The Scandal

Out of the Spotlight

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

At times I see stories like this, and I cringe. I've grown so weary of people using the name of Jesus to justify their own greed, their own lust for power, and essentially manipulate others so that they can control them. I'm so tired of it, and I'm so young. I worry about how I feel in the future.

I want to quit, and walk away from it all. Sometimes the sight of a church makes me ill.

But I can't leave. I can't ignore the whispers of the One who made my bones, the One who bled for me before I was born.

He speaks softly to my soul and reminds me of who He is.

Then I remember that true followers of Jesus are hard to find. They don't care about numbers. They don't promise healing in exchange for money. Their hands are often soiled with dirt, blood, sweat, and tears. They don't speak clearly and aren't dressed well. They hide from cameras.

Some of them can't claim one instance of healing. Everyone they care for dies.

Some of them do whatever it takes to stand against evil.

Some have been bruised and battered in the name of racial reconciliation.

The spotlight is usually on those who prefer to bask in their own glory. We would do well to remember that Jesus is usually found in the darkness, in the shadows, in the grime, where we never want to look.

If we want to follow him, we have to leave the warm glow of stage lights and venture into the night. Only there can we see past ourselves and recognize God with us.

Book Review: Based on a True Story by James Choung

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

Based on a True Story is a great little pamphlet that explains the story of the Gospel. But it isn't done in a preachy way, as some tracts are. It told as a narrative, and Choung does a stupendous job of weaving his own personal life and relevant issues into the story.

Choung explains the story of Jesus simply, leaving complex doctrines and "Christianese" behind. He only expounds upon what is important--why Jesus came, and what his death and resurrection means to the world.

Only 27 pages long, this would be a great gift to anyone who has questions about Christianity.

In Case Your Hand Sanitizer Isn't Holy Enough

2012-01-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

Found at www.jesusneedsnewpr.com

Book Review: The Story of God, The Story of Us by Sean Gladding

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Story of God, The Story of Us is a Bible study like you've never encountered. It tells the story of the Bible through the eyes of different people, letting you imagine what it was like to hear God's story rather than read it.

First, we are told the story of the Old Testament by an old man by the rivers of Babylon. He weaves the tale of God's creation and redemption of the nation of Israel, and tells his kinsmen why they are exiled to another country.

Next, we encounter a woman who tells the story of Jesus to a merchant. She passionately explains to him who Jesus was and why he came. Finally, that same merchant reads John's Revelation to Christians struggling to understand their persecution by Rome.

Wonderfully well-written and engaging, this study is like none other you've ever encountered. The characters are real, vulnerable, and deep. They aren't merely vehicles for theology and history. The story is told with great Biblical accuracy, but narrative style isn't lost. This is a great book for those who are familiar with the Bible and those who have never picked it up.

Thinking and Believing

2012-01-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

Thoughts?

Found at www.nakedpastor.com

Book Review: Wrapped In Rain by Charles Martin

2012-01-19T10:25:00.002-06:00

Tucker Mason is an internationally renowned photographer with an eye for beauty, but a past littered with violence and hate haunts him daily. His father was alcoholic, abusive, and neglectful. The only good thing he did for Tucker and his brother Mutt was hire Ella Rain to look after them.

Tucker is content to let the hate for his father simmer, but when Mutt escapes from a mental hospital and an ex-girlfriend shows up with her child and a black eye, events are set into motion that will change all of their lives forever. Tucker is forced to confront the rage that lies beneath everything he does, and the root of Mutt's mental instability are finally revealed.

Charles Martin weaves a tale of love, loss, sacrifice, and prayer in Wrapped In Rain. His characters are well-rounded, never caricatures or stock images of Southern people. He describes the atmosphere of Florida and Alabama perfectly, helping the reader to feel right at home. The plot is creative, but not over the top.

The center of this book is the love of Miss Ella Rain. Her steady determination to help the Mason boys escape their father's fate is admirable and compelling. Martin somehow creates a character that preaches but never sounds preachy. Ella Rain showers love on everyone in her world, through her actions as well as words.

Martin seems to be focusing on the power of love and prayer. If so, he has done a remarkable job, because this story will inspire you to love more fiercely and pray harder than you ever have before.

Book Review: Shaped by the Cross by Ken Gire

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

Shaped by the Cross is Ken Gire's devotional on the sufferings of Jesus. Drawing his inspiration from Michelangelo's sculpture The Pieta, Gire shows the humanity that lay within the divinity Jesus, and why that humanity is so important to us now.

The book is filled with beautiful black and white photos of the Pieta, some of them so entrancing that they will take your breath away. Gire does an exceptional job of making comparisons to the work of a sculptor and the work God does in our lives, chipping away at the stone until he reveals exactly what we were meant to be.

Gire researched Michelangelo, sculpting, and art history in preparation for this book. The results show, as he quotes liberally from biographies of Michelangelo and art critics. He is able to weave history, art, and theology into a personal devotional that will leave the reader with a desire to draw closer to the cross.

At the end of each chapter is a prayer and a list of discussion questions, making this valuable for individuals or groups.

Sunday Music: "SMS(Shine)" by David Crowder Band

2012-01-15T11:08:00.001-06:00

Amen

2012-01-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

Found at www.nakedpastor.com

When the Sun Breaks Through

2012-01-11T07:00:00.001-06:00

The old saying is that when it rains, it pours.

Sometimes the rain won't stop. We wallow in the mud. The cold, wet misery of another day living under grey skies, wondering where the sun went to hide.

Other times it is only a mist, but it still serves to remind us that the warmth of life is hidden by clouds of darkness. We keep our daily routines, going from place to place. When we have a moment we stop and notice that our skin and clothes are damp from precipitation.

Then there are the storms. The lightning flashes, and the thunder rumbles so loud that we can feel it in our gut. The rain falls in torrents, soaking everything we own. The floods come and wash away what we hold dear. Everything is lost.

Everything is lost.

Everything.

But then the stone is rolled away, and light bursts forth. The sun returns, shining warmth and life on everything on Earth. The first glimpses are amazing. The golden rays burn through the clouds, and we remember what it means to be alive. To be whole. To be the way we were meant to be.

Hold on for one more night, because the sun will break through in the morning.

Book Review: Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

Katie Davis had it all. Loving family. Perfect boyfriend. Cute convertible. And to top it all off, she was the homecoming queen, every girl's dream. But entering her senior year of high school, she started to feel a pull towards Uganda. So she took a trip there over Christmas break, soon realizing that she never wanted to leave.

Now Katie has adopted thirteen little girls, teaches at an orphanage, and has started a foundation to help the children of Uganda. All at the tender age of twenty.

Kisses from Katie is the story of her life in Uganda, and it is riveting. Katie tells how she came to live in Africa, complete with entries from her journal. She gives brief stories of the girls she has come to love and who have come to call her "Mommy." Her voice is convicting. Katie relates her mistakes and triumphs, praising God for the good things and bad. She is never afraid to admit when she longs for her home in Nashville, missing the convenience of grocery stores and air conditioning. But she is also quick to point out that she has been blessed beyond her wildest expectations by her life in Uganda.

The book has color photographs, so those children in her stories aren't just stock images in your mind. You get to see their real smiles, which are bright and happy. This is an excellent book, written with an engaging style by a girl who knows what her purpose on earth is. Kisses for Katie is for anyone who wants to learn about what God can do when one person says "Yes."

Sunday Music: Dolorean--The Destruction

2012-01-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Important People

2012-01-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

Found at www.nakedpastor.com

The Experience of War

2012-01-06T07:00:00.002-06:00

In modern war.....you will die like a dog for no good reason.--Ernest Hemmingway

War has long captured the imagination of man. It serves as the backdrop to several of literature's most classic novels, as well as a good percentage of American cinema's most beloved movies. There's something about war that appeals to us, whether it's the nobility of performing one's duty or the self-sacrificing actions that make soldiers heroic.

Not to be left out, video games are taking on war in a much more realistic way. First-person shooters, long one of the bestselling genres in the gaming industry, have moved from blasting aliens with plasma guns on imaginary planets to fighting militant extremists across the world. If that sounds realistic and relevant, you're right. Because that's what sells.

It is well that war is so terrible. We should grow too fond of it.---Robert E. Lee

It started with the Medal of Honor series, which put players in the midst of historical WWII action. In the first game, you stormed the beaches of Normandy. In the second, Rising Sun, you defended Pearl Harbor against a surprise Japanese attack. It's easy to understand how games like this are wildly entertaining. It brings those heavy history textbooks to life.

These games weren't very realistic. There was no blood, and the dead bodies had that traditional video game habit of disappearing. When you add in the fact that these games depicted events that happened forty years before anyone who played them was born, it didn't feel that far from those imaginary alien planets.

War is the symptom, not the disease.---L.M. Heroux

Then along came Call of Duty. Call of Duty (COD) took what Medal of Honor did and perfected it. The game designers were helped by enhanced technology, of course, but they made some significant changes. The arcade-like gameplay of previous first-person shooters was replaced by realistic, gritty action. Dead bodies didn't disappear. Blood sprayed in the air. Cursing became common place because, well, soldiers curse.

The game became immensely popular, and it arguably became the standard for military based first-person shooters. With that popularity came more volumes, and, eventually, the idea to base those games on more modern conflicts. Hence, the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare line. The latest, COD: Modern Warfare 3, is set in New York, Paris, Tokyo, and various other places. There is no mention of Muslim extremists, but the enemies that are attacking are extremists in their own right, bent on restoring the Soviet Union to its former glory. They are essentially terrorists, something that is too familiar.

These games are part of American culture now, as this Time Magazine article shows. The question is: why? What is our fascination with increasingly realistic war game?

Perhaps the answer lies within our consumer culture. Starbucks gets away with selling coffee at incredulous prices because they offer an experience. In a world where we only buy, experiences are at a premium. We want adventure, so we watch movies with large special effect budgets and even larger explosions. We want simplicity and peace, so we like to read books about the Amish. And we especially want to feel like we're a part of something bigger than ourselves, so we devour products based upon the heroism of war.

But years of ease built on the backs of previous generations has created an American society that craves the experience, but lacks the desire to work for them. A community based around local businesses takes time and costs more money. Adventure is expensive, and could cause death. The Amish life seems ideal, but building barns is hard work.

War seems glorious and fun when viewed through a television screen. But no one wants to trek through a furnace of a desert carrying a fifty pound pack, then try to stave off hypothermia during the night. No one wants to hold their fellow soldier, their friend, their brother, as they choke to death on their own blood. These things are so much harder than video games make them seem.

There's a reason that "You shall not kill" is one of the Ten Commandments. Anyone who has held another person at gunpoint will tell you that you're playing God. You get to decide whether that person lives or dies. You usurp God's authority, something no human is qualified to do, nor should desire.

But video games have made us think that killing is neat, tidy, and easy. And that makes us think that war is something just as simple. It always happens far away, in lands so remote that they might as well be other planets. Iraq might as well be Halo, because we only see it happen on flat screen TV's.

We should be careful not to fictionalize reality. There are those who have lived the nightmares that now serve as plots for our entertainment. Real people are dying in the Middle East, and their bodies don't just conveniently disappear. Death in the real world is messy, bloody, and usually tragic.

This isn't to say that entertainment based on war can't be respectful and speak to the issues that are relevant to us today. There are several examples in cinema that have challenged our society and caused us to reflect on what we value, in war and peace.

Is this to say that video games can't do the same? No. But as of yet, they haven't tried. The makers of these games seem afraid to do anything more than glamorize war, and the closer they get to our modern day reality, the more wrong that seems. Perhaps it was wrong all along.

In a society that only wants the next great experience, the line between reality and fiction will continue to blur, and war will only be entertainment.

Memories

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

They overtake you, sometimes unexpectedly. A sound, a scent, or perhaps something held softly in your hand.

Without warning, memories flood over you, washing your heart in warm love or cold tears. Sometimes that warmth spreads quickly, erupting in a smile. Others awaken a familiar ache, a pain that dulls but never leaves.

There is a song called "Precious Memories." The lyrics are written well.

Precious memories, unseen angels, sent from somewhere up above.

Memories are gifts from God, blessings that often escape our gratitude's. Unseen angels. We would forget our mothers, our fathers, and all those who have meant something to us, if not for the angels we call memories.

Not all of them are good. Some teach us. Some still cause us pain like daggers from the past. But they make up who we are. Where we have been. What we have done. Memories are a piece of our soul, given to us by God.

Wake up and smell the snow, feel the cold on your cheek, and let the memories suddenly saturate mind. Know that they aren't just chemical reactions in your brain. They are blessings from above.

Book Review: The Commands of Christ by Tom Blackaby

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

In The Commands of Christ, Tom Blackaby cuts to the heart of the teachings of Jesus. Focusing the book specifically on Jesus's specific commands, Blackaby is able to strip away the dogma that has been heaped on the words of Christ, and examine his teachings with simplicity.

The book is laid out in direct format: Blackaby quotes a verse of scripture in which Jesus issues a command, and then he expounds on what Jesus has said. At the end of each chapter, Blackaby gives a way to apply this command in our modern world.

The book is divided into six sections, each dealing with their own issues. Some of the topics covered are cautions, character, Christ as Lord, and coming to God. Essentially an organized commentary, Blackaby has created an easy reference for reading the words of Jesus.

The First Tebow?

2012-01-01T17:11:00.001-06:00

Funny or weird?

Found at www.jesusneedsnewpr.com

Beached Lego

2011-12-31T07:00:00.000-06:00

Let's hope he found a home.

Sunday Music: King's College Cambridge Choir--"O Come All Ye Faithful"

2011-12-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

Book Review: I Am Second by Doug Bender and Dave Sterrett

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

I Am Second is a collection of stories from people who have learned to put God first and themselves second. If you're familiar with the website's video shorts, then this book won't break any new ground. But if you're looking for a gift for someone who may not be inclined to surf the interweb, then this is the book for you.

The most popular people from the I Am Second videos are here, including Josh Hamilton, Brian "Head" Welch, Bradie James, Bethany Hamilton, and Sam Bradford. There are some resources in the back of the book, such as a short section on how to begin a relationship with God. There is also a complimentary sticker with the I Am Second logo.

The stories are well-written, which is always a concern with books like these. As mentioned before, the stories are pretty much the same as those online, so there's not much new ground to tread here. However, if you're interested in having I Am Second in an easy to give away format and having something physical to hold, this book could be for you.

Sunday Music: Third Day--"What Child Is This?"

2011-12-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

Separation of Church and State?

2011-12-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

Separation of church and state is one of the foundations of our nation, yet we're incensed when prayer is taken out of school. Why do we hold two different views?

Found at www.jesusneedsnewpr.com

Heaven is For Real, Rob Bell, and Pop Christianity

2011-12-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

I should preface this with saying that I am sick of this book. That pus-yellow cover and the photo-shopped picture of little Colton Burpo annoys the crap out of me. So I'm not exactly an impartial critic.

But the reaction to this book is ridiculous. Rob Bell was practically excommunicated because of his book Love Wins, but this theologically unsound work is heralded as biblical. Bell espouses views similar to one of the Church's most respected fathers, Origen. Todd Burpo twists Bible verses to make them fit his distorted view of the afterlife.

I won't get into why this book is biblically inaccurate; there are plenty of other articles that discuss that in way better detail than I ever could. Here are just a couple:

Tim Challies Heaven is for Real Book Review

Concordia Theology Heaven is for Real Book Review

I believe that Heaven is for Real is actually a symptom of something much more pervasive than we realize. Christianity in America has turned into nothing but a feel-good story that soothes our aches and pains, but never really transforms our lives. Our theology has become whatever comforts us, rather than worshipping the Jesus presented in the Bible.

Take, for example, one of the questions from the children's version of Heaven is for Real. Question number eight asks, "Do we really get wings in heaven?" The answer?

"As Colton says, 'You get to choose if you want to walk or fly.' Again, the Bible is silent on this issue. No verse says that our heavenly bodies will or will not have wings. Colton clearly remembers wings, and because he remembers so many other smaller details that align with Scripture, it would be very unusual for him to mistake something as obvious as wings on everyone's backs."

The book states that the Bible doesn't say one way or the other whether we have wings in heaven. But since Colton remembers it, obviously it must be true. The subtle undertone here is that the Bible isn't the final authority, but whatever Colton remembers. This is dangerous mysticism that doesn't have the calming influence of older, experienced Christians. But I've heard no outcry about it. People buy the book again and again. No angry letters, no protests or calls to burn the book.

Where is the outrage? Maybe it's because Rob Bell asked a question that made people feel uncomfortable, and Heaven is for Real makes people feel warm and gushy inside. Rob Bell put a spotlight on some parts of our theology that really don't make sense. Heaven is for Real poured us a glass of red wine and told us everything was lovely.

Heaven is for Real is selling like crazy because it is simple, wholesome, comforting, safe, and predictable. It is everything that Jesus is not.

Christianity is growing exponentially in places like China, North Korea, Vietnam, and underdeveloped countries of Africa. And it is growing despite persecution. In these lands, becoming a Christian isn't about living a better life, or getting to heaven, or converting others to Christianity. No, in these lands, every day might be the day these Christians become martyrs. For them, being a Christian is about trusting Jesus alone, even when the darkness is hunting them like animals.

I'm sure the Burpos are good people who mean well, but they are hurting Christianity more than helping it. Heaven is for Real is fluff, and should be rejected by anyone who follows Jesus.

Book Review: Church History

2011-12-12T08:00:00.001-06:00

I've been on a church history phase as of late, so I thought I'd recommend a few books that have helped me out. The Story of Christianity is a two-volume set by Justo Gonzalez, and I think you'll have a hard time finding a better history of the church. Gonzalez does a great job of analyzing the history of those who made up the church, showing how their ideas have shaped Christianity for the last 2000 years.

Gonzalez has a PhD in historical theology, so he pays special attention to the way influential leaders' theology has affected Christian thought. He also does a great job of telling a complex story in a clear, readable fashion. You won't be disappointed, and you'll be entertained as you learn about Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and many others.

For those looking for something more concise, check out Bruce Shelley's Church History in Plain Language. It gives you a simpler overview of church history, hitting only the highlights of the ecclesiastical story. It may whet your appetite for something deeper, yet it still gives you enough information to be literate when it comes to church history.

Sunday Music: The Franz Family--"Oh Come, Oh Come Emanuel"

2011-12-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

Cactus of Life

2011-12-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

Your Jesus Junk of the day.

www.jesusneedsnewpr.com

From Old to New

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

For since the beginning has been the Word,
and He mourned the fall of man.
To restore man He instituted the law,
but it merely highlighted our failure.
Another way to redeem those with faith
was to give them an act of love and grace.

This free gift, the gift of grace,
was enacted by the Word.
While on the cross He remained in faith
though He was despised by all of man.
He bore the weight of my failure,
And took the punishment of the law.

Through death he canceled out the law
to usher in the era of grace.
He showed that I, though a failure,
can believe in Him, the Word.
He came to rescue all of man,
and redeem those with faith.

As we persevere in faith
and seek to live out the new law,
He creates in us a new man
to be an extension of His grace,
and to point others to the Word
so that they may overcome their failure.

Guilt will highlight every failure
And will try and test our faith.
It will minimize the need for the Word,
and seek to condemn us by the law.
It will show no quarter, show no grace,
and show our wretchedness of being man.

Jesus, like us, lived as a man
and was tested, but without failure.
He lived to show grace; died to give grace.
He wants us to have faith
in Him, and not in that statutes of the law.
For salvation comes not of the law, but of the Word.

Look to grow daily in our faith
and see how He used the law
to point to a new life in the Word.

Lives Torn Apart

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

When Jesus heard this he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. ---Matthew 9:13

The pastor says, "What God has put together, let no man tear apart." Obviously God gives us some freedom, because we tear it apart at an alarming rate. One out of two gets ripped to shreds.

There is something about a kiss, a touch, and holding each other closer than you've held anything. You say the vows, you kiss, and you are no longer individuals. You cease to be yourself. Now you are a couple. Another person is grafted into your soul. Into your heart. You let them in deeper than you have anyone else.

And then it gets torn apart. We don't know how to love, really. We think we do, but it is just another example of our arrogance. We are fortunate if just a little of God's light shines through us every now and then, but we are ignorant when it comes to true love.

Sometimes the circumstances are beyond our control. There are often holes in our hearts too big to overcome. Sometimes those vows never had a chance. Those heart were put together, but it was done carelessly. God have mercy.

When two hearts sewn together are pulled apart, it is a bloody mess. Wreckage is strewn everywhere, and the ripples are felt throughout generations. You learn why the Bible says, "God hates divorce."

God hates divorce because he loves people.

It hurts so much. So badly. But then Jesus.

Jesus comes along and holds out his hand. He shows us why God hates divorce. How? By holding us close and crying with us. It hurts him just as much. His heart is torn to pieces, too. He weeps with us. He mumbles "God have mercy."

He picks us up and carries us along. Carries us through life until that broken heart is strong enough to beat on its own again. Softly whispers in our ear that he is enough.

He is enough.

We carry our mistakes on our hearts like scars, and they will always be there to remind us of times when we weren't good enough. Times we didn't care enough. Times we weren't loved. Times we didn't love.

But Jesus will always be there to remind us that God loves us just as we are, not as we should be.

An Ad from WWII

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

How do you feel about this?

Found at www.jesusneedsnewpr.com

Book Review: In the Land of Believers by Gina Welch

2011-12-05T07:00:00.001-06:00

In the Land of Believers is a memoir of time spent behind Evangelical enemy lines. Gina Welch, a secular atheist, spent time at Jerry Falwell's Thomas Road Baptist Church in an attempt to learn more about Evangelical culture.

While attending Thomas Road, Welch learned what a "hell house" is, joined the Singles ministry, and went on a mission trip to Alaska. She had to learn the language and colloquialisms of Evangelicals, and do her best not to expose her left-leaning views.

What did she find in her time at Thomas Road? That Evangelicals were not the war-mongering, hateful people that she had imagined. She did feel something in worship services, though she wasn't sure it was God.

Especially intriguing is the epilogue, in which Welch chooses to divulge to a few of her friends at Thomas Road that she has been writing a book on infiltrating Evangelical culture. The conversations between them are very interesting, and so is this book.

Sunday Music: Kari Jobe--"O Holy Night"

2011-12-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

Single White Christian Female

2011-12-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

Found at www.jesusneedsnewpr.com

Sweet and Sour

2011-12-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

Honey and Lemons

The difference between sweet and sour.

I have heard honey is sweet and that lemons are sour, so I know what each represents. But I only know that in my mind until I actually have a taste of each to compare the two. And I need to taste each to recognize the difference between the two.

If I only eat lemons all my life, I can think lemons are sweet and not sour because with nothing sweet to compare it to lemons are what I come to want them to be. Slowly my mind can change its' perception of lemons if I want it to. I can tell myself they're sweet because I don't know what sweet really is.

It’s only after tasting something sweet, like honey, that I can see and recognize the stark contrast between the two. Having experienced sweet, I can recognize sour as that which it truly is: sour.

But I would never truly know sweet from sour without having tasted each.

The same is true with God.

Once you have had a taste of what it is to be with God you can know and experience the sweet taste He has to offer. It’s after we taste life with God that we come to know and appreciate His justice, love, and grace.

Having already experienced life without God, we can see the difference between the two lifestyles; the differences in hope. The differences between sweet and sour.

The Right to Love Documentary

2011-12-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

This documentary is coming out in 2012. It looks interesting, and pushes a lot of buttons. But that's something we need. We've all become holed up in our own ideologies and refuse to listen to anything else.

Thoughts?

Winter's Gate

2011-11-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

You can hear Old Man Winter's footsteps in the distance, and you know that the icy days aren't far away. The frosty air will soon descend, sweeping down from the heavens like waves in the ocean.

The seasons change, and there is nothing we can do about it. We, who build towers of glass and send men to space, can't fight against the forces of nature. We are helpless.

This is the gift that God has given us, to see his creation be born, live, die, and be resurrected, over and over again. Winter is simply the beginning of spring.

There is nothing we can do to make winter pass faster or summer pass more slowly. We simply live in these seasons as they come, enjoying the beauty of a falling snow while enduring its biting cold. It is a subtle reminder from our Creator that life was not meant to be survived, or won, or hurried through.

Life was meant to be lived. We were created to be a part of this world, to endure the gray skies of winter and bask in the sun of summer. We are smaller than nature, which means we are smaller than God, and the seasons are an infinite sign of his sovereignty and love.

As winter's snow approaches, trust that it will not last forever, and know that resurrection is just around the corner.

Coach Jesus

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

I don't know. It's cute, I guess. I think that one kid is tackling Jesus. Is that okay? Are you allowed to square up on Jesus? If anything, it looks like Jesus has good fundamentals.

Thoughts?

Book Review: The Compact Guide to World Religions by Sean O'Callaghan

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

If you're looking for a guide to all the different world religions, go grab a copy of The Compact Guide to World Religions. It may say "compact" in the title, but the information within is vast.

Sean O'Callaghan covers twelve of the world's largest religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Baha'i, Jainism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto.

Each chapter covers the specific religion's history, founders, branches, sacred writings, core beliefs, worship and festivals, family and society, and contemporary issues. Every chapter ends with a reading list to help supplement your knowledge.

The Compact Guide to World Religions offers a ton of insightful information that will give you the essential knowledge you need to be well-versed in the religions of the world. It won't make you an expert on all the different people you'll encounter, but it will at least give you an idea of what their beliefs are.

Sunday Music: Audrey Assad--"Ought to Be"

2011-11-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

The 11th Commandment

2011-11-26T07:00:00.001-06:00

I Starved a Kid

2011-11-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

I starved a kid today.

Aside from the instant gratification that the Coke provided for my parched throat, there really was no benefit obtained from drinking it. And as I was drinking my Coke one of those commercials came on about fighting world hunger and how I can feed a child for less than a dollar a day. Suddenly, the Coke didn’t taste so good and the realization that I spent as much on that Coke as it would’ve cost to feed one of those children in the commercials set in.

Part of me wanted to justify myself and say ‘Isn’t he just one in an endless sea of hungry children? I can donate to this one but there will still be countless others who go hungry.”

When do we begin to make an impact on people?

It begins with just one.

Book Review: Paper Angels by Billy Coffey

2011-11-23T11:55:00.005-06:00

Paper Angels, Billy Coffey's second novel, is a book of stories. Nothing special there. But what is significant is Coffey's ability to weave those stories together with questions of faith and humanity. Coffey adventurously dares to tackle one of the hardest questions a person can ask: Why did this happen?

Andy Sommerville owns a gas station in a small town, but he's got a secret that makes him different than everyone else--he's got an angel by his side. He's your typical angel, a la Clarence from It's a Wonderful Life.

In the hospital because of an accident, Andy is asked by a psychologist to explain the contents of a box that he has kept his whole life. In the box are items that Andy's angel has instructed him to keep over the years. Each item has a story, and a lesson behind it. All of the stories lead to the reason why Andy is in the hospital, and what his future holds.

Coffey is brilliant in his follow up to Snow Day. He delves into some significant questions, and surprisingly, doesn't shy away from them. His characters wrestle with suffering and God, and unlike many Christian-based novels, they aren't preachy or generic. They sound like real people who are experiencing genuine emotion.

Paper Angels is a great and timely read. I look forward to more of Billy Coffey's works.

Fellowship

2011-11-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

"...not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near." Hebrews 10:25

Having people over to your house can be a chore. You have to cook, you have to clean, and you have to be a good host. It can be fun, but it can be a lot of work.

There's something about inviting people into your life, to see your flaws, your imperfections. It's easy to maintain that beautiful veneer when you keep people at arm's length. But when you ask them to step inside, to see things close up, you risk exposing all those warts and scars you work so hard to keep covered up.

The cobwebs in the corners. The food splattered in the microwave. The tall grass in the backyard. All those things are easy to hide when people are just driving by your home. Once they're inside, however, it becomes impossible to keep up the illusion.

Maybe this is why God wants us together--to offer us a constant reminder that we need grace desperately. We can easily forget that there is nothing we can do to be perfect. No matter how hard we try, there will always be something we forgot, something we didn't have time to get to that day.

When I'm with people, I'm reminded that I don't sweep the floor as often as I should. I reminded that I still need to work on being patient. I reminded that I need to work on listening more than I speak.

The people in our lives hold up a mirror to our souls, and we should never forget to make time for them. It's a blessing that God has provided in this life.

Book Review: The Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Way of the Heart is Henri Nouwen's classic work on the Desert Fathers. The late Nouwen was an influential Catholic priest who left his post to care for a bed-ridden man who would never speak, eat, or walk.

In this book, Nouwen draws upon the wisdom of early monastic Christians. From their writings and lives, he illuminates three essential pillars of their faith--solitude, silence, and prayer.

This is a short work, less than one hundred pages, but what it lacks in quantity it more than makes up for in quality. Nouwen is able to interweave our modern world with that of the Desert Fathers, making their isolated ways seem possible in our busy world.

This is a great book to take for a weekend camping trip or a just a quiet day at home. It's a good book for reflection and takes some time to soak in.

Sunday Music: Listener--"Wooden Heart"

2011-11-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Strange Case of Mark Driscoll

2011-11-18T07:00:00.001-06:00

My first experience with Mark Driscoll was in Donald Miller's book Blue Like Jazz, in which Miller identified Driscoll as "Mark the cussing pastor." I was just beginning to break out of my young, fundamentalist faith, and the idea of a pastor cursing while he preached was intriguing. And a little funny.

Not long after that, I was recommended a book by a friend called The Radical Reformission. He said that the pastor that wrote it was different than most Christians, and described some of the stories that were told in the book. Intrigued, I borrowed it from the bookstore where I worked. I enjoyed it, and it wasn't long until I figured out that this was the infamous "cussing pastor" that Donald Miller had mentioned.

In The Radical Reformission, Driscoll tells the story of his reconnecting with a gay friend. When he invited his friend to church, his friend refused, telling Driscoll that it wasn't fair to ask him to step into Driscoll's world when he knew that Driscoll wouldn't dare set foot in his. So Driscoll took up his challenge and went to a gay country and western bar with his friend. Driscoll's experience is worth reading about.

I liked Driscoll's frankness and concern about the world, and I'd never heard about a pastor who took such chances.

But through the years, a troubling side of Mark Driscoll has emerged. In 2006, Driscoll, in regards to the controversy surrounding Ted Haggard, said, "It is not uncommon to see pastor's wives who really let themselves go....A wife who lets herself go and is not sexually available to her husband.....is not responsible for her husband's sin, but may not be helping him either."

Then, speaking of an Episcopalian church's recent election of a female bishop, Driscoll said, "If Christian males do not man up soon, the Episcopalians may vote a fluffy baby bunny rabbit as their next bishop to lead God's men."

Driscoll has been especially demeaning when speaking about the issue of homosexuality. Whatever your stance on the topic, one can certainly assume a spirit of humility and gentleness. Driscoll, however, has taken a different approach, ending his thoughts on this article with the phrase "In conclusion, this is all just gay."

This list could go on and on, but I think the above is good representative of what has made many people angry, including Christians. So what happened?

What is disturbing to me is that Mark Driscoll and I share core beliefs. We both think that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he died and was resurrected almost 2,000 years ago. With that in mind, how do we end up with such radical interpretations of what it means to be male, female, loving, and kind?

I know that Driscoll and I would agree on many things regarding Christianity, but I still feel like I wouldn't be able to set foot in his church. He seems to have an angry, arrogant tone to his preaching and writing, but there is more to it than that. If it were just pride and ego, I could probably get past that. After all, I know I am guilty of the same.

But there seems to be a hatefulness in the way he speaks and live. That is what I cannot tolerate, and Christian culture shouldn't tolerate it, either.

I sometimes wonder if his personality has taken on a life of its own. It should be noted that Driscoll has apologized after almost every one of his PR gaffes. But those apologies are starting to sound empty, because the incidents keep happening.

I'm getting inside of Driscoll's head right now, but maybe he believes that this is the only way he can stay relevant. He hasn't been removed from his position as pastor of his church, so maybe this is what his followers expect. Maybe the behavior that most of us find despicable is what his fans desire. Perhaps Mark Driscoll has fallen into a trap sprung by his own personality.

The beautiful thing about grace is that it falls like rain. There are times when drought is severe, and the land is parched. But out of nowhere, dark clouds appear, and water falls from the sky, quenching the earth's thirst.

So far, Driscoll's teachings and commentary have been graceless. But there is always the hope that he will learn, as we all have to, that Jesus didn't gain followers by being outlandish and hateful. He did it through love and kindness.

Let us hope that grace will fall like rain on Mark Driscoll's life.

Praying for Your Enemies

2011-11-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

This is the hardest part of following Jesus. This is the part that makes you want to quit.

You are supposed to pray for your enemies.

That kid who picks on you. The boss that is trying to make you quit. The girl who stole your boyfriend. The man who stole your car. The terrorist who wants you dead. You're supposed to pray for all these people who make your life miserable.

How am I supposed to do that? I can't even pray for my friends.

This is the example that Jesus set when he prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing." He prayed for the very men who were executing him. In this we have a precedent of not just accepting persecution and maltreatment, but actually wishing good on those who harm us.

Dallas Willard defines love as "wishing the good will of another." In praying for good things for our enemies, we are in actuality loving them. Could there be anything harder?

Isn't loving our family and friends hard enough? We have to read countless books on marriage, parenting, and loving your neighbor just to sustain those relationships. How in the world can we hope to love our enemies? How can we pray for them when everything inside us tells us not to?

Maybe that is the mystery of this life we live. We say that our lives are no longer our own, but that we belong to Christ. In order to do what seems impossible, we must let the one who loves without condition and with reckless passion take over our hearts.

Only then will we find room in our prayers for our enemies.

The Most Depressing Jesus Ad You'll See Today

2011-11-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

I guess "Enduring Freedom" Jesus left out that part about loving your enemies. Bombs away.

Thoughts?

Found at www.jesusneedsnewpr.com

Book Review: Renovation of the Church by Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

What does it look like to turn a megachurch into something smaller, slower, and more quiet? Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken show us in their book Renovation of the Church. They relate the story of Oak Hills Church in Folsom, California. As the pastors at Oak Hills, they resided over the growth of one of the fastest growing churches in the region. But it wasn't long before they felt God was leading them in another, smaller direction.

Their book explains the ups and downs that Oak Hills went through while transforming their church. Each chapter deals with a different challenge that they endured. They do this with a humble spirit and a grace rarely seen in Christian books. One of the last chapters, named "Mistakes," clearly shows this.

The authors have some clever ideas, and I commend them for not just criticizing the megachurch movement, but also offering solutions. They have the courage to offer up their mistakes and successes, and that is what makes this book worthwhile. Those looking for a how-to manual will be disappointed, but anyone who wants to know the heart and spirit necessary for change, look no further.

Sunday Music: Jeremy Camp--"Walk by Faith"

2011-11-13T07:00:00.001-06:00

What Grace Can Erase

2011-11-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

My sins I cannot erase
and guilt would have its power still,
were it not for Your grace.

My priorities I tend to misplace.
Regardless of the regret I have,
my sins I cannot erase.

Work on my heart continues apace--
it would have hardened
were it not for Your grace.

My wants and Your will I try to interlace.
Try, but fail, and
my sins I cannot erase.

The path back to You would be impossible to retrace.
Eternal distance would result
were it not for Your grace.

I, with the rest of the human race,
would be lost forever, for
my sins I cannot erase
were it not for Your grace.

Tasting Grace

2011-11-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

Before a prisoner is executed, they are given their last meal. They are usually given whatever they request, no matter how lavish and expensive it is. Imagine the audacity of this. There are righteous, good people who will go hungry while murderers feast.

Nothing shows the power of grace like a meal placed before the undeserving.

The killer on death row gorging on his last meal has tasted grace.

The homeless man in the shelter who did not work for his meal has tasted grace.

The young child that waits for his mother to feed him has tasted grace.

The old woman that waits for her child to feed her has tasted grace.

We have all tasted grace.

Why do we get so angry when we see those who have done nothing get everything? Maybe it is human nature. Maybe it is a sense of justice in our hearts. Maybe it is because we have forgotten.

There once was a man who bore a death that he did not deserve. We love to sing of his death, to speak of the wonderful things it did for us. But we forget what it did for others. What it did to this world.

Justice has been turned on its head, twisted into a madness that we cannot understand. By taking what he did not deserve, he now freely gives what should not be ours. He has taken death and given life. Slaves have been adopted as children, and now taste freedom.

Jesus left us with a tradition of grace. Take the Lord's Supper. Pour wine in abundance and break bread with each other. Rejoice in the fact that nothing you have is deserved, but it has been given to you still.

Rejoice, and taste the grace of God.

Red Letters Revised

2011-11-07T16:37:00.001-06:00

Found at www.nakedpastor.com

Book Review: Why People Don't Believe by Paul Chamberlain

2011-11-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

Paul Chamberlain's Why People Don't Believe could be called an apologetics book, but the more accurate portrayal would be a theological treatise that defends Christianity. Chamberlain systematically dismantles several of Christianity's most well-known critics, offering not only rebuttals, but solutions to their questions.

Chamberlain spends a large amount of time on the topic of religion and violence. He refutes that religion is the cause of much of the violence in the world, instead pointing to political and cultural influences. He then moves on to the questions of the irrationality of belief in God, and whether or not Christianity is a hindrance to science. He finishes answering critics with a chapter on the morality of the Bible.

Chamberlain does a superb job of answering critics such as Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. The text is complex, as this is a theological work, but it never gets bogged down in trivial details. Chamberlain refuses to chase any rabbits, and the result is a fascinating read that shows ordinary Christiains the minds of neo-atheists.

Sunday Music: Nickel Creek--"Reasons Why"

2011-11-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

Take Your Jesus Pill

2011-11-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

At times I get frustrated because I think people just want to take a "Jesus pill" and move on with their day. We have all this talk about a "personal Savior," but all we want is for Jesus to give us some inspiration for the day. We'll pull a verse from the Bible that has absolutely nothing to do with our situation, but sounds really good. We turn Jesus into a motivational speaker.

Do you take your Jesus pill? Have you ever used the Bible or Jesus as a "pick me up?"

What do you turn to when you're feeling down?

Leaving Paradise

2011-11-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

Recently, Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, walked away from his job to co-produce and write a television drama for ABC. The reaction from his church was positive and supportive.

The rest of the Christian community? Not so much.

Rick Warren tweeted comments about accountability, Ed Stetzer talked about how easy it is away from the church, and numerous other Christians smirked and popped snarky lines about chasing money.

That's a lot to get into.

The common thread between Warren and Stetzer's comments was that Bell is walking away from any kind of accountability by leaving his church. This is insulting, to say the least. It implies that anyone who is not the pastor of a church has no responsibility to their faith, and that they are walking into a wilderness of unbelief. Is there something preventing Rob Bell from attending a church or faith community in Los Angeles? Does he have to be a pastor of a church in order to be accountable to God? I would hope that his family and friends would play a part in that.

As far as chasing money accusations, most people I know would take a higher paying job that came with less work. No one would accuse them of money-grubbing. In fact, the usual comment would be "God blessed them."

The problem is that the Christian community has an identity crisis when it comes to the role of pastor. Do we want them to be priests or CEO's? There's a significant difference, and we can't expect people to be both. To do so is unrealistic, as well as unfair.

To most people, God is far away. So far away that we need mediators, someone to tell us what God is saying. We believe that there are certain people who are more in tune to the divine, and so we pay them to have an office at the church, or the temple, or wherever you prefer. We pay them to study and learn, to tell us what the Holy Scriptures say, because we are too busy with real life to do that. We have full time jobs, and don't have the time or resources to learn Greek or Hebrew. We want priests, and priesthood is a lifetime job.

But we also like megachurches. We like the amenities, the bookstore on campus, the coffee shop in the lobby, and the multimedia worship services. However, we don't take the time to realize that megachurches are corporations, and corporations need CEO's. Not priests. Megachurches need visionaries, leaders, and entrepreneurs. CEO's move from one job to the next.

This same situation happened not too long ago. Francis Chan, author of the wildly successful Crazy Love, left his church to pursue other ventures. The reaction was about the same. Chan's motives were questioned, and he was essentially called flaky by Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris in this video.

Insecurity is easy to spot, and all of the comments against these two pastors seems to be rooted in unease. It's probably no coincidence that most of the criticism leveled at those that give up the leadership of megachurches comes from those who lead megachurches. When someone walks away from running a huge organization for no other reason than "I just want to do something else," it's odd, though a bit refreshing. But I think it makes the other megachurch pastors nervous.

When someone talks about God leading them somewhere else, they sound like a priest. Suddenly, these megachurch pastors that have built their reputations on the foundation of being a priest look like the CEO's they actually are. And everyone knows you can't be a priest and a CEO.

Maybe they aren't the problem. This is their livelihood, and they've gained that career by playing on what the public (and Christendom) has wanted. We demand a super-spiritual CEO. We want someone that can run a large organization but still have time to meditate and get closer to God than we ever could.

Why shouldn't these pastors get nervous when one of their co-workers breaks rank?

Why doesn't it make us nervous?

It should, because it shows that Christians aren't immune to the celebrity worship and consumerism that we so quickly bash. We don't mind building huge churches and having famous people run them, because it makes us feel important. It makes us feel like we're part of something bigger than ourselves.

Shouldn't we already feel that way? Wasn't that the whole point of Jesus's death and resurrection? We shouldn't need celebrities and country club churches to feel like we're doing something important. Through our love for God and one another we can mend the broken, heal the sick, and care for everyone who's been forgotten. Isn't that big enough?

Those fancy churches, overworked pastors, and insecure Christian celebrities are mirrors, held up to show us that we're not as different as we should be.

Rob Bell started something in Michigan, and now he's walking away to pursue something else. He changed jobs, something that we all do. The question is this: did he leave the priesthood, or step down as CEO?

I'll Pray for You (Maybe)

2011-11-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a confession:

If at some point in the last twenty years or so, you've come to me with a problem and I've said, "I'll pray for you," I probably didn't pray for you.

Sorry.

It wasn't personal. Or on purpose. I just kind of forget. And I know, that's pretty bad on its own. But somewhere along the line saying "I'll pray for you" just became a platitude for me.

But I know I'm not the only person who does this. I know, because I've asked. Why don't we pray for each other?

I believe that prayer works. I've seen it work. So when a friend comes to me with a problem, why don't I pray for them? It isn't a matter of confidence. I believe in asking God for help.

The sad truth is that I forget. I may pray that day, or even make it a few days. But I'm not consistent, and I rarely get down on my knees and pray for someone for long stretches of time. In fact, I envy the people who can do this. I truly care about the people in my life, and so when something bad happens to them, I want to pray.

I think that I am naturally self-centered, but then again, I don't pray for myself that often, either. For me, praying has always been hard. The only time I've really "prayed without ceasing" is when my wife was in the hospital. I literally breathed prayers for a week. But now? Not as much.

There's a line from Kanye West's song "Jesus Walks" in which he says, "I wanna talk to God but I'm afraid 'cause we ain't spoke in so long." Maybe that's how I feel sometimes. It seems kind of rude to just start asking God for things when I don't really pray that much in the first place. I always feel like I'm rattling off this whiny wish list, even when I'm praying for other people.

In the end, I'll try and approach this like I do everything else in my life: just try and improve a little at a time, day by day. Maybe the people in my life should ask me if I actually prayed for them.

What about you? Do you actually pray for people when you say you will?

Cheezit Christ

2011-11-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Clever. Jesus has to hold the record for most images in different mediums, right?

Found at www.jesusneedsnewpr.com

Book Review: Is God a Moral Monster by Paul Copan

2011-10-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

Is God a Moral Monster? is one of the best theological books I have read. Paul Copan takes on Neo-Atheists' claims of a petty, malicious Old Testament God. Copan takes the time to explain many of the Old Testament's seemingly inexplicable and tedious laws. He delves into God requesting the sacrifice of Isaac, and all of the dietary laws that perplex us modern-day readers.

Copan doesn't shy away from any topic. He counters claims of barbarism, misogyny, slavery, and divinely prescribed genocide. None of his answers are simple, and he never uses the escape hatch "God's ways are higher than our ways." He carefully explains why these laws were put in place, what the culture of the time was, and how the laws in the Bible compare with laws from surrounding cultures at the time.

The writing can get a little technical at times, but for the most part this is a theological book written in layman's language. It will be great for pastors or anyone who is interested in why God did the things he did in the Old Testament.

Sunday Music: Mumford & Sons--"The Cave"

2011-10-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

Jesus Has Soul

2011-10-29T11:00:00.000-05:00

Something tells me that this was a fun bus to be on for choir trips.

Found at www.jesusneedsnewpr.com

A New Father

2011-10-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

When I came in there was no one around,
And the broken pieces of lives lay everywhere,
My experience with life begins with a let down,
And my hope remains up in the air.

I’m stuck sorting through this mess you left behind,
And I haven’t anyone to turn to for advice,
Regardless of the direction each step I take is blind,
But for now my own intuition will suffice.

As I grow older I’m no longer bitter,
And what happened in the past I no longer dwell upon,
You indirectly taught me not to be a quitter,
And each new day I'm continually pressing on.

I’ve found a new father, who showed his love towards me,
He made the ultimate sacrifice so his child I could be.

Trick or Treat

2011-10-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Halloween is coming up, and no doubt Christians everywhere will engage in that ubiquitous October debate: Is it okay for Christians to celebrate Halloween?

Like most things Christians argue about, there isn't an easy answer. But to start out this post, there's something you should know about me--I love getting the crap scared out of me. Scary movies, haunted houses, roller coasters, Dick Cheney. If it can get my heart racing a little bit, I'm into it.

So naturally I'm a little in to Halloween. But the question is whether Christians should participate in Halloween. Is it just harmless fun, a Satanic activity, or something Christians should avoid for cultural reasons?

Harmless Fun

Honestly, what is wrong with Halloween? Little kids dress up as fictional characters, tromp around the neighborhood and get free candy. That sounds more like socialism than Satanism. Most haunted houses are low rate productions, easily exposed as just Saturday night entertainment. Occasionally you'll have a poorly written Halloween movie on television.

What's wrong with these things? Nothing. And yes, there are people who use the holiday to practice Satanic activities, but (A) there are very few people who participate in these occult activities, and (B) those that do don't practice them in the suburbs, which is where most of the Halloween holidays occurs.

Let the kids run around the neighborhood and get their redistributed ~~wealth~~ candy. It's fun, and though I don't care for dressing up in a costume, I do like candy.

Satanic Activity

We covered this a little in the paragraph above. Yes, there are those who celebrate Halloween as Satan's birthday, or use it as an excuse to perform rituals that are weird and disturbing. But as stated before, they are in the very small minority. There are people that celebrate Hitler's birthday. It doesn't make April 20th a day we should avoid.

And I'm sure you've heard stories of people being kidnapped and sacrificed on Halloween. They're scary stories. But have you ever seen a factual report on this? Or are these just the plots of really good horror movies?

Christians Separating Themselves from the Culture of Halloween

There are those who say that Christians should distance themselves from secular cultural, in an effort to stand out from those who don't follow Jesus. Hence, their argument is that Christians should abstain from celebrating Halloween. As one friend put it, "Christians are supposed to set an example, to stand out from society."

I believe that, too, but I think Halloween is the wrong battle to choose. You don't ever hear anyone saying that Christians need to ignore football or deep fried foods. I think we should stand out by the way we love, not what we avoid.

Fall Festivals, Harvest Parties, and Other Such Nonsense

Okay, you can't tell me that you don't celebrate Halloween, then turn around and have a Fall Festival at your church. It's the same thing! Just because you don't call it a Halloween party doesn't mean it's not. Remember Shakespeare? "A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet." Well, in this case, the candy corn tastes the same, even if you call it "Christ corn."

Just because you don't say the word "Halloween" doesn't mean it stops existing. Just do what Christians have always done when it comes to secular culture--use it and then put a religious spin on it.

Halloween Tracts

Distributing witnessing tracts to Trick Or Treater's is cool, so long as you follow two rules: 1. You must accompany those tracts with candy. 2. Don't use Chick Tracts.

Do you celebrate Halloween? How? Or why not?

Book Review: Fatherless Generation by John Sowers

2011-10-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

Fatherless Generation is John Sowers' manifesto against the rising epidemic of fatherlessness that is sweeping our nation. Interweaving his personal story with statistics, somber prose, and stories culled from his blog on the same topic, Sowers is able to convey his own urgency onto readers.

Fatherless Generation explains the devastating effects of not having father. He details the different reactions that boys and girls have when they are left without a father. He also uses examples from celebrities such as Kelly Clarkson and Jeremy Shockey, who tell their own stories of growing up without a father.

But Sowers does more than just point out the problem. As head of The Mentoring Project, Sowers is well-versed with methods that can help fatherless children, and he offers plenty of solutions in this book. This is a great read for anyone who wants to get involved in a kid's life.

Sunday Music: The Civil Wars--"Poison and Wine"

2011-10-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

Cool Website for Responsible Shopping

2011-10-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

I just recently came across a website called www.goodguide.com

It's a site dedicated to helping consumers choose products that are healthy, safe, and have low impact on our environment. They have three ratings for products--

--Health Rating. This is usually specific to food, and is self-explanatory.

--Society Rating. Does the company that makes the product pay fair wages? Have health benefits?

--Environmental Rating. Does the company care about its impact on the world? Does it take the appropriate measures to reduce its carbon footprint?

It's a cool site that should help you make more responsible purchases.

Role Reversal

2011-10-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

He must increase, but I must decrease.

John 3:30

Nobody likes to play second fiddle to anyone. We like having the spotlight on ourselves, being the star of our own story.

But that's not the approach taken by John the Baptist in this passage. He's reaffirming to his disciples that it is Jesus who they need to look to, not him. He could have very easily told his disciples to remain by his side to keep his own personal following. After all, even Jesus had claimed that there had been no one greater than John.

So why would John lower himself to increase Jesus? Why would he give away his glory for the glory on another?

It is because he believed in something greater than himself. He believed that Jesus was all that he said he was and that playing a role in Jesus' story was greater than the whole of his own.

But what John did isn't always easy to follow through with, that we lift up Jesus while denying ourselves. It's a mindset and attitude we have to adopt and implement on a daily basis. Yes, we'll be enticed to return to our own story but where does our story lead to? Where does Jesus' story lead to? Now which is better?

To do as John did we can see the kingdom of God and Jesus' name continually grow and increase. We just have to step down from our own platform and into a supporting role in Jesus' story. He must increase and we must decrease.

Eventually our story becomes a sub-story within His--and we write it with His help.

Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

That Skeletor-esque guy to the right is Fred Phelps, "pastor" of Westboro Baptist Church. You're probably familiar with the folks at Westboro--they're the ones that protest funerals of soldiers killed in action, or of homosexuals, or just about anyone that they think is against their theology.

And what is their theology? It's hard to say. But Phelps' daughter, Shirley Phelps-Roper, clears things up a little bit:

"Our job is laid out," she says. "We are supposed to blind their eyes, stop up their ears, and harden their hearts so that they cannot see, hear, or understand, and be converted and receive salvation."

Obviously these people are crazy. I don't have the professional training to diagnose what is wrong with them, but some sort of chemical imbalance is causing them to spew hate and venom at anyone in their general vicinity. And it would be easy to write them off, saying that what they believe doesn't represent Christianity at all, so why give them any attention at all? But I just can't do that, and here's why:

Christians Have Marginalized Other Religions For Years

Whenever there is a terrorist attack, and it is committed by Muslims, we're quick to say that those terrorists' acts are representative of all of Islam. We say that Islam is a religion of violence, and that no matter what leading Muslim figures say, these unspeakably violent acts are what Islam produces.

Despite the fact that we have more information about other cultures than ever before, we still say things like this. And it's just not true. Similarly, I wouldn't want Muslims pointing to the members of Westboro Baptists and saying that they represent Christianity's ideas and values. It's just not true.

We have to confront what Westboro does and preaches, because if we don't, we risk letting them become a part of the face of Christianity.

Because if I ignore them, I have to ignore everyone who believes differently than me.

I can't just pretend that Westboro doesn't exist, or treat them like little children just because I don't believe the same way they do. Don't think that this is a "to each his own" kind of thing. Fred Phelps and his congregation are wrong. They are mean, hateful, and ignorant.

But I can't write them off as nothing, because that is essentially what they do to everyone who doesn't believe what they preach. The people of Westboro Baptist have a right to their opinions and beliefs, even though I find them disgusting. I can't expunge them just because they make me ill.

Why? Because it's a slippery slope that you tread when you do that. Soon I'll be disgusted and outraged by something else, and then something else, and so on until I'm just as hateful as Phelps and his crew.

Because Fred Phelps and I Worship the Same God

Yes, I believe that Phelps has severely perverted the attributes of God, but if I believe that God created all, that means he created Fred Phelps. I also believe that God loves everyone unconditionally, and that means he loves Fred Phelps.

God also calls me to love Fred Phelps, but I'd rather not. I find him and his followers to be horrible people. Even if I wanted to, I'm not sure I'd know how. I'm not that grown up. I think that they are evil.

But that's me being very dishonest. Because deep down, I know I'm just as bad. Maybe I'm too much of a coward to broadcast it to the media, but our capacity for wrong is the same. For me to think they are of a lower moral class than me is hypocritical. What they do is wrong, but I have hurt. I have caused pain, just like the people of Westboro Baptist.

Fred Phelps and I both worship the Creator of the universe, the God of everything. For whatever reason, my view of God is less distorted than Phelps'. This isn't because of anything I've done, but because of the grace that God has freely given me.

So maybe tonight I'll say a prayer for Fred Phelps and the members of Westboro Baptist Church. I'll pray that someone will come into their lives and love them passionately, fiercely, and hope that maybe that love will push out some of the hate.

Book Review: The End of Christianity by William Dembski

2011-10-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

The End of Christianity is William Dembski's attempt to reconcile a good God with the evil that is so inherent in our world. In theological terms, this is called a theodicy. The title refers not to Christianity's demise, but rather to Christianity's ultimate triumph through Jesus.

What Dembski does is remarkable. A mathematician and philosopher who has studied at the University of Chicago, Princeton, and MIT, Dembski introduces a blueprint that is satisfying to the scientific and theological mind.

The premise of The End of Christianity is that there must be a way to reconcile the scientific evidence that suggests the earth is billions of years old and the effects of the Fall as described in the Bible. This obviously involves numerous sciences and philosophical ideas, making Dembski's work a complicated one. There were several chapters that required more than one reading. But the theory the author presents is fascinating.

Dembski proposes that the effects of man's sin in the Garden of Eden, known as the Fall of Man, were retroactive through the natural history of the universe. In other words, the sin of Adam and Eve is responsible for the death of animal and plant life that occurred millions of years before their existence. The idea is radical in one sense, but Christians believe something similar. It is a widely held Christian belief that the death of Jesus provided retroactive salvation for those who lived before his death.

Dembski provides thorough explanation for his theory, and the book, while technically complex, is a great read. I highly recommend it for anyone who is struggling with the concept of science and faith.

Sunday Music: Andrew Peterson--"Dancing in the Minefields"

2011-10-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Most Religious Ad You'll See Today

2011-10-15T07:00:00.001-05:00

Any thoughts?

Found at www.jesusneedsnewpr.com

Would You Still Love

2011-10-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

If you knew my deepest secrets
and the mud which I've traveled through;
I'm still dirty
from my aimless wandering,
and stains are still clearly visible
on my hands
and on my heart.
If you could see this
would you still love me?

My life is a boiling pot
where everything has come together,
everything is blended,
everything is tainted.
Where one thing pulls me up
another brings me down.
My life is a boiling mess.
If you could see this
would you still love me?

If I could remove my stains,
untangle the web,
become a better, more righteous person,
if I could do all this, I would.
But like a scar
they're always there.
There to show, and remind,
of where I've been
and what I've done.
I'm all stained and covered with scabs.
If you could see this
would you still love me?

You knew
I couldn't do it myself
and offered yourself up
on my behalf to
remove those stains,
untangle the webs,
and heal my scars.
You could see all this
and graciously loved me still.

The Soul of Christianity

2011-10-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

(Searching the Soul, by Jamie Cook)

Debates rage back and forth between atheists and Christian apologists. They each present their reasons, their truths, their rationalities. Forests are leveled to produce the books that elaborate their cases.

What has been the result?

Some believe, some do not.

Perhaps the percentage hasn't ever changed. There have been atheists and Christian apologists arguing since at least the third century, and probably before that.

Jesus said that the two greatest commandments were to love God, and to love others. Humans have a long history of being foolish when it comes to love. Why are we so convinced that books filled with scientific evidence and philosophical logic will change anyone's heart?

Maybe there's something more than facts, or reasoning, or the obvious. Maybe we were built to know more than our eyes can see, or understand more than our minds can comprehend. There's something to this life that is mystical, supernatural, and bigger than us all.

God is real, but no book will convince you of that.

But then maybe you don't need convincing. That feeling you get when you see a poster for a missing child, and you hope she gets home safe. That feeling you get when you see a flyer for a lost dog, and you picture someone's family pet, wandering, lost, hopeless. That feeling you get when you see an elderly woman struggling to get out of her car, just to shop for groceries. That feeling you get when you see someone sitting by themselves at a crowded restaurant, not just alone, but lonely.

That love, that compassion you feel is the heart of God, and it is the soul of Christianity. Wherever you fall along the spectrum--atheist, agnostic, believer, fundamentalist--understand that it isn't knowledge, or reason, or tradition, or orthodoxy, or proper doctrine that will reveal God.

The soul of Christianity is love, and love is such an unreasonable thing.

Book Review: Who Is My Enemy by Lee C. Camp

2011-10-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Who Is My Enemy? is Lee Camp's treatment on the subject of Christian-Muslim relations, with special attention to American Christians. The book shines an introspective light into the soul of Western Christianity.

Camp discusses the tradition of Islam, focusing on the concept of justification of war, and how the theology on war has developed since the founding of the religion by Muhammad. Camp then goes on to compare Just War Tradition in Christianity with Islam's traditional treatment of war. It's a fascinating read.

With significant cultural and theological observations, Camp is able to illuminate the Muslim culture. He suggests ways that Christians and Muslims can interact, with a specific focus on loving one's enemy. Camp calls for compromise without giving up core Christian beliefs, which is refreshing. A great read for anyone interested in Islam, terrorism, and a Christian response.

Book Review: All is Grace by Brennan Manning

2011-10-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

All is Grace is Brennan Manning's long awaited autobiography, which he agreed to publish five years ago. It isn't the most complete account of his life, but it's written with the heart and soul that Manning brings to all of his works. His life truly reflects what he has told others countless times throughout his life: "God loves you just as you are, not as you should be."

Manning recounts his life from his childhood, giving special attention to his mother and father, and how their influence affected his life later. He also talks in detail about his marriage and divorce, something he has never done in his other books. Of special interest were times he spent in Alabama and in France, living with the Little Brothers of Jesus. If you've read his other works extensively, some of the stories will be familiar. But they are told in fresh perspective, with many years of experience and wisdom added.

There are photographs interspersed throughout the book, as well as letters written by several of his friends. Philip Yancey wrote a touching foreward in honor of his friend. A great read for anyone who has loved Manning's work.

Sunday Music: Carolina Story--"My Feet Keep Moving Still"

2011-10-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Life of Sorts

2011-10-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

The worldly life,
So full of strife,
Will I ever win?

The worldly life,
So full of strife,
Where do I begin?

The worldly life,
Cuts like a knife,
Bruised and battered sore;

The worldly life,
Cuts like a knife,
Stripped to my very core.

The worldly life,
So full of strife,
Has me ever depressed;

The worldly life,
So full of strife,
Every moment I am stressed.

The worldly life,
Cuts like a knife,
Severs joy from my soul;

The worldly life,
Cuts like a knife,
I feel no longer whole.

The worldly life,
So full of strife,
My life filled with pollution;

The worldly life,
So full of strife,
I'm in need of a solution.

Jesus' life,
Cuts like a knife,
Into the hearts of every man;

Jesus' life,
Cuts like a knife,
Altering death's dark plan.

Jesus' life,
So full of strife,
Bore the weight of sin;

Jesus' life,
So full of strife,
Gives me hope again.

Jesus' life,
Cuts like a knife,
Died to bring a plan;

Jesus' life,
Cuts like a knife,
Redeems the fall of man.

Interview with Bill Hanks

2011-10-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

Bill Hanks, author of Serenity: It's a God Deal, talks about recovery issues, Charlie Sheen, and addiction. The cool intro music is by Scott Thornton of the band Our Scarlet Letters.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

We Are All Made of Shipwrecks

2011-10-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

He is near.

I know it. When I was younger, these times were harder to recognize. They crept upon me silently. Perhaps they still do, only now I can hear the footsteps.

The boy who doesn't cry has been fighting back tears all day. My heart has an extra beat in its rhythm, a trembling that only appears when the Creator is near.

I don't like it when He comes. It seems like an odd thing for a Christian to say, but it's true. Why? Because I fall apart.

Because I realize how broken I am.

The light He shines illuminates the darkness, and only then can I see the broken pieces of my heart strewn about the beach like a shipwreck.

We are all made of shipwrecks.

The truth is that I crashed upon this shore long ago, but in my pride and arrogance, I pretend that I am still at sea. I am Ahab, sadly obsessed with that which cannot be found. I am a drunken fool, tossed about in an ocean of my own imagination. But the vessel I steer is my own.

Face the waves like a man, I say. Out there in the darkness, out on the sea, you are by yourself. There is only God and your ship. Be a man, and out-muscle the tide. But on the shore, there is nothing for me. I am a fool, the captain of a ship that no longer exists.

The light shines brighter.

The wood is rotten and eaten through with worms. I might be the same, but I don't know. It's hard to tell where the ship ends and I begin. But it's all repugnant, a stench-filled garbage dump of what was once beautiful.

The light shines brighter.

I look up and down the shore and realize that I am not the only one. The beach is lined with shipwrecks, thousands of them. The smell of decaying wood drifts up and down the coast, and I see that the wood from my vessel intermingles with them all.

We are all made of shipwrecks, every last one of us.

We are all shattered into a million pieces, scattered on the shore and left to die. We are all diseased, moldy, and broken, cast upon a rocky shore.

But we are thrust upon these sands together, buffeted by the storms but not destroyed. When the light is cast, we can see each other.

See our foolishness. See our shipwrecks.

The light is near. Let us piece together our hearts, because we are all made of shipwrecks.

Book Review: Raised Right by Alisa Harris

2011-10-03T07:00:00.002-05:00

Raised Right is a memoir by Alisa Harris in which she details her journey to separate her political views from her Christian faith. Born to conservative parents who were extremely active politically, Harris was interested in government policies from an early age. While the other kids were outside playing, she admits that she preferred to listen to the adults talk politics.

Harris was steadfastly Republican and Christian, with a deep admiration for Ronald Reagan. But it wasn't long before she noticed cracks appearing in the bond between her faith and her politics. Through her experiences in college, and with her grandparents, Harris eventually sees that party lines don't always run parallel with what Jesus taught.

Raised Right is your typical memoir, but Harris is witty and honest, making this a fun read. Harris also has the ability to ask questions of herself that make you think along with her, and the result is a book that delves deep into two topics we usually separate in our lives.

Sunday Music: Jenny & Tyler--"Song for You"

2011-10-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Scandal is Coming Soon

2011-09-27T18:28:00.004-05:00

New posts will start appearing on October 2nd. Thanks for being patient with us.

We'll have music to share, poetry, devotionals, articles, podcasts, and more interviews.

Leave a comment if there's something you're interested in hearing about.

Thanks,

The Guys at The Scandal

Wildfire--A Poem

2011-09-09T15:55:00.005-05:00

The sun burned mercilessly for a season,
drenching our land with heat,
inhaling the life from everything.

We watched as Creation gave up the ghost.
It died right before our eyes,
turning into a brown, crackling thing.

We prayed for rain until our knees
were bloody with faithful scabs,
calling on every god we could name.

When the rain started falling, hope fell with it.
We could rest and be refreshed,
grateful that the Divine listened to our pleading.

But with the rain came the lightning--
white fire from the sky,
Jupiter's weapon of choice.

The cruel trick that Nature and Fate
had played at the expense of our hearts
and our lives

Was that hell had been unleashed, and
it seemed that Peter was nowhere
to be found, fleeing again.

The flames jumped from place to place,
and somewhere in the haze of orange
we could see the face of Loki and Lucifer.

Those flames licked us clean, singed our hairs,
turned our skin pink, our homes to ashes,
and our hearts to coal.

We wondered aloud what circle of hell
we had fallen into, wondered when
the end of eternal fire would come.

Now all that is left is smoke and sand.
Scars have been etched into our
land, our knees, our hearts.

The God of heaven and fire has
given and taken away,
and we are left with only grace.

We Still Have a Pulse

2011-09-07T22:17:00.003-05:00

Our posts have been pretty sporadic lately. Blame it on writer's block, 30+ days of triple digit heat, and busy lives.

But we're still here.

We're trying to establish a rhythm for the blog, come up with some new categories, and find a new direction, which is something we do from time to time. If you go back and read some of the posts from a few years ago, you'll see how much this blog has grown.

How much we've grown.

If you'll stick with us, I think you'll like what you find. We're going to try to get into the podcast business, and hopefully have some interviews with some interesting people.

Now for the interaction part:

Is there something you want us to talk about?

Is there something we've talked about in the past that you want to hear about again?

Let us know.

Thanks for enjoying The Scandal.

Standard and Poor's Rating of Christianity

2011-08-28T14:00:00.001-05:00

In the midst of the poor economy and the stock market taking a beating, Christianity has back-slid some. Those trusting and believing in the financial institutions more than they should are facing a slight crisis of faith as they see their 401K’s, retirement, and savings dwindling away. People are cursing the markets and growing bitter and depressed as they lose much of what they had. They try themselves to regain or minimize their losses all the while looking up to God asking ‘Why?’

When times are going good we tend to forget where our blessings come from. We grow to think that we somehow accomplished our feats on our own. Our confidence in ourselves grows while we slowly, and inadvertently, minimize God.

William Law said, “We are looking for our own virtue, our own piety, our own goodness, and so live on and in our own poverty and weakness - today pleased and comforted with the seeming firmness and strength of our own pious tempers and fancying ourselves to be somewhat. Tomorrow, fallen into our own mire, we are dejected, but not humbled; we grieve, but it is only the grief of pride at the seeing our perfection not to be such as we had vainly imagined…”

Christianity’s rating has degraded because we ourselves try to accomplish everything by ourselves and we place God on the backburner to our own ambition and efforts.

Another point that was considered is our attachment to the blessings of God. We come to expect these blessings on a regular basis and shift our thought process on these from blessing to expectation. We become focused on the material and lose sight of where they come from. While God doesn’t mind sharing His blessings with us, wants us to remember and remain dependent on Him.

In a story about God and Elijah, Percy Ainsworth says, “God sent Elijah to the brook and it dried up. It did not prove equal to the need of the prophet. It failed; God knew it would; He made it to fail. ‘The brook dried up.’ This is an aspect of the Divine providence that sorely perplexes our minds and tries our faith. God knows that there are heavenly whispers that men cannot hear till the drought of trouble and perhaps weariness has silenced the babbling brooks of joy. And He is not satisfied until we have learned to depend, not upon His gifts, but upon Himself.”

Christianity has also downgraded due to the material nature we have let ourselves become accustomed to.

So what’s to be done? How do we restore our credit? We know we can’t do it ourselves for we have tried and failed.

“Perhaps only when human effort had done its best and failed, would God’s power alone be free to work.”[1]

“The Christian often tries to forget his weakness: God wants us to remember it, to feel it deeply. The Christian wants to conquer his weakness and to be freed from it: God wants us to rest and even rejoice in it. The Christian mourns over his weakness: Christ teaches His servant to say, "I take pleasure in infirmities; most gladly will I glory in my infirmities." The Christian thinks his weakness his greatest hindrance in the life and service of God: God tells us that it is the secret of strength and success. It is our weakness, heartily accepted and continually realized, that gives us our claim and access to the strength of Him who has said, "My strength is made perfect in weakness."”[2]

God wants us to be dependent on Him. In the midst of trials, we need not look to ourselves or to hide in our weakness or inability, but rather draw from God his wisdom and strength. That is how we return to restoring our credit, through God. We need to set aside our pride in our own ability, realize our provision is a blessing, and become more dependent on God. Don’t fall for the allusion that we create our own well-being.

George Muller said it well, “Here is the great secret of success. Work with all your might; but trust not in the least in your work. Pray with all your might for the blessing of God; but work, at the same time, with all diligence, with all patience, with all perseverance. Pray then, and work. Work and pray. And still again pray, and then work. And so on all the days of your life. The result will surely be, abundant blessing. Whether you see much fruit or little fruit such kind of service will be blessed.”

Depend on God and His provision and be grateful for each and every blessing He gives realizing they are gifts.

“The richness of God’s Word ought to determine our prayer, not the poverty of our heart.”[3]

[1] Corrie Ten Boom
[2] Andrew Murray
[3[ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Taking a Break From Bad News

2011-08-24T23:54:00.007-05:00

These days, the popular thing is to talk about how bad things are. The economy is getting worse, the environment is a mess, kids are getting dumber, and new diseases are poised to wipe out civilization. Positive is boring, and we've all heard the news room catch-phrase--"If it bleeds, it leads."

Unfortunately, no one wants to talk about the good stuff that happens all the time. Perhaps it's human nature. We're all a little gossipy at heart, so it shouldn't be surprising that we want to hear about the latest scandal or the newest conflict. There's probably some significant social and psychological reasons for this, but I don't have the education nor the space to get into that.

But I think we can all agree that good news doesn't make the news. That's why you've probably never heard of The Good News Network. Some of the headlines today?

--"Squash Prodigy Flees Taliban, Finds Refuge in Canada"
--"Coming Soon: Batteries That Run On (And Clean) Used Toilet Water"
--"Actor Ryan Gosling Stops Street Fight"
--"Art Blossoming Across Cairo Since Egyptian Uprising"

Not exactly compelling stuff. If I'm honest, I'm more interested in knowing whether or not Muammar Gaddafi has been shot. We're a sadistic society, and you don't have to try very hard to make that case.

But according to Bradley R.E. Wright's newest book, Upside, we're only focusing on the bad. We're negative when it comes to the world and the U.S. We're essentially a nation full of Chicken Little's. You don't have to search very long for some kind of television or radio personality who will tell you that the economy is in shambles, there are more poor and hungry than ever, our morality is going down the drain, and any other kind of diatribe that they decide to rail about that day.

In Wright's book, he cites some interesting statistics and drops an astounding dose of positivity. Some of the most fascinating chapters:

--We're not as bad off financially as we think. Poverty levels keep dropping. The percentage of Americans living below the poverty line in 2008 was 13.2%. Between 1915 and 1940 that same number bounced between 50 and 75. And it's not just the U.S. The percentage of people living below the poverty line in 1981 was 52%. Now it's 26%.

--We're not as dumb as we think. Yes, the rising cost of college tuition is a concern, but overall, literacy levels are increasing across the globe. A century ago, 75% of American adults only had a fifth grade education, and only 14% had gone to four years of high school. Now 85% of adults have a high school diploma.

--We're not as sick as we think. Infant mortality has dropped across the globe. Cancer victims survive longer. Only 25% of Americans smoke regularly, compared to 40% in the 1960's. Our cars are safer. This could be a long list, and was one of the more interesting chapters.

--We're not as violent as we think. The national homicide rate is about as low as it has ever been. There are annually six murders per 100,000 people. In the 1980's, that number was 10 per 100,000 people. Other violent crimes and burglary rates are also down.

Christians have a tendency to embrace this "Woe is me" outlook on life. Why? Because a large majority of Christians live their lives based on a "Left Behind" theology. Their thought is, Yes, the world is getting worse, but that's what the Bible says will happen and that means we're getting closer to heaven.

The unfortunate consequence of living this way is that it makes Christian more cliquish and secluded than we already are. We become an End of the World social club that doesn't care about the world we inhabit. We're like tenets who don't take care of rental property because at the end of the day, it's not ours. This attitude, of course, turns people off. Why would anyone want to be a part of an uncaring, elitist group like that?

This would usually lead us into an eschatological (end times) discussion, but this post is already running long. I can just say that we as Christians need to learn more about the book of Revelation and what it really means, instead of basing our theology on a bestselling fiction series. The Bible isn't negative and destructive. It's positive and constructive, moving a primitive culture full of violence toward redemption and hope.

Try to find the hope that permeates our world, and give the bad news a break.

Speaking Christianese

2011-07-28T16:34:00.003-05:00

As Christians we have a tendency to isolate ourselves into separate communities from the rest of the world, and the result is that we end up with our own "language." We have those catch-phrases and colloquialisms that only we understand. It's not wrong. It just happens. But it can be a little weird to outsiders who are interested in the Christian faith.

With that in mind, here's the Christianese to English Dictionary. I've divided it up into separate categories. If I missed something, leave your example in the comments.

Conservative Christianese

Traveling Mercies--Asking God to provide safety and comfort when you go on a trip.

That's Under the Blood--Don't worry about it. Forgive and forget.

Brother/Sister--That's just how you address people at a church that uses the KJV. I don't know why, but it's not creepy. It just means you're a member of the church. Anyone addressed as Mr. or Ms. or Mrs. isn't a member, or they don't attend regularly.

Witnessing--Telling people about Jesus, whether in your every day life or going door-to-door.

Testimony--This is where you stand up in church and tell everyone how you used to suck but now you found Jesus and go to church three times a week.

Emergent Christianese

Engage--It could be what the church does with the community, or the name of their youth program.

Accountability Partner--Someone to tell when you watched porn, who will then lovingly condemn you. Also called an accountabili-buddy.

Spiritual Gifts--Whatever you're good at in life. For instance, Dirk Nowitzki's gift is fall-away jumpshots, while Rachel Ray's is cooking with a husky voice.

Charismatic Christianese

Deliverance--Not the movie, but the idea is close. You get help from the demons that make you cheat on your taxes and eat that last piece of pie that you know your wife wanted. Sorry, by the way.

Tongues--The ability to speak gibberish while running around hysterically. Known to freak people out.

Soul-Ties--Truthfully, I'm not sure what this means. Instead of a definition, enjoy this video in honor of the late Randy "The Macho Man" Savage.

Do you have any definitions to add?

The Plank in My Eye

2011-07-19T19:26:00.004-05:00

I've been suffering from writer's block. Over the past couple of weeks I've started some posts that I thought were brilliant, then promptly scrapped them once I actually got to writing. These things happen, and I'll work through it.

Part of the reason might be a crisis of faith, though I wouldn't really call it that. At least not a crisis of faith in God. Maybe I'm just pissed at Christianity.

You see, I've got access to all of these Christian books. New ones, old ones, whatever it is, I can read it. By reading all of these books, I've shed a lot of ignorance. And you know what they say about ignorance being bliss. Well, I've lost all my bliss.

First, there was the book where the author was "all about coming at you hard." I don't know what that means, but it sounds ridiculous and a little sexual predatory-ish. Then there were two poorly researched books about hell. That was followed up by some commentaries who all interpreted a specific passage of scripture differently, the only similarity being that they were able to create inspirational crap out of insignificant details. Of course I can't forget about the book about the boy who went to heaven. People love that one. Unfortunately for me, I get to see all of the books published each year, so I know that about sixteen people go to heaven and back every year.

I could go on and on, but it would just be bitterness talking. And I don't want to be that way. I'm just sick of this pseudo-Jesus garbage that's being passed off as true Christianity. I'm tired of books being badges of popularity instead of a vehicle for communication. You don't read books to learn or be entertained in Christian pop culture. You read them so you can tell your friends that you read them. It's high school all over again, only now instead of hanging out by the lockers we hang out in the foyer, or atrium, or whatever your church calls it.

But I'm not going to rant about the people who read these books. I'm going to talk about the authors, too. I'm tired of your weak arguments, your lazy writing, and obvious pandering. I'm so incensed that I thought about writing an open letter (a favorite here on The Scandal), but the last time I did that I called Britney Spears a whore (I'll probably go ahead and write one, though). Most of you seem intent on creating a readership that knows you're right, and anyone that disagrees with you is going to hell. And just so you know, just because you call someone a brother when you damn them to hell doesn't make you merciful.

Pastors, you're not helping. Those recycled three-point sermons aren't getting through. I know people who listened to 100 sermons a year for fifteen years and still became drug dealers. Please understand that the tired methods that were successful in 1957 aren't working anymore. You can't be the next Billy Graham. Be you.

And what about me? Maybe I need to actually practice what I preach. I can't remember the last time I went to the food pantry, or gave money to someone who was in need. Not too big on reading the Bible, either. Prayer? I want to talk to God but I'm afraid 'cause we ain't spoke in so long.

We've got to stop being a culture, a club, or a society, and be the body of Christ. We've got to reach, to hear, to hold, to talk, to love, and help. We've got to put the books down and do something.

Bored in Big Church Part V

2011-07-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

This will be the last post in a series I've written addressing the shared sentiment of boredom amidst coming generations towards Big Church.

In the last post, I addressed solutions that will not work. These had either been tried and failed or were simply moronic. In this post, I would like to make a few suggestions to liven up Big Church.

Now, you can discredit me right off the bat. I was only in ministry for 2 years, so I lack sufficient experience being directly in that realm. I suggest to you that this is more of a breath of fresh air rather than a deterrent. I would like to think of myself as being rather in tune with the mindset of my generation, as well as that of coming generations. So, you can take them as you will.

1. Don't Preach: I love lectures. I am in the minority when I say that, but even I can only stand so much. I love God, too. But there is absolutely nothing appealing about waking up on my day off to go listen to a lecture I've probably heard several times over. As the lecture has lost is effectiveness in education so has the sermon lost it's effectiveness in Christianity.

Instead: The brain is a fascinating thing. While you may engage the audience for a whole sermon, it is unlikely that this is apt to occur each week. Though, I understand it is not you, but God speaking through you, I would go so far to say that we should not limit the means with which God will affect his people, nor believe that there is one way for him to work on Sunday mornings. There are several activities that will engage a congregations and spare them the boredom of a sermon. Church's are incorporating them, and they are beautiful experiences. Activities demand your congregates to be active, therefore their brains are prone to being shaped by their actions. Why activities? Christianity is an active religion, or so it seems when I read scriptures. For far too long we've used the excuse: Church is a place to be filled up, so you can go into the world. We have warped Church into a passive event to attend. Take the chance, come up with something, even if you fail it will be more effective than falling back in line.

2. Throw out Tradition: While this somewhat involves the other suggestion, I could specify by saying, two songs, howdy and hugging time, scripture reading, two songs, sermon, benediction, needs to go out the window. Now, I don't mean turn wholly into some spastic charismatic type hootin' and hollerin' saying your led by the spirit, but really seek the spirit to guide this time. What if he called you to take your flock to the orphanage to serve breakfast, or the homeless shelter with blankets. What if He called your to take your congregates to the nursing home to converse with the forgotten or the local park for a clean-up.

I know, I know we can do these things without throwing Big Church out. We organize them to occur outside of Sunday morning. But be honest. How many people show up? Exactly. Ultimately, people don't want to be entertained, they don't want to be a nameless face, they want something real and relevant. God has never been made real to me by a sermon. He has never been made relevant by a song. He is made real when I answer the calling and relevant when I do his will. I think the Big Church should be an invitation for us to come and answer the call and do. This idea encompasses so many of the traditions one would think would cease, but they are rather left for us to address at a personal level.

People like routine, it's true. But routine is predictable, safe. My God, my religion is not. Leave the Church Building. The Church should be empty on Sunday, literally, because the Church is out in the world where it should be. If we break this tradition that we've convinced ourselves is somehow right, then we become a force, rather than an immovable object.

That's it. I know these don't seem like much, but I believe that any tweak to the surface of a service is arbitrary. We have got to get to the depth of this problem. These things were once avenues for a living God to be trafficked amongst the masses, but the infrastructure is damaged beyond all repair. A new means for God to express himself to his people is being demanded.

Bored in Big Church Part IV

2011-07-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

In this series of posts I have been examining the shared sentiment of boredom amidst the coming generations towards Big Church.

In my last post, I addressed rebuttals to my second post. In this post I want to propose common strategies I've seen Church's take to approach this problem and tell you why they are ineffective or simply miss the point.

Glits and Glamour:
In a past life, and even sometimes now, I was addicted to making fun of the Ed Hardy pastors who looked like they were ready to step into an octagon and put me in a guillotine headlock. Those tight t-shirts were/are just silly. But the idea behind the the bedazzled shirts and shoes was/is infiltrating the whole service. The lights were so bright and sporadic that you would mistake a seizure for a jesus experience. The music is blared loud. The people on stage are so perfect they look like they should have an AE reality show about them. All of this is a veneer. While being relevant is a good thing, these are petty attempts that only lead to churches looking relevant and posing as an ambiguous and confused collection of people.

Cultural Trends:
I know right, the last section seemed to hit this on the head, but I have more. Churches tweet, pastors want you to like them on Facebook, and the Worship Band posts their songs on myspace(does anybody use that anymore?). It gets a bit ridiculous. For the most part it's fine. It's trendy, but it's also relevant to our generation, but when it gets to the point where the whole of a sunday morning is around wanted followers and twatters and whatnots, and detracts congregates focus then it misses the point.

Definition/Names:
In case you haven't noticed it has suddenly become cool to take the denomination out of a church's name, and give it a trendy name like cleft or some funky sounding greek name like Eudaimonia. I'm not sure who thought this was a good idea. For some reason it draws people, and that's good, that's kind of their reason for being, but I'm afraid these seminarians have begun to believe that their congregates are buffoons. A baptist church is a baptist church and a name change isn't going to change that. Deep down these places probably have good intentions, but Chad Johnson is still Chad Johnson and Ron Artest will always be Ron Artest. Ochocinco and Metta World Peace don't change anything.

Social Issues:
This is an interesting venture to observe for most churches. I like it. My generation and the coming generations like it as well, but the approach that churches are taking make us leery. Some places seem to be involved for the attention that they can claim from their participation, and others seem to be doing what they do out of a true generosity of heart. We can tell the difference. However, for the most part these involvements feel detached. Only a select few will get to go dig wells, and soup kitchens are scheduled on days other than Sunday. Perhaps the foreign social issues churches get involved in should be brought to the forefront and those local opportunities to serve should be accessible to those whose day off is Sunday.

Just a few thoughts, any thoughts?

Miracles

2011-07-06T22:20:00.003-05:00

Do you believe in miracles?

If you're Christian, you have to. It's pretty much a non-negotiable. The Bible is full of miracles, and the whole foundation of our belief is based on an incredible miracle--a dead man coming back to life.

The only problem with this is that I've never seen a complete and total miracle. Sure, there have been instances where I'm sure God was there. I'd even call it a miracle, but I could see how others would be able to explain it away. My wife had a heart attack almost two years ago, and the fact that she is alive is amazing. Thanks to an incredible amount of good things happening, she made a full recovery from a cardiac arrest that kills 88% of people. I completely believe that God had his hand in every one of those things, and he is the reason she is alive today. But I can also see how someone who doesn't believe in God would just call it circumstance, and tell me that she was lucky and the doctors were skilled.

I've heard second-hand accounts of strange things that happen, and I've seen some things that surprised me, but I've never seen something I couldn't explain. I've never seen a large body of water part so I could walk across. I've never seen water turned into wine. I've never seen a storm calmed with words.

When asked what would make them believe in God, most atheists respond that it would take a miracle. The Bible is full of miracles, yet most people alive today have never seen one. Why is that? Is God out of the miracle business?

There's a place in the Bible where Jesus says to the disciples, "Blessed are you because you see and believe. How much more blessed are those who do not see yet still believe." Maybe that has something to do with it. Maybe God isn't in the business of proving that he exists.

I wonder what it would be like for me if I did see a true miracle. What would I be like afterwards? If you were truly given absolute proof of God's existence, would you need faith? Or would that dissolve? Perhaps there is something after faith.

This post has just led me to more questions, and I'm not sure where I'm going with them. I guess the easiest thing to say is that it would be nice if God would just give me a burning bush. Maybe he has and I was just too busy to notice it.

I know this: Jesus was supposed to be God in the flesh, and he was very understated. He didn't exactly go around screaming to everyone that he was Creator of the universe. He didn't produce miracles on demand, and when he did perform them, he often told everyone to keep it a secret. If Jesus is our best example of God, then we shouldn't expect God to turn the sky red and part oceans all the time.

Maybe he's the God of subtlety.

Who Loves You?

2011-07-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

In the gospel of John, the author identifies himself throughout the entire book only in this way: "The disciple who Jesus loved." There's no "I" or "me." Over and over again, "the disciple who Jesus loved."

Author Brennan Manning asks what our lives would be if that was how we identified ourselves. Instead of measuring our worth by money, success, or popularity, what if we judged our value by Jesus' love?

I started thinking about this recently. What if I thought differently about myself? Instead of being just Ben, I could be these things:

--The one who Julie loves. My wife thinks enough of me to spend the rest of her life with me, laughs at my jokes, and makes me dinner. She is a part of me, and part of my success.

--The one who Connor and Grayson love. They are my step-sons, but so much more than that. They are my fellow Mavericks and Rangers fans, my basketball buddies, and the ones I turn to when I need to rough-house a little. They are a part of me, and part of my success.

--The one who Richard and Serita love. These are the people who gave up so much for me--money, time, and a lot of sleep. They've always supported me, and always thought that I was the greatest son in the world. They are a part of me, and part of my success.

--The one who my friends love. There are too many to name, but I am grateful for them. They are always there for me, and always willing to put up with my crap. My family has to stick around for it, but they don't. Still they keep coming back. They are a part of me, and part of my success.

--The one who Jesus loves. He lived for me, and died for me. I don't always understand how to follow him, but I do know that he doesn't care how many times I slip and fall along the way. He is a part of me, and part of my success.

Who loves you?

New Blogs

2011-07-04T10:29:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to tell everyone about a couple of new blogs I've started:

How to Be a Lousy Boss-- http://lousyboss.blogspot.com

This one's pretty obvious: it's about lousy bosses. You can go here to read crazy stories about the workplace, and even submit your own.

Christian Retail Rants-- http://christianretailrants.blogspot.com

I work in a Christian bookstore, and you wouldn't believe the weird stuff I get to experience everyday. I figured I might as well write about it.

The Cheap Seats Report-- http://cheapseatsreport.blogspot.com

This is my third attempt at a sports blog. Hopefully this one will stick. It will be more commentary than news.

The Humble Way-- http://thehumbleway.blogspot.com

This is a blog I've had for a while. If you're interested in more theological topics, that's where I blog about them.

What the Hell?

2011-06-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”
--William Shakespeare

It seems like the Western Christian community has stood up with a loud voice and proclaimed: "Hell, yes!"

The Southern Baptist Convention recently passed a resolution stating that hell is "eternal, conscious punishment." This is, of course, in reaction to Rob Bell's book Love Wins. In fact, it seems like Christians are coming out of the wood-works to support the traditional idea of hell.

Francis Chan, author of the wildly successful Crazy Love, is releasing his own book on hell this Tuesday, the aptly named Erasing Hell. The book will fair well: this is Chan's first release in a couple of years, and he's discussing a hot button issue (sorry, I couldn't resist the pun). But Erasing Hell is just the first in a long line of rebuttals to Bell. God Wins will release in August, as well as numerous other books from small publishers and vanity presses.

It seems like hell is the topic of the year. Why?

I guess you could start with the soteriology of the issue. Soteriology is a fancy word for "salvation". Salvation is a fancy word for "this world is screwed up pretty badly and some days the sickness and pain is too much for me and all I want to do is curl up and die, someone please save me."

A lot of people are worried that if there's no hell, there's no consequence for our sin. If you go to heaven after you die no matter what, there's no incentive to follow Jesus. These people feel that the entire story of Christianity falls apart without hell. If you don't need saving, there's no need for a Savior.

Then there's the question of hell itself. Do people burn there forever in torment? Or are they just completely annihilated, forever destroyed? I guess this is significant, too. If you don't care about being destroyed at the end of your life, you don't need a Savior.

This hell thing is complicated, whether we want to admit it or not. It's a lot too complicated to discuss in one short blog entry. There's a lot of history, theology, and philosophy involved. But I wasn't trying to explain it. I'm curious as to why the topic is being so furiously debated now, as opposed to fifty years ago or ten years from now. William Sunday said, “If there is no hell, a good many preachers are obtaining money under false pretenses.” I think the answer lies in his surprisingly wise statement.

Let me tell you about myself, and my generation. We have seen thousands and thousands of people die, and we have watched it on live television. We saw the Twin Towers crumple to the ground, and then we learned that the man who orchestrated that devastation was once supplied by the U.S. We learned about how corrupt our politicians actually are. We learned that we can't make anyone our hero, because eventually they will disappoint us. We are cynical, we are jaded, and we are suspicious.

We have seen that same corruption spread to the church. We have seen thousands manipulated to give money to pastors who use those precious dollars to make themselves rich. We have seen greed, sex, and power spread throughout Christianity like a disease. We know that they use fear to paralyze us, to use us for their own advantage.

So we see hell as yet another tool on their belt. It's a good way to get an emotional response. In the hands of a skilled orator, hell can be used to start a revolution, to change a church and everyone in it. We've seen it done, and it's disgusting. That's why we question everything. This time we live in is flush with information, and it has both positive and negative effects.

Please understand that some of us will believe in hell, and some of us won't. But believing in hell isn't necessary for salvation. Jesus said that he is the truth, and he is the way. That is what this generation will hang its faith on. We will believe in Jesus, and leave the semantics to the stylish pastors. We will believe that love wins, God wins, and hell will be erased.

How To Pray For Your Favorite Team

2011-06-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm going to be honest--I prayed for the Dallas Mavericks to win. I wanted it to happen badly. I've been there through the years, and watched every single playoff disappointment. For the past six years, I've watched about 60-70 games a year. While you're watching American Idol, Survivor, and The Office, I'm watching Dirk drain that jumpshot from the elbow. It's my reality show.

He's been this good for years, and he's been a good guy for the same amount of time. So I wanted something good to happen for him. I was tired of everyone saying, "Dirk's a great player, but....."

Then you add the fact that they were playing against the Miami Heat, a team that has three superstars who are scared to try to win a championship on their own. They couldn't take the pressure of leading a team full of nobodies to places those nobodies had ever been. If Miami had won, there would be no way I could tell my kids that winning isn't everything, and sacrificing for others is the right thing to do.

So you could say I was a little more emotionally involved than the average fan.

There was a stretch in the fourth quarter of a game (I can't even remember which, to tell you the truth) where the Mavericks were down by nine and the game looked like it was slipping away. I started to get that feeling in the pit of my stomach. It's that feeling that Dallas fans of all sports are familiar with.

Then I just started praying. It wasn't one of those quick, easy prayers like "God, please let them win!" There was no bargaining. I didn't promise God that I would go to church more if the Mavs won. I just sincerely prayed that they would win. It was one of the most honest, heartfelt prayers I have ever uttered.

To my surprise, they won. And they won again. And again. You know the rest of the story.

It made me think about prayer. I've always thought that praying for sports was ridiculous. It's just a game. I'm not sure how much God would actually care who won between the Mavericks and the Heat. Besides, even if I prayed, there's probably someone praying for the Heat to win, and that would cancel out my prayer.

Maybe the Mavericks won because more Mavs fans prayed than Heat fans. But if that's the case, then prayer is some kind of voting system, much like the aforementioned American Idol, and I don't think it works that way. Certainly cancer would be gone, because I'm sure everyone would vote for a cure.

Then I remembered Sunday school as a kid. My mom and various teachers always told me that I should pray to God and ask him for anything, no matter how big or small it was. Even if other people thought our concerns were insignificant, God took them seriously. Maybe they were right. Maybe God did care about who won a basketball game. But if there was a Heat fan somewhere praying sincerely, wouldn't God care about his request, too?

I say all this because I feel absolutely foolish for praying for a sporting event. But it also made me think about prayer--the way it works, and the way it doesn't. If the Mavs had lost that game, would it have made me doubt God? There have been times in my life when I prayed for things much more serious than a basketball game and they never happened. There have also been times of life and death that I have prayed, and I have seen good things happen.

I've learned that prayer isn't about wins or losses, success or failure. The results matter, but we can only see a little of what is going on in life.

Maybe prayer is getting closer to God, one conversation at a time. And occasionally he'll toss you a bone and show you a miracle, like the picture above.

I'm glad that we can pray, and I'm glad that this summer, God was Rowdy, Proud, and Loud.

Bored in Big Church Part III

2011-06-25T08:00:00.002-05:00

In what has turned out to be a series of blogs, I have been discussing the shared sentiment of boredom amidst coming generations with Big Church.

In my last post, I paralleled the causes of boredom in Big Church with similar causes felt by students in School.

Now, I would like to address contrasts that arose from reflection on my last post.
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It's Not What You Know But Who

2011-06-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

How well do we know God?

Having grown up in the church I have had countless opportunities to learn about God. Sunday school has been offered most every week, as a kid vacation bible school was offered in the summer, there are Bible classes, and for some there is seminary. Growing up in the church we are inundated with God and who he is.

Yet after years of learning who God is, how well do we really know him?

We may be able to quote everything Jesus said or know how God reacted to every situation, yet still not know God.

There is a difference in knowing someone and knowing of someone.

We know our favorite athletes, musicians, actors or actresses, but only the details of their lives, not who they are personally. Then there is our spouse, our children or our best friend. We know them inside and out, what makes them tick and all the funny quirks about them. We know them on a more intimate and personal level. We go below the surface and add depth to the relationship. And how do we come to know our friends and family so well? We take an interest in their lives and spend time with them. We get to know them.

So why should it be any different when it comes to God?

J.I. Packer in Knowing God says, “What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we set ourselves in life? To know God. What is the “eternal life” that Jesus gives? Knowledge of God.”

The Bible and books about God help us come to know about him and the characteristics he possesses, but it’s when we allow those principles and attributes to take root in our hearts and spend time communicating with God in prayer that we come to know him on a deeper level.

We’re not going for book smarts about God (though it’s nice to have); we’re going for a come into my life and rule in my heart type of relationship with God.

The Pharisees knew much about God, yet their hearts were far from him (Matt.15:8). As we obtain knowledge about God, let’s make sure it doesn’t remain just knowledge but a knowledge that helps us grow in our relationship with God.

Bored in Big Church Part II

2011-06-21T08:00:00.005-05:00

In my previous post I concluded by asking the introspective question:

Why is Big Church so Boring?

I made sure to use the word introspection because I am assuming that while I may have problems with the way church's are conducted, there may also be some problems with myself as well.

Again, let me point out that I am differentiating Little Church (i.e., Sunday School, Small Groups, Bible Studies) from Big Church or Sunday Worship Services.

As I pondered this question, the comparison between School and Church arose naturally. I see a clear parallel with Big Church and a classroom, the faithful and students, the scriptures and curriculum, preachers and teachers. The fact that both of these institutions face the problem of boredom only furthered my thinking.
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5 for 5: Books That Caused Doubt

2011-06-19T08:00:00.047-05:00

Books can change us. One of the greatest avenues of change in my life has been doubt. So, I have compiled a list of 5 books that has planted a seed of doubt that caused me to question and eventually be changed. What books have you read that caused you to doubt and eventually change?

Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala

I was going on a mission trip to save the heathens in Boston, and while I was in the airport I saw this book glaring at me from the bookstore outside of my gate. I snatched it up and had it read before I landed.

This book follows Agu's journey as he is taken from his family and forced to be a child soldier in an unnamed country in Africa. Before the people at Invisible Children brought a light to the masses, Iweala had already told the story.

I have never read a book more disturbingly detailed with sheer evil than Beasts of No Nation. And this is why it caused me to doubt my faith. I knew evil existed in people like Hitler and Manson, but having a character like Commandant come to life brought about an unexplainable example of an evil that I've wrestled with for years.

A Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut

A Man Without a Country is the closest thing to a memoir that you will get from Vonnegut. Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of Vonnegut's fiction. Though I respect his writing ability; they're not my style.

Within the pages of this book there is truth. Vonnegut was a righteous atheist who passionately articulates a view that many need to be slapped in the face with; dig into this book and come away with a red cheek or two.

Vonnegut is witty and wordy, and his reasoning appeals to me. So as I read this book, I began to connect with Vonnegut and his anti-religious sentiment. He caused me to examine the bad religion has caused in the world, and it's difficult to balance it out with good. I can't say I have dealt completely with the doubt this book evoked.

The Flight of Peter Fromm by Martin Gardener

The Flight of Peter Fromm is a novel that commingles the coming of age with the fall from grace of the book's namesake, Peter Fromm.

A buddy of mine, who was going to seminary, was required to read this book by his Apologetics professor; he in turn suggested it to me. I checked it out of the library, but I could not get into it. Two years later, I ran across it in a bargain store, and snatched it up, and I've never been the same.

While the story is ultimately drenched in modern and post-modern thought, and liberal protestantism, it is inspiring in the sense that it displays a relatable character who takes his faith into his own hands rather than allowing it to reside in the hands of his supposed superiors, and it drives him to the point of insanity. This book challenged my faith and caused me to doubt by first, examining oft forgotten ideas in protestantism, and secondly presenting a character who was so similar to myself that his journey, for a while, became my own.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

When I was a senior I was asked to do a book report on any book in the library. By mere happenstance, I chose this book. It forever changed my life.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is by the pretentious and snooty Oscar Wilde. The story is seeping with homoerotic nuances and written in an elitist voice, but it ultimately hits on the universal question of facing one's own mortality and the duality of man, man.

This book caused me to doubt the possibility of eternity, and this opened up a can of doubt-worms.

Stoner by John Williams

Stoner is by far the most well written novel I have read thus far in my life. Not only is it well written, but the story is simple yet engaging causing one to continually turn the pages.

Stoner wrestles with the question of what gives life worth. Jobs, social status, spouse, children? What do we take on in order to satisfy our deepest needs? Though you will get no religious answer from this book, it is brimming with questions that make you face the person in the mirror and answer some hard questions.

This book will cause you to doubt your pursuits in life, question whether your pursuits are in vain, and examine the arbitrary areas of your existence.

Your turn.

Bored in Big Church Part I

2011-06-17T08:00:00.004-05:00

I have always differentiated Sunday School from Sunday Worship Services by referring to the first as Little Church and the latter as Big Church.

Little Church has been enjoyable for me over the years. When I was young I got to color fascinating scenes from the scripture: Daniel and the Lion's Den and Jonah and the Whale. Even if I colored outside the lines, it was okay because that picture was probably going up on the class board or on Mom's fridge. When I got older, the activities advanced as well. We acted out the story of the Good Samaritan or used puppets to reenact the Nativity story, and I got to speak in silly voices.
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