite songs is my John Mayer titled, Daughters." The chorus line offers a solid challenge,

So Fathers be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do,
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
Mothers be good to your daughters too.

Lyle loved his daugther. I mentioned in my time of sharing about Lyle just a month ago how proud he was of Natalie. She challenged him. Natalie challenges me. Once she finished reading a book for a given class Natalie often passed it on to Lyle. Some of the subjects and often the content forced us to think about life and faith from differing perspectives. Neatly tucked away in the Bible Belt our ways of thinking can be really obtuse.

Our children comprise the fascinating combination of their parents. Sometimes these "passed on traits" are obvious and somtimes they are latent. All of the time they are present. Too many men miss the import of time with their daughters. Afraid they will break, girls are often relegated to "Mom's project." There is a current critique regarding the feminization of the male; too soft some are saying. There is a great loss of what it means to be a man. Documentation seems at least offer some support.

Yet, Dads who will pay attention to their daughters will not be feminized but rather they will be completed. You could say it is like the development of a good character in a novel. Apart from the experience with his daughters a Daddy may not develop in ways God intended him to otherwise.

There is little doubt Lyle was a man's man. Just ask Jason, Nathan and Eddie to tell the "hand towell" story. He was also his daugther's biggest fan. Sensitivites and perspective may have developed further than expected while learning about life through the eyes of his daughter.

Next month Natalie will graduate from Wheaton. In the same way he stood proud with her when she graduted from Tuttle, Lyle will be proud as she accepts the title graduate a second time. We too often refer to those who have gone before us as if they "were" something that they "are" not now. What a mistake. Sunday we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. Our embracing of his hope in resurrection gives us confidence in our own resurrection as his "joint-heir." In the hope of resurrection we know Lyle "is" proud of Natalie.

Hope unites the people of God ... Moves us forward ...

2006-04-04T16:50:00.000-05:00

There is an old saying, "It is easier to get forgiveness than permission." Our April newsletter at Snow Hill contained the following gem from Jason. He did not have the picture to post so here is to hoping for forgiveness by posting his thoughts here.

The Lenten Season is almost over. Easter is just a couple weeks away. For me and many others in our community this Lenten Season has been scarred by pain. Not the pain of sacrifice, but the pain of loss. It has been over two weeks since Lyle Burris passed away. His passing has been difficult for my family. Many Sunday evenings you could find the Shepherds playing dominoes with Lyle and Evette. Grace and Emma would eventually weasel their way into his lap usually with a cookie. The Sunday of his passing we shared a meal together after church. Grace and Lyle sat together. I can still see him cutting ravioli up for her.

He set behind us at church. He picked up the crayons, hair bows, paper, Polly Pockets, and candy that the girls inevitably drop on a weekly basis. He was going to be a good Grandfather some day. Since the passing of my father a few years back I had started relying on Lyle for the advice a son sometimes needs from his father. I never told him that. I didn’t need to. He would have been mad at me for thinking he was old enough to fill that role.

I’m not going to try and justify his death. It would only lead to dishonoring him and God. Death is the inevitable burden that unites all of humanity. Hope is the blessing that unites all of God’s people. Hope is not a quick fix. Hope can only heal the wounds of loss slowly over time. There are many other things I could say about Lyle. I’m going to miss him. He was a good friend.

Jason Shepherd, from the April 2006 Snow Hill Newsletter

You can take the boy out of sports ... but not sports out of the boy ...

2006-03-31T10:20:00.000-06:00

Growing up in Tuttle carries with it the expectation to play sports. Late summer and fall Saturday nights find many parents watching their young boys playing football under the lights at Bill Hinkle Field. Each aspires to play for the Tuttle Tigers. Beginning Friday nights in September the stadium is full of eager young boys longing for the day when they may take the field as they watch the Varsity Tigers take the field.

Football is not the only sport in Tuttle. Boys baseball and wrestling get good billing with basketball not far behind. Girls softball enjoys a great deal of success and there are always hopes for a solid girls basketball team.

Lyle played for the Tigers. He enjoyed attending the games. We took in most home games this past season sitting on the 50 yard line. Craig, and sometimes Kimberly joined us. When Lyle had to be at the "Station" he would call to get the score. We enjoyed watching the Tigers win the Class 3A State Championship this past December. On the way home we talked about Zack Mincy's running that night - it was special to get to see.

This week when the news about Kelvin Sampson taking the job at Indiana came out I was reminded of a number of conversations over the past few months. Lyle would talk with a sense of frustration as we followed the Sooners Men's Basketball team. I remember Lyle saying he should have turned the game off as the Sooners would drop a game we thought they sh0ould have won. It would be eespecially intense if they were winning until he turned on the game only to watch them lose. The Sooners were his "team."

Many parents relive their sports careers through their children. Lyle did not seem to do so. Nathan's decision to quit playing football and focus on basketball and his choice to play golf rather than baseball only meant Lyle would alter what sport he watched his son play. We often talked about the undue pressure placed on young people to succeed at sports. Many a parent believes their child a sure future "Hall of Fame" candidate if they were just given the chance. Today we would do well to encourage our children in their pursuits rather than push them to pursue what we want/did. Sports offers a great number of life learning experiences. Long after downs are played and innings finished these lessons linger.

We coud adapt an old saying which is true on a number of levels - You can take the boy (or man) out of sports but you cannot take sports out of the boy (man).

Beginnings of a "Conspiracy" ...

2006-03-28T13:51:00.000-06:00

We often worry about those who may conspire against us. The news reporter looked nearly speechless as he relayed the testimony in the recent 9/11 trail of Moussaoui. The would be terrorist noted more details of an alleged conspiracy to fly a plane into the White House. Those who conspire against us should be watched.

However, those who conspire for us should be heeded. When we talked of unpacking the title to Willard's book, The Divine Conspiracy, we thought the provocations of the word, "conspiracy" helpful to understand the work of grace. Robert Benson describes the One who conspires for us to be the Dreamer. The conspiring to make Lyle a child of God began with the commitment of his parents to trust him to the Lord.

LYLE ALAN BURRIS, 43, of Tuttle, passed away Sunday, March 12, 2006. Lyle was a wonderful husband, father, son, and friend. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Lyle was born on October 26, 1962, to C.B and Janet Burris, in El Reno, Oklahoma.

Living out Deuteronomy 6, C.B and Janet conspired with the Lord to raise Lyle to trust LORD God. Many refer to an old proverb, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it," as inspiration for diligence in living out a life of faith before their children. The proverb also implies another important truth - raise a child to do what he wants and when he is old all he will do is what he wants.

Lyle enjoyed a divinely conspired heritage through which he trusted the One who conspired to make him a child.

Tribute in the Template ...

2006-03-24T13:34:00.000-06:00

I am working to make some changes to Lyle's template. I have shamelessly borrowed my brother's three column version and will need to make the necessary changes to convert all links, etc to those Lyle had posted. This is a bit tedious for a novice hack. I hope to have this completed soon. Keep checking back. Once the template has been converted, we will make this a group blog of sorts to keep the themes and memory of our friend alive.

Tribute Coming ...

2006-03-18T21:29:00.000-06:00

Lyle began this blog almost two years ago. Inspired to blog by his daughter, Natalie, he often interacted with the themes in Dallas Willard's, Divine Conspiracy.

Sunday evening, March 12,2006, Lyle suffered a heart attack and died. Yet, he lives as he trusted in the Triune God who conspired to make him not only his, but to lead him into a life of faith with the hope of Jesus in the Resurrection.

We celebrated his life, Thursday, March 16, 2006, with family and friends at the Snow Hill Baptist Church in Tuttle, Oklahoma.

Who Is Happier?

2006-02-20T23:10:00.000-06:00

If I were to ask you who were happier, Republicans or Democrats what would you say?
Married or unmarried? Christians or non-Christians? Why?

Pew Research has a fascinating poll out with data they have obtained.

Before you go there, who is happier Repubs or Dems? I am curious as to why you think so.

One might think the results are no-brainers, but what should we as Christians do with this data? Do we have a RIGHT to be happy? Should we feel guilty if we ARE happy?

I've Been Tagged

2006-02-15T11:53:00.000-06:00

Jason tagged me so here goes:

4 jobs that I have had
Assistant Yard Foreman-over all non welding activities for a welding firm-60 hr weeks
Heat detector- detecting cows in heat at the massive Braum's dairy (blame Jason)
Home builder
Firefighter

4 goals for this year
Lose weight
Work less
Prepare for retirement
Do more with family (play more golf with Nate and shop/travel more with Evette, visit Nat)

4 movies I like
Oh Brother Where Art Thou
Excalibur
Blazing Saddles
We Were Soldiers

4 places I have lived
Tuttle Oklahoma- in 15 different houses
Norman Ok-for one semester
Silverton CO- one to two weeks a year since the early 90's
Sorry I can't stretch it to 4.

4 TV Shows I Watch
That 70's Show- reruns
Survivor
Kris Angel MindFreak
Wife Swap

4 Websites
Various Bloggers- see who I link to, and who they link to, etc.
Drudge Report
Christianity Today

4 Vacation Places
Colorado- Silverton, Durango, Lake City, South Fork
Grand Canyon
San Antonio
Eureka Springs

4 Favorite Foods
Steak-Ken's or Primo's
Spaghetti-Evette's
Ribs- Ken's
Mexican Food- Ted's, Carlitos, Los Vaqueros, etc., etc.(This list is too restrictive)

4 Places I'd Rather Be
No Place I'd rather be than right here, right now
except maybe ...
Colorado in the summer
Cozumel in May/June

I tag EVETTE, who will post here, and TINA, who will post here Paradigms Lost

Do Politicians Ever Take Time Off?

2006-02-07T20:36:00.000-06:00

Watching the funeral for Mrs. King today I was struck at how low some are willing to go to advance their political agenda. I would hope that if the governor or president were to attend my funeral, that neither would be attacked by their political opponents.

Regardless of your political views or personal disdain for our leadership, etiquette would require one to refrain from bashing our President at a service to honor the deceased, whose life did deserve reflection and honoring.

I have heard the term plantation politics used by some, this looked like plantation pandering to me. Speakers shook hands of dems and refused to shake hands with our president? Hillary and Bill took the opportunity to start campaigning, Jimmy Carter struck twice below the belt, and Rev.? Lowery's actions were disgusting, but perhaps they feel this is how she wanted them to behave?

This behavior is not new. Sen. Wellstones funeral was used as a platform to attack conservatives, even as the Wellstone family asked all to refrain from partisanship and the Ron Brown funeral was exploited as well. Humor is fine, applauding is great, but insulting the leader of the free world in his presence, while we are supposed to be honoring a leader of non-violent resistance struck me as odd.

I remember Pres. Clinton speaking after the OKC Bombing. It was then that I started to respect him as our leader, even when I disagreed with some of his actions. I don't recall our Republican governor or anyone else using the opportunity to chastise him on that solemn occasion.

AFA and Muslims

2006-02-06T14:01:00.000-06:00

Two news stories piqued my interest this week. The story where the American Family Association was complaining about an episode of Will and Grace and the story of Muslims across the world rioting over a cartoon depicting Muhammed. I say depticting Muhammed because that is against their religion, even if he is depicted in a neutral or flattering way.

On the one hand it is good to see that Christians are not rioting and burning TV Studios because of an irreverant use of the term crucifixion by Spears, but on the other hand why does a Christian group care what is done on a show that I am sure they encourage people not to watch anyway? If no Christians are watching, who then is offended? If you say God, that may be, but there other things that offend Him more I'll bet.

With the Muslims it was clearly poor judgement by those cartoonists to do that, but is does show that Muslims do not understand the concept of free speech. Like they also don't understand democracy, civil rights and many other things we Westerners take for granted. Which makes me wonder how all this talk of democratizing Iraq is going to turn out.

These situations illustrate to me (as a believer in Christ), that the best way to handle these insults would be to just ignore them. We would all be better off.

I am talking about non-Christians supposedly offending Christians. When a professed believer does something inappropriate or unbiblical, then yes they should be told of their mistake and given a chance to explain themselves. It should still be handled with charity.

The End of The Spear

2006-01-29T09:56:00.000-06:00

I am sure that is how the producers of a certain Christian movie feel. I found this comment on another blog:.Between Two Worlds

Delshafer:
I HAVE seen the movie. I have to say that if they had known he was gay it would have been a bad decision. I had a hard time watching the movie and not seeing Chad Allen. I saw Chad Allen up there and not Nate or Steve Saint.

On the other hand, the movie does not clearly present the Gospel, does not talk about Jesus explicitly and really does a poor job of telling the story. I fell in love with this story when I became a Christian and it is sad what they have done with it.

My Humble response:

delshafer,
Clearly you were distracted if you did not see the Gospel presented in this film.

What is the Gospel other than: God sent his son who was speared and now I live well or even if you kill us we will not spear you or the transformation of Kimo, who breaks his spears and works with the missionaries with a smile on his face, free from the endless chain of violence. And the biggy when Steve is faced with the chance for vengeance and refuses? How about films that show the Gospel LIVED OUT not just preached?

What is the Gospel if not that?

Does the gospel have to packaged in quotations from the King James to be evident to you? It was made evident to these indigenous people by the LOVE shown them by the women.

I highly recommend this film. We can't beg people to make films that tell the story of Christ being shared and lived out, then complain about every little detail.
Christians criticizing Christians for making a movie and presenting it factually how events occurred, yet still not good enough. Nothing is good enough for some in Christendom.

50 Most Influential

2006-01-17T11:03:00.000-06:00

Every year someone puts out a list of influential Christians. Each year the lists get whackier and whackier. The first thing I noticed was the pope was at 44. Now sheer numbers of Catholics would suggest to me that he is probably number one, but little did I know that TD Jakes influence far exceeds that of the pontiff.

Actually not too many guys on the list influence me much. Someone else noticed John MacArthur was absent as was Jerry Falwell. That could be a good thing, but I think the list to be wholly inaccurate. Regardless of what I might think of their views, clearly Mac Arthur and Falwell influence large segments of Christiandom. Check it out and see how many influence your thinking. I was not even aware some of them were Christians, thats how influential they were.

50 Most Influential Christians

U2 a religous experience?

2005-12-13T23:18:00.000-06:00

I have enjoyed listening to U2 for as long as I can remember. I guess I am a little late in buying into the idea that their music is some form of worship. I watched a free concert of sorts a few months ago, it was entertaining, sort of in a documentary fashion.

Tonight I watched a concert they did in Chicago this year. Just the band doing numbers, shot like you were in the crowd. I have to say that I was more than entertained. In fact a word like convicted comes to mind. I was actually moved, as were some of the guys watching it with me. There is no doubt that their music is a cry to God and humanity to live as God intended us to live. Thanks to tivo I can watch it again, give me a call and we'll watch.............worship together.

Check out the link below for more background on U2 if your like me and slow to see the prophetic nature of their art:
U2 and God

How important is Christmas?

2005-12-12T00:39:00.000-06:00

I see people fighting over what to call a Christmas parade or how a store should advertise it's "holiday sale". Then I discover churches are actually cancelling services on Christmas day. To me that sends a very mixed message to the world. How can we seriously complain about the Happy Holiday/Merry Christmas debate, then cancel services on the day we celebrate the birth of the Savior of the World???

We as Christians are more concerned about what corporate America or our local governments call OUR holiday, than actually truly observing the day in the way it was intended. I never read anything in the New Testament about families gathering and lavishing gifts on each other, while gourging on turkey, dressing ham and spice cake. The closest thing to that was 3 wise men bringing gifts to JESUS. (which did'nt happen till about 2 or 3 years later, but Jesus probably was not born on December 25 either)

How many of us have taken the time to prayerfully consider how Jesus wants us to celebrate his birthday? I tend to think at least He would request communion with his followers. We use the excuse that we want to be with family, but who did Jesus say his family was? Since it is Jesus birthday I want to spend it with His family.

Women's Roles

2005-12-08T12:33:00.000-06:00

I guess since one's views on women's roles in the Church are considered an important distinctive in my denomination I had best establish where I stand. I confess I am not sure, though I have a feeling previous convictions of mine have been incorrect and based upon faulty teaching and incorrect translations of scripture.

It is clear in the first century church women played prominent roles. The were deacons and even led house churches. There were women missionaries and some would even claim there were women apostles. Paul certainly sends us conflicting messages in his letters, but women certainly served with his blessing. And it is no small point that Christ ate with women, talked with women in public (when this was taboo in first century Palestine) and had women be the first to witness his resurrection.

Obviously there are differences in gender and for a good reason, our differences combine to form a perfect or complete union. I say we are different but equal, but how that is played out seems to differ with different folks. An example is maybe a Baptist deacon is perfectly fine with his wife working.....long as SHE has dinner on the table at 6:00 every night, but heaven forbid she be allowed to represent her church on a convention commitee.

I am still trying to figure out where I stand, but I do know that it pains me greatly that when men and women are in study groups together, that women will not pray. I don't think that is what God intended. We have taken a social more of the first century and applied it to the 21st.

I am not arrogant enough yet to say I have a definitive answer yet or maybe I am afraid I'll be labeled a "liberal" because I am seeking the truth about people who make up the majority of our community in the kingdom.

SBC not the only ones

2005-12-07T01:10:00.000-06:00

Witches Feud

Hopefully our disagreements don't result in this. And I am still claiming the SBC for now, though not everything that comes out of this Convention.

After eating all that turkey & pumpkin pie I read..........

2005-11-28T22:06:00.000-06:00

Fatter Buttocks require longer needles

No wonder I got the flu after I recieved my last flu shot.

Merry Chistmas or Xmas

2005-11-27T22:11:00.000-06:00

Todd preached an excellent message today, that pointed out how we as Christians have allowed our holiday marking the birth of our Lord to be hijacked by commercialism, with christians willingly participating with the pagans in the orgy of consumerism.

I also read an article on the same subject tonight and found it entertaining. Check out How Important is Christmas?

I am reminded of people freaking out when stores used the term X-mas, not realizing that X was shorthand for Christ by followers of The Way in the first century. Though I am sure most businesses that use this abbreviation have no idea of this. The point really should be what we do with the holiday. If we as Xians don't observe the holy holiday in a fashion the event calls for, then maybe, as Todd says, we should just say Happy Holidays and leave Christ out of it all together. Todd has more on his blog as well.

Boo! Wanna Go to Heaven?

2005-10-31T22:46:00.000-06:00

I watched the end of a documentary on Hell House, a type of haunted house put on by an Assembly of God Church in Texas. Needless to say I was disgusted by what I saw. Attempts to frighten children into making a "profession of faith" under duress is a revolting thing to watch.
After all after seeing Columbine re-enacted, a botched abortion, a suicide , references to 911, and more, who wouldn't be shocked into submission.

I had heard about such places before but dismissed them as harmless wacky fundamentalists having some fun on Halloween. But this embarrassing practice must end. How can Christians allow this garbage to happen in their town? This is wrong on so many levels that I could not do the subject justice to comment further.

After I did a little research I discovered that Jerry Falwell promotes garbage like this. You can see Jerry when he visits the Oklahoma Baptist Convention this year. I should have guessed.
Glad to see my giving goes to good use.

I wonder how many people Hell Houses send to hell with their misguided view of the Kingdom of Heaven and what it really means to follow Jesus?

For or Before That Is The Question

2005-10-05T05:39:00.000-05:00

The Lord says, Heaven is the seat of my power, and earth is the resting-place for my feet: what sort of house will you make for me, and what place will be my resting-place? 2 For all these things my hand has made, and they are mine, says the Lord; but to this man only will I give attention, to him who is poor and broken in spirit, fearing my word.
Isaiah 66:1-2 (BBE)

The word humble is what is meant by poor and broken in spirit. How many times do we humble ourselves before God? Most of us who call ourselves Christians actually do humble ourselves from time to time, maybe when we go to church, pray or tithe. After all He did create everything so naturally when we acknowledge this we are humbling ourselves before Him.

How many times do we humble ourselves FOR God? And what would that look like? As I look at my life I see that there is a huge difference between the two. I humble myself before God briefly for a couple of hours a week, maybe, then go out and live my life only concerned about myself. I get angry when things don't go my way or argumentative when people don't agree.

The passage clearly points out that God focuses on a man who humbles himself. God is not concerned with how big our church buildings are or how ornate our edifices to Him might be, but God focuses on the humble. Perhaps that is what is meant by dying to self, loving others as you would love yourself, blessing those who curse you and so on.

I have noticed how this is missing, not just from everyday people but from those of us who call ourselves Christians. Some of the conversations I read clearly indicate to me a lack of humility of Christians on different sides of issues. When we are so concerned about being right or theologically sound or scholastically correct, more so over being humble, then we miss the point entirely, no matter what the issue might be. God focuses on the humble. I could write more on Isaiah 66 but I will wait till later.

Just when you thought it was safe......

2005-09-16T11:52:00.000-05:00

As our nation struggles to recover from Katrina, look what may be on the horizon :

Avian Flu are we ready?

If a pandemic should strike how will we respond? It seems that almost daily we are faced with challenges that require us as Christians to take action, not just sit back like we used to and say: "I am glad I live here and don't have to suffer like those poor folks in (a) Africa (b) Middle East (c) China (d) India (e) any where else people don't look like us."

The Battle of New Orleans

2005-09-09T13:41:00.000-05:00

I found an interesting article about New Orleans and it's constant battle with nature.

I have always been perplexed by how we continually rebuild hurricane ravaged areas with our tax dollars only to have them washed away again, and again.

The fact that many of these areas are high value ocean front properties has not escaped me. Yet we always rebuild.

I found it interesting that some politicians proclaimed that New Orleans should not be rebuilt and I would agree, since I have always held it folly to have taxpayers bail out property owners who will eventually be wiped out again and again.

I also wondered why now do they not want to rebuild? When the affluent areas of the Carolinas and Florida were hit no one suggested that those areas should not rebuild.

It seems we have set a precedent for rebuilding what should not have been built in the first place.

Read the article and see if you think New Orleans can win the battle or not.
The Battle of New Orleans

Blame Game

2005-09-07T16:42:00.000-05:00

Lots of finger pointing about the emergency response or lack thereof. Let's remember that 3 states have been affected. I am sure people in all the states wish more could have been done quicker, but the loudest outcry is coming from Louisiana.

I am somewhat familiar with emergency response, both to terrorist acts and natural disasters, so I so know some of what I speak (or write) on the subject.

New Orleans is where the most suffering occurred, logically because there are more people there and the geography of the area along with the levee failure combined for more tragedy. The question is could more have been done? Assuming no one wanted to pony up for larger levies, then the people in power must have a plan to protect as many citizens as possible. They had a plan and did not implement it.

When it became apparent how widespread the damage would be the governor should have stepped in. In fact it is the governors responsibility in this situation more so than the mayor, though I feel he dropped the ball as well, this was more than the City (Police, Fire) could handle.

So I concur with the Wall Street Journal:

In addition, unlike the governors of New York, Oklahoma and California in past disasters, Gov. Blanco failed to take charge of the situation and ensure that the state emergency operation facility was in constant contact with Mayor Nagin and FEMA. It is likely that thousands of people died because of the failure of Gov. Blanco to implement the state plan, which mentions the possible need to evacuate up to one million people. The plan clearly gives the governor the authority for declaring an emergency, sending in state resources to the disaster area and requesting necessary federal assistance.

I am not attempting to excuse some of the delays in FEMA's response. Congress and the president need to take corrective action there, also. However, if citizens expect FEMA to be a first responder to terrorist attacks or other local emergencies (earthquakes, forest fires, volcanoes), they will be disappointed. The federal government's role is to offer aid upon request.

Wall Street Journal

Regardless of who is to blame, this is an opportunity to show Christ's love to those who really need it. And hopefully those in charge will take seriously their charge to protect their citizenry.

Why Should I Care?

2005-09-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

With the devastation that has occurred in the Gulf States, with finally the attention on New Orleans, because that is where the "action" is now, some may say or believe that God is somehow "judging" New Orleans for her immoral behavior. Have you seen what goes on during Mardi Gras?

Well I can't say whether God is judging the "Big Easy" right now or not,(pretty sure he isn't, after all I am sure there are some Southern Baptist affected by this deal) but I do know that God will judge us as a nation for how we respond to this situation. Scripture is clear that if we do not care for the helpless we will be punished. Now whether we view the biblical parallel for Israel as the U.S. as a nation or Christ followers who happen to live in the U.S. does not matter, God has been clear that He requires His people to help the widows, orphans and feed the poor.

So for you Rapture watchers and prophecy fans out there, hear this:
41 But give to charity what is within,and then everything is clean for you.
Luke 11:41 (HCSB
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! You give a tenth of mint, rue, and every kind of herb, and you bypass justice and love for God.(actually Love of God in the original manuscript) These things you should have done without neglecting the others.
Luke 11:42 (HCSB)
In the book of Habbakkuk, Israel was judged for neglecting the helpless. When we make remarks about the racial makeup of those most damaged by this tragedy and somehow conclude that they are to blame for this desperate situation, to me is tantamount to bringing judgement down on yourself. So be careful.

Actually be obedient and do what you can to help your neighbor, regardless of social status, race or religous affiliation. And if you aren't bothered by what is going on, (people dying because they are poor).....may God bring you to repentance.

Call Me Heartless

2005-08-20T00:45:00.000-05:00

Is anyone else sick of hearing about Natalee Holloway? Day 80 and every night time news show on every channel is talking about it. People are bashing Cindy Shehan(the mother of a fallen soldier picketing in Crawford TX) for being a publicity hound, but what about Natalee's mom, Mrs. Twitty?

Both women are hurting. I think both are asking for extra special treatment above and beyond the norm. The Twitty- Holloways are getting it and so is Cindy Shehan.

But what about the hundreds of other missing persons? Or the hundreds of fallen and injured soldiers? In the mean time one insults a whole nation and people, the other insults our president. Both asking for special treatment all the while.

Maybe since the people who decide what is"news" focus on these individuals, that may explain why nobody knows what or who Darfur is?Or why is gas $2.45 a gallon? We are fed fake news, while other tragedy's affecting more people go unnoticed. (I know I just equated high gas prices with human life, but if you believe Michael Moore the two are connected in Iraq)

It is these women's right to voice their opinion, but do we have to have a microphone and camera on them 24 hrs a day? I had to watch Bill Maher to hear any discussion on current events tonight. That is a sad day when comedians like Maher and Jon Stewart discuss more issues than our national news outlets.

So if I sound selfish forgive me and remember, at least I am not on every news show every day of the week. Check out:costas walks

What, if anything, can we learn from BTK

2005-08-18T21:58:00.000-05:00

The horrors of the Wichita serial killer, known as BTK, were recounted today in the media, as he was sentenced. After his arrest the media made it known that he was "President of his Lutheran church" and some even incorrectly stated that he was a pastor.

I am sure a person in his position knew a lot about the Bible. I'll bet he knew how the politics of the Lutheran church worked. He knew right from wrong. So people who know a lot about God and the church are not neccessarily Christ followers. There ain't no way this guy was saved no matter how many times he said the sinners prayer. Now as long as he lives he could repent and become a true believer as I feel others who have committed horrible crimes have done, but people who repeatedly commit atrocities like his were not at the time of their crimes.

I could go on and on about how are churches are filled with people who have not experienced the transformation into new creatures, but I learned something today about forgiveness.

As I watched victims and family members speak today I could not help notice how their hatred for this man had affected their lives. Forgiving him would be impossible for most of us, but I think the reason Christ wants us to forgive is for our benefit. If we forgive we are free from the anger that can overwhelm us.

I cannot comprehend their pain and sorrow, but I could see how 30 years of anguish had not been healthy for them.

Cultural Ramifications of Architectural Modifications

2005-08-03T23:45:00.000-05:00

Dr. Todd mentioned tonight in our Bible Study, the fact that our homes no longer have front porches.

I was reminded about my Grandma's front porch. Everyone met there when the weather permitted. When you saw some one out there you had to stop and say hello.

We tore down that old house about 24 years ago. We built her a new one.....without a front porch. Something about those old front porches that just said come on in.......or sit and wait till we get home.

Todd also mentioned to me the fact that courting used to take place on the front porch. It seems like a much safer place for adolescent hormones to abide, than the inside of a car.

Speaking of which (a car), our society is so wrapped up in our automobiles that we not only commute in them, we seem to spend nearly what we used to on housing for them, if not more. We eat in them. At least when I was a kid you had to stay parked to eat at a drive-in. Now it is go through the drive thru and eat on the run. You can talk on the phone, watch TV, do your makeup, do banking transactions, make dinner reservations and even ask for directions without leaving the comfort of your automobile.

What are the ramifications for both of these changes (architecture and drive thru service)?
We spend too much time alone, we don't forge relationships. Even the simplest of relationships that might be forged by going into a business to buy a cup of coffee is avoided by our fast paced lifestyle. Try having a conversation in a long line of cars at Micky Ds some day and see what happens. Either horns will honk or the poor guy or gal your talking to will get in trouble for holding up progress.

So if you drive by our house and can spare the time, "come on in and sit spell" as my other Grandmother still says. Maybe those were the good old days after all? Or am I just getting old?

My (OUR) Dog Rosie

2005-07-13T00:19:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite movies is "My Dog Skip", where a boy and his dog grow up together in a small town. We had such a dog in our family for 15 years. A dog the whole neighborhood loved and cared for. The dog catcher was warned more than once to leave Rosie alone, all the neighbors would claim her to keep her from being "impounded".

I remember when we moved out of our neighborhood for 6 months the kind gentleman who bought my old house took care of her for us while we built a new home next door. He had a tear in his eye when he carted her house and dog dish to our new home. (He had been feeding her high dollar Gaines Burger!)

There are stories too numerous to tell about Rosie and the effect she had on those around her, but like the dog in the movie it was the lessons we learned from our interactions with her and others that make a powerful impact on our lives. For example in her death she brought to realization for me that we never stop parenting. My dad had to call me as we returned from vacation to inform me that she had passed. It brought back recollections of when dad told us about the death of my Grandpa. The first time I had ever seen my dad cry.

So in turn I had to try to break the news to my son. He took it better than his mother and I. But I have found the more heartbreak and tragedy that I am exposed to the harder it is for me to remain stoic in the face of such situations, at least the ones that affect me or my family personally. He is still young and as he grows older he will lose more loved ones.(of both the human and furry kind) Someday he will have to comfort his children, like my dad comforted me. Sounds a little like the movie I was talking about doesn't it?

Nature Deficit Disorder

2005-06-29T00:09:00.000-05:00

"Mankind will not perish for want of information; but only for want of appreciation. The beginning of our happiness lies in the understanding that life without wonder is not worth living. What we lack is not a will to believe, but a will to wonder.”
- Jewish philosopher Abraham Heschel

In todays Daily Dig it talks about how we neglect nature and how harmful it is to us as earthly creations, the disconnect between man and nature. They described it as Nature Deficit Disorder.

I am about to get treated for Nature Deficit Disorder in about 4 days when I will be in the mountains. I can't wait. I will again be in awe of God's wonderful creation.

Keep My Commandments

2005-06-19T22:46:00.000-05:00

I have been seeing these cardboard signs with the 10 commandments around town, I suppose Lifeway or someone like it is distributing them. The bottom line quotes Jesus as saying: "if you love me keep my commandments."

I don't remember Jesus specifying that it was these 10 commandments we should keep if we loved Him.

If ye love Me, keep My commandments;" and this is the commandment that He has given unto you, "that ye love one another." Are you told to distribute to the poor? Do it, not because charity is a burden which you dare not shirk, but because Jesus teaches, "Give to him that asketh of thee." Does the Word say, "Love God with all your heart"? Look at the commandment and reply, "Ah! commandment, Christ hath fulfilled thee already--I have no need, therefore, to fulfill thee for my salvation, but I rejoice to yield obedience to thee because God is my Father now and He has a claim upon me, which I would not dispute.—Morning and Evening

I think the above quote from "Morning and Evening" sums up what Jesus was talking about. If all we do is keep the 10 that is no guarantee that we are keeping the 2 great commands that Jesus gave us.

How do we know what we know?

2005-06-15T23:14:00.000-05:00

In taking some of these worldview and theology quizzes that are out there, I have found that some of the ideas and people my views are linked to, I know little about.
How is it, for example, that I may share some of Anselm's views, but have read only a little about his theory or atonement or Barth, though I have read a little about him I have not read his works....yet.

So I think I should meet some of these folks, I have read Calvin, Augustine, Lewis and others but I really should find out what these great thinkers have to say. I may find that I don't agree with them after I read them and that would be OK as well.

Back to my original thought, "how do I know what I know?" Will God reveal it to me or do I have to search for knowledge and then He reveals it? So how does the average Christian (like I used to be and maybe still am) who hardly reads and does not know Karl Barth from Karl Marx formulate their theology and their core beliefs?

In talking to some folks I ask myself, "where did they get that from?", then I remember the days long ago when someone had said, "God only helps those who help themselves" or "you don't have to be baptized" or "I ain't takin the Lord's Supper 'cause I might die" then I realize if we hear it at church we think it's true no matter who says it sometimes.

So I am trying to look at things I believe and make sure they are consistant with scripture, the world and my own life, if not then maybe some of my ideological soul mates will have some correct doctrine that I can believe.

Be Careful What You Wish For

2005-05-30T09:24:00.000-05:00

This column says so well what would happen if an attempt on our President's life were successful. 10 reasons

The writer is obviously a well informed moderate or liberal. Those are people I appreciate reading or hearing, as well informed conservatives.

People driven by hatred I immediately dismiss, whether they make good points or not. People on both sides of the political spectrum are guilty of the politics of fear and hatred.

The above column made me pause and think about the fact that had the Kennedys and King not been assasinated, would the Civil Rights reforms have come about when they did? Imagine the chagrin of the racist rednecks (whatever % that is) in the South at the fact that every city with an African American population has a street named M.L. King Boulevard, Street or Avenue. As saddened as our nation was by these tragedies, these events only galvanized support for what these men stood for. So if you hate our President, you should indeed pray for his good health and protection every day. Just like those of us who don't hate him or his predecessors.

Explanation

2005-05-28T09:25:00.000-05:00

Blogging has been reduced for 3 reasons.

First reason would be that I have moved and I am not yet comfortable blogging in a cramped setting as opposed to my comfortable private office.

Secondly, I have been too busy to blog with moving, and tending to my business.

Thirdly I have been working Sundays and have noticed that since I don't have to teach.........why study. When I don't study the Bible or Christian readings then I have less to blog about.

I guess I could blog on working out or dieting, building houses or sports, but that wasn't my intent. My intent was to blog about what God has been revealing to me. Now He does not have to use the Bible, He can use anything. I am just not smart enough yet to see in how many ways He speaks to me all the time.

Yet I still need to repent of not "staying in the word" weeks that I don't teach. Like Willard says, "Grace is not opposed to effort, just earning."

So now God has revealed to me the fact that if I don't see the importance of staying in the word when I am not teaching, what motivation do the "students" of the class have to study?

Worldview

2005-05-15T08:01:00.000-05:00

This is how I scored, somewhat surprising to me actually. I don't know how they conclude that I shy away from organized religion, but other than that it may be fairly reflective of my views.......today. Perhaps it is their view of organized religion that I shy from, which may be correct, depending on what their view might be.

You scored as Cultural Creative. Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational.

Cultural Creative

88%

Postmodernist

69%

Fundamentalist

56%

Existentialist

50%

Romanticist

44%

Idealist

38%

Modernist

25%

Materialist

13%

What is Your World View?
created with QuizFarm.com

Missing the Point(s)

2005-05-14T22:56:00.000-05:00

Reading the story of Sodom and Gomorrah it occurred to me that many of us, including those who write Christian study material, totally miss the point of the story as related to us in Genesis.

Our knee jerk reaction is "God destroyed S & G because there were homosexuals there".
Wrong. All throughout the old testament God restrained himself until the populace reached the point of depravity to where they no longer cared for the poor and needy and exhibited pride and living to excess. (See Ezekiel 16:49, the book of Habakkuk)

Another huge "lesson" would be that of Abraham. He knew how immoral and wicked those people were, but he had compassion for them. He asked God to spare the city. And God would have if there had been 10 righteous men. Abraham prayed that they would be spared, do we pray for those whose actions repulse us? I believe Lot was spared only on Abraham's interceding for him, not by his faith at all, though he was the only one of his direct family that had any type of faith and very weak faith at that.

Dinosaur no more

2005-05-06T00:58:00.000-05:00

I guess I'll be like everyone else and post about my new DSL hookup..........Wow.

It took me a while, a few years, to break down and get it. It is almost too much, I can watch a video while I post. Don't they call that sensory overload? Since my internet connection has sped up, I hope the rest of my life will slow down a bit. I've been way too busy to post and the only reason I am now is because I can't sleep.

DSL or high speed does satisfy our need for instant gratification. Like microwaves, pay for view movies, cell phones, drive thru windows and consumer Christianity. (once saved always saved, glad I got that over with)

A True Survivor

2005-04-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

Irony of ironies. Brian Stewart passes from this earth on the day a seedling from the Survivor Tree is planted at our school. Brian and that tree have a lot in common. Both survived against terrible odds, both have witnessed suffering and pain. Both will now have a presence at our school. Brian with all the endless hours of ball practice and ball games, from elementary PE to high school championships, girls softball to boys golf. As an honor to Brian we named our baseball field after him, Brian Stewart Field. Both the tree that grow from that seedling and the field where our young men play ball will stand as a testimony to "surviving", beating odds, enduring pain.

The Survivor Tree is a tree that withstood the terrible blast of the Murrah Building Bombing, 4-19-95. The tree stands today north of ground zero, the area of greatest death and devastation. Seedlings were grown from the tree and planted in every town that lost a victim in the tragedy. Our small town lost at least three and possibly more.

Brian's story is well documented, diagnosed with cancer as a teenager. Working as a volunteer coach. Inspiring young athletes from Jason White to my son, Nathan. Brian's living inspired many people. He was blessed to meet celebrities and forge relationships with many current and former athletes at the college and professional level. Heisman winners to pro golfers. Beating the odds and living for years beyond what the doctors expected. Yes, a lot like that Survivor Tree.

Where are our values?

2005-04-12T13:28:00.000-05:00

I was a party to a "conversation" last night that in many ways disturbed me more than I had expected.

The conversation was good there were two sides to the issue and both sides were given time to voice their concerns. Good dialogue. But the disturbing thing to me is the trend in our society to 1) blame others for situations that don't turn out like we had hoped and 2) to respond hatefully to those whom we imagine or believe to "disrespect" us or our loved ones.

"You 'dissin me"? Is a refrain heard often today. Our culture seems to be breeding a generation of people who feel that being slighted requires a swift verbal or physical retaliation, no matter the cost. Sometimes the infraction seems so trivial.

My concern about myself being 'dissed, seems to me to be the antithesis of the Golden Rule or Royal Law or the basic premise of Christian living. Of course many in society are not Christians, but some claim to be that do not have any problem giving someone the business who 'disses them.

This is by no means a thorough handling of the subject and should be looked at in depth. Selfishness is definitely the root cause, like so many other problems in our world today. I guess that is why the Bible gave us the Golden Rule, the Royal Law, the parables of the Good Samaritan, and Jesus other statements on treating our neighbor, to combat our natural desire for "self".

April Fool

2005-04-04T23:37:00.000-05:00

I don't know why it is, but if I were superstitious I would think that April is always a bad month for me.

Baseball starts, but when I was a kid I always started out on the B team, had to work my way to the A team, even if I was an all star the year before. Usually played on the team with no uniforms, like in "Sandlot".

Some people close to me have died in April, from my earliest youth to adulthood.

Several tragedies have occurred in April. The Titanic sank, Murrah bombing, Lincoln Assasination, Waco standoff, Columbine and many other tragedies. Sorry for being so morbid and random.

Tax time is in April, so April is always brutal. Business is always tight or cash flow rather.

Sometimes it rains in April... too much some times.

I was wondering why I have not been sleeping lately...oh yeah, it's April. I know it sounds ridiculous and I am sure my negative feelings will bring on some of my own problems this month. So I will try to not think of me.......but then there are the bombing victims, the Columbine victims, the Pope passed away ( he is not my Pope, but was still a good Pope I guess)..........feels like April to me.

I know as a Christian I should be writing inspirational messages of how Christ can overcome, and this I do know. But right now I feel like I am in the valley. And I am pretty sure I don't doubt God, maybe I am doubting myself, like the preacher said Sunday. Sometimes we suffer because we are human, it is part of life. Now that I think about it God has always been faithful (even though I may suffer), as well as my community of believers (friends) who has been faithful......... even in April.

AP Lies Again

2005-03-30T21:45:00.000-06:00

I am fed up. I cannot trust what I read in my newspaper to be factual. I discovered the bias during the Iraq war. Then I discover out and out lies during the election. Now the AP is at it again.

Now they report that Judge Greer was told it would be better to leave his Baptist Church. When in fact he may have left due to unfavorable editorials in Florida Baptist newsletters. The AP made sure that the church and pastor were shown in the worst light, and Judge Greer as the innocent victim. It may not be quite like that.

I have refrained from posting on this, because someone is sure to respond what about FOX news? I can understand and accept bias,(i.e. Dan Rather-bye Dan) but distortion of fact from a news agency is wrong. The AP serves every major newspaper and TV, radio news dept. in our country.
Go to the link below for more AP silliness.

AP News Gives you a choice of truth

Purposefully Driven

2005-03-27T11:38:00.000-06:00

Or "The Sound You Hear is a Stone Hitting the Ground"

Rick Warren was on Larry King this week. I caught the show late Saturday night. I had my knives sharpened ready to carve up this commercially driven best selling author. I looked behind him in his office with Purpose Driven books stacked up neatly as if to say "buy me".

I have watched other evangelicals on Larry King in earlier shows, granted they all did not have the show to themselves, but I must say, Rick fared very well. I was more impressed with him than the others. Is it because he is more comfortable in front of the camera? Possibly, but he refuses to have his services televised at Saddleback. He does not want to be considered a televangelist. (Neither would I)

The show mainly was centered on the Atlanta hostage situation and the Schiavo case. The pastor was humble concerning the first subject and clear on his beliefs concerning the second. In other words he did not straddle the fence. He was apolitical as well, while mentioning the values voter, he did not mention the president.

What should be encouraging to the more social concerned out there, is that Warren has started 3 foundations, dealing with AIDs, hunger, and the situation in Rwanda. He is apparently putting his money to good use. He has given his 25 years of salary back to Saddleback, is tithing at 90%. (the skeptic would say he is bragging, but if he does not disclose this fact, a skeptic would accuse him of hoarding riches), lives in the same house and drives a 4 yr old Ford.

I could go on but one should read the transcript for themselves to form their own opinion. I know my opinion has changed. It is very ironic that most of the people buying his book have given little thought, for instance, to the AIDs epidemic in Africa, and now their money is making it's way there, thanks to Warren. He probably doing more than Wallis, Jackson and Oprah, but will still be mocked by social liberals, because he is a .........Southern.....Baptist. ugghhh

Read for yourself here: Rick Warren on Larry King Live

The Passion of the pull the tubers

2005-03-26T10:02:00.000-06:00

The article below talks about how passionate we are about certain things.

The article explains how people who try to save life are passionate about it. This is what I understand. I see it all the time. A burning house that may contain a child is no barrier for the firefighter who so desperately wants to save that child. Oh how great the guilt when you think, " If I had just entered another way maybe we could have saved them...........". The pain of having to tell relatives there is nothing more we could do.....we were too late. Or watching someone die who could live if they had just been closer to a hospital or it had not been too foggy for a Medi-flight helicopter to take off.

This passion to save life I understand. What motivates those who cheer a decision to end life, when so many of those argue to save the lives of murderers and rapists? I guess if you give me an all or nothing choice, I would choice save to both, but since it may not be so cut and dry then why choose the path that we have chosen?
In Love With Death

Letting the Courts Decide

2005-03-22T08:59:00.000-06:00

Let's see ......Roe v Wade.....Terri Schiavo......

Some people are being critical of our politicians injecting themselves into the Terri Schiavo case.

I thought that is what we elected them to do? Judges have a role, politicians have a role, we as Christ followers have a role. I get confused when people fuss about politicians cutting programs that help people then whine when they try to save helpless people like Terri Shiavo and 3rd trimester unborn children. Some say it is between Mr. Shiavo and God or between the mother and God. Some say it is the state's call, some say it is the judges call. But aren't we leaving someone out of the equation?

When we say leave it to God, what does that mean?

For more discussion go here. http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/jca/terri-schiavo.htm

Justice is color blind...except to green

2005-03-17T22:43:00.000-06:00

Something that has started to bother me of late, is the way that wealthy people always get off and poor people always fry. I am talking about the state of our justice system. The one where if you can afford a team of attorneys you can literally get away with murder. (or sleeping with young kids ) However, if you are poor and have to rely on a public defender you will probably get the death penalty on circumstantial evidence. There was a man on death row recently exonerated with DNA evidence, who was convicted because he had bad teeth. The real killer had the same bad teeth. He had been on death row for around ten years. We in Oklahoma know a lot about incompetent DNA testing. Every case in the last 15 years is suspect where forensic lab work was done by a certain chemist.

With the rash of cases being reviewed and rulings being challenged with DNA tests, I would be hard pressed, if I were governor in any state with capitol punishment, to allow any more men or women to be executed.

As far as a solution to the inequeties of our judicial system, I don't have one yet. But I sure would hate to have an innocent man's blood on my hands. I am not ready to say that I am totally against the death penalty, anyone who had to clean up the mess left by Timothy McVeigh, Nichols and Al Qaeda would tell you that someone should die for acts that heinous.

I wonder if most church going people would agree with me? If we are going to err should it not be on the side of protecting innocent life? Even if the chances are remote, there could still be the chance that we are killing innocent people. It seems it was religous leaders who asked a tyrant to break some guys legs so they wouldn't be a distraction during their religous feast. Seeing three guys hanging on crosses, kind of dampens the festive mood.

Acting Christian, Christianly, or Christlike

2005-03-12T11:13:00.000-06:00

A dangerous and widespread error is the belief that everything religious comes from God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus and the apostles of the early church discerned connections and opened up abysses of which most people who call themselves Christians have no inkling.

Without the spirit of mammon there would be no war. In the grip of this spirit, love can be purchased and bodies thrown into the gutter and corrupted. Because of the mammon spirit, lying is carried to extremes – the lying people do to each other in business, in relationships between the classes, and in the dialogue between the nations. “You cannot serve God and mammon.” Making life dependent on financial circumstances, mammon gains control and overrides all other relationships.
-----Eberhard Arnold http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/ea/TheDecision.htm

I also read from Phillip Berrigan who pointed out that Corporations now have all they have ever wanted. Unions are beaten down with little power or influence, our government is leaving them (corporations) alone and multi national companies have no loyalty to any nation or workforce, just to one thing...mammon.

I have always considered myself to be somewhat of a free market libertarian, but I think Congress passed anti-trust laws for a good reason. Corporations rule the world now, they are not beholden to the U.S. or the U.N. They continue to merge and lay folks off. Shut down profitable factories here and open up even more profitable factories in third world countries, where they can pollute and pay folks minimum wage for skilled labor. We need to get a handle on these immoral practices, even if it means isolationist policies for a while. Our trade deficits are at record levels and our high paying jobs are leaving the country at a record pace.

What does this have to do with Christanity? How do we as Christians vote with our pocketbook and at the polls? Do we consider corporate morality ever? Do corporations lie to us and sell us dangerous products for profit? Is it coincidence that it appears that big business and evangelicals are on the same political side and if they are, is this biblically correct? How are we being salt and light concerning these issues?

As a compassionate conservative I knew at some point I would have to draw the line. My only fear is that no one else who considers themselves conservative is paying attention.........

The Gospel According to "Wifeswap"

2005-03-04T08:57:00.000-06:00

First off I apologize to you Google searchers, this is not what you were looking for. (old joke, but could not resist)

Secondly, I will admit it. I am hooked. It's a show with an intentionally provocative name, as a "good" Christian I should probably boycott it, but it is like good car wreck I've got to look.

The producers have hit on a theme the last few weeks that seems to be working. Conservative christian vs. Atheists and or liberal and or hippy family. It really shows how different our families in America are. Our values, our division of labor within the home, economic sitiuations, racial differences and parenting differences.

Sometimes the Christians don't come off too well. Of course if I had a camera in my home 24/7 I doubt the cause of Christ would be advanced a great deal either. Especially if you put some liberal whack job in my home telling me there is no God , Jesus was just a carpenter, and our country stinks.

The one real redeeming quality of the show is that everyone learns something. Either how good they had it, but did not realize it, or how they could change certain habits and behaviors to make things better in their own homes. Like the old Indian (or Native American) saying goes, Don't criticize a man till you have walked a mile in his moccasins, or something like that. Or maybe you don't really know someone till you have done that.

I have to ask myself am I like the too strict parent or the too leniant parent? The workaholic dad or the lazy dad? The neat freak or the slob? The loving husband or distant preoccupied husband? Sometimes I don't like the answer. So I guess there is some value in reality TV after all.

Bonhoeffer is Everywhere

2005-02-27T21:30:00.000-06:00

Everything I read has a Bonhoeffer quote. He really nails it here:

We have listened to the Sermon on the Mount and
perhaps have understood it. But who has heard it
aright? Jesus gives the answer at the end (Matt. 7:24–
29). He does not allow his hearers to go away and make
of his sayings what they will, picking and choosing
from them whatever they find helpful and testing them
to see if they work. He does not give them free rein to
misuse his word with their mercenary hands, but gives
it to them on condition that it retains exclusive power
over them.
Humanly speaking, we could understand and
interpret the Sermon on the Mount in a thousand
different ways. Jesus knows only one possibility:
simple surrender and obedience, not interpreting it or
applying it, but doing and obeying it. That is the only
way to hear his word. He does not mean that it is to be
discussed as an ideal; he really means us to get on with
it.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

More Salt and Light

2005-02-26T09:03:00.000-06:00

Eberhard Arnold lived in the Bruderhof Community in Germany in the 30's. Their group was a small minority opposing the Nazi's. Which should teach us a lesson lest we confuse nationalism with Christianity. Some people try to blur the line, then when the line is blurred, activities by our country that are against Christian principles are supported by Christians. The church leaders in Germany went on along with Hitler because he protected their tax exempt status and let them keep their power as long as they left him alone. So do we rejoice in the fact that our nation is considered a Christian nation or do we step back and question if the label is accurate or has it been co-opted for other goals? Our Nation cannot be "salt" only the Church.

The Church has always been more effective as "salt" as Arnold says, salt as salt alone does not taste well and is unhealthy. But salt used as it should be adds flavor, takes what is there and makes it better.

"The nature of salt is salt, or it is nothing. The essence of salt is its action. By itself it has no purpose. Salt is there for the sake of the whole."-Arnold

"Salt can have power only as long as it is different from the surrounding mass and does not fall into decay itself. If it becomes tasteless, it must be spat out. The salt of the earth is where God is, where the justice of the future kingdom is lived out and the powers of the coming order promote organic life and growth."- E.A.

Check out the entire article below, really think about it and where we are today as "salt".
Salt and Light

Salt and Light

2005-02-23T20:34:00.000-06:00

Excerpts from "Salt and Light" by Eberhard Arnold

There are people who, in spite of earnest efforts to put Christian beliefs into practice, are not yet overwhelmed by the spirit of Jesus Christ. These do not - it is a painful fact - belong to his community, for the only things they are concerned about is trying to love other people more, and seeing to their own salvation.

Those who truly belong to God’s kingdom and Christ’s community have, by God’s grace, been given a spirit that is wholly different. This spirit does not strive for personal holiness, personal salvation; it does not try to become good or seem good. It is the spirit that recognizes and honors God and his demands.

With the exception of the Sermon on the Mount, in which he clearly told us what counts, Jesus expressed this mystery in parables. The Sermon on the Mount can be compared to a tree that God himself has planted, a sap that our blood cannot produce, a salt that we cannot manufacture – its nature is given by God. It represents a light that we cannot kindle, an essence that comes to us alone from the fount of God’s being.
-E. Arnold
Sounds a lot like Willard to me, written decades before, when Arnold was being persecuted by the Nazi's in the 30's. How beneficial would his writings have been for evangelicals from the 50's and today, if we had only known about him.

Is Obesity a moral issue?

2005-02-21T23:00:00.000-06:00

I have got to check out "Supersize Me", a documentary on the health problems caused by fast food. Morgan Spurlock really messed himself up with a diet of fast food for 30 days. He gained 24 pounds and consumed 30 lbs of sugar and 12 lbs of fat.

A study released last September indicates that nearly 40 million American adults are obese, meaning that one in five grown-ups in this country have become grown-outs by adding a third more tonnage to our weight. An additional 6 million are considered "superobese," weighing about 100 pounds more than they should, and more than half of us (56.4 percent) are overweight.

The costs of this epidemic are overwhelming. Each year nearly 300,000 Americans die as a result of obesity (making this the No. 2 killer of American adults), and the nation's annual health care bill for obesity runs about $280 billion, not counting the $33 billion we spend on diets and weight-loss programs. Grossly overweight people are four times as likely to die young as those of normal weight, and severely obese children as young as 6 are now dying of heart attacks caused by their weight. The number of cases of adult diabetes in this country has climbed from 9 to 15 million since 1991. "If we continue on this course for the next decade," notes Jeffrey P. Koplan, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "the public health implications in terms of both disease and health care costs will be staggering."

If Obesity is the #2 killer in our country of adults, then shouldn't there be an outcry from Christians? I think we have strong biblical ground to stand on. Numerous statements against gluttony and excess are found through out the entire Bible. Why are we silent on an issue that affects so many more folks than, just for an example, homosexuality? Why is it that we are anxious to tell people how their body is a temple and they should not smoke,(or marry someone of the same sex) but are oblivious to the health dangers we are passing to our children, with our sorry diets? Yeah, I know it would be hard, think of all the hurt feelings if we did not do it in love, and some people are more prone to weight gain than others. (emphasis on SOME). But it should always be addressed when we talk about moderation in drinking. In fact I think most of the time that Scripture intends moderation in both eating and drinking. Spending, sleeping, working, pretty much every thing should be done in moderation, lest it become an idol. I guess we just like to select our favorite behaviors to preach against and hold on to behaviors that are killing us.

Check out the DVD. Maybe we should show that movie in Church sometime.

Why All the Fuss?

2005-02-14T08:02:00.000-06:00

Well actually I know why some are upset at the people responsible for the TNIV. In 1978 they were heros, today the same people have according to some.....

Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a past president of the Southern Baptist Convention, said the translators went beyond trying to clarify meaning.

"They have an agenda – to attempt to force egalitarian and even feminist perspectives on readers in the name of translation," he said.

"This is spin city if I ever saw it. Many evangelical scholars do not buy it for a moment."

But the people who gave us the NIV, our pew Bible at our church say:

Dr. Kenneth Barker, a member of the TNIV translation team, said evangelicals looking for a feminist agenda in the new Bible are misguided. Using standard Greek-Hebrew lexicons and dictionaries, his team changed passages only where the text meant to include both men and women, he said. Guidelines used for the TNIV are the same as used by the American Bible Society and Wycliffe Bible Translators.

I was reading a passage last night but in the "footnotes" I found that what was written was probably not what was intended by the original author?! So one could draw a different conclusion than what was meant to be communicated.That is how some of the offended want to handle alleged discrepancies, in the footnotes. Who has the agenda?

I say the closer we can get to the original Greek the better, while at the same time being more easily understood by today's readers. I also heard some preacher trying to say how the KJV says this and the TNIV says something different. For my money I would trust the TNIV any day over the KJV, now those guys had an agenda.

Looking Back For the Right Reasons

2005-02-13T16:47:00.000-06:00

In my previous post I talked about the Eastern Orthodox and how there is a renewed interest in their traditions. I did not mean to imply that I think we should go back to the way Church was back in Paul's day. There were several problems in the early churches (As our pastor so eloquently stated once or twice) and our goal should be to pattern ourselves after Christ and not a Church.

I think that there are things to be learned from several Christian faiths or traditions or denominations. The reverant beauty of a liturgical service in an orthodox (or Catholic or Anglican). The emotional fervor in a charasmatic service. Even beautiful accapella music in some denominations can draw us uniquely closer to God. Isn't that what it is all about anyway? Worshipping and glorifying God. There are many ways to do that. Through service to our fellow man, giving of tithes, singing hymns or praise songs, with guitars or organs, accappella or full blown orchestra, our God desires us to praise Him.

So I am not arrogant enough to believe that my way is the best way or only way to worship. I really do not know how they did it back in the day, but we should try to do Church like Jesus wants us to do it, not just the way they did it "in the good old days".

Looking East: The Impact of Orthodoxy

2005-02-11T14:04:00.000-06:00

A good article at The Christian Century
Quotes:
This vision of the church and theology affects Orthodox interaction with Western Christians at a basic level. An advertisement for an Orthodox church in a rural American town full of self-proclaimed Bible-believing churches invites people to come to “a church that knows the Bible because it wrote the Bible!” Top that if you can. This is how Orthodox believers view their dynamic continuity with the ancient church and scripture.

Many English-speaking theologians have encountered Orthodoxy through the ecumenical movement. The Orthodox joined the movement early on—much earlier than the official Roman Catholic involvement. Ancient orthodoxy has provided a starting point on which all parties in the ecumenical conversation could agree, and current Orthodoxy ( of the Orthodox churches ) has presented an incarnation of the ancient church from which all parties could learn. Further, the liturgical renewal of the past half-century has made Protestant worship more similar in form and in spirit to the ancient liturgy that the Orthodox champion and purport to continue uninterrupted.

And Orthodoxy can also be embraced as a refuge for alienated conservatives; it offers a place where no one is going to be calling God “she.”

" by Jason Byassee

Perhaps that is why I sense a move toward Orthodoxy among some Christians. Both as a response against indivualizing our God and of attacks against tradition, whether warranted or not. I wondered why Baptist call Sacraments, ordinances? Did this reflect a marginalization of these acts or contribute to the marginalization of these acts? We do have to balance our view of tradition with consideration of the society today, to make sure we don't just do tradition for traditions sake, but take what is instituted by God and continue to worship in a spirit of Communion.(with God and our fellow believers)

Coffee House Theology

2005-02-08T10:51:00.000-06:00

The term cheap grace gets thrown around alot. Usually at consumer Christians who are mainly concerned about themselves and not others. Are these the only partakers in this "cheap grace"?

I am not trying to criticize because I know I am certainly guilty of relying on cheap grace. But to me it seems like it could take many forms. Would I be guilty of cheap grace if I said it does not matter what I do or say, but only what I feel in my heart? Or it does not matter what I do or say as long as I care about poor people?

It is hard to tell Christians from pagans these days. Some people think that is a good thing. I think, maybe I am wrong, that we should live our lives where someone might be tempted to ask us;"what is different about you?"

So whether we think part of the Bible is outdated and does not apply or we claim the Bible to be the literal Word of God, but apply nothing of it to our lives, we could all be guilty of cheap grace.

I realize some of us have families to raise, so we don't give a lot of thought about solving the world's problems. I also realize some of us don't have families or even jobs, but lots of time to solve the world's problems. It isn't really fair to criticize one camp or the other. We are all guilty of cheap grace at one time or another.

I guess what I am trying to say is that whether we get our coffee at Starbuck's or the local bait/convenience store, we could all use a little self examination once in a while, which is why I like Lent season. Sort of humbling when I consider Christ's suffering and I equate giving up a food item to what He went through. Then maybe we or more specifically I, would be a little more considerate of those who are too busy raising a family or those who have way too much time on their hands and realize that we can all be consumers of cheap grace. ( For how to not be guilty of this, see Willard or Bonhoeffer )

Saving the World

2005-02-05T09:05:00.000-06:00

I found this on an Orthodox blog I like to read
Saving the World

I eventually grew to become a really socially conscious Christian. I adored Ron Sider and can still to this day remember reading "Rich Christians..." for the first time. Whereas before, saving the world meant getting everyone on the planet to say the “sinner’s prayer” (AND MEAN IT!), after my enlightenment it seemed to me that it was equally important to make sure that everyone was well fed and had a nice house to live in. Later, when I realized that I could not remain on track toward ordination in the Assemblies of God I was, in no small way, adrift…not knowing how to fulfill the Great Commission.

But still wanting to “save the world” I starting studying medical lab science in the hopes of taking any skills I might learn to third world countries – or something along those lines. I’m really not sure where my hopes (we used to say “calling”) for ordination went. Anyway, my newfound membership in the ECUSA fully supported my quest for fulfilling the gospel of social action.

But, like my quest for ordination, my aspirations of being a new Mother Theresa were postponed (or dissolved?) because I fell in love and married my wife. Then, kids started mysteriously arriving. Next thing I know, my social conscience is being ministered to by “advancing knowledge and saving lives” at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Not precisely what I had envisioned.

But the other night I was sitting and doing nothing in my easy chair. I began to ponder my occassional heartfelt deisre to “save the world” and “make a difference.” As I did, a little voice asked, “Daddy, can I have a drink of water?”

I smile now as I write, for you see in reality, I have in my care not one world to save, not one difference to be made – but FOUR! Man, talk about not seeing the forest through the trees, that small voice was a whirlwind out of which a much louder and more powerful voice revealed my pride, my stupidity, and my potential. No, not mine…their potential. I was sinning by squinting and looking out across the oceans for a way to satisfy my social conscience, while all along, playing at my feet were four amazing lives that needed more attention from that very same social conscience.

Parenthood is THE single most powerful discipleship and charity “program” on the planet. It’s time that I get that through my thick skull and start taking that responsibility seriously. I may not be a priest or a Mother Theresa, but I am a Dad and everyday I can chose to be a terrible, mediocre, or an amazing one - a life changing one!

...offered by James Ferrenberg, a sinner and extremist Paradosis

Their Silence is Deafening

2005-02-02T23:24:00.000-06:00

"Billionaire Bush-basher George Soros and left-wing filmmaker Michael Moore were among critics of the administration's Iraq policy who had no comment after millions of Iraqis went to the polls in their nation's first free elections in decades."

And,

Asked whether the Carter Center had a comment on the election, spokeswoman Kay Torrance said: "We wouldn't have any 'yea' or 'nay' statement on Iraq."

The subject of Iraq is noticeably absent from the leftist blog sites. Why do they listen to their mom's now? You know when she said, " If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

Dallas in Dallas

2005-01-31T16:56:00.000-06:00

I had to speak on hearing Dallas Willard in person. His humility struck me as much as his complete understanding of what he spoke on. When people asked him questions that some of us might think were lame, he responded with the utmost kindness and gentleness, giving comfort to the questioner while politely disagreeing.

His message in one way was simple and in another way quite profound. This man was living what he believes and he is doing what Jesus tells all of us to do. Our mission statement for our Churches should be that we teach people how to do what Jesus says. If we could do that then, for example, all inter dominational squabbling would cease or members would not leave churches when their feelings get hurt. One because they would learn not let their feelings get hurt and two, others would learn how to keep from hurting someone's feelings. After all if Jesus commands us to love our enemies surely we can love our fellow Christians. No?

If I could learn the discipline of servanthood and/or submission like Dr. Willard lives it, then my life would certainly impact those around me in a more positive way. Perhaps causing people to ask,"what is different about you?" If no one is asking us this question then a thoughtful re-examination of our relationship with Christ may be in order.

Willard on Tozer

2005-01-24T23:30:00.000-06:00

Willard quotes A.W. Tozer in Renovation of the Heart:

That our idea of God corresponds as nearly as possible to the true being of God is of immense importance to us. Compared with our actual thoughts about Him, our creedal statements are of little consequence. Our real idea of God may lie buried under the rubbish of conventional religious notions and may require an intelligent and vigorous search before it is finally unearthed and exposed for what it is. Only after an ordeal of painful probing are we likely to discover what we actually believe about God.
A right conception of God is basic not only to systematic theology, but to practical Christian living as well. It is to worship what the foundation is to the temple.-A.W. Tozer

We must put God in His proper place. When we fail to do this we open ourselves up to error, so we must constantly be striving to sharpen our view of God and keep Him as our Sovereign Lord. How I live shows what I think about God more than any brilliantly written observation I may share. A lot of us talk about the right things to do, but our actions show our true commitment to righteousness, justice, peace, morality, discipleship, etc. Probably because we do not really know what we truly believe about God.

I thought I had it rough

2005-01-23T09:58:00.000-06:00

An excerpt from Discipleship and the Cross by Bonhoffer:

Those who are not prepared to take up the cross, those who are not prepared to give their life to suffering and rejection by others, lose community with Christ, and are not disciples. Discipleship is commitment to the suffering Christ.

Whether we really have found God's peace will be shown by how we deal with the sufferings that will come upon us. There are many Christians who do, indeed, kneel before the cross of Jesus Christ, and yet reject and struggle against every tribulation in their own lives. They believe they love the cross of Christ, and yet they hate that cross in their own lives. And so in truth they hate the cross of Jesus Christ as well, and in truth despise that cross and try by any means possible to escape it. - Dietrich Bonhoffer

When it is put that way I find myself seriously lacking in the commitment category.

Culture Wars

2005-01-19T23:25:00.000-06:00

Good article at Christianity Today concerning our divided country, red and blue as we like to say. How do we bridge the seemingly large canyon between us?
What's the solution? The following is from that article:

First, "red" Christians must reach out to "blue" Christians and vice versa. Ideology must not divide believers. Second, Christians are not seeking political power, so we're not out to "destroy" perceived political enemies. Nor do we line up for the victor's spoils, as if we were just one more special-interest group. Instead, we need to graciously contend (and demonstrate) that Christian truth is good for the right ordering of our lives, individually and collectively, and manifest our commitment to the common good by doing the things Christians do best: creating strong families, restoring relationships, helping the poor, working for human rights.

Christians are in a unique position to bring common grace to a deeply divided nation and offer something more than brief periods of peace between outbreaks of mortal combat every election cycle. In rejecting ideology and putting the common good first, we offer hope to America's warring factions.

Guess who wrote this? Chuck Colson. It is probably easier to be a good winner than a good loser, so it is up to us red staters to show more grace, I think. I don't hear much from blue christians other than how really "blue" they feel. Check it out at the link below.

Chritianity Today

How Can We Be So Mean?

2005-01-15T15:25:00.000-06:00

I recently witnessed another taboo being broken, that is you never criticize another person's child where they, either the child or parent can hear it. I know we should never say mean things about people, and saying them behind their backs does not make it right, but saying it out loud for everyone to hear? That is just wrong. It hurts the kid and the parent.

The amazing thing was how the loudest complainers' kids seem to not do any better. Do they realize that? It is almost comical the criticism I heard at the last game I attended. No one had any basis from which to complain. I saw 3 kids lose their composure and the one everyone was dogging was not one of them. He did not lose the game, in fact, he kept us in it.

Whether the most vocal people are Christians or not I honestly do not know, but I do know Christian's are not innocent in a lot of these situations. At least people who profess to be.

Remember also your and my kids expressions out on the court/field/diamond reflect a view of their coach/teammates that was more often than not fostered at home by you or me criticizing someone. I make a conscious effort to keep my cool. If I could just refrain from yelling at the referees for cheating us all the time......Will take more prayer and meditation for that to occur.

The Relevancy of the OT

2005-01-14T08:15:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking of late about the Old Testament. It seems that a lot of folks think the OT is irrelevant now that we have the New Testament. While it is clear that things have changed since the NT; i.e. how we as gentiles have access to Yahweh, where as before Christ we were excluded, the OT still shows us a picture of God and ourselves.

Are the 10 commandments relevant? Of course they are, they show us how God wants us to live out our lives, as well as good standards to live by. Are we expected to go beyond the 10 commandments? Of course we are, Jesus calls us to DO, which complements perfectly what Yahweh told the Israelites to NOT DO.

When Paul talks about moderation and temperance we need only to read as far as Genesis to see 2 examples of the negative impact of drunkeness. Or the story of David and Bathsheba describes the guilt and shame, along with the duplicity of the sin of adultery, or how many poor decisions start with coveting. David had to covet Uriah's wife to ever begin down that slippery slope that resulted in adultery, lying, murder, incest throughout David's family life.

And if the OT is a made up fable to make the Israelites look good or to blame God for their genecide,the writers' sure made all of the patriarch's look bad. You would think they would have edited the part about Noah, Lot and what about Samson, the Nazarite, what a hypocrite he was. He did not drink wine but consorted with prostitutes. In fact all of them had their faults. Is that shocking to us?

So I think I'll continue to read the stories in the OT for what they are, stories that point to the futility of man living to please God in the absence of the power of Christ, who happens to show up in the NT. That is my uneducated opinion.

Where is God?

2005-01-01T08:29:00.000-06:00

J. Arnold Heinrich has a free e-book called "Discipleship". Here is an excerpt, which I think describes Christians today, with a practical solution as well.
'Why are there so many people today who cannot find faith? I think there are several reasons. Some are satisfied with what is happening; they are proud to be living in a time of great culture and civilization, and they are blind to the suffering of humankind and the whole of creation. They have lost sight of God.

Others despair. They recognize the injustice of mammon, and they suffer with those who are oppressed. But in their compassion they forget the guilt of men - the guilt we all must bear. And if they do see guilt, they see only the guilt of a certain class or nation, not that of all men. They see the creation but not the Creator. They, too, have lost sight of God.

Still others see the sin, guilt, and weakness of men, but they have no heart, no patience with the oppressed, and they do not suffer with them. Because they have lost sight of God, they do not hear the cry of all creation. They have no real faith, or they have found faith only for their own souls and not for suffering humanity.

We can find faith only if we first find God. When we have found God, we will begin to see the need of man from His viewpoint, and we will believe that He can overcome this need. Men must recognize that God loves the world even in our time. In the night of judgment that is passing over our so-called civilization, men need to hear that God still loves them and loves his creation. The message of faith is a message of love."

We may think God does not love us because of our situation. When if we look at God through the life and teachings of Christ, we find that we are to have a childlike faith, that is often difficult to maintain, but neccessary to follow Him.

Talk is Cheap

2004-12-29T23:50:00.000-06:00

The Asian tragedy appears to have sparked criticism from some about how our nation has responded. No situation is too tragic or horrible to keep some from criticizing our beloved President.

Our former "I feel your pain"(while millions suffered in Ruwanda, Afghanistan and Iraq) Pres. Bill Clinton, while in Europe, saw fit to criticize our president, because he did not speak out compassionately or quickly enough. A UN aide points out how us greedy Americans don't give our share. The leftist bloggers and NY Times cannot wait to criticize our actions, when we don't even know the full extent of need. Any dollar number that we throw out is not going to equal what we will eventually give. Prayer and calm is what is needed. Bashing Bush, in the words of Bill Clinton, "will not feed or clothe one child".

What about religious and private charities? That money is not even considered, though it plays a large role in disaster aid and feeding the poor. The real complaint is that the funds are not coming from our government.(or the U.N.) We get criticized when we give generously to private foundations and Europeans just pay higher taxes. We are the most generous nation in the world when you consider ALL relief aid, government and private.( As we should be)

I like giving to charities that I want to support. Red Cross and Salvation Army help needy people every day. I see it when disaster strikes, they are the first to arrive with needed food and supplies.

I know our president is not as eloquent as his predecessor, but rest assured that we are responding as we should, though it may not sound as pretty.

Denying Myself

2004-12-28T16:31:00.000-06:00

When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Mark 8:34

What does denying myself entail? That seems to mean different things to different people. Some people think of material things, living conservatively and modestly, well beneath their means. Some people think of activities such as smoking, cursing, and drinking. Maybe denying ourselves is putting others first.

Following Christ is what the verse is getting at. There seems to be different views on what that looks like. The one thing I like about Orthodoxy is the continuity of beliefs, the one thing I don't like is the resistance to change.

I don't know which would be worse, being tied to ritual or having no tradition to hold on to for guidance. So I try to look at things to determine if what I do for God or to worship God is for GOD or just some tradition I feel comfortable in. But then I wonder how comfortable am I supposed to be when I truly deny myself?

Sometimes I think we worry to much about justifying what we do or don't do that we forget to deny. And if we find that we don't deny ourselves ANYTHING where does that put us at with Jesus? I don't see much denial.....in my life at least.

Bumper Sticker Christianity?

2004-12-17T21:23:00.000-06:00

I witnessed a beautiful site today. A middle aged man in a mini-van shaking his fist at some teenage driver, leaning out of his window shouting at the kid, the kid slinking down in his seat embarressed.

The van drives off and on the back of his car..............you guessed it. A K-LOVE Bumper sticker. (with the fish too)K--LOVE is a Christian radio station. A good one too.

30 YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' 31 "The second is this, `YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31

He had a Bush-Chaney bumper sticker too. So I was doubly disappointed. Us evangelical right wingers are supposed to be the good guys. I wish that were the only time I had seen an incident like that, but it isn't. That's why I don't have a bumper sticker that says "Follow me to -------- Baptist Church. What IF I speed? (okay, when) If I cut somebody off, even accidentally?

Somebody said once the poor will always be around

2004-12-13T22:59:00.000-06:00

Over on Nat's blog she is talking about the plight of immigrants working in sweat shops here in the U.S. Identifying the problem and feeling compassion is the easy part. I feel for that woman. I also feel for the millions in other countries that would swap places with her also.

We sometimes forget that no matter what economic system we have, people will still not treat others like they should. This is a moral issue not an economic one. It is frightening to me when because of such mistreatment we have some people willing to take down our system.
They wish to redistribute wealth. Am I somehow more moral because I am in a high tax bracket and more of my money is going to social programs? True charity is given willingly, not extorted from the giver.

When I was a child we never ate out. We never went to movies. My Grandma and mother made some of our clothes. Today's poor in America would be wealthy by the world's standards. That is why that lady traveled thousands of miles to work in a sweatshop here, rather than be a slave in her home country. Read the following for a balanced discussion as you read Natalie's blog. The problems we have are not that easy to solve, but it should not keep us from trying.

libertyhaven.com

#@$#%#!! Christians?

2004-12-12T22:47:00.000-06:00

In my perusing different blogs around I am learning that it must now be cool for Christians to use profanity. I don't know when this all came about I must have been reading a book or working when this suddenly took place. What is really odd about it is that the most profane people are supposedly the most educated. I was always taught that people cussed because they had a limited vocabulary, I guess that's not the case anymore.

I guess if you say something to a Christian about their swearing (and I mean the F word not just the old D and H word) that would mean you would be intolerant and legalistic. So what does a transformed life look like these days? I mean I don't like getting my oil changed by a guy that swears every other sentence, much less having my preacher talk like that. (neither guy does, by the way) I understand that it is a reaction to legalism and intolerance and that these fairly intelligent folk place social justice at the highest priority in their walk, but...............Isn't their room for both? Why is everything a zero sum game? Could we not be so coarse in our speech AND a friend to the poor and environmentally aware?

I like a lot of what these people write and on many issues they have provoked me to think and rethink my beliefs and not the least of these is my speech to others. Christ hung around with sinners, but He always told them to go and sin no more. When he hung around adulterers he did not commit adultery, so on and so forth. When people came face to face with the Messiah they were changed. So shouldn't we be? More of us conservatives would move to the middle if by doing so we wouldn't have some of our values mocked by people who hold themselves up as liberal.

He Gives and Takes Away

2004-12-11T00:18:00.000-06:00

I have some friends whose kids have played Little League Sports for a very special coach. That coach's name is Charles Thompson. Now if you are an old guy like me you know very well Charles story. The man who brought down the King (Barry Switzer) and the Mighty OU football dynasty. He was OU's starting QB in the late 80's who was busted for selling drugs. He was arrested, shackled, then sentenced to a few years in prison. Switzer is forced out and OU football goes on a 10 year downward spiral.

CT had everything he had ever dreamed about, then had it taken away. You would think he would be a little bummed about that, but no, he thanks God everyday for taking all that away. You see if He had not removed CT from his position of near godlike stature, CT would have never allowed Christ to transform his life. CT really had nowhere else to turn but God, for him to have a productive life. He says "what better time to turn to God than when you are at the bottom?" CT viewed that day he was arrested, cuffed and shackled as a new beginning. The birth of a new CT, with the death of the old CT. He thanks God for doing what it took in his life to bring him to Christ. His testimony is powerful and moving. His life is a true picture of redemption. CT is a real live role model now.

What do we have in our lives that the world views as good, that we would be better off in our walk with Christ without? Are there things we complain about that God has removed or do we thank God for drawing us closer to Him?

What Will I Think of Next?

2004-12-07T21:58:00.000-06:00

I had a crazy thought the other day, while reflecting upon our Lesson in Sunday School, the part where the question was raised, "did John the Baptizer (as Willard calls him) know Jesus was the Son of God?

Of course their is proof in scripture that he knew, then had his doubts, then was sure again. Kind of like all of us from time to time. Then I realized that I had grown beyond having doubts. I know with all certainty that Christ is God and that there is a God. I know this because when I am hurt or disappointed I get angry at God. How could I get mad at God if I doubt His existence? I am not saying this is a good thing, I am just stating a fact. I rely on Him and when he doesn't do what I want I get hacked off, but I never doubt his existence. I have doubted Him years ago, but not in a long time.

I always get over it. I realize that the world doesn't revolve around me. But sometimes I get mad at God for what He allows others to suffer. But then I realize the world doesn't revolve around them either. The world revolves around Christ.

So I am torn. Is it okay to get miffed at the Creator of the Universe? Would He rather engage us in sincere conversation or have us ignore Him altogether?

Now I don't want to endorse such behavior, I just wanted to point out that maybe that is better than ignoring God like I used to do. Maybe God wants to get our attention and we react improperly (like in anger) from time to time if that is what it takes to get us to pray. From time to time I get angry at everyone I love, I wish that I didn't but I do. So in some weird way I am acknowledging Him, all be it sacrilegiously.

Lone Ranger Christianity

2004-11-28T23:48:00.000-06:00

After being out of fellowship for what felt like an eternity, it was good to be back in corporate worship. I am really understanding what people mean when they say it is hard to be a christian in a vaccuum or to live a christian life alone.

My personal study, quiet time, research whatever you wish to call it, has always been conversation driven. The pastor, SS teacher, member of the class, family member, christian blogger, says or writes something interesting or provocative, inspiring me to pray and search the scriptures for truth. In recent years God has placed books, events and people in my path to help me and inspire me in my journey for spiritual transformation.

When I am absent from such stimuli my motivation to study God's truth wanes and I find myself distracted by doing such things as computing 1000 possible scenarios of the BCS, figuring Jason Whites passer efficiency rating, watching political shows, watching 4 straight football games, or one of a hundred reality shows , etc.

I need to discipline myself better I know, but in reality no one can do it alone and that is not my goal. My goal is to broaden the conversation outside the confines of my church, a church that I love, but is there to equip me. I need to become better equipped so that when I am away for these long stretches I can still grow and help others along to grow as well.

For me Lone Ranger Christianity does not work. God never intended it to be that way. We are part of a body of numerous parts.

When the Bible says " do not forsake the assembling of yourselves", it is not just a stern commandment, but an instruction for a better life in Christ. Hebrews 10:19-25

19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way which he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Customized Communion

2004-11-16T18:03:00.000-06:00

Since Jason is discussing Baptism, we may as well discuss the Eucharist.

http://southern-orthodoxy.blogspot.com/2004/11/customized-communion.html

The above link describes the various views different denominations have of the Sacrament of Communion. How do you think we as Baptists stack up?

Is Communion something to be customized? I really don't know, some things are non-negotiable, but what has to be contained in the ritual and what could be altered?

Is Progress really progress?

2004-11-10T23:04:00.000-06:00

After watching the documentary "Beyond the Gates..." I was fascinated by the elder natives view of America. How a primitive individual would view 21st century America. He was quick to notice how fat Americans were and the reason was obvious..... you drive by these food houses and people hand you food out their window. No one has to walk or climb, the trail moves (escalator).

I then read an article about Marshall Mc Luhan a Christian thinker (no, that isn't an oxymoron) who coined the phrase a "global village" and the word "media". He recognized that as man progressed technologically, he lost skills previously neccessary for survival. An example would be how fat we would get due to driving every where as opposed to walking or not being able to climb like some natives would have to do to gather food. There are several examples and many have detrimental consequenses, which might outweigh the benefit.

How would this axiom relate to Church? When the first followers of The Way met, the met in homes. In small groups. As civilization progressed we eventually built magnificent cathedrals for all to flock to and admire. No need to go to folks, they will come to us.
We condense our Discipleship Training to a quarterly with a moral to learn each week, no need for individual research or soul searching, we have everything condensed for you!! So once again man is fooled by thinking how far we have come. So I am going to continue to maybe look back to see if maybe we might have let progress get in the way of relationship. That is what is really all about, relationships with others and with God.

What are they afraid of?

2004-11-05T23:16:00.000-06:00

All of a sudden I feel as if I am part of a group of people that seems to scare people. Those on the political left are vascillating between trying to embrace evangelicals and demonizing them (me).

To answer my question;(What are they afraid of?) I know many people are frightened when a discussion of issues evolves to a Christian saying, "I don't have to worry about that, Jesus will come soon" or "The world is going to end soon anyway" or any number of cliches we have all heard or maybe even spoken. The problem is people who aren't Christians don't have a clue about what you are talking about, which causes people fear. We do need to engage the lost world in a coherent way. I realize a lot of people have the view that we are hypocrites, another favorite argument against believers. The problem is that maybe we are hypocrites. I find I am hypocritical on several occasions.

For starters maybe it would be best to avoid eschatological discussions with unbelievers. Confront the hypocritical argument head on, by pointing out that we are all sinners, just some of us our at different levels or stages in our spiritual development. Let it be known that Jesus still loves us, even when we are acting hypocritical. The fact that I am not a good apprentice does not mean my mentor, Jesus, is not worth imitating.

But I think we have an opportunity with everyone talking about Christian evangelicals in the wake of this election, to communicate to people that we are not right wing fascists, we do not want to legislate everything in their private life, we believe in free speech, the right to assemble, the seperation of church and state and so on.

Bill Maher (Real Time, HBO)was destroyed by 2 of his guests for mocking Christians. They both said "keep doing what you are doing and the left will never win". But we can do our part by giving those skeptics less ammunition to work with. I am tired of the phrase intolerant, but we must still guard against being percieved as intolerant by those that need the Gospel. (without abandoning God's principles). I know people who are for example gay, but I still love them, in fact consider them friends. I don't condemn lost people for some activities they do that I don't. Christ will change the heart first then the lifestyle will change. So if we concentrate on how Jesus did it, we will see the transformation. And by letting Christ do the changing of behavior we then avoid that ugly label of "intolerant".

The Sleeping Giant, Not Fully Awake

2004-11-03T17:40:00.000-06:00

It has been said in American politics that if all Christians united in a vote, then that candidate would surely win. Pundits were surprised that moral issues were the number one factor in votes cast last Tuesday, if you believe the exit polls. Bush carried the Catholic vote 52-47, 80% of the Evangelical vote and increased his African American vote no doubt among evangelical blacks. In essence he appealed to his base. How does this square with the state questions that have passed right here in the "Bible Belt"? We kept the gays from marrying, but we desire to fund our education with gambling and we also are increasing gaming. Did you know one of the largest casinos in the country owns property on the river in OKC in hopes to put in casino gaming on the Candadian, like they have in KC and St. Louis?

When I filled out my United Way donation card today I noticed there was no "Gamblers Anonymous" in our city. Looks like we may be funding one of those in the future.

Shut out

2004-10-30T23:34:00.000-05:00

I have been shut out from commenting on the Snow Hill guys blogs. They say it is a technical problem. I guess I will comment here instead.

"None of your faith is in your faith." I agree that this is what should occur, but in reality we put our faith in lots of things. Church membership, a spoken confession, baptism, to name a few things. How many of us really put our faith in Christ and not just a belief in Christ?

In studying spiritual transformation I am finding out that it is not so much what I believe, but what I become. Now of course I have certain beliefs that are consistant and with most christian theology, but the main objective should be transformation. Believing the right thing is only half the process. Faith without works is dead, is so true. Then works without faith would be dead as well. I think we confuse going to church as works, when I am not sure that is what is meant. It is certainly not all that is meant. I am not trying to say that works is part of the process of transformation, but a result.(hence, what we become) If what we believe doesn't affect how we live our lives then what good is our beliefs? I like what Willard says, "Grace is opposed to earning, not to effort". We don't earn salvation, but we can still try to live our lives as close to Christ examples as we can at whatever point we may be in our transformation process.
My main point I started to make was that we must be misapplying our faith, otherwise we would live lives closer to what apprenticeship to Christ would look like.

Mind Numbed Robots

2004-10-29T07:39:00.000-05:00

A popular description of conservatives who listen to conservative talk shows was "mind numbed robots". This was how liberals derided those on the right who seemed to be inspired in the 80s and 90s to vote Republican.

I don't remember Rush leading thousands of people personally to the polls, such as Bruce Springsteen did yesterday. He gives this concert saying "Follow me", then leads these "mind numbed robots" to the polls. Wanna bet who these deep thinkers voted for?

This happened in Wisconsin where last presidential election the Dems picked up homeless people and paid them to vote. When the Repubs speak out against this they are called racist, and accused of "disenfranchising voters". So if you try to keep those who are not eligible to vote i.e. felons and those too lazy to register, you are evil. Wanna bet who carries the felon vote?

I am ready for this election to end. I am sick of hearing Cher, Rosie O Donell, Jeanine Garafalo, Ben Affleck, the boss and others claim they know what is best for me. I usually start out an election cycle a moderate, but after the left starts their shrill, baseless attacks, I find my refuge once again with the right. Kudos to Kurt Schilling for endorsing W, to blunt Kerry's attempt to make political hay with "his Red Sox". I can't vote for a guy who throws like a girl. (he threw a first pitch at a Sox game and bounced it, then got booed for it) W threw a strike wearing a bullet proof vest last time he threw a first pitch. That pretty much sums it up for me.

Further questions

2004-10-15T23:14:00.000-05:00

I read this question from another website:

What does my heart tell me God intended for Jesus and what I should do about it, rather than what does a book men wrote tell me I should believe about Jesus?

Is that the primary question? Is that what Todd meant when he said " what does the bible say to us, not just what does the bible mean" or something to that affect.

Now this question was from someone who I think doubts the whole inerrancy, infallible word of God belief that most of us have.(Which is subject to different interpretations of what "infallible and inherently" mean and I know God wrote the Bible with man's hand etc.) But yet isn't it more about what scripture says to us and what it can inspire us to become, than whatever deep mysterious wisdom that might be lifted from a certain passage in scripture? I have taken Dr. Todd's suggestion and have been reading the story that is in the scripture, rather than trying to find the object lesson we are so used having forced upon us by those in "authority". It makes the read a lot more enjoyable that way. And while God did write it, the men that helped write it, give the stories perspective and life, that if we ignore we may miss out on the real meaning of what God is trying to say to us. (individually and communally)

You see out of fear I feel I have to clarify my statements so as not to sound too "out of the mainstream", when sometimes it is good to stretch our minds and ask questions that make us and others uncomfortable.

Scandal Revisited

2004-10-10T21:27:00.000-05:00

I have just completed "Scandal of the Evangelical Mind" by Mark Noll, of Wheaton College, it ends with this:

The effort to think like a Christian is an effort to take seriously the sovereignty of God over the world He created, the lordship of Christ over the world He redeemed, and the power of the Holy Spirit over the world He sustains each and every moment. From this perspective the search for a mind that truly thinks like a Christian takes on ultimate significance, because the search for a Christian mind is not, in the end, a search for mind but a search for God.
-Mark A. Noll

Comparatively Speaking

2004-10-07T07:13:00.000-05:00

And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love! I Thess. 5:12-13 It was said that we do a good job at our church (small c) compared to others in compensating our staff. But the standard we should go by is not the standard set by ungrateful churches in our denomination, but the Biblical standard above. We probably do a better job than some, but we must always remember not to look at others and then say "Thank God we are not like them", but always be mindful of the scripture and do what it dictates.

EVERYONE CAN!

2004-10-01T23:49:00.000-05:00

New slogan for the SBC. A funky looking bus that would make the Partridge Family jealous. (You youngsters won't get that one, I am old enough to remember when Cat Stevens was a Christian, you youngsters won't get that one either) That bus is traveling across the country and our Convention President is single handedly going to reverse the downward trend in baptisms. Never mind that 2 people he witnessed to had already been baptized and one was now a self described atheist. I think the problem is not dunking enough folks, but is making sure we dunk the right ones. I think we lose half of them before their hair is dry. (Note: technically they never were "saved" that is why I can say that we lose them. I mean where do they go on Sundays? Not to church.) There is never any commitment to discipleship. In the article I read that a young man who had never ever heard John 3:16 before in his life, prays a prayer and now he is saved and gonna get dunked.

I am trying to be funny about an issue that is really pretty serious, but if folks who are supposed to be a lot more spiritual than me can't figure it out...............then maybe it is better to laugh about it than to cry about it?

Read about the EVERYONE CAN! tour and read first hand how our Prez prays with people who say they are Christians.?! Link: http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=19176

Studying the Scriptures

2004-10-01T00:03:00.000-05:00

http://home.sprintmail.com/~masthewitt/baptists/manifesto.html
Baptist Manifesto a document floating around has an interesting passage on how to study the Bible or how we as the body should:

We affirm Bible Study in reading communities rather than relying on private interpretation or supposed 'scientific' objectivity. We believe that we are engrafted anew into God's freedom whenever we gather around the open Bible, because it is the truth of God's Word that sets us free (Rom 11:17; Jn 8:31-32). Such freedom is a consequence, not a condition, of reading the Scriptures. God therefore calls us to freedom through the faithful and communal study of the Scriptures (Jn 5:39; Acts 17:11). Because all Christians are graciously gifted everyone has something to bring to the conversation, but because some members are specifically called "to equip the saints" everyone has something to learn from those with equipping gifts (Eph 4:7-16). We thus affirm an open and orderly process whereby faithful communities deliberate together over the Scriptures with sisters and brothers of the faith, excluding no light from any source. When all exercise their gifts and callings, when every voice is heard and weighed, when no one is silenced or privileged, the Spirit leads communities to read wisely and to practice faithfully the direction of the gospel (1 Cor 14:26-29).

Is this a correct way to view scripture study and interpretation? It sounds pretty good to me, it fits the communal picture of the Church. Check out the entire document at the above link.

Worship songs about who? (or is it whom?)

2004-09-25T22:53:00.000-05:00

My daughter Natalie is who turned me on to blogging. So the following is an excerpt of a post she made concerning a class she took at Wheaton College, which studied a book called "Scandal of the Evangelical Mind" by Mark Noll. You can read all her posts on my link "Natalie".

Noll remarks that hymns [and one could even say worship songs in general] are a good gauge of the intellectual structure of evangelicalism. He points out two hymns that are separated by only a generation, but communicate two very different messages about viewing the world. The first one, written in 1860 by George Croly, is "Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart:"I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,No sudden rending of the veil of clay,No angel visitant, no opening skies;But take the dimness of my soul away.In 1922, Helen H. Lemmel penned this hymn:Turn your eyes upon Jesus,Look full in His wonderful face,And the things of earth will grow strangely dimIn the light of His glory and grace.Noll says that in the first hymn, knowing God better makes "our vision of the world clearer." But "under the influence of fundamentalism, evangelicals turned their eyes to Jesus, and the world grew very dim indeed" (144).

As Bill O'Reilly would say, "what say you?"

More on Politics

2004-09-24T00:45:00.000-05:00

Reflections on how to vote: Orthodox Christians and the Presidential Election
By Dr. Peter C. Bouteneff ***********************Americans are approaching an important election this fall. All presidential elections are important, but few have been this close or this polarized. Those of us who seek to live and act in a way that is consistent with the life and theology of the Orthodox Church do well to reflect upon how we will act on November 2. Some Orthodox I know believe that the only way an Orthodox Christian could possibly vote is Republican/Conservative. Others whom I know have exactly the opposite impression. Where do we find ourselves in the political landscape today? There may not be a single answer for all Orthodox Christians, but we can at least clarify the questions.1. Church and StateThe relationship between Church and State has always been a delicate matter. History has seen experimentation with many possibilities, and the truth is that none have really worked. There is too great a variety of religious views among the governed and the governing. Looking at our own faith, Christ never set up a system of governance, but rather acknowledged that there is Caesar and there is God, and that we owe a different kind of obedience to each.Neither is there any one system of governance, be it monarchy, democracy, plutocracy, or theocracy, which the Church would sanction as such to be the Christian way of establishing and maintaining a state. It is also quite evident that, given history, geography, and culture, different kinds of government are appropriate in different places. The Church isn't non-committal in this sphere; it has taken stands against forms of government, such as totalitarian dictatorship or anarchy, which are unacceptable to Christianity.But Christians are not ipso facto socialists, capitalists, or monarchists. And much as we Americans are accustomed to the logic of democracy, democracy is neither the way in which the Church governs itself, nor is it the only or the obvious Christian kind of state government. Christians are Christians, and that makes us people who have to decide in each particular case what best meets the criteria of Christian life.2. To Vote or Stay Home?The canons which forbid an ordained person from holding public office indicate the Church's ambivalent relationship to government. The Church is aware of the inevitable conflicts of interest that arise when a visible representative of the Church is asked to represent an electorate of diverse religious and moral principles. But does this ambivalence mean that we should keep out of the process entirely?The answer to that question will not be the same for everyone. All of us are called to be "not of this world" and yet also to be "in the world," and the way in which those two are balanced in our own lives will vary. Monastics have a particular vocation, a particular way of consecrating their lives, and a particular kind of obedience which will in most cases lead them away from voting, even if they may be very much involved in other aspects of contemporary life and society.Some outside the monastic life opt out of the process as well, either because they feel the candidates are unacceptable, or out of principle. Whether we vote or not, our decision must be conscious and deliberate, and the result of prayerful consideration. Orthodox Christians are called to take a stand on matters that affect how people live and how they are treated, and on how the natural world is treated. We are called to care about, to arrive at, and defend principles in terms of our fundamental beliefs.3. How to Vote?The question of whether to vote is much easier to address than the question of how to vote. Part of our problem here is the nature of the options before us.a. Liberal and ConservativePolitically as well as theologically, many conservatives will use "liberal" as a swear-word, and many liberals return the favor. We Orthodox Christians often consider ourselves to be a conservative church - and so we are, when we compare some of our theological and ethical principles to others. Our key doctrines about God and about Christ, as well as our positions on human life and human sexuality, are based on principles whose absolute and unchanging character are repulsive to some other Christians.On the other hand, Orthodox theology and ethics admit a freedom that can seem downright liberal. I recall a conversation with a certain Presbyterian whose positions on matters of church and ethics alike were far more "liberal" than I as an Orthodox could accept. But when she started talking about her belief in the "total depravity" of the human person, our Orthodox voice began sounding to her like the more open, the more joyous, the more free. More generally, our approach to ethics and the canons provides a unique blending of absolute principles with particular, personal applications which can never be branded as sheer conservatism.The terms "liberal" and "conservative" have only a limited use. Orthodox Christians should not let themselves be pigeonholed into either category, either within Orthodoxy, with regard to the wider Christian landscape, or politically. Our province is not conservatism or liberalism, but truth.b. Republican and DemocratThis still leaves the question of how we are to position ourselves politically. And here we are placed in a serious bind for two reasons. One is that there are some questions for which Orthodox Christians are so far unable to identify a single right answer. For example, we have been divided as to how to approach the war on Iraq, and both sides have offered sound theological arguments. We do not often take two sides of the same fence, but the living character of our Church does allow it to happen.The bigger reason for our difficulty in siding with one or another political party is that the parties today each advocate unacceptable positions alongside admirable ones. Considering the sanctity of life and the dignity of the human person, it is not at all clear which party has a better platform. We must consider their positions not only on abortion, but also on capital punishment, war, and human rights. We need to look at each party's position on education and the environment. Each party must be examined in terms of how wealth is distributed, especially in terms of what effects will be felt by the nation's poor. We need to examine the candidates' views on ethical and bioethical issues such as stem-cell research, euthanasia, HIV/AIDS, and same-sex marriage.Neither party has a monopoly on life and family values: both parties are inconsistent in both areas.The voting Orthodox Christian today is effectively stuck being either a "Reluctant Republican" or a "Reluctant Democrat." We are, as is often the case, left with a choice between the lesser of two evils. This doesn't take us off the hook, for we must choose. We have a compass to guide us in our choice and that compass is our understanding of Christ's Gospel and how it is lived in the world . *******************************************Now I am not Eastern Orthodox, but the issues are the same for all Christians. So we need to keep in mind the "compass" referred to above.

Rightie or Leftie

2004-09-20T23:30:00.000-05:00

http://www.politicalcompass.org/ has an interesting test to determine one's ideological leanings. I was surprised to find out how I rated. You might be too.

I think our whole notion of liberal/conservative is up for serious redefinition. If you are libertarian about guns you are considered conservative, if you are libertarian about drug laws then you are considered liberal. I see the lines blurring in the future. Bush is conservative, yet he proposes and engages in deficit spending? Kerry is liberal yet he ...............Well I am not sure what he believes other than he would do the same things as Bush only better.(so he says)

If the truth were known we are probably single issue voters when it comes down to it. We may think we have an ideology, but does either party accurately represent every issue in your ideology? How did I score? I'll never tell. But I may have to give up reading the Gospels and start listening to Limbaugh, to get re-indoctrinated.