Greek to me

I find it hard to believe that just three plus months ago, I couldn't have told you the difference between a greek verb and a greek noun, let alone declension, case, gender, or number. But as of last night, I made it through my NT Greek final exam. And it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought.

It turned out to be shorter than I thought it would be (no complaints there). Just a pericope out of John 15, verses 8 through 15. If this blog allowed for the font, I'd reprint the passage in greek, but alas, it doesn't. Needless to say, it was a good challenge. And it reminded me how good God is. I'm looking forward to using what I know, and learning more, as eventually take Greek Exegesis at some point. One thing I will say is that studying the New Testament in its original language has reminded me of the power of the words that I experienced the first time I opened a Bible to read for myself. Wow, is all I can say.

But I also want to share some thanks. First, thanks to my wife and kids for being so understanding when I had to study. I also want to thank my instructor, Lois Wilson, whose gentle spirit made learning Greek almost easy. Then I have to thank Debbie Watson, whom I was desperately hoping I would be studying Greek under, but alas and alack, didn't - Debbie was still incredibly encouraging for me. And I want to thank my students for putting up with me bringing in little nuggets of Greek into our weekly bible studies here and there.

Now I can honestly say, "it's Greek to me" and mean it.

understanding ourselves - understanding myself

Life is full of ups and downs. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to be able to observe that reality. I think when you work in the church that truth becomes a weekly if not daily occurance. Just over a week ago (from this entry), I was given a heads up that apparently two or more people had gone to my pastor to complain about me in some way, shape, or form. While none of those people has come to me directly to talk or confront me about how I've "sinned" against them (see Matthew 18), it was decided that there would be meetings with these people and others about perceptions of my performance, my attitude, my style of ministry.

I have to say, my gut reaction was not good. It's been a real sad experience, as I feel hurt, betrayed, and deeply saddened that anyone (someone from within the church) who had something against me would rather go and rip against me behind my back rather than come to me. The long and short of it is it's left me feeling really defensive, and even persecuted.

Yet, at the same time, I've also felt like my inner emotions have been way out of whack, too. While I'm obviously not happy about all of this, I was also feeling that the deeper, inner feelings were too strong. Why was this so? Yesterday, during my day off, in between translating greek sentences and making up study notes for new greek verb tenses, I made a simple and short prayer: "Lord, show me my heart, that I may understand myself."

If you know me, or you pray with any regularity, you know that prayers uttered are not always, and honestly from my experience, rarely answered within a few moments of praying. Yet, that is what happened. Within a few minutes of praying this, while it was still fresh in my mind, I felt the Lord had given me the answer.

What came to mind were images from my middle school and high school years. While I was in 6th grade, my mom remarried, to a fellow my friends came to "lovingly" refer to as Jabba the Hutt. Jabba was, as his "name" implies, an extremely obese fellow with a penchant for unlawful activities. The summer before my senior year in high school he was arrested for imbezelment, and then again arrested while I was in college. Again while I was in college he violated his parole, went "underground", and was later picked up on the other side of the country by the police after bouncing checks to a number of different people and places. You can imagine from all of this that he wasn't a kind person. He was not. And not a day went by that he and I didn't have some sort of clash, whereby he would find something about me, something I had done, or something he perceived I had done or should've done, and laid into me with a verbal assault to rival any drill sergeant's.

As I received the answer to my prayer, I realized that the root of my anxious and defensive feelings sank all the way to those memories, those moments of being blamed and accused of things that were of little importance or nonexistent. And I realized that my frustrations and resentment toward what's going on now is so strong because deep in my mind, I feel unjustly accused, and once more under assault from a critical spirit.

In coming to understand my self, I have come to a better place. I realize I don't have to listen to those old voices. I don't have to feel so vulnerable as I did when I was a young teenager. And I don't have to fear. People will say what they want about you, and they will believe what they want about you. I'm not going to fear because I know that God is in control, and that I have a clean conscience. There may be misunderstandings about something I've done or even said. Perhaps someone caught me on an off day and have been harboring ill feelings ever since. It's possible. At the same time, I don't have to buy into their perceptions of me.

I trust God. And I trust that the people who are listening to these accusations want the best for everyone, especially for God to be glorified. I pray that out of all of this, we all may be reconciled in Christ. That's something I feel good about. That's something I've come to understand about myself. Praise God!

what is a "disciple"?

I'm looking to write a message arc on the subject of 'what is a "disciple"?' for my high school youth group. I'm interested in anyone's take on the subject. What do you think?

One Second

The idea for this thought came from my friend David Bellamy...



Have you ever thought about that increment of time we refer to as one second? It might not mean much to you, but this past Saturday night, it meant Penn State's first loss of the season to a team they were supposed to have no problem beating. In a nutshell, in the last second of the game, with Penn State up 25 to 21, University of Michigan's quarterback was able to move the ball up and into the Penn State's red zone (the 20 yards closest to the end zone). Forget the terrible calls by the refs which allowed this to happen in the first place (and despite your thoughts, I'm not on sour grapes). Instead, focus on the fact that with one second left in the game, Michigan was able to rocket a pass to an open receiver in the Penn State end zone. Poof. End of game.


What does one second mean in your life? It may not seem like much. And let's face it, few reading this e-newsletter will probably ever be in such a situation like the Penn State-Michigan game. But one second can have a profound effect, even in the midst of some of the more mundane, regular moments of our lives. One second is about the time it takes for each of us to go from thought to action. That is, one second is the time it takes for you to convert your thinking about doing or saying something into your actually doing or saying something. One second can mean the difference between something getting done or not. It can be the difference between your sharing something profound, or sticking your foot in your mouth.


One second can also have profound eternal consequences. It can mean the difference between spending eternity in the joyful presence of God, or spending in eternal damnation, separated from God. One second. The bible tells us that death comes to all people, with no bias toward economic status, education, race, or even religion. And on top of that, the bible says that everyone who dies will face judgment by God. Death can come as quick as one second. I just heard about a high school class mate and friend of mine who was killed in a car accident last month. I don't know exactly how he died. And I don't really know how quickly he died. But I've found myself wondering about where he is right now. Not too long after school ended this past June, an LM student suddenly died from a tumor near her heart. Did she have a chance to cry out to God? This is not meant as either a judgment on either of these people. But it is one of those 'in-your-face' kinds of questions for you. Do you know where you're going to spend eternity? One second can make a difference. If you're reading this, and you want to make an eternal difference in your life, here and now, drop me a line, and we can talk. One second. It could be the difference between life and death.

why tragedy?

Tragedy. Suffering. Pain. Loss. Evil. These are all issues of the real world, both inside and outside of the Church. Yet, too often, we as Christians are either silent at the wrong times (that is missing in action), or we speak with great selfishness (a self-righteousness that is separate from God's word). The parents of soldiers killed in Iraq over the last few years of war. The thousands of Iraqis who have lost parents, siblings, or children within that same conflict, and even before. And now before us are the latest to wrestle with these challengers to life, the survivors of Hurricanes Katrina, and now, Rita.

Why. A simple word that often requires an exceptionally demanding answer in the face of the deepest soul pain.

Tragedy has been before us, Christian and non-Christian alike. But what do we do with it? Evil has haunted our kind from almost the beginning. Today, we have never been so far from, yet so close to the answer to, the reason for not giving up all hope. In his book, Jesus Among Other Gods, Ravi Zacharias frames the ongoing wrestling match between the peaceful life we all desire, and the stomach-churning realities that many of us face via the ninth chapter of John's gospel. [I encourage you to read his book, even as I quote from it.] Zacharias speaks to the core of the question of why in the face of tragedy and evil.

"Not only is God holy, but He also reveals to us the sacred nature of love, to which He beckons us. And from this sacredness of His love must flow all other loves... The inability to understand the mystery of evil leads to an inability to understand the sacredness of love. A deadly mistake that I believe our cultures make in the pursuit of meaning is this illusion that love devoid of the sacred, a naked love, is all we need to carry us through life's tests and passions. Such love cannot sustain us... In fact, love by itself will make evil more painful. Love can only be what it was meant to be when it is wedded first to the sacred. Sacredness means separateness. Holiness beckons not just to love but moves in increments till it is climaxed in worship. What does all this have to do with suffering? Everything. You see, when the skeptic asks why God did not fashion us so that we would only choose good, he or she completely misses - drastically misses - what goodness is in God's eyes. Goodness is not an effect... But if life is born out of sacredness, neither goodness nor love alone
is the goal. It is reverence, and it must be chosen even when it is hard and costly. This kind of love is a choice to let the sanctity of life dictate the commitment of the will. This kind of reverential love can look upon suffering and see it beyond the clutches of time and through the victory of eternity... We all recognize a sacred love when we see it, and we long for it... Until we understand that kind of love we will never understand why it cannot be programmed. Nor, for that matter, will we ever grasp the true nature of evil. From worship flows this love. That is why God did not make us choose good. It is not goodness we are called to but worship... When that kind of love is expressed to God, every other love finds its cue... Only when holiness and worship meet can evil be conquered. For that, only the Christian message has the answer" (pages 128 - 130).

My thoughts on this are simple, but, I do not think simplistic. Too many people speak to tragedy and evil from thoughtlessness or self-righteousness. We see that behind the disciples' question to Jesus about the blind man, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" And this might have actually been one of their more thoughtful questions. But it was one that Jesus was able to speak to in a way that they, nor us, could equivocate. Jesus' answer, in word and deed, shows us how holiness and worship conquer evil. "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." Some might choose to see a "sick" kind of god behind such an answer - what kind of god would create or allow a person to be blind so that this god could get some credit? But such a response would miss the issue and the point. Interestingly, sacred and sacrifice share the same root. I think it no mistake that at root here is a truth that it is only when love originates from the sacred, and [that love] is acted upon, that is, expressed sacrificially, that we can answer evil in this world. And that answer is that a sacred sacrifice, that is a life lived for God, is worshiping God in the face of an evil that would seek to persuade or intimidate us into believing that God is either absent or altogether fake.

By reframing our lives so that our view of all whom we know, and all whom we see (that is our neighbors - and who is my neighbor?), as through the framework of Jesus Christ, will we see that all people are created in the divine image of God. When Jesus healed the blind man, it was not to defend the Father from false assertions, but instead to show God's glory at work, that is, how the sacred love of God, through God's people, can meet and overcome evil. We may not see so many miracles like that today (oh that we should), but we can respond to tragedy, suffering, pain, loss, and evil like Jesus did. We can, through such terrible things, display the glory of God, and through that, worship this God who endured evil personally on our behalf. Tragedy is only as defeatable as is our willingness to love and worship a holy God in word and deed.

real prayers

As I sit here writing, I am burdened by the fact that I am no expert in prayer. Last week, I "penned" an entry that asked the question, "Are you praying?" (see below), and in that offered some basic information that Christians should know, so as to give them, in the least, some sort of biblical idea and model of how to go about praying. But I'm no expert in prayer. Yes, I pray every day. With my wife, with my kids, and by myself. Somedays I do get to pray with collegues in ministry, fellow youth pastors, or with students. But I struggle with prayer. It doesn't come easy to me like it does for some. Call it spiritual ADD, call it being too busy, I don't know. I have a hard time sitting still, concentrating, focusing on the LORD, and even worse, I struggle to sit in the silence, waiting, listening. Yet I still pray. I'll use a variety of prayers. I'll pray free-style, I'll delve into a prayer written by an ancient brother or sister in the faith, or I'll read a prayer from a prayer book (I still love the collects contained in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer - 1979 edition).

But I wanted to share with you some real prayers from students and youth ministers gathered this past Sunday morning at the kick off of our weekly Sunday morning offering, preworship. These prayers may seem unpolished at best, they may seem even a bit artificial in places, but they are first and foremost prayers from the hearts of each of these people. I seek to pray over and through these collected prayers throughout the week, so that our students and youth ministers know that what they've put down on paper is being taken seriously; that these prayers are treated with holy respect. Join me in lifting them up...

"That this year go well and lots of people do show up, have fun, grow in their faith."

"for this to be a great year for everyone to grow closer to God."

"For Foot - that she can play [field hockey] this week."

"the physical healing of Gilbert Ramerez, he is a minister in LA and Mexico."

"For students who have been away from YG and church to come back into the fold."

"My friend Cara's town was destroyed in hurricane Katrina and no one has heard from her. Pray for her and her family's safety."

"My mom's best friend needs a liver transplant."

These are the real prayers of real people. A few students and I started a prayer wall last Good Friday as part of a Spiritual Formation overnight. We even had two middle school students participate! It was quite wild. They were given permission to just listen to God, through music, taste, and recitation, and then given opportunities to respond. Out of that has come a sense among many students that they want to share with God, and with other students and adults, their heart, their needs, their fears. Let's all pray, for them, for us, that the LORD is His mercy will hear our prayers.

'you should know what to do by now'

Voice mail prompt messages are a funny thing, as I recently was made aware of. The current manifestation of the prompt for my cell voice mail is a good point. It merely says, "Hi, this is David. You should know what to do by now, so just do it." When I left it, I was merely trying to leave a prompt that was different than the typical, "Hi, this is David. I'm not here right now, so please leave your name, your message, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can" sort of message. While I didn't want to spend too much time being creative, whatever that all means, I did want something different, yet not so crazy as to confuse people. Hence, my current message.

But how interesting to discover that a friend, in trying to reach me, discovered some deeper, hidden meaning in the words of my prompt. In leaving me his message, a friend of mine replied something to the effect, "hey, this is a bit of a prophetic message. I should know what to do by now, so just do it? Hmmm. what are you trying to tell me?" And then he left the rest of his message (which has little to nothing to do with this blog). Perhaps this friend was merely in a very thoughtful mood. Then again, maybe the prompt struck him in his heart regarding what was going on his life at the time.

To me, the question begs to be asked, of myself, others, perhaps of you, 'do you know what to do?' Many of us claim ignorance as to why we don't 'do' something. We think, perhaps, that the sin of omission is far better than a sin of comission. Yet rather than a mere voice prompt, my friend heard not so much a digital recording of my voice, but more aptly a prompt from the Holy Spirit (no, I'm not confusing my voice with God's!). In hearing, 'you know what to do by now, so just do it,' maybe my friend's own spirit was pricked by words that spoke to his own [internal] struggles. Maybe we need to hear those words afresh. Maybe we need to reexamine our own hearts, and ask the Lord to show us, and speak into, those same hearts. What do you think?

Are You Praying?

Some people see prayer as a waste of time. "It doesn't do anything," some say. But the reality is, prayer does work. Even modern medicine has concluded that those patients who regularly prayed generally had easier times of healing and recuperation than those patients who did not. But that's not the point here. Prayer, for all of its mystery, for Christians, is a direct link to God. We do not need to burn incense and utter meaningless incantations in hope of getting God's attention or manipulating Him to come down to our level. Instead, Jesus taught us how to pray (see Matthew 6), and that when two or three other believers are gathered in His name, He is there with us (see Matthew 18).

Jesus taught a lot on prayer, and the importance of it often in the gospels. As Christians, we have something of a responsibility to be in prayer. Through prayer, we have fellowship with God, we worship God, we are nurtured by God, we depend on God, we open our hearts to God, we listen to God, we are led by God, and we grow in God.
Yet there are some who do not pray. They don't "see" any changes in their lives. They don't get what they want. Well, with an understanding and practice of prayer like that, I tend to agree, except to word it like this: prayer that's based on my own selfishness, and my attempts to manipulate God don't work. Prayer is ultimately about our own humility. When we pray to God and bear our hearts before Him, we humble ourselves. We are admitting that we need Him. We are admitting that we don't know something. We are facing the fact that He is God, and we are not. Prayer is also humbling in another way. When we pray, we are putting our trust in God's goodness. This is probably the hardest part of prayer. This means that even when we have brought something of great personal importance, and are praying with an extreme personal bias, we must trust that God is in control (He is sovereign!), and that He knows what needs to happen. It means God has a plan. In prayer, we make ourselves available to the plans of God.

If you're struggling to pray (and believe, I know what it's like!), try this...use the acrostic ACTS. Adoration - spend a few minutes just praising God for whatever comes to mind. I always try to praise God for the beauty of His creation in all of its many forms. Confession - spend a few minutes confessing to God the sins you done (committed yourself), as well as those things you should have done (sins of ommission). This is usually far easier than I wish it was! Thanksgiving - spend a few minutes just pouring out your thank you's to God for all He has done - for you, for your family, for your friends, for the world. I always give thanks to God for each and every day, for another day of life, as well as for my great wife, and my wonderful kids. Supplication - this is an old word that we don't use much any more, but it simply means the requests we bring before God - prayers for ourselves and for others. One important thing that this acrostic does leave out is that we need to learn to listen for God in prayer. I'm not necessarily talking about hearing the audible voice of God, though I know of some who have heard God's "voice". Rather, I'm talking about hearing God in your heart, in a mysterious way that you just know. But often this only happens when we make ourselves be still and quiet before God in prayer. Another thing. It's always good to test what we receive in prayer with what the scriptures say, or with other, more mature and godly believers. Sometimes Christians will think that God is calling them to do something, but after checking with other Christians, or looking in scripture, they discover that what they thought they were "hearing" from God was not in line with what we know about God and His character. St. John says to "not believe every spirit, but test to see whether or not they are from God" (1 John 4:1).

When we pray with our focus on God and His heart, we will see changes. What they will be is anybody's guess. Maybe the answers will indeed be a "yes" to the particular request we've brought before God. Maybe it will be a "no". But I believe, that when you take a step of faith, and you pray to the Father in the name of the Son, your own heart will be changed. That's the ultimate purpose of prayer - to affect our hearts toward God. Keep praying!

feeling down

I'm feeling down today. I just can't kick it. Maybe it's because the day started off cloudy. Maybe. Honestly, I think it's because I received a harsh email from one of my students this morning. It was one of those critical, run-on sentence filled, mean-spirited emails that makes you want to respond back, "double-damn you." But you don't. I didn't.

Some might ask, was the attack justified? were the charges true? Is that why it smarts so? The fact is that I've been having a back and forth discussion with this student. This student thinks I'm being stubborn and 'holier than thou.' The words hurt. Are they true? Well, I can be stubborn. You don't last in youth ministry long if your not stubborn in some way. Am I holier than thou? Let me put it this way. The only time I've been called that is when what I'm saying to someone is hitting them square in the heart, and they don't like it. As a youth pastor, you're called to seek God on behalf of your students, their families, your leaders, heck, everyone. But you're also called to speak prophetically sometimes, probably even more than I do. The point is, this student is self-destructing, won't accept it, and doesn't want to hear it. More over, this student wants to turn around and make this an issue about my personal problems. Hence the criticisms.

I feel down. But rather than scream back, I prayed as I emailed. Not consciously, but hoping that every letter and word that I typed would speak God's truth in love. I had to apologize for a couple of things, but I also said I wasn't going to take ownership of their problems. I feel down, because I hate when things get negative between myself and my students. But praise God, at least this student is still emailing me - for now!!!

It's a funny thing, you know. Here I was feeling down about myself, and suddenly, it's like heaven's flood gates opened up. First, I received a phone call from a parent who has worked with our ministry to youth and their families. He was to the point: "you're doing a great job. Remember, we aren't responsible for moving the rock. We're just responsible for showing up and faithfully pushing." The second was a phone call from a fellow youth minister, who was visiting this site, and aside from some ministry business to pass on, he wanted to thank me for my faithfulness to God in being at the same church for almost ten years. The third was a letter from one of my former students, who's at UCONN. She wanted to catch up, let me know what's going on with her. She wanted to just share that the year is off to a good start, and her faith is alive and well. She said she feels comfortable and well equiped, "which I think is really due to [youth group] and you. Thank you so much for giving me that environment."

I'm still struggling with the earlier email. But I praise God, because He heard my heart's cry, and in ways that He knew I would understand, He sent me word that He thinks I'm doing well. That's the kind of God that holds the world together, even when buildings collapse, cities flood, and nations war. That's the kind of God I want to give my life to, because He's the kind of God who has already given His life for me.

safe to struggle

is it safe to struggle in life? is it safe to be honest about one's struggles in the church? can one expect compassion, or should one steele themself for judgment? do we consider one's situation, listen for the right words of brokenness and contrition, and penitent response? or do we automatically challenge, label, and create space?

sin kills. blatant tolerance and a blind eye, ignorant acceptance, and self-righteous justification only numb the death.

grace and love bring life. grace and love reclaim what was once dead. grace and love raise those killed and being killed by sin over and over again to a life that is hidden, rooted in God. grace and love allow honesty. grace and love allow struggle. grace and love see perfection in the process. grace and love see the difference between accountability and judgment.

grace and love say it's safe to struggle. but I'm not so sure that people are listening. people, even God's people, rush to either condemn or accept; both wearing the blindfold of self-righteous ignorance. sin misleads us into one extreme or the other. grace and love allows the struggle, discounts rejection, yet allows accountability, but all within the context of grace and love.

let's make it safe to struggle in our churches. let's let grace and love abound.*

* the context for this thought is scripture, which by no means turns a blind eye to sin, but speaks to the sinner in the loving voice of God Himself, saying, "is there no left to condemn you? then neither do I. go and sin no more."

Hurricane Relief and It's Problems

I've been watching terrible pictures, and heard terrible stories out of New Orleans. All of us our saturated with the raw footage, and we are torn with having it so easy while so many have it so bad. Today's storylines, though, seem to be more about finger pointing, particularly partisan blame placing. 'Race', 'poor', 'urban' - all epitaphs thrown around today to describe the reasoning behind the particularly slow and seemingly ineffective relief efforts. Interestingly, the complaints about how the poor and urban (be they black or white) seem to center on how governments coulda, shoulda, woulda done more prior to the hurricane hitting the gulf coast, and how it's entirely unfair and wrong that all of these people are trapped in down town New Orleans. After all of the talk, I've got a question. What about the responsibilities of these people to live with their decisions to stay putt in the face of terrible odds? What I hear, when it's all said and done, is that these poor souls are the victims, not of a natural disaster, but of someone's political agenda, victims of someone else's classism and racism, and how if the government really cared about all people, they would've been taken care of before the storm even hit.

Now, let's get one thing straight. I agree that the relief efforts have seemed paltry at best. Heck, even the President realized he had to criticize the efforts today, even as he prepared to visit the storm stricken areas. But it's not just the national government's problem. What is the mayor of New Orleans wagging his finger at anyone, when he could've moved all sorts of resources, not to mention people, out of the city before the levees broke? Why didn't the Governor of Louisiana have the National Guard standing by with all sorts of resources and relief aid, when they knew this was going to be the mother of all storms? Why didn't they just order the complete evacuation of the city? Yes, these people are victims, but me thinks that there's fair blame to spread around to the local and state leaders well before we get to el Presidente.

One last thing... with regard to the people who are stuck in the city... what about their own responsibilities at choosing to stay? I'm not trying to point the finger back at them, but it seems to me to be the unasked question. They need a lot of help. And the Federal and State governments need to do as much as is feasible and maybe then some. But the bottom line is, as much as the different levels of goverment knew the crap was about to hit the fan, so did the people. They chose to stay. These people need our compassion, but they don't need us treat them as if they are merely stupid victims of someone else's dislike for poor, urban people of color. The real people who are causing problems here are the ones who are treating these people as if they were stupid for not realizing the danger, for being stupid enough to have to wait for the local government to tell them to leave. I think that's far worse than any other 'ism' I've heard leveled so far. God created government to take care of its citizens, but before that, He created us to take personal responsibility for our own being. The people of New Orleands deserve our compassion and tears, and anything we can do to eleviate their suffering now is the least we can do. But I hope after it's all said and done, someone will have the guts to ask and pursue the question of, "Why didn't you get out when you heard it was coming?"

reflections on what does it mean to be the body of Christ

It's an intriguiging and most important question for Christians of all denominations and fellowships to not only consider, but to wrestle with. It has far less to do with decided who's "in" and who's "out", and everything to do with understanding who God is, who we are, and what are real mission is.

There were some interesting responses to the questions posed with the context of the overarching theme. One person, rather than share their thoughts, merely agreed that they, too, would like to find the answers to these questions. Two others offered their thoughts to the mix. [you can read them by checking out the comments below the August 2nd post]. What is interesting are the differences and the similiarities between the two respondents. But here's my take on the questions posed...

How would you define 'the Church'? The Church is the body of Christ, with Christ as the head. That is, the body of Christ are all believers, every where, who confess Jesus as Savior and Lord, who have confessed both their own sinfulness, and their need for a savior, who have/are experiencing the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, who, by that same Spirit, are disciples of Christ, living changed lives, and have joined, where possible, for regular worship with fellow believers. That's a mouthful, and I'm sure the argumentative amongs us might find something to pick over or add to the mix. Note that I also consider that there really is no difference between "Church" and "body of Christ". They are one and the same.

Why do Christians need the Church? Simply put, as we read throughout the epistles, Paul, James, Peter, and Jude, are all writing to a group of believers, not a single person (please note: Paul's letters to Timothy are not considered epistles). As such, the implications are for the general body of believers as much as and more so than just for individual believers. So, when Paul says, work out your salvation with much fear and trembling, their's an implication that we are to be doing this together, in the context of the body of Christ. Church is not an option in as much as it's an option. Any American who considers themselves a Christian has every responsibility to pray for and be led to a body of believers, regardless of how imperfect that body may be. There are too many American Christians who have adopted the cultural standard of consumerism and applied it with gusto to how they go about picking, participating, and, sadly, staying at their local church. That's not to say that there aren't bad churches. But too often your typical Christian cuts and runs at the first sight of trouble. But how about this: does God ever call His people to stay and resolve things? Hmmm. We need the Church, plain and simple. Gathering as the Body of Christ on Sunday mornings or evenings is our part of our overall purpose to worship and glorify the Triune God. And in gathering as the body to worship Him, we realize the very nature of God as Triune, that God is the divine community that He calls us to imitate, and is bringing us to be a part of. I could go on.

Can a person be a Christian, that is, be saved in the name of Jesus Christ, apart from being a part of the Church? One respondent said, 'yes and no'. I think this is the most correct answer, though it would probably bother all who like 'black and white' answers. The ultimate answer is, of course, 'NO'. Once one is saved, you are a part of the Church. Christ does not save individuals for the sake of saving individuals. He saves them for a purpose, of which being saved for being a part of the Church, the divine community on earth that will one day be brought to perfection, is that chief part. Our individual salvation is part and parcel of being the Church. That is, there is a mystery to our salvation by which we are working out that salvation as being a part of the Body of Christ. God does not save individuals - He saves the nations, that is, He has called out a people who were not a people, who are now the people of God. There is no such thing as a 'lone ranger' Christian. He or she who thinks they are saved and don't need to participate in the local body are, I think, in for some sort of trouble along the way to Heaven's proverbial gates. If one has made a profession of faith, and then thinks they need not be a part of a local body, I would have serious misgivings concerning that person's profession or their understanding of what it means to be a Christian. At the same time, the answer is what I might call a partial 'yes' in that being a part of a local church does not automatically insure one's salvation, any more than my going into and sitting down on my garage's floor makes me a car. Attending all that the local church has to offer is not equated with salvation. God isn't sitting around checking off our attendance, or how many of our local church's weekly activities we've taken advantage of. This is not about earning our way into heaven via good church attendance. It's completely a heart issue. Do we not realize that we need one another because God has saved us to be His people, not just His person. I've essentially answered the last two questions in this one paragraph. I've met people who say, "I love Jesus, I just don't like the Church", and think that excuses them from participating in the local body. I've met some who say, "I don't need the local church, the leaders are corrupt, ect., ect., yada, yada, yada", and they think that God is looking down on them with a smile, thinking, "well done, good and faithful servant." Hmmmmmm. Don't think so. For one thing, we are interdependent upon one another. To withhold yourself from participating is tantamount to withholding who you are from God. It is hubris, plain and simple. It is ignorance of who God truly is, what He has saved you for. If you have found your local church's elders and/or pastor "corrupt" or not right, have you prayed about whether or not God is calling you to leave? If you have concluded that is so, humbly go about finding a new body of believers to call "home". There is no excuse for the believer who is disassociated from any and all churches. That person either deceived, and is not a believer, or they are ignorant of Scripture.

An Episcopal priest at the church where I first started doing full time youth ministry once said to me, "people don't believe in the devil, they should come work in the church." The Church is not an easy place to "live", let alone work. The moment you think you've found the "perfect" church, it will cease to be as soon as you join. And yet, the Church is the bride of Christ, too. When Paul tells men and women to submit to one another, wives submit to your husband, Paul also tells husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the Church - that is, be willing to live in such a way as you would be willing to die for your wife. Paul makes this important illustration based on God's fervant devotion to and love for the Church. If this is the heart of God, then we as those saved by God's love must understand that we are to be a part of the local church in order to understand God, and live out of His grace. It is being a part of the body that the Holy Spirit, in part, uses to transform us more and more into the image of the Son. It is joyful obedience to be a part of the Church, even when it's tough. But it is our calling.

Thoughts? Let me know...

what does it mean to be 'The Body of Christ'?

I've been a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ in the making, for over twenty years. Over that time, I've met more people than I can count, some who are fellow disciples, as well as many who would never identify themselves with Christianity. A good number have had some interesting things to say about both the Church, and the body of Christ.

Here are some questions to consider:

1) How would you define 'the Church'?

2) Would you use a different definition for 'the Body of Christ'? If so, why?

3) Why do Christians need the Church?

4) Can a person be a Christian, that is, be saved in the name of Jesus Christ, apart from being a part of the Church?

5) Need one regularly attend and participate in the life of a church in order to truly be saved? Why? Why not?

If you have any thoughts or opinions on these matters, please consider taking some time to thoughtfully respond. I have my thoughts, and in time, I'll share what I think the theologically correct answer is. It could be that you will share it before I get the chance. But don't worry, I'll chime in my six cents! All to the glory of the Triune God!!!

My Short-Term Missionary Prayers

The following are prayers are a result of our church's recent short-term mission to North Dakota. I wrote them down as the final part of team's daily morning devotions, as a response to corresponding scriptures for each day, and as a response to what I found in my heart as a result of reading and praying to prepare for each day. They are neither profound nor eloquent, but I felt moved to post them, to share them as a benefit to any who might be moved to pray more, as well as encourage all who were a part of the team or supported its purpose.


July 9, 2005

corresponding scripture: Isaiah 42:1-3

Holy God, Heavenly Father, You know my struggles and fears, and You know my desires and hopes for this mission. Help me to not be fearful. Rather, increase my faith and trust in You. Over the many twenty years I have known You, and the several years You have led me and this team out here, You have shown, You have proven Yourself worthy of faith and trust. Help me this day, by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, to remember who You are, and who I am in You. Give me the courage to do what is before me - give me the strength in Christ to do all things. All this I pray in Jesus' name - Amen.

July 11, 2005

corresponding scripture: Isaiah 55:1-13

Heavenly Father, I would focus on You this day, and not my worries, thoughts, or fears. Forgive me, Father, for allowing them to dominate my heart. Instead, I pray, please fill my heart with Your peace, and help me to look to You for my sufficiency and strength. Let me be filled with Your joy and Your love. I do praise You for this day, and I thank You for another day of life. Be my God; help me to be Your son. In Jesus' name.
Amen.

July 12, 2005

corresponding scripture: Isaiah 60:1-22

Heavenly Father, I give You thanks for the many people who were used by You to draw me into Your kingdom and grow me in faith. I thank you for Patrick Young, Pete and Dorothy Berner, John Gleichman, Lawn Dixon, Al and Barb Condit, Norm and Melissa Jones, Fr. Dan Sullivan, Jim and Dale Cirillo, and Ben and Amy Sheldon. I also thank You for the students I've been able to be light for... students at Good Sam, children on Standing Rock, students from Ascension, and students from Narberth Presby. I also lift up to You [my kids], and pray that You would help me bear Your light to them. Help me to both receive from and give Your light to my dearest Sarah, and I ask You to bless my family this day, as we are apart from one another. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

July 13, 2005

corresponding scripture: Isaiah 61:1-3

Heavenly Father, I thank You for another day of life, and thank You for Your patience with me. Today, I know I struggle with a selfish, self-focused spirit - I want a 'break' from what we're here to do - I want a 'day off.' Forgive me for "needing" to be encouraged, for being less than passionate and excited for this day. Yet, I am hopeful for what today can and will be. I know that what You've called me to do is first anchored in who You've called me to be - that You called me to be Your son. Help me to live out of that place of being, out of that knowledge. Help my confidence to be rooted in You, and the transforming power that is at work in me. It is great joy to see our team work so well this year. It is joy to know that we are seeking to be faithful to You. May our desires and effort bring You glory. I praise You and give You thanks - In Jesus' name. Amen.

July 14, 2005

corresponding scripture: Isaiah 66:1-24

Heavenly Father, Gracious God, You have brought me to this day, and I give You thanks for another day of life. Please help me to be a good, godly, and loving team leader. Please help the team to keep its focus and know who it is in You. Lord God, help us to boldly proclaim Your glory among the nations. Contiue to jazz us up with excitement over who You are. I praise You and give You thanks -In Jesus' name. Amen.

July 15, 2005

corresponding scripture: John 1:1-5 and Matthew 16:13-20

Heavenly Father, I thank You for another day of the journey; another day of experiencing and knowing Your faithfulness. As we come toward the end of this mission, help me to refocus with the rest of my journey in mind. Continue to grow me in love, hope, grace, and trust, that I may be more like You. May Your Holy Spirit grow me, and continue to transform me, even this day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

July 16, 2005

corresponding scripture: Ephesians 2:11-22

Heavenly Father, grant me this day the opportunity to enjoy my time with these students. Help me to find new things to appreciate about them. Help them to know that I love them and like them. May we leave this mission field with our eyes open to the fields before us. Help us to love each other, and be the Church. Grant us an understanding of Your kingdom, that we may be one through Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Last Thoughts About the Mission

This mission to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota does not happen in a vacuum. First, it is predicated on God's call to us to be His people, and to share His message of reconciliation with the world through Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Second, it is predicated on those afore mentioned relationships, as well as relationships between those of us at Narberth Presbyterian, and the many Christians serving Christ on Standing Rock, not the least of whom are the Revs. John and Sloane Floberg. Third, it is predicated on our relationships with one another, whether they be youth ministers, youth, congregation, supporters. Our relationships are somehow mysteriously connected to God through His Holy Spirit.

I know, this is a mouthful, and I'm very verbose. But all of this is to say that this mission trip isn't about "us" going to "them" with all the solutions to "their" woes. It's about relationships (as spelled out above, and then some) that are rooted in the Triune God's love and grace for us, between us, and from us. I'm excited to have been a part of this mission in some form or fashion for over 14 years. Praise God. I hope these prayers are insightful into how God has worked not only in my own life, but in the life of the 2005 Standing Rock mission team. Thanks be to God!!!

North Dakota

I've just realized that it's been a month since my last entry; not good for someone who wants to be a regular contributor to the internet hearths and kitchen table discussions. But all of that aside, it's been a busy time. Last month saw me shifting into high speed preparations for and then leading our church's annual mission trip to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota.

Here it is, almost the end of July, and I'm wondering where the time went. Our church put on it's Vacation Bible Club (VBC) in the last week of June. My family got together with relatives twice during the July 4th holiday weekend. Our mission team celebrated our prep to go with our family and team supper. And then we left, Friday, July 8.

That was almost two weeks ago, and it's hard to believe that this year's mission to North Dakota is finished and in the history books. During our time in ND, our team of nineteen strong, plus four college students who were working for the church out on the reservation, split our team into a VBC team and a youth ministry team - two missions within one - which did their ministry programming simultaneously. Praise God that people responded to our heartfelt requests for many prayers for everything, from the mundane, such as good weather, to the explicit, for the Lord to use our team to either bring kids to Him, or grow them in Him. It was very exciting to watch everyone in our team with something to contribute, and to watch time and time again people stepping up and doing more than was asked of them.

I hope to have a number of posts here, all prayers of mine, from most days of the mission. All in all I can only give thanks to the Lord, who called us to go to Standing Rock for the ninth year in a row, and provided all that we needed to make children and youth to feel welcome and loved by Christ Jesus. Please check back and see what I've posted in prayer!

what's the difference between the church and a para-church?

I'm looking for your input, if you're out there. Here's the question on my mind: 'what's the difference between the church and a para-church?' This is an ongoing question between myself and other fellow youth ministers (in my Philly suburb context), and I'm wondering what you think about it. Before you answer, I want you to think about it. This is not a question to answer off the cuff, from the hip, or from any other part your anatomy until you've prayed about it, and looked over scripture. But I want to know what you think. It is important to think about the answer. Consider the implications. Consider the broader picture of scripture than just one verse (that you're probably proof-texting). Answer it, and then reply to me. I'm interested in what you have to say. The Church is important. It's important that we understand what it is, what it isn't, and why God loves it so. I look forward to your reply.

We Said, 'Hello'. We Said, 'Goodbye'

Okay, strange title. What I'm putting down here reminds me of the mid-80s when Phil Collins started on his solo career, and put out this album (yes, vinyl or cassette - no Cds). The reason it comes to mind is that last night (Sunday, June 5, 2005), the high school Upper Room youth group gathered at my place for the 'Senior Salute'. This is our annual party, as you might imagine, to celebrate our graduating high school seniors. The underclass students contribute to the meal, bringing side dishes, salads, and desserts. Most dressed up for the specialness of the occassion. We ate chips and salsa, dipped into the vege tray, and drank a lot of soda (yes, not pop, soda) - it was so hot! Then we gathered in my backyard, and I introduced the evening's main event, talking about the seniors and giving them something of a care package (a gift bag filled with stuff that might come in handy in college, as well as some fun stuff). What college freshman doesn't like microwave popcorn? After I got my say concerning each freshman, I opened up the proverbial floor to everyone else so they could share their favorite thoughts and memories concerning our graduating seniors.

It was a good night. Good stories. Good laughter. We ended with a circle of prayer, where any who wanted could lift up in prayer each of seniors. Yes, it was good.

But I have to say, for me, it's totally bitter/sweet. I really don't like goodbyes. Hey, they're a reality. But I don't like them. Of the five seniors we celebrated last night, two had been in our youth ministry since they were in 6th grade - for the mathematically challenged, that means they were with me for seven years. One didn't really start participating until she was in high school. Our one guy didn't choose to come out until he was a junior. And our last girl is a German exchange student who showed up with her host 'sister' (herself a sophomore) when we had our Fall Kick-off last September. Their time in our ministry runs the gamut, but for each of them, I feel a sense of 'hello/goodbye'. I feel like each of them just joined us, and now, all of the sudden, they're gone. Our exchange student alluded to the sense that she would never see us again after she graduated, and went back to Germany. However, during our prayer time, one of my youth leaders reminded us all that even if we don't get to see each other in this life, we do have heaven to look forward to.

Morbid? Not at all. It may be 'hello/goodbye' for now, but for us as Christians, we don't ever need to really say 'goodbye' but instead, until we meet again. I will probably get to see most of these graduates again, at least for a couple of years, but as they graduate from college, get jobs (probably away from the Philly area), get married, etc., etc., the opportunity to see them will become less and less frequent. It is the bitter/sweet dynamic of my job, my labor. But it's worth it. My work is helping these students come to, know, and grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ - a relationship that has both personal, and community dynamics. It's exciting. It's worth the 'hello/goodbye'. I will miss these seniors. I love them. And I pray that they will grow in faith and surpass me in a lifetime of service to our Lord Jesus. I can't wait to catch up with them in the future!

An Authentic Faith

So my last entry may have been too hard-edged for some, but let's face it, trust within the community of faith is often measured and calculated. Why? Because we fear - fear of rejection, fear of failure, and probably fear of many things some of us can't imagine. Hey - honestly, I share in some of those fears. So what's the answer?

John tells us that we should "love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God," and, "God is love" (1 John 4:7, 16b, NIV). Now, there's a whole lot more there to get into and read, but John's words establish for us as believers, disciples, and followers of Jesus, the Son of God, that our community of faith [in Jesus] should first and foremost be a living testimony, really, a living manifestation of God's love. You might wonder how. Remember, John is no slacker. When John is writing this stuff, he must be drawing on his gospel, where, in the third chapter, he records for his readers Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus. In the context of that conversation, Jesus explains to Nicodemus that salvation is the fruit of being born anew by the Spirit [of God]. John is connecting his words about love and being born of God and knowing God to those earlier words of Jesus. Here's my attempt at some syllogistic logic: God is love. Christians have been born of God and know God. Therefore, Christians have God's love within them.

If this is so, many churches (gathered bodies of believing Christians) are sitting on an untapped motherload of "gold." Another way to look at it is that we are relying on hamsters on their little tread mills for power when all we have to do is plug into the local power company. No wonder the trust and love levels of so many churches seems so anemic.

I think the solution, the healing, is as easy as remembering who we are and whose we are. John has a lot to say throughout that fourth chapter, but I want to focus on three points he makes:

1) "We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit" (1 John 4:13).

2) "But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment" (1 John 4:18b).

3) "We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

If we will remember who we are, the forgiven people of grace, the adopted children of God, then we can rest in our God-given love, and not be so fearful that we fall into comparing or judging other believer's spiritual ups and downs. If we will remember whose we are, God's, then we will realize that we have access to a love that is both limitless and eternal, because that love is God, and He lives within us. It's as simple as John says, "We [can] love because [God] first loved us."

It's not rocket science, and yet many Christians (including myself at times) look at God's love as if it were Einstein's theory of relativity - we recognize it, but we're not quite sure how it works.

When we give in to this God who loves us so powerfully, so scandalously, so completely, we can be authentic. That's the kind of person, the kind of Christian you and I can trust. That's the kind of Christian I want to be. That's the kind of Christian I'm seeking to be. With God's help. The cool thing is that we don't have to just imagine what that kind of church, that kind of community of faith would be like. We can be that church. Really, we are that church; we just don't realize it.

Let's pray for our churches, our congregations, our pastors, elders, and deacons, our families, our marrieds, our singles, our children, that all would see themselves authentically in Christ, and therefore, look upon one another with that perfect love that drives out all fear [and breeds trust and authenticity] to the glory of God!

"I don't trust you"

I'm going to cut to the chase here. It's summed up in the observation that people who call themselves Christians, those who make up the Church, often live lifestyles that don't seem all that different from those who don't follow that faith. If we are the people of God who are sharing an incredible message of hope and love from God to a world that is desperately looking for purpose, meaning, and a future, than why aren't people flocking to our doors?

I'd like to offer some of my own observations as to why this is.

For one thing, as noted in his recent book, The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience, Ron Sider submits that when you boil down "accepting" Jesus to responding correctly to a few propositional statements that ask for no committment, don't emphasize a change in heart and doesn't call each professing believer to a life of discipleship, then it's no wonder that we see a "Church" today that resembles it's family tree in little more than name only.

A second point that we might examine is a fact that because we generally view and/or act like the Church is little more than a voluntary organization, not only are we not committing ourselves to Christ Jesus, we are withholding our very selves from the very essence of conversion, that is, transformation.

And a third point, that builds on this last one, is that without discipleship, without transformation, we don't learn what it means to love God by loving others, and we don't let others love us. Hence, we end up not learning to trust each other.

These points are all related, one to the other. If my "faith" is based on responding to what essenially amounts to a survey ("do you believe...you fill in the blank"), and it doesn't seem to be all that different from the health club I just tossed out some cash for, and I might end up looking around and wondering what's supposed to be happening to me? And if it's so easy to join a Church by answering a few propositional questions, and there's nothing particularly expected of me accept show up once a week (but don't worry, you'll only get an occasional phone call to check up on you), then it seems it's actually easier than joining that health club. Honestly, I'm not so sure I see any difference in the lives of many so-called other believers. And if I don't see any difference between the people next to me, if I don't see their lives beyond the one hour I show up on Sunday mornings, then how can I trust them when I struggle with the pressures and temptations of life?

Admittedly, this is harsh. I'm not trying to point the finger at anyone, person or church. My point is that if I'm going to be honest, I think one big reason why the Church in the U.S. of A. is in trouble - and it is - it's because we don't trust each other, nor do we trust God. Let me be honest on a personal note, (oh, this is going to hurt someone's feelings) I don't think I trust the majority of people I gather with for worship on Sundays. Why? Some of it is probably my own issue(s). At the same time, I often get the feeling that a lot of the people that come for services are Sunday Christians. They come for the service, do their obligation, their duty, and out they go to live life on their own terms Monday morning through Saturday night. What do you think?

If I am wrong, then why do most of our churches have people who struggle with both personal discipleship and understanding what it means to be part of the church? I would loved to be proven wrong here. Okay, okay. I'm not trying to pick a fight. What we have here is Jesus' 'wheat and tares.' But those of us who are struggling disciples have to live differently. We need to be real. We need to show ourselves as trustworthy to those who aren't real or aren't sure.

In a [Church] culture that struggles to be faithful to a biblical witness, it's difficult to find love when people are struggling with life's challenges and temptations. How can we, beyond truly having faith that they have honest-to-God given their hearts to God? How can we when we hear the merciless gossip, the comments about certain people, the way people are treated when they're down?

Trust is a big issue for us as American Christians. And I'm not sure it's there. What do you think?

a Darth Vader theology

Last night I went and saw Star Wars, Episode 3, ‘The Revenge of the Sith’ with several of my closest friends. You have to understand something at the outset… ever since I first saw the first Star Wars 28 years ago, I’ve wanted to know, really to see, how Darth Vader came to be the way he is. I definitely enjoyed this movie a lot. It was the best of the first three movies, and certainly near the top of the entire story line. But it gave a strong lesson in depravity and the sinful nature that was rather life like.

Now, stay with me here. You may not be a Star Wars fan, but there’s an honest to goodness point in all of this. Don’t be put off my the packaging of it. Episode 3 plays well as movies go, because I think Anakin is a real character. We can identify with his basic nature and struggles. Now, here’s an early disclaimer: I’m not endorsing the new age, eastern pantheistic monism that is the impersonal ‘Force.’ What I’m trying to get at, is that outside of the special effects, Anakin’s character shows a good representation of how we as people make decisions and react or respond to opportunities and challenges based on where our heart is at any given moment.
Let’s call it a Darth Vader Theology. Okay, get over the label.

A Darth Vader theology is simply this: very few us is so flatly, one dimensional evil in who we are as day-to-day people. But many of us realize we all have honest hopes, more honest fears, and we want a good life for ourselves and those whom we love and cherish. And were willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that we get what we think we deserve, what we want, or protect whom we love, no matter the cost. That is the basic premise of Anakin Skywalker. And that’s the rub. Instead of trusting in his Jedi credo and friends, including Padme, his secret wife (Jedi can’t get married, you know), Anakin gives more attention to his anxieties, fears, and worries, taking the advice and direction of the Senate Chancellor, who is rather shady.

To make it worst, Anakin listens and gives the Chancellor credence over and above what his friends tell him, even after the Chancellor reveals his true identity as the ultimate bad guy, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, the villain the Jedi have been trying to find and bring to justice. One might be tempted to think, this is just a movie. And you’d be right, but like I said, there’s something here for us to learn from.

In Romans 7:7ff, the Apostle Paul is writing about struggles with sin, and why we do struggle so with it. It is perhaps the greatest tongue twister in all of the New Testament, maybe even in all of Scripture. It could probably be summed up by this: “Why do I do what I don’t want to do? Because deep down inside, I really want to do it.” Paul is not so much stating that we are all repressed bad guys, as much as he’s stating the not-always obvious point that our very nature, our human nature, is corrupt and incapable of choosing for God left to our own devices and understanding. This is total depravity. Paul’s point is well taken, when he makes a simple but profound statement regarding our state of hopelessness—that we are helpless and hopeless to change and be saved without the salvation given to us through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul is speaking to our core struggle with sin. We cannot not sin, on our own. We don’t have it within us to hold off sin in our lives. Ah, but with Jesus, we have the means to not only resist sin, but we can now choose not to sin. We may be transformed to be who God originally created us to be!
This Darth Vader theology looks at what is in the heart of a person that they would end up making bad decisions, or, as in Anakin’s case, turn to the Dark Side. Paul helps us understand that what’s in Anakin’s heart is in our hearts, too. Paul helps us understand that anytime we would choose to do good, sin is right there, waiting to lure us toward the bad.

The Darth Vader theology helps us understand that much of the time, at least at the beginning, we don’t necessarily make bad, sinful choices because we want to be evil and rule the galaxy (or at least the world). We often make bad choices because we have good intentions, and we think we understand the situation completely, while we really end up ignoring the true implications of our decisions. We are helped in understanding Anakin’s anxiety in Episode 3, because he has a vision that his wife will die in child birth, and he becomes consumed with finding some way, some power to keep that vision from becoming reality. In Anakin’s case, it was the loss of his mother (see Episode 2 for more info), coupled with fear of losing his wife that drove him to seek complete control, trying to stave off even death. For Anakin, deep belief in his fears and the consuming thought of how to control life so as to defeat the things that he feared were enough for him to throw everything he had previously valued away, including his wife. The implications? Sadly, it was Anakin’s turning to the Dark Side, and betraying what he had once held as good and right, hunting down his Jedi friends, and even turning on his wife that ended up fulfilling his vision of his wife's dying.

A Darth Vader theology reminds us that we do not have it within us to understand all things that happen in life, and to try to solve or react to them in our wisdom and understanding is pure folly. Our sinful nature will always guide us down the wrong path. It will always lead us astray. Who can save us from ourselves? Paul reminds us at the end of Romans 7 that, praise be to God, only Jesus Christ can save us from this body of death. Few of us need fear falling to the Dark Side because of one choice, but Anakin’s story reminds us that it’s rarely ever one choice, but the litany of choices we make that will lead us to good or to bad. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul reminds us that we should not be self-deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. If we sow to the sinful nature, we will reap sin. If we sow to the Spirit of God, we will reap eternal life (Galatians 6:6-8). Apart from Christ, we have no hope of a life that holds good eternal consequences for us. Should we choose to live for ourselves, even for the best of reasons, we will choose poorly. We cannot allow the powers of fear and selfishness to manipulate us. Instead, we must turn to Jesus Christ and trust in Him, the goodness of God, that He is bigger than everything we fear will end up having no eternal quality for us, even in the now. And that’s what I got from watching Star Wars.

why doctrine is important

with the election of the new Pope, Benedict XVI, we've heard of the jubilation of some (he will continue the theological direction of John Paul II), and we've heard disappointment (he's too conservative - the Church needs to get in line with the world). it's really interesting to me how many people, how many Christians, don't understand the importance of doctrine, and just dismiss it as if it were the source of all the Church's (and the world's) problems. surely some of the world's problems can be traced back to doctrine, or is it really a misunderstanding of, or manipulation of true doctrine?

I would submit to you that doctrine is not only necessary, but it's critical to the life of the Christian faith. Doctrine forms for us the very core of what it means to be a Christian, and believe the Christian faith is true. Unconvinced?

The following are just a few core doctrines that are what we can call within orthodoxy. Belief in One God. Belief that our One God is mysteriously made up of Three persons (we know God as the Trinity). Belief that Jesus is the Son of God, begotten of the Father, not made. Belief that the Holy Spirit is the love that connects the Father and the Son, who dwells in us, transforming us for the purposes, the glory of God. Belief that one day Jesus will return, and there will be a day of judgment. Belief in the resurrection of the body. Belief in the forgiveness of sins for all who recognize their own sinfullness, and call out for the grace of God in Christ Jesus. Belief that Jesus ordained the Church, and that on some mysterious level, we are one body of believers, both locally and worldwide, and that, again mysteriously, our salvation is a communal act and process as much as a personal one.

For a better, shorter, and more articulate understanding of core Christian beliefs (or doctrines), just check out the Apostles' and the Nicene Creeds. They are the earliest, best known statements of faith concerning Christianity on the part of thoughtful Christians from the earlier years of the Church's existence.

But here's the proverbial rub, in and of itself, even the best doctrine is useless if it's not lived out. Hence we have much of the Church's problems at different times over its history. It's fair to say that many of the complaints that are leveled at the Church by various people have at least some merit. As humans, even Christians struggle with their own humanity, their own sinful nature. And, as Jesus' parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-30) tells us, there are men and women in the Church who are not believers. From that parable, and certainly from various points in Church history, one can conclude that there have been men and women who attained positions of authority, who were neither called nor qualified, but who were able to use their office for their own personal gain, or worse, to reign at the expense of the people whom they should have been serving. We certainly know that the religious wars between Catholics and Protestants during the 16th century turned the hearts and minds of many people away from the Church to the point of where the Enlightenment sought to get away from thoughtful doctrine, and produced the idol of the 'clock-maker God' and natural theology.

But all of that's to say, throwing the baby out with the bath water is never a good solution. In point of fact, we struggle today against the secularist mindset that is the natural progression of that original Enlightenment mindset. Again, however, too many Christians fall into the trap of playing on a field that our faith isn't necessarily called to be, so we get caught up in arguments science, when we should be living the faith we so earnestly talk about.

When "used" properly, doctrine is the schematic for Christians. It gives us depth beyond the old Sunday School answer. It shows us to be thinking people. Doctrine can give us confidence to live what we believe. It equips us to be the people God created us to be. But when we treat it as mere Bible trivia, or worse, we put ourselves in an indefensible position, turning into uneducated fundamentalists whose mantra is 'the Bible says it; I believe it; that settles it.'

Let's joyfully embrace the orthodox doctrines of our faith, living out what we think and say, so that all people can see, whether they want to agree with our doctrine or not, they cannot find fault with who they find us to be in Jesus Christ.

when are problems with education a justice issue?

what does a blog on theology have to do with problems in education, and what do they have to do with issues of justice? a lot, I think. here's my dilemma... I've been serving on this committee at a local public middle school for the last three years to help re-envision how the middle school delivers education to its constituents. this last year I've been serving on a sub-committee to do with special education. this sub-committee, made up of myself, another parent, at least two regular ed teachers, a reading specialist, and three special ed teachers has worked their butts off over this last school year. our responsibility came down to presenting a report, as part of the greater committee, to the school board a couple of weeks ago. before I get into that, I want to say that I have no background or experience in special education, but I do have a passion for middle school students. what I learned as part of this sub-committee has blown me away - that is, this middle school's delivery of special education, and its ability to help kids who are just on the cusp of falling behind is so bassackwards it's scary. for the record, when our report was made, the school board agreed with our assessment that there was a problem, but there was no money to make any changes. UGH.

my question to you is, do you think that if this school board and the administration of this middle school know that their special education department is swamped and short-handed, and that there are several dozen students who are falling through the cracks because of the disorganization of the school, that this is a justice issue? are these students being treated in a truly unjust manner? are they victims of somebody else's political issues, whether on the school board or in the administration? what does God have to say to this situation? while this may not be a "spiritual" issue, is it not in the best interests of the christians to stand up for what's important, necessary, or just darn good for the students who are in need? is it okay to push a kid through secondary education knowing that by the time he or she graduates they'll be qualified to flip burgers or pump gas? yes, the world needs ditch diggers, but are we guilty of narrowing the options for these kids if we knowingly allow them to go through a school that is preventing them from having the same options for life as the student who is getting straight 'A's?

what do you think?

the Pope

has it been oversaid? this pope was a great guy. I liked him so much, I could have almost become roman catholic. But all of that aside, he was a wonderful Christian. He truly sought to live out his faith with great joy and obedience to Christ. He understood the seamless life between right thinking about your faith, and right living of your faith out in all areas. He was against facism, communism, poverty, but loved everyone, regardless of which side of the "issue" they fell on. I wish more Christians were like him. I would like my faith to influence me as deeply as his led him onward to Christ Jesus. Can you imagine what the Church would be like if everyone, protestant, pentecostal, and catholic, actually sought to live as faithful a life as John Paul II did? Hmmmmmm...

my heart - my Savior

try hard
try
trying and trying harder
my heart
a waste land left to itself
Your love, my Savior
no need to try
just need to be
but I resist
try is all I know
but what is it?
what do I need to prove?

Your grace
reaching deep down deep
transforming
changing
me
yet I want to try
Your grace
reaching deeper down deeper still
deeper
don't recognize myself that deep
Your grace
reaches me
loving me
the unfathomable love
my Savior

I AM
You say
Your call
to me
not to try
not to do
I AM
echoes, echoes
my heart recognizing
my mind screaming joy
not to try
not to do
just be
I AM
just be
now I just am

getting beyond the "liberal" and "conservative" labels

Okay, this is a long entry, but I think it's worth it...

I'm in the best place and the worst place for a guy who follows Christ to be. What's that place? Well, I describe it like this... I'm constantly thinking about and through what I believe, trying [with God's help] to bring all that I am into conformity to the biblical witness. That is, I want my faith to be consistent with Scripture. Here's the rub. It's hard.

One of the most ironic dynamics to come out of the Church [and culture, for that matter] in the modern age was taking the use of labels to a new high. The modern age didn't invent labels. They're probably as old as prostitution. But it seemingly perfected them. I mean, in fact, the use of such terms as "liberal" and "conservative". I believe it was men such as Hobbes and Locke who really got them going in the political jingo of their times. "Liberal" was good - represented a thinking person who was not going to be kept under the boot of the "conservative" - bad, and often representative of either the status quo, if not monarchy outright. Today, in the good ole U.S. of A., the terms have both narrowed and broadened. They have become derisive and polemical. Ironically, each side is proud to wear the label each owns, and is equally proud not be of the other, all of this inspite of the polemics involved.

Unfortunately, somewhere in the 19th century, it seems these labels started making their way into the Church, at least the Protestant wing. "Liberal" meant anyone who sought to examine the depths of the biblical witness to the point of what was popularly known as demythologizing the Bible, so as to find the so-called "historical Jesus." "Conservative" on the other hand came to be known as the defender of the authoratative witness of Scripture. Early on in the 20th century, as "liberals" began to dominate the old, main line denominations, "conservatives" reacted and responded in various ways, much of which might be described as the "fundamentalist" movement, which came up with a spiritual litmus test of sorts to determine who was a Christian and who was a liberal. Answering yes to a variety of questions such as believing in the virgin birth of Jesus, and believing that Scripture is inerrant and inspired meant that you were a true believer. Answering no meant that you were one of them, a liberal, and of questionable spirituality. Sadly, "liberals" because of their fear of bible as myth, they reduced Christianity to what came to be known as the social gospel - Jesus as the good, moral example who reached out and helped people. Even more sadly, "conservatives/fundamentalists" reacted by seeing the social gospel as suspect, a watering down of the Truth, and merely concentrated their interpretation of the bible as mere assent to the propositions of truth and a number of external behaviors toward a unified conformity. Ironically, both sides were rooted in the modernist problem of thinking that as people, we could understand the mysteries of the universe [and of God], and that which we could not understand, or scientifically explain, was just myth. True Christianity was reduced to either social outreach or propositional truth. You either agreed with it, or you rejected it. There was no room in the middle for the tension of mystery.

Today, the Church still bandies such labels around. Here's my problem. I'm tired of the labels, "liberal" and "conservative". I think they are misleading and lead us away from the point of our faith engaging the world. I wish we would just do away with them. But here's the otherside of my problem. I still believe in labels, of sorts. My labels have to do with inside the Church. You're either a "believer" or a "follower" of Christ, or you're a "heretic." I want to get away from labels. But I can't. I think moving to this new set of labels is at least more honest. I know a lot of "conservatives" who think "liberals" are really just "heretics."

What I don't understand is why we just don't come out and say what we think. I mean really. There are people in the Church who struggle to believe all of the stuff about miracles. Does that put them outside of Christian fellowship? I guess if they can't accept the ultimate miracle, that Jesus was the God incarnate, and was crucified, died, buried, and raised from the dead by the power of God, there's a rub. If any church is teaching that you can be a "Christian" and not believe in that, well, shame on you. But can we not teach that God is bigger than our doubts or our confusion for that matter? We have to get over the hang ups of forcing people to not wrestle with their confusion or get over their doubts and just believe. Jesus didn't beat Thomas upside the head and call him, "liberal" because Thomas said he wouldn't believe Jesus had really been resurrected unless he saw the wounds for himself and touched them with his own hands. Jesus just showed up and called him on it. Okay, you say, Jesus isn't just going to materialize in our churches on Sundays and challenge the unbelieving among us to raise their hands and reach out and touch Him. But maybe, for those of us who are "believers" and "followers", we should concentrate on being the body, carrying those wounds on ourselves, showing to everyone within and outside of the Church that Christ did die, and was raised to new life through the power of God.

I guess the labels are helpful. They certainly help us demarcate politics and religion. They help us assign positions to people. They help us know who's "in" and who's "out." I'm being sarcastic, at least about their ultimately being helpful. In the end, labels take our focus off God, as the center of our faith, and as the center of our life. Labels, whether they be "liberal" or "conservative" end up putting us in an untenable position where we're stuck in the game of comparisons with others. Jesus clearly said this is foolish and ridiculous [see the parable of the tax collector and the pharisee - Luke 18:9-14]. I can always find others who are far more "liberal" than I; by the same token, there's most assuredly someone out there who is more "conservative" that I am, and who could (and proudly would) point the finger at me and decry me as "liberal"!

Reality is, I don't know what I am any more, except to say, I am a "believer" and "follower" of Jesus Christ, as best I can, and with God's help. These are the labels I am most comfortable with wearing; at least trying to fit into.

How about you???

what's your pain?

I'm taking a break from the administrivia that is part of my job. I'm currently experiencing one of the many headaches I get. While the vast majority are not anywhere near migraine level, they tend to be in the least bothersome, and at most painful. They are a distraction, and certainly make it difficult for me to concentrate and focus at times. But I've learned to live them. I've gotten them all of my life. I've prayed for God to take them away. Guess what. He hasn't. But on a couple of occassions, one of my kids has prayed that He would at least heal them in the moment. And He has. Pretty wild. Why am I sharing this with you? Like I said, I needed a break from some admin. But the fact that I have to deal with and live with headaches brings up an interesting question: what does all of this say about who God is? Is He cruel and sadistic? Is He sympathetic? We all experience pain in our lives - it's just the when and where of it that essentially makes us different. What's your pain? What are you praying to God about, asking Him to take away? Has God removed your pain? Has He spoken words of comfort to you in the mean time? Not me. At least not directly. I guess in some way, I know He's not the source of it, nor is He merely sitting back laughing about it. If I truly thought that, I couldn't be who I am. But I do believe He knows about it, and for whatever reasons, my experiencing headaches are, for at least the foreseeable future, are part of His plan for me. Maybe they make me gentler, more compassionate? Then again, maybe not. But whatever His reasons, I believe God is good. All the time. How about you? What's your pain? Do you believe God cares?

What's Wrong With The Church?

This is one of those loaded questions. It's the kind that if I go out to the street and start asking people, I might not like what I hear. Not because I would necessarily disagree with what I would hear - there might actually be some really insightful comments - but because I might agree.

One comment I hear from time to time is this: "The Church is made up of hypocrites!" And you know what? It's true. Everyone who darkens the doorway, everyone who takes up space on a pew, everyone who stands up and sings God's praises - all are hypocrites - including the person who levels the accusation toward the Church while waving their own self-righteous finger from across the street. Yep, we're all hypocrites - including me. And it's not hard to understand why. It just takes some honesty, and some grace - two things which many both inside and outside of the Church often either ignore or forget.

How can I say this?, you might ask; afterall, I work in a church, don't I? Well, yeah, I do, and yeah, I have no problem saying this. Afterall, what is a 'hypocrite' anyhow? Well, I'm not going to run over to my Webster's 2: New Riverside University Dictionary and look up the official definition, but we all know a hypocrite is someone who says one thing, and then does another; they're a person who is inconsistent in the way they believe, live, and talk. And that pretty much describes each and every one of us. That's where the honesty comes in. You and I are hypocrites. How can we not be? No one I know is always, 100% consistent, good or bad. And this is where the grace comes in. We need to forgive each other [hint, hint: as God has already forgiven us in Jesus Christ], and cut each other some slack. We can't keep holding each other's past hypocrisies over one another's heads, waiting for the other to screw up yet again so that we can feel better about ourselves. We need to let God's grace come into us and transform us to be more like Christ Jesus. But here's the caveat: neither should we use grace as an excuse to be even more of a hypocrite than we already are.

Okay, so back to my original question. What's wrong with the Church? We have given ourselves as a Church culture over to hypocrisy, and we don't seem to mind it. Let me just say that what I mean is that we have a lot of people who seem to take for granted that the Church was established by Jesus Christ as new and redeemed community of people who are called to worship the One and True God, and as part of that community, we are to live radical lives that show God is real and at work in our lives. So far no problems. Unfortunately, we have learned to settle for less. And on some level, I put myself in this mix, too. While the pastor is preaching on anything from the Lord's prayer to different aspects of faith, people are merely warming the pews with their bums, lapping up every word from the pulpit, and then walking out, not to darken the door for another seven days. And that leaves me to wonder, "did you hear a blessed thing?"

Okay, so you can sense I'm a little put off by this. I am. But don't confuse my frustration with bitterness. I'm not talking about whacking people over the heads and tossing them out. No, I'm talking about challenging people's understanding of what it means to be the Church. We're called to live beyond ourselves, including the typical Main Line Philadelphia Suburban mindset that is so preoccupied with the Self, high SAT scores for buffy, driving the most expensive luxury car, and making sure biff jr.'s weekly schedule is so over-packed that by the time the best colleges in America accept him, he'll be so burned out that the parties he's been getting drunk at all year won't even be exciting to him anymore. And no, I'm not bitter. How can I be bitter when I know the God of the universe is waiting for His Church to wake up and be that community of redeemed people? But I am frustrated.

So here's at least part of the solution to this problem: take your part in this redeemed community more seriously than your membership at LA Fitness or your child's sports team. Find your small group, where you'll be known and cared for. Find your ministry, where you can exercise your gifts, talents, and abilities for God's glory and the benefit of others. Take your faith and your calling as God's chosen seriously, and stop treating it like something akin to the latest mailer from the local cable monopoly to have three months of reduced cable before it goes back to its ridiculously overpriced cost.

If we, you and me, the Church, could get this part in order, I think we'd shut up a lot of people. And you know what? We might even impress them enough to want to warm the pew next to us. What do you think?

Going without Food

In our [United States] culture today, the idea of going without food is seen as anywhere from worrisome to troubling. The idea that anyone would purposefully and willingly go without food can only be conceived of in the context of some form of medical necessity. God forbid that we, as Americans, would willingly choose to go without a meal. Well, I for one, am generally one of those Americans. After all, my ancestors fought so I would have the freedom to eat three times a day, not to mention snacks here and there. Right?

But what if there were more to life than just eating well each and every day? what if God blessed us with abundance in food so that we would see the hungry of the world with some compassion, and actually be moved to do something for those whose daily diet was far less than our own?

The reason I bring this up is that I have several students and a couple of other adult leaders who are doing something special. As I write this, we're almost four hours into something called the '30 Hour Famine.' Put on by an international aid organization called 'World Vision', the '30 Hour Famine' is a way to both raise money (for projects that will directly benefit children and villages around the 2/3's world) and awareness (yours, mine, and those who give their support of the day-to-day situations faced by so many in the world). We're meeting up with other church youth groups from around the Philly suburbs tonight. We'll worship God together, pray together, talk together, do service projects together, and we'll go hungry together.

I've done this many times, and over the years, I'm always amazed at the reactions of some parents here and there to the idea of their little baby bunnykins missing out on a meal, or the idea that "I could never do that!" But much of that comes from a lack of understanding, both of God, and of going without food for the purposes of God. There are many passages in the Bible where God called people to go without food for a particular period of time, something called 'fasting'. I know some people see that as an Old Testament thing, something Moses and the prophets did. But what do you make of the fact that Jesus did it, too? The best example is from Luke 4, where, filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus headed into the wilderness for the final preparation to the start of His public ministry. Okay, okay, that was for 40 days, and was certainly supernatural. But in the end, I find it an unbiblical and hollow argument to bring God into a discussion against fasting. Even the history of the Christian Church is repleat with teachings and examples of the proper place of fasting in the life of believers. Why, John Wesley is even reported as having said that he wouldn't even ordain a man who wasn't already fasting at least twice a week. Our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters often fast during Lent and other holy observances.

Personally, I wish Protestants did more these days to teach on fasting (as well as other practices of spiritual formation). Fasting, like anything else we do as Christians, isn't going to make us more spiritual. But fasting does do a few things. For one thing, it helps us identify with those who are not as blessed as we are. Secondly, in creating the space for hunger, our hearts and minds are more teachable as to our hunger for God. And third, in the time, and with the money we would have spent on a meal, we can focus that time and the resources for the purposes of God.

Anyhow, as you read this, consider how giving up food can be an opportunity for God to speak to you. Consider how you might experience a different form of freedom that only Christ could fight and die and live again for you to have and know. Consider how going without food for one meal might bring glory to the Heavenly Father.

Testing Your Faith

It's amazing what tests your faith these days. Technology, for instance, is a wonderful and challenging way to test one's faith. And so it is with me. Saturday morning, I received a call on my cell informing me that in the process of regular computer whatnot on my office desktop, my computer "crashed". Now, it's important for everyone to understand, I do not hold the person responsible. First, he's far more computer savvy than I; and second, it was one of his routine check ups, as he's the head of the technology ministry at our church.

But alas and alack, the computer has crashed, and because of someone ongoing spyware or something or other problem, I had not logged off the network for several days. You may or may not understand the severity of my problem. Not only am I not able to work on my computer, the files, documents, and organizing I've done on my desktop over the last week are now threatened with extiction on the same level as the Dodo.

What does this have to do with faith? Good question.

My answer: everything. Why? Because you need to know how I responded - because how I responded (and continue to respond) is something of a direct commentary on my faith in God.

Having been informed Saturday morning, it was far less stressful coming in on Sunday morning, knowing that I was going to have to scrammble. I still had some finishing touches to put on the powerpoint slides for our Preworship. I'll admit it; I was stressed. It was not the way I wanted to start out my Sunday morning.

However, it did make me more attuned for my need for worship. Worship is about focusing on God, giving Him the praise and the glory, of putting my problems in the perspective of eternity. There was part of me that just wanted to sneak upstairs to the Upper Room and crash on a sofa. But those temptations aside, my soul was in need of what only worshipping the One, True God Almighty can offer. My perspective was at least partially restored.

I'm sitting here on a dreary, wet and cold Monday morning, typing on a computer in the church's copy room. Not ideal, one could say. I say, I can't wait for my office computer to get fixed, but until then, Praise the Lord that we have an extra computer that I can jump on until then.

In the mean time, Praise the Lord. For even the testing of one's faith through technological terrors can draw us closer to God. And if that's the result of the testing of our faith, then the test was a success. What do you think?