Rick Warren’s Inauguration Invocation

Well regardless of your political viewpoint today was one of the most historic days in American history as the first African-American was elected to be President of the United States. I'll share openly that I didn't vote for Obama, but inactuality I almost didn't vote at all. An very non-partisan interview from Mike Huckabee from the day before the election was what ultimately found me in the voter's booth. However, I can recognize the significance of this for America and Americans as a people.

One of the hotly contested pre-inaugural topics was Pastor Rick Warren choosing to give the opening prayer (invocation) at the ceremony. Those in the liberal camp were upset over his support of California's Proposition 8 (banning gay marriage) and those in Christian circles were upset that Warren would even choose to associate himself with someone who is at the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of the "norm" for "Christian" politics.

This all saddened me. Firstly, because the same people who try to speak of tolerance towards people of other viewpoints were now coming down hard against someone who held a different view than them. It always amazes me how some of the "tolerant" can be so intolerant. We've been hearing all this time that President Obama's election is one that bridges gaps. If that's true, why are you trying to stop him from bridging one?

... but you know what really saddens me? The Christians who were up in arms over Warren's acceptance of this invitation. Why are we so upset? Rick Warren has been invited to ask God's blessing over our new president. Sure some of the policies he's bound to enact are probably going to be contradictory to our beliefs, but does that mean that we should refuse to pray or that any Christian (Warren or not) she refuse to offer God's blessing and guidance over the man as he is put into office?

Christians love to forsake things. I've been noticing this more and more in different areas, but it's definitely applicable here. We love to say "Nope. That's not for us" and cast it away. Isn't our God in the business of redemption? Aren't we His ambassadors? Are you seeing where this inevitably must lead us?

I'm not saying anyone should fall in love with Obama. We need to have a sober image and understanding of all our leaders (whether we agree with them or not). What I am saying is that neither Barack Obama nor this country can afford the people of God not praying for our new president.

Here We Go!

Last night I got home from our church's prayer service with about 5 minutes left in the second quarter. Much to my excite the Steelers were up 13-0. The Steeler fight song was already ringing in my head. Of course, the Ravens would go on to score a couple of touchdowns. The Steelers adding a field goal made it a 16-14 game. Until... Troy P0lamalu with the touchdown! There was so more action, but that basically sealed the deal.

Growing up my memories of the Steelers all involved losing in AFC title games. We'd be one win away, but just couldn't seem to get over the hump. Since then I've seen the Steelers make it to and win the Super Bowl in 2005 and now again in the 2008 season. The culture & idea of always "losing the big one" is starting to change.

So here's the thought that's been rolling around in my mind lately. Is this beginning to have the same feeling that the 70's had? Your first inclination might be to say no and I want to bet that that is in part because they won 5 Super Bowls in that area, but just stop to think... What if '05 was the first & '08 is the second of another similar run?

The Wal-Mart Stare (Love) Down

I had to go to Wal-Mart earlier today to pick up some soup & deoderant (yes, I always make Wal-Mart runs with bizarre shopping lists).  When I was walking through Wal-Mart I noticed a woman walking towards me. It was in that moment I began to see a common thread. In my youth group lesson series, our new Sunday morning sermon series, and even the DVD we watched last night at Board Meeting there is this underlying common theme. Love.

God wants us to have a relationship with Him because He loves us. We're to reach out to the people who are hard to reach because God loves them! We're to unpack the garbage from our past that keeps us locked up (and help others to) because God loves us!

My mind raced as This woman and I approached each other withour shopping carts from opposite sides of the aisle. Did she know that Jesus loved her and just wanted her to rest in that love with any doubts, fears, and hurts (even doubts and fears about Him!) that she may have. Soon her eyes met mine and I realized what an awkward moment this was so I simply offered a smile and a hello.

Then I couldn't stop! Every person I passed I looked at wondering if they knew, wondered if they felt the longing of their Creator just to... be with them. Each time I offered a smile and a hello. Sometimes they were returned sometimes I was completely snubbed. I ended up spending about 20 minutes longer in Wal-Mart than I had to!

My hope is that somewhere in that smile and hello they caught a glimpse of Jesus (and hopefully I didn't have anything stuck in my teeth!). Yet at the same time I know that the smile and hello simply wasn't enough. Even if I had walked up to everyone and said emphatically "Jesus loves you!" It probably wouldn't be enough...

What am I going to do (and what are you going to do) to show a world that our God, their God, loves them. . . ?

Top 10 Albums & Songs of the Year

Recently submitted my top albums and songs of 2008 for the JesusFreakHideout.com staff picks. All of the selections had to be released in 2008. There were a couple of CDs (like Fee's "We Shine") that would have been somewhere at the top of my list, but they were actually released earlier. Regardless there were some pretty awesome releases this year. I've been pleasantly surprised by a few (while disappointed by a few others, but that's another story).

I'll give you a taste of my selections, but be sure to check out JesusFreakHideout.com for all my picks as well as everyone else's!

Top Albums
6. We Need Each Other, Sanctus Real
7. Opposite Way, Leeland
8. Ending Is Beginning, Downhere
9. A New Hallelujah, Michael W. Smith
10. Children 18:3, Children 18:3

Top Songs
6. "The Disease & The Cure," Kutless
7. "Liar," Disciple
8. "Even Sleeping," Children 18:3
9. "Count Me In," Leeland
10. "Slow Down," Third Day

EXTREMISTS!

This past Sunday I got to preach during our weekly worship service. My topic was faith and being "ordinary people with ordinary faith or ordinary people with enough faith to do the things that should be ordinary for followers of Jesus." The title of the sermon was "Senseless Living" because living like that sure does seem pretty crazy to those who aren't following Jesus.

Anyway I had a lot of great notes and quotes. There was one thought that I just couldn't seem to fit into my sermon, but was so good. It's a thought that Shane Claiborne mentions in his book "Jesus For President." He asks, "Where are the extremists for grace and love?"

"Extremist" is a word used a lot considering the culture. We most often think of Islamic Extremists, which is a phrase that has become synonymous with terrorist, but you know what... the phrase Christian Extremist has pretty much become the same thing. Think about it, whenever anyone is talking about a Christian extremist your mind first goes to those people who blow up abortion clinics. What's with that?

I know we live in a culture where the negative gets much more attention than the positive, but the sad thing is that I don't think it even sounds shocking anymore when you hear that a Christian blew up an abortion clinic. Shouldn't Christians be known for choosing to love and offer grace to such extremes that it outweighs the negative?

Where are all the extremists for love and grace?

Smellin' French Fries

Have you ever been driving down the road, your thoughts being neither here nor there, and then it hits you. Instantly you're reminded that you're hungry and what you're hungry for. That's right... It's McDonald's french fries. As you see the golden arches just up ahead you know that those french fries are just what you need, but one look at the clock tells you that you don't have time to consider this little endeavor any further.. and you cruise past. Ten minutes later, you still have that rumble in your stomach but the thought of those fries is gone.

Often it's like that for me and having a clear vision. I can talk about my vision for my ministry in broad, sweeping strokes. However, the nuts and bolts of that vision are fleeting. They'll gently waft into my head (like the smell of french fries), but when the time comes to start putting it down and working it out those specific concepts, dreams, and ideas (the french fries) just aren't there.

It's something that I need to get better at. It's something I'm trying to get better at. It's something a lot of Christians need to get better at. We talk about seeing people come to Christ. We talk about changing culture. We talk about making the world a better place, but how do we do that? Our instincts usually come up with something like "Pray more and try harder." How... ineffective.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking prayer, but God doesn't want us to just have a seat and pray for Him to take care of it. He wants us to pray for a vision, for a plan, and then go get it. He's a God who has asked us to join Him in His mission.

One of my favorite quotes comes from a video for a book called "The Vision & The Vow." It says "They work as if it all depended on them, and pray because it all depends on God."

... but it's all for not without clear vision and a clear plan. Maybe it's time for us (me) to stop throwing our prayers at lofty abstract dreams and rather pray for God to give us a clear vision and a clear plan... with a side of fries.

The Christian's Homosexual Agenda

Christians do a bad job of handling and addressing homosexualty. We’ve earned the title of Gay-haters and Homophobes. Stop to think about this... The followers of Jesus, the man who loved everyone and chose to regardless of their station, have become known as a people who hate a certain group of people.

This past Wednesday, my youth group discussed homosexualty. It was awesome to see the teens wrestling with the topic and asking good questions. A night like that will always put a smile on my face for the next week because I know they’re truly engaged. Actually, they had so many questions and the discussion was so good that we’re going to go with it for one more night next week.

The Bible is clear on the fact that homosexualty is a sin. Christians don’t agree with the homosexual lifestyle, but that doesn’t mean we are to look down upon anyone, persecute anyone, and certainly not hate anyone. We’re to love people as Jesus did. We accomplish nothing by trying to tell someone that our God says their lifestyle is wrong when we haven’t shared the love of Christ with them.

Two things to note here....
1. The topic of Gay Marriage is seperate from this, at least as far as I’m concerned, so none of this refers to that.
2. The Bible teaches not to judge, but the Bible also teaches that when you see a Christian who is living contrary to scripture, you’re supposed to tell them about it and help them.

I know the topic of homosexualty is a controversial one in today’s culture and it wouldn’t surprise me to catch some flack on this blog, but I’m a Chrisitan who firmly believes in scripture and thus firmly believe that Christians have earned themselves a title they never should have.

Chrisitans need to learn how to engage the homosexual community in new ways to convey the love of Christ and understand how to handle homosexualty in our congregations. The mandate to share the love of Christ and make disciples of all nations includes everyone.

What Were You Thinking?

Do you ever watch those funny home video TV shows? I do every now and again. They’re always good for a few laughs. Those people get themselves into some pretty crazy situations. There’s usually a setup where Bubba’s wife, who is filming the whole escapade, is explaining that her dear husband is about to jump out of a tree, onto their children’s trampoline, and hope to land on the roof of their house. At this point I find myself yelling at the TV, "What are you thinking?!"

I’ve reached points in my prayer life in which I’ve found myself asking Jesus that very same question for very different reasons. He is the Son of God. He was there and participated in the very formation of this universe. Angels are at His command and demons tremble at the slightest mention of His name. He is Alpha and Omega. His name is faithful and true!

I’m just a guy. I’m a guy who has been known to drop the ball on the winning shot. I’ve been known to be a rebel. I’m a guy who struggles with and fights through the things He asks of me. I don’t always make the right decisions. I’m just a guy... and you died for me.

Jesus, My God.... Jesus, my Love... what were you thinking? Every time I ask that question, the answer comes back the same. It’s me. He was thinking about me. His love for me pushes Him to the point of doing whatever it took, no matter the cost, to form a real, loving relationship with me. I don’t know that I’ll ever get my mind around that...

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. - 1 John 3:16a (NIV)

Today's Apologist

"What is collected is deposited with the president, who gives aid to the orphans and widows and such as are in want by reason of sickness or other cause; and to those also that are in prison, and to strangers from abroad, in fact to all that are in need he is a protector."
Justin Martyr (Apology I, 150 AD)

By the second century, Christianity had spread rapidly. The good news that Jesus brought with Him went against much of what was prevalent in culture. The love for those in need, the call to genuine holy living, and salvation for all were not common and in some cases not popular ideas. Thus rumors would start to spread. To listen to the word of the day was to believe that a Christian gathering mainly consisted of a cannibalistic meal with some incestuous orgies on the side.

To combat the lies, a group of men began to write against such claims. They become known as "apologists." They sought to prove that it wasn’t possible for Christianity to be this way since the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles clearly taught against such practices! They defended their faith with the best tool they had available... their pen.

When you think about it, today’s world isn’t all that different from back then. Lots of things are claimed about Christianity that are contrary to the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles. However the difference is that in many cases... they are true. "Half-hearted" and "lukewarm" Christians do the faith no favors. To watch the lives of many Christians would give you the impression that this once counter-cultural faith has somehow assimilated itself to what is common. To read the Bible would be to conclude that Christianity has many hypocrites and few faithful.

Friends, we are once again being called to take up defense of our faith. Rather than a pen, the tool of the time is our lives and actions. Don’t just read it, don’t just say it, and don’t just listen to it in church. Live a life that imitates Jesus. Today words in defense of our faith fall on deaf ears because our lives don’t match. We’ve got to show it to them.

Apologetics have played a role in much of church history. There would be some that claim it has no place today. On the contrary, we live in a world that is spiritually hungry and seek truth. When they look at us, all they see is ... us. Let’s once again take up the cause of proving the true depths of what we believe by living the life Jesus calls us to.

"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
James 2:17

Christian Retirement

The following was something that I wrote for a class I took a couple of weekends ago. The assignment was to write a devotional based on a song that would deal with one of the tenets of the Free Methodist Church. The song that accompanied this writing was "Wholly Yours" by David Crowder Band.

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I like to be lazy. I know... hard to believe, but true. My favorite days are the ones where I don't have to set my alarm clock. I spend the day flipping the TV channels, cruising around on the internet, or reading a book. Those days are great! Although more often than not, I'm kicking myself the next day for the responsibilities that I neglected the day before.


It's that way in our spiritual lives too. We're taught from day one that we can do nothing to earn our salvation. That's the best news, but after awhile we end up getting spiritually lazy. We're physically in church on Sundays but hardly ever mentally and spiritually. God doesn't enter our mind most days and the people we encounter on a daily basis don't even know we're Christians! Rather than experiencing the freedom of God's salvation, we experience a freedom more akin to Christian "retirement."

This is not the life God has in mind for us. We're called to an active life of faith and growth. God calls us to live a holy life! In the Bible we see seraphs flying around God exclaiming "Holy, Holy, Holy," we sing songs every Sunday about how holy and awesome God is... and then God reaches His hand down and says "Holy... that's the life I want for you!" ... but we don't buy it. We make excuses. We say, "but I'm only human." We choose a lifetime of tumult with sin...

However, we see God calling us to this life all throughout scripture. He wants us to live holy, pure, and blameless lives that have victory over sin. He wants us to live a life that is completely submitted to Him. He wants our lives to be wholly His... and thus holy. It might sound completely impossible to you, but the God of the universe is telling us that if we work alongside Him in this process, He'll do it! I don't know about you, but that's a hard deal for me to pass up.

Get the monkey off your back. We can live in true freedom. It's not going to come quickly nor easily... but we're not alone...

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. - 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (NIV)