Barnabas's Blog

Are Sports as Worthy as the Arts?

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:49:27 PDT

From my weekly article at WorldMag.com:

A few weeks ago I was a guest on Desiring God’s Behind the Blog podcast, where we talked about sports and Christianity. I was asked whether sports are of less value than the arts because of all the formulated rules inherent in these mere games? In other words, are sports phony or contrived man-made ventures less worthy of thought and energy than the arts.

All creative endeavors, at least the good ones, have rules and limitations. Painters have a color palette and a medium in which they work, whether it is oil or watercolors, canvas or a mural on a wall. Sculptors use particular tools and a finite amount of material, such as a single block of stone or wood. Writers have word counts and chapter breaks and grammatical rules. Poets have meter and form. Musicians have notes and measures. And all of them have a genre or style to guide and shape their work—or limit it if you choose to see it that way.

. . .

The same applies to the world of sports. The boundaries on a field or court create a space, and the rules of the game eliminate anarchy. It is within this framework that great athletes are free to express beauty and power and majesty.

. . .

You can read the full article HERE:

Timeless inspiration for writers.

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Thu, 23 May 2013 06:45:00 PDT

We've got ourselves a writer here!

I'm finishing up the manuscript for a book about being a PK. I ran across this timeless bit of inspiration from the late, great Chris Farley. It is just what I needed. May you be as inspired by it as I was.

When authenticity trumps godliness

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:06:55 PDT

A couple weeks ago I got an email from a friend with an observation about some of the conversations he had heard on the podcast I co-host. He commented:

There seems to be an underlying assumption in every podcast that "realness" is good and "fakeness" (whatever that is) is bad. . . The main point is, our generation is infatuated with realness and authenticity. The only problem is, realness is often times simply an expression of the sinful nature.

His point was well-taken. It is dangerous to make the leap to equating authenticity with goodness rather than keeping godliness as the standard for goodness. It was such a good point, in fact, that we decided it was worth it's own conversation on the podcast. Here are some of the questions we discuss?

- Does authenticity mean spewing at the mouth about every thought, opinion, or emotion?
- What happens if you are an authentic jerk?
- How do we decide how real or authentic to be in different relationships?
- What's the deal with church small groups expecting total exposure of heart and life?
- Is authenticity authentic if you are doing it merely to fit in?
- How do we grow in inner authenticity, our own relationship with God since it is even easy to be fake there?

It is true that authenticity often is merely an expression of our sinful nature and for that reason there isn't inherent value in "you being who you are" no matter what. But if you are a Christian you are also no longer defined fully by your sin. You are a new person. So authenticity is some balance between admitting failures and pursuing holiness. It will have it's ugly moments and it's shining ones because in this life we are both ugly and new. But at no point can we look away from godliness as the standard and decide that "being real" is the essence of good.

Point to the one with power

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:56:34 PDT

From my weekly article at Worldmag.com:

I am a fixer. I have a knack for seeing problems and coming to a quick and ready solution. I enjoy puzzles and love an intellectual challenge. It is the way my mind works. This is an asset at work and a benefit in crises. But it is not very helpful in relationships. People aren’t problems to be fixed, and, in fact, when they have emotional or spiritual problems very rarely can another person fix them. That puzzle-solving intellect is of no use. Yet so often I still try.

Recently, though, I heard the familiar account of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee. It’s so familiar it usually fails to engage my attention, but this time I heard something I never noticed before. When Jesus is awakened in the boat during the storm, and His disciples are crying for help, He asks them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” And it is what He does next that so captured me: He simply calms the storm.

It’s what he doesn’t do that also grabbed me.

. . .

Read the full article HERE.

Friday Faceplant

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Fri, 17 May 2013 05:45:13 PDT

This guy makes millions of dollars to do this.

But it's nice to know even the best of the best have their bad days at the office.

Happy Friday!

(HT: NBC's Hardball Talk Blog)

Writers Don't Let Go

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:56:09 PDT

One of the characteristics of a good writer is the inability to let go. To let go of something is to give up an opportunity, and idea, or an inspiration. Let go of what, you ask? Nearly anything.

Writers latch on to ideas and turn them over and over to see all sides until one angle strikes them particularly. This may take hours or it may take months. Sometimes the idea is captivating and sometimes it is frustrating. Sometimes ideas are wrestled with and sometimes they are merely reflected on. But only once the angle is found does it go from idea to written piece - or at least to a good written piece.

photo credit: eflon via photopin cc

Writers latch on to people and relationships. People inspire and teach and reveal. People are sounding boards for ideas and editors and counselors. People are ideas embodied, to be observed and studied. Without other people writers write in a vacuum and such writing is vacuous.

Of course latching on to people often leads to hurt and pain - something else writers hold on to. Sometimes such holding is healthy as it is reflective and processing, and the writing it produces is cathartic and restorative. Sometimes such holding is angry and poisonous for the writer, but even that can produce powerful works.

Writers latch on to writers and writings, without which they would be empty and mentally malnourished. Sometimes such clinging lasts for a season and sometimes for a lifetime. But every writer has other writers and writings that they view as seminal, formative, and life giving. If a writer cannot readily name a number of other writers or works that have shaped him he is not to be trusted . . .or read.

Place is something dear to a writer, a thing that is held tightly. It might be a quiet place where writing is done or a wide open space where it is inspired. It may be a place full of memory or a place full of pain. Maybe it is a new place to be explored and examined or a familiar place of safety and comfort. No matter what, though, place is clutched tight by a writer.

Letting go is something a writer can only do when the writing is done. And even then it is often impossible. We let go of the piece we have written and send it off, but the ideas, the relationships, the pain, and places all linger. And that's good because without them we would not be able to write again.

This sin but not that sin

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:58:41 PDT

From my weekly article at WorldMag.com:

Last week I wrote about how Christians should respond to NBA player Jason Collins coming out as gay. Later a young gay man challenged me as to why Christians feel the need to respond with such bold clarity to homosexuality while not doing the same to other cultural sins. He pointed out some of the well-publicized stories of sexual infidelity and divorce in the NBA, as well as the underground culture in pro basketball involving groupies and prostitutes. Why, he asked, does homosexuality get skewered while behaviors like these are often overlooked by Christians?

It is a fair and thoughtful question, and it deserves an honest and thoughtful answer. The short answer as to why writers like me and media members like ESPN’s Chris Broussard responded to the Jason Collins story so readily is that it made big news. It was in the public eye. In addition, Collins’ announcement was celebrated from almost all corners, so there was a need to make the biblical point of view clear.

But those aren’t the only reasons, nor are they the deepest ones. The deeper, uglier answer is that standing up against homosexuality is much easier than decrying other sinful lifestyles.

. . .

Read the full article HERE.

Words from a Gay Student to his Classmates at Moody Bible Institute

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Thu, 09 May 2013 05:54:00 PDT

Kendell Tanner is a Senior at Moody Bible Institute. I met him earlier this year at an event I spoke at, and he reached out to me a few days later asking if we could grab coffee. In the months since then we've gotten a chance to connect and get to know each other. He has opened up to me about some hard things in his life. One of those is that Kendell is a gay man seeking to honor God with his life. Walking this road is a challenge, and doing so at Moody is unique and presents challenges of its own. Kendell recently wrote the following article for the MBI student newspaper, The Standard to share some his experience with the student body. It was a courageous and significant thing for him to do. I am honored to be Kendell's friend and hope these words will be an encouragement and challenge.

When I enrolled as a freshman, I would never have said I was gay. I wanted to keep it quiet for fear of freaking out my guy friends. You hear gay jokes around campus, in the dorms and even sometimes in the classroom, and you're afraid if you come out people will look at you differently. I remember being terrified of the thought of coming out as transgendered and gay in a Christian environment. How would people react? Was I going to be an outcast? Was my faith, respected by my peers, going to be doubted by all I came in contact with? Would it ever be worth it to come out of the closet?

Kendell Tanner, Senior, Moody Bible Institute

When I first came out to my small group, they laid hands on me, prayed for me, thanked me for confessing deep, dark things, and said they'd be there to support me as I struggled through it. Sean, Troy, Josh and Matt (otherwise known as Dove Love) heard me and have helped me as I struggle and continue to fight for freedom in Christ. My roommate, Blake, treats me as an image bearer of Christ and not as a broken vase that’s his project from God to fix. This was the single greatest act of love from the Church I have ever experienced. These guys actually listened to me as I argued and fought with the biblical text and with God. They were patient and gave me community and a space to struggle and not be judged.

Being gay in an overwhelmingly hyper-romantic culture at Moody sometimes makes you feel second class. Even when your Bible Intro professor speaks of love and marriage it feels as if love is impossible. Most Moody students today like to say all sins are equal in the eyes of God, that there is no scale, that a little lie would have been enough to require Christ’s atonement. We say this in theory, but in practice we know that that little lie won’t completely disqualify you for ministry. Struggling with homosexuality while finding a ministry to work with makes finding a needle in the haystack seem enjoyable.

Life as a Christian who is gay is difficult. The Bible tells us that to follow Christ we must surrender all earthly passions. For the homosexual, that means no future of family or the blessing of marriage. It’s difficult to think of a life of singleness as an even gift.

Moody Students, we are among you, beside you and rooming with you. Give us grace as we struggle for holiness and sometimes fail. Give us your prayers, not just for today, but throughout your ministry here on earth. We are tempted every day and for the sake of the gospel, reject our natural desires. As the world and many members of the Church begin to embrace homosexuality as a positive alternative to true holy biblical relationships, stand with us. Don’t make homosexuality a worse sin than others, but bear our burdens with us as we seek to be Holy. Listen to us and be open to allowing the Spirit of God to transform us into the image of Christ. As I leave Moody soon and very soon, I ask for the Saints on this campus to just listen and love, as Christ did.

*Posted with permission from Kendell Tanner

Where does the church go from here?

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Wed, 08 May 2013 09:28:08 PDT

Does your church put people in positions to lead or serve based more on their respective gifts or on positional needs and vacancies? Is it dictated more by people or structure?

Do younger Christians view the classic suburban church as "where culture goes to die" and therefore
gravitate towards more artistic, more culturally expressive churches, especially in urban areas?

Should all churches seek cultural and racial diversity or should churches seek to reflect their immediate surrounding communities.

How should church members and church leaders deal with the ongoing, low-grade guilt we so often feel about what our churches aren't or what they "ought" to be?

In the latest conversation we had on What Did They Say Now? we talk about all this and more. For some we have pointed answers and for some we simply try to sort out and make sense of the complications. You can subscribe and download through iTunes or stream it. Then we would love it if you let us know your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter. This podcast is a conversation and we want it to go beyond the recording. Join as share your opinions and ideas too.

Responding to Jason Collins’ coming out: Conviction vs. fear and loathing

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Fri, 03 May 2013 10:12:06 PDT

From my Weekly Article at WorldMag.com:

Jason Collins

Jason Collins, though not a star, carries great social cachet as an NBA player. Earlier this week he became the first active player to openly come out as gay. Doing so was a brave act. Collins took a risk by declaring his homosexuality in a league full of jocks and overflowing with bravado. He might have been ostracized or even out of a job. In the days since, though, the overwhelming response from players, fans, and the media to Collins’ announcement has been supportive.

But not all responses have been positive. Chris Broussard, an ESPN reporter and analyst, had this to say on the popular Outside the Lines program:

“If you’re openly living that type of lifestyle, then the Bible says, ‘You know them by their fruits.’ It says that, you know, that’s a sin. And if you’re openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality—adultery, fornication, premarital sex between heterosexuals—whatever it may be, I believe that’s walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ.”

. . .

Other Christians have responded in a different manner. One spokesperson for a prominent conservative Christian organization postulated that Collins would be a problem in the locker room and NBA owners should not sign him in the future. He suggested other players would say, “I do not want some guy, some teammate in the shower eyeballin’ me. … And my wife wouldn’t want that either!”

Read the full article HERE.

Worst Parallel Parking Job Ever - with drunk Irishmen doing play-by-play

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Fri, 03 May 2013 06:13:14 PDT

This is laugh-out-loud funny.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

If You're Tired of the Culture Wars this Book is For You

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Thu, 02 May 2013 06:35:08 PDT

Culture Wars: it’s a phrase to make the Christian grimace, or at least this Christian. It refers to the conservative church’s efforts to “win” culture through politics and power. Jonathan Merritt, author of A Faith of Our Own grew up in a different context from me, one in which he was surrounded by political

activism and the right-wing agenda. I grew up on the other end of the conservative Christian perspective where politics never entered the church and the general idea was the theology would inform ideology so let’s just stick to theology.

Merritt wrote A Faith of Our Own largely in response to the culture warring church. He calls for a third way for the church to engage culture - not as warring, not as separatist or passive, but as culture influencers. Despite coming from a distinctly different place, I resonated with this book. I felt pulled toward actions and engagements I might have otherwise not considered.

Not to say I do not also resonate with Merritt’s critique of the culture warriors. Having been in conservative Evangelicalism my whole life I have seen much of the “us and them” mentality culture warring creates, and it has always chafed. Too many Christians are caught in the mindset of believing we can vote morality into office and that will change culture. As Merritt points out, culture doesn’t change that way. It influences politics, not vice versa.

I found A Faith of Our Own to be just the kind of thoughtful engagement with the conservative church’s traditions and mindsets that is needed. It isn’t shy. It is pointed but not aggressive or antagonistic. And over all it takes the reader in a positive direction instead of settling for critique and criticism. Merritt proposes a better way and opens the door for further conversation and action. For any who are trying to sort through how to engage culture, politics, and the church all at the same time I highly recommend this book.

Simple Isn't Easy - Radio Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:11:15 PDT

This morning Moody Radio Chicago's Morning Ride aired a brief commentary I recorded called "Simple isn't Easy." It was based off this April 12 article at WorldMag.com. In it I look at what happens when we simplify tasks or goals to the point that people think doing them will be easier than it actually is. Such confusion sets people up for disappointment and failure. Sometimes it's best to acknowledge that things aren't all that simple after all.

LISTEN HERE

** (If you are using a mac device the audio may have trouble depending on the device. Compatability of the audio files is sometimes an issue.)

You can find the full transcript HERE.

Getting Bad to Get Good

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:00:03 PDT

From my Weekly article at WorldMag.com (Posted Friday, 4/27):

photo credit: net_efekt via photopin cc

Today is day two of the National Football League college draft, the one event in the off-season that grants the greatest ray of hope to struggling teams. In the draft, teams that performed the worst last season are granted the higher draft picks and thus a chance at better players, which should result in improved performance on the field in the years to come. In other sports, specifically basketball, some teams have been known to try not to win late in the season, just to improve their draft standing. Whether or not such a system is fair, it reflects aspects of a principle of growth and improvement in just about any area of life.

To drastically improve at most anything you likely need to get worse at it first.Think of rebuilding a business that has been around for a few decades and is muddling along neither well nor poorly. But when a new management team comes in, they see potential for massive growth as long as some drastic changes are made.

. . .

Read the full article HERE.

Overcoming Three Objections about Christians and Sports

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:29:46 PDT

A guest post I wrote for the Desiring God blog:

photo credit: Philerooski via photopin cc

Last week I had the chance to sit down with some of the team at Desiring God to talk abouthow Christians should interact with sports. During the conversation we briefly touched on how easily sports can become an idol, whether it’s as an athlete or fan or a parent of an athlete. Overall, though, we explored how Christians can be involved in sports and the goodness of sports in culture as an expression of God’s creativity and the gifts he’s given people.

One Facebook commenter responded to the podcast with a perspective that many people share — sports seems “like a whole other religion.” He went on to describe the amount of excitement and money people pour into sports and how that ought to be poured into “the true battle we live in,” such as healing the sick, feeding the poor, and saving souls. He makes the point that sports clearly aren’t as important as these things.

This perspective is quite common and deserves a thoughtful response. At first blush it has merit, but it is not entirely accurate. Let me take his objections one by one.

“Sports is its own religion”

. . .

“People should devote their excitement and energy to things of eternal value”

. . .

“The money and time devoted to sports are better spent elsewhere, serving those in need”

. . .

Read the full article HERE

Paradigms, Mantras and Settling for Less

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:02:26 PDT

We love to simplify complex ideas, to make big thing small and sum things up as neatly as possible. It is the easiest way to keep thoughts organized and make sense out of the complicated. We try to take entire

ideologies or theologies and sum them up in tight pradigmic phrases. We especially do this with quotes pulled from deep thinkers. Rather than absorb the entirety of their arguments we lift the one or two phrases that seem to sum up the ideas nicely and just run with those.

photo credit: Jan Leenders via photopin cc

Martin Luther King Jr. – “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

C.S. Lewis – All sin stems from Pride.

Mother Teresa – “If you love until it hurts there can be no more hurt, only more love.”

Tim Keller – “All sin is idolatry.”

Gandhi – “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”

John Piper – “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”

Winston Churchill – “You have enemies? Good; that means you’ve stood up for something in your life.”

William Shakespeare – “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.”

Truth is easily apparent in each of these quotes or ideas. So the problem isn’t finding the wrong paradigms, it is settling for too few and doing so too readily. When we adopt a single paradigm, or maybe two, as our inspiration and guidance they easily become mantras – phrases repeated endlessly with little thought in the hopes it will transform. Mantras are meaningless. Christians can even do this with “life verses.” Jeremiah 29:11 becomes the quick fix for all problems and Romans 8:28 is the comfort for all troubles.

photo credit: kevin dooley via photopin cc

Three main problems present themselves when we settle for such simplistic, mantra like wisdom. First, is that we are settling for synthesized and compacted thought. The strength of these singular thoughts comes from a massive scaffold of other thoughts on which they are built. If all we take is the single mantra we know little of the true power of the thought. The second problem is more one of human nature: anything repeated often enough, no matter how brilliant, becomes rote and fades into the background. In order for truth to maintain its radiance in our eyes it must remain varied and rotated. Truths repeated endlessly become tired (though not less true). The third problem is also a function of humanity – that of human error. No one mantra sums all of life or truth perfectly. No one piece of wisdom answers all the questions or is clearly applied in every situation. So to claim one or two or three bits of wisdom as what you “base your life on” is to leave yourself with a largely empty tool box while face the complex project of life.

There is no simple way to find and learn wisdom for life. The function of simplicity is to create easier opportunities to begin discovering, but not to be the end of discovering. Even biblical truths cannot be isolated and claimed apart from the full canon. Our response to brilliant bites of wisdom should not be to treat them like the samples at Costco but rather as an appetizer for the seven course meal. Each bite should titillate the senses and create wonder as to what more there might be.

In the face of tragedy, sports matter

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:02:26 PDT

From my weekly article at WorldMag.com:

photo credit: (Alex) via photopin cc

It can feel strange, trite even, to turn on the TV and watch a baseball game or go to an arena to see a hockey game after what happened in Boston Monday. Do sports really matter in the face of such tragedy? Is there value in investing time in sporting events when there is so much real, serious, and recent pain in the background?

Maybe a story of sports and another tragedy will help answer those questions. Buster Olney, a baseball columnist and broadcaster for ESPN, recounted on a recent podcast what happened in New York after 9/11. After the collapse of the Twin Towers, many New York Yankees players thought about calling it quits for the season. They felt the game had lost meaning and might be an insult to New Yorkers since it is just that, a game. But during rescue and cleanup efforts, several players were invited to a shelter for families of victims and the missing. The players felt so inadequate and out of place. What did they have to offer to those who had lost so much? It was only after All-Star outfielder Bernie Williams offered a hug to a distraught woman and saw how her shoulders lifted and her eyes lit up that the players began to recognize what a difference they could make to the people of New York.

. . .

Read the full article HERE.

How Christians Should Engage Sports - a conversation

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:10:34 PDT

Last weekend I was in Minnesota and had the chance to sit down with Tony Reinke, Jonathan Parnell, and David Mathis from Desiring God talk sports and how a Christian can engage them well. Jonathan was nice enough to introduce the podcast as follows on the DG blog.

Barnabas Piper has put some thinking into sports. Actually, he has put a lot of Christian thinking into sports. Writing weekly for WorldMag.com, Barnabas has had a steady voice on what we can learn about God in America’s favorite entertainment.

So when Barnabas was recently in Minneapolis, we were eager to pull up a chair and pick his brain a little more. He starts by explaining that if Christians engage the culture through the arts, sports shouldn’t be excluded. It is more than “caveman entertainment” and there are precious truths to mine.

You can stream the podcast here and subscribe or download it through iTunes.

Can we be angry at God? - New Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 05:48:24 PDT

A question hovers after events like the explosions in Boston or the earthquake in Iran earlier this week: Can I be angry at God? Of course that leads to a pile of other questions to sort through. What questions are off limits to ask of God? Is there such a thing as "righteous anger" toward God? and so on. Sorting through such questions is what we try to do in our latest episode of "What Did They Say Now?"

We recorded this before the tragedy at the Boston marathon, so we make no direct reference to the pain it is causing. But maybe that makes the questions easier to grapple with in some way, because they are less fraught with emotion. One way or another, though, these are difficult ones to answer.

We do our best to make our way through and figure out what it looks like to be angry or hurt while still trying to trust God. You won't find all the answers here, but maybe you'll find something to help or encourage you.

You can download,stream or subscribe to the podcast through iTunes.

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

What Seems Simple Isn't All That Easy

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:28:00 PDT

From my weekly article at Worldmag.com:

photo credit: image munky via photopin cc

So many of the lessons we learn and the tasks we attempt in life are seemingly simple. Losing weight is just a matter of burning more calories than we consume. Being punctual simply requires us to leave a bit earlier. Christianity is just being like Jesus. If the incongruity in these statements hasn’t become clear yet, let me try these examples: All it takes to be a tightrope walker is to stroll a length of wire and all it takes to win a football game is to push an oblong object across a line more times than the opposition. Simple, right?

Yes, the goal in all these examples is simple, at least as stated. But this is a false simplicity, one that fails to acknowledge the underlying complexities, obstacles, challenges, motivations, and personalities that are in play. The formula for losing weight may be simple but doing so can be tremendously difficult. And “live like Jesus” is an easy enough explanation of Christianity, too, but it is no easy mission.

To label something in “simple” terms often leads people to believe that doing it is easy, which is just a set-up for disappointment, frustration, and even despair.

. . .

Read the full article HERE.

Being "Burned" by the Church

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:42:34 PDT

From my Weekly article at Worldmag.com:

photo credit: ViaMoi via photopin cc

Recently I was talking with a co-worker about the number of people we know who left churches and claimed to have been “burned” by the experience. Both of us are 30, and most of the people who came to mind were young Christians about our age. But I know of older “burn” victims, as well. The claim has become popular, as has the decision to move from one church to another.

It’s easy to leave a church and speak ill of it. And sometimes wrongs are committed at churches, but more often, I think, these hurt feelings come from members’ dissatisfaction, a product of unmet expectations or unmet needs. Sure, it could be the church’s fault, but our dissatisfaction may be because we had unrealistic expectations of what the church could or should do for us. But that isn’t the same as being burned.

. . .

Read the full article HERE.

New Podcast Episode: Why is the church such a difficult place for young people to connect?

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:50:35 PDT

Young people have a very different attitude toward the church than our parents. We expect and desire different things from the church. But that doesn't mean we have a fundamentally different faith. On the episode that released today we talk about many of our frustrations with the church and things we'd like to see changed.

Download and subscribe on iTunes. If you like what you hear please consider rating and reviewing us. It helps with searchability and our iTunes ranking which makes the podcast easier for people to find.

You can also find us on twitter @WhatNowPodcast and like us on Facebook. If you dig free books you might find a contest to your liking going on at both these social media sites too.

Lessons From a Bad Baseball Team - Radio Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 06:25:04 PDT

This morning Moody Radio Chicago's Morning Ride aired a commentary I recorded. It was based off this February 22nd article I wrote for WorldMag.com. The commentary is called "Lessons From a Bad Baseball Team", and with the Twins opening day loss it seems all the more timely. So this goes out to my fellow Twins fans, to Cubs fans, to Astros fans, and to all the rest of you long suffering supporters of bad baseball teams.

Listen Here

You can read the full transcript here.

The Worst Good Day

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:08:22 PDT

From my weekly article at Worldmag.com:

photo credit: Christopher JL via photopin cc

Today is Good Friday. We call it “good” because we know how the story ends—it is the doorstep to the salvation encountered on Easter Sunday. But Good Friday was a bad day, a horrid day. Good Friday was the worst day in history.

As followers of Jesus we must not overlook His story, the full story. To skip to the end is to rob the story of its power and its main character of glory. Thinking of Friday only as good ignores the narrative, the true history. There was a road traveled by a real man—the God-man—and we must acknowledge and dwell on His full gory story.

Easter depicts the stunning brightness of miraculous life against the pitch-blackness of death, the death that happened on that Friday. So to think of Good Friday as a celebration is to dull the brightness of Easter. No, Good Friday is a commemoration, not a celebration. It serves as a precursor to the real celebration.

. . .

The story of salvation is one of multiple acts, and the Good Friday act is the dark before the dawn. It is pure blackness with no hope in sight. The seeming Savior is dead, the only truly good man in history unfairly accused and brutally slain. There is no hope today, not in this act of the story.

The hope comes Sunday. . .

Read the full story HERE.

Tired of the Gay Marriage Debate?

noreply@blogger.com (Barnabas Piper) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 05:48:35 PDT

photo credit: slagheap via photopin cc

I am tired of the gay marriage debate, and I know I'm not alone. On a recent episode of the podcast I co-host, my friend Brian expressed similar sentiments of fatigue. I am tired of the vitriol on both extremes. I am tired of the politicizing of what people call a biblical point of view and the church confusing itself with a political party. I am tired of the incessant Facebook and Twitter posts (and yes, I see the irony of me blogging this and then sharing it). I am tired of the misled assertion that the problem will be solved by the courts or the president or any other legal body. I am tired of this being treated as the greatest problem facing America today.

This is not about my own opinions on gay marriage and who is right or wrong. I have them, but do not feel this is the place to share. No, this is about how Christians ought to be responding – Christians on both sides of the debate. And yes, I believe you can be in favor of legalizing gay marriage and still be a Christian. Just like you can be in favor of legalizing gay marriage and not believe it is the way God intended marriage to be, that it is a sin.

So I ask my fellow Christians to consider the following in your interactions about gay marriage.

What is communicated by our words?
If we are using ascerbic, incendiary words our point is lost as soon as it exits our lips (or fingers). Be clear, but kind. Be bold, but gentle.

What is communicated by our tone?
Arrogance hides easily between pleasant phrases. Judgmentalism is neatly packaged in passive aggressive expression. Our tone betrays our heart and all the kind words can’t hide an ugly one.

What are our aims?
If “winning” the debate is our aim we must reconsider. We win an argument and lose a potential friend. Winning the debate at all costs leaves a trail of destruction – jaded souls unwilling and unable to hear the good news of Jesus because they were bludgeoned into defeat. However, if our aims are to win people to Jesus then the debate takes a back seat – like a school bus back seat, way back there.

If we believe in a sovereign God why are we so fearful?
This could apply to just about any area of life, but apply it liberally to our societal fears. God is in charge. He knows what’s up. Represent Him well in all spheres of life, and chill out.

photo credit: Christopher JL via photopin cc

Why are we putting so much hope in the government?
Governments are, and have always been, broken systems run by broken sinners. We benefit greatly from good ones but ought not make the mistake of putting our hope in them. The hope we put in the government is evidenced by the energy we pour into influencing it, as if this is the means through which victory will be gained. But what I see is Christians doing what Jesus' disciples did - hoping in the overthrow of the Romans rather than the establishment of Christ's Kingdom. We cannot see government as the ultimate decision makers or ultimate law makers. We live in a monarchy, and our king is perfect. Put more faith in Him than in the Supreme Court or any other governmental body.

Why do we believe either hearts or culture can be legislated into improvement?
It is so tempting to think such things. But it’s so untrue. Witness influences both individual hearts and all of culture more than anything else – collective and individual witness. It is incumbent upon Christians to represent Jesus in word and deed. And all this political fervor is doing a pretty poor job of it.

So I ask you to consider these questions. Don’t fall prey to your emotions or the tide of opinion – on either side. Don’t make the mistake of using the wrong medium for ardent thoughts. Above all, be a witness, not of your political views but of your faith. What will make Jesus more beautiful, hopeful, and joyful in the eyes of those who have yet to meet Him?