Somber and Dull

When Lying Is Acceptable

2009-11-09T13:04:00.002-05:00

For the Glory of God

2009-11-09T07:50:00.002-05:00

From O. Hallesby, Prayer:

Do not forget...that prayer is ordained for the purpose of glorifying the name of God. Therefore, whether you pray for big things or for little things, say to God, "If it will not glorify Thy name, then let me remain in my predicament. And give me power to glorify Thy name in the situation in which I find myself."

Some may think that this will weaken the power and the intensity of our prayers. But this is due to a misunderstanding of prayer as a whole. To pray is to let Jesus come in to our need. And only by praying in this way will we succeed in opening our hearts to Jesus. This will give Him the opportunity to exercise His power on our behalf, not only as He wills but also when he wills.

Boldness vs. Accommodation?

2009-11-08T05:37:00.001-05:00

This is a highly relevant reflection from Sean Michael Lucas on the use of words.

It's really about our attitude toward others. Dr. Lucas lifted this from this post by Tim Keller.

Dr. Keller in turn picked it up from an older guy named John Calvin. I am constantly amazed by the relevance of Calvin to contemporary ministry and life. So helpful.

Keller references positively a new bio of Calvin by Bruce Gordon called Calvin. Mine's on order. (I'm captivated by the highly creative title.)

Dr. iPhone

2009-11-07T07:18:00.000-05:00

I don't own an iPhone, and can't see in the budget room for that anytime soon.

However, this discussion of iPhone medical apps is, too me, anyway, fascinating.

Particularly, I had to chuckle at one called 'Period Tracker'.

Being a husband whose wife had a hysterectomy over twenty years ago, my first response to this was, "What is a grammar app doing in this list?" But for guys whose life situation is different than mine, this could save a lot of angst, it seems to me!

Life Is Good...

2009-11-06T15:14:00.002-05:00

...when Trix is 'buy one get one free' at the grocery store.

That makes Colin very happy.

Just Colin.

Yep.

Silly Rabbit.

Chaos and Evil

2009-11-06T07:09:00.001-05:00

In the aftermath of the shootings at Ft. Hood, there is, in this post by James Fallows, resignation. But there is wisdom in his thoughts, too.

Unless our world view recognizes the reality of chaos and evil, we will not ever come to grips with such things. These are awful events, made personally worse for me because I know someone who works at Ft. Hood, and I've not been able to get in touch with him.

There is a lot about the presence of chaos and evil in the world that I can 'explain' theologically, but which I nevertheless cannot really understand. But I see in the concrete reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ an event and a truth that contains a promise of a world in which chaos and evil will be but a dim memory.

To that end we labor and pray and hope.

Too Much Grace?

2009-11-06T05:16:00.000-05:00

Is it possible for us in the church to show too much grace to unbelievers? If we allow people with obvious and obviously 'bad' sin into our lives and into our churches, are we not in some way condoning their sin and becoming accomplice to it? Is this showing too much grace, a threshold from which we should draw away?

Someone from a Roman Catholic background asked me a few weeks ago if our church believes in 'mortal sin', in sin of such severity that it would keep one out of heaven. I told her absolutely – that every sin is sufficient to keep us out of heaven. That is why we all need Christ. But I told her that we do NOT (or should not) keep an hierarchy of sin. Pride and greed rank right up there with adultery and theft. We all are guilty, we all are living in sin, we all need the grace of Christ.

So, as those needing grace, can we inadvertently show so much grace to a sinner that we somehow encourage him in his sin? Can we show too much grace?

Did Jesus show too much grace? He was known as a friend of sinners. I don't believe he came to have such a reputation by being quick to condemn. Our model is one who let a prostitute's tears fall on his feet. He allowed her to wipe them dry with her let-down hair, to the consternation of those who would have treated her otherwise.

Do we tend to be more like Jesus or more like the Pharisee in that story? Can we really show too much grace?

Why would we limit the grace we would show? Are we afraid that people will not know they are sinners if we somehow befriend them as they are? Do we imagine that it is our job to make sure they feel the condemnation of sin, and must hear it from us? Do we somehow think it is OUR responsibility to change them?

Where did we get such notions?

Too much grace? I say, let's give it a try. Let's see what happens when we show people too much grace. Let's see what happens if we just love people and keep our judgmental mouths shut. Let's see what happens.

I rather think that if grace breaks out among us, it will not be greater sin that results, but something far more wonderful.

The Devil Wears Pinstripes

2009-11-05T04:46:00.001-05:00

One more evidence that things are Not the Way It's Supposed to Be.

Oh well. There is at least one sign that things are not all awry.

Something To Look Forward To

2009-11-04T11:17:00.003-05:00

The title dangles a preposition, but I hope that does not stop you from marking November 22 on your calendar.

Let me dangle another:

This is an event we want many people to come to.

Pass this on!

How Many Oceans?

2009-11-03T19:38:00.001-05:00

In the 'What does my third grader know that I don't know department' is this tidbit of information. Apparently, between when I was in third grade and now, they've added an ocean.

I don't know who the 'they' is that has that power, but I am informed by my resident expert in all things oceanic that somewhere around 2000, the perennial lineup of four oceans – the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic – was deemed inadequate for all the duties required of oceans.

This necessitated the addition of the Southern Ocean, a result of the generosity of the three bordering oceans who each agreed to donate all their water south of the 60th parallel (in exchange, it is rumored, for a sea to be named later).

So now the rest of us who went to third grade a long time ago know.

The Locus of Halloween Evil

2009-10-31T09:58:00.003-04:00

I have found the locus of Halloween Evil.

It is not

* in the little demons who parade up and down our street looking for handouts

* in the horrendously grotesque jack-o-lanterns (this one carved by our in-need-of-therapy friend Bill Kimrey)

* in the proliferation of horror flicks centered around this day.

I have discovered it as I dumped bag after bag of candy in a bowl just now in preparation for tonight's onslaught – and carefully removed and set aside all the varieties that I wanted to hoard myself and not give to the urchins unless I'm forced to do so.

I have, you see, found the locus of Halloween evil in the place I know it resided all along.

Life Management Skills

2009-10-30T04:46:00.000-04:00

Study is a critical aspect of the pastor's call. To maintain it requires vision and it requires some workable form of life management.

David Allen in his extremely helpful book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity has pointed out that we cannot manage time. We are only given a set amount of it and we don’t control it. Rather, he advocates managing our workflow, and in a bigger way, managing our lives within the set parameters time gives us. "GTD" has been very helpful for me. (If you think I’m a mess now, you should have seen me before I read this book.) A helpful introduction can be found here.

Eugene Peterson in a wonderful chapter called “The Unbusy Pastor” (about which I should write more sometime) from his book The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction sings the praises of the appointment calendar. This is the tool with which to gain control of one’s life, says Peterson, especially to wrest control away from dominant and insistent people. He says, “The authority once given to Scripture is now ascribed to the appointment calendar. The dogma of verbal inerrancy has not been discarded, only re-assigned. When I appeal to my appointment calendar, I am beyond criticism….”

And such considerations would not be complete without reference to another helpful resource from another experienced (and scarred) pastor, Gordon MacDonald. In Ordering Your Private World MacDonald gives what he calls ‘MacDonald’s Laws of Unseized Time’. These speak for themselves, and they are all absolutely true.

Law #1: Unseized time flows toward my weaknesses.

Law #2: Unseized time comes under the influence of dominant people in my world.

Law #3: Unseized time surrenders to the demands of all emergencies.

Law #4: Unseized time gets invested in things that gain public acclamation.

Our big point is that preachers/pastors need to be masters at exegeting scripture and exegeting culture. To do either demands time. To do both demands discipline.

Tyler Perry on Sixty Minutes

2009-10-29T05:07:00.001-04:00

It's worth watching:

18

2009-10-28T05:05:00.004-04:00

Happy Birthday, daughter Jerusha!

To see the detail in either picture, click on it.

(Car by Jerusha's creative friend, Doug, and future brother-in-law Brad.)

(Cake by Jerusha's brilliantly creative mother.)

Pavlov and Me

2009-10-27T21:12:00.003-04:00

Some find comfort in smoking. Some in alcohol. I find it in foods.

Every morning I have my devotional time sitting on a couch in our living room. Next to me is a table on which, each morning, a cup of coffee sits, and is frequently refilled.

As the morning goes on, I'm likely to pick up my computer to respond to some quick email, and to see what the world is up to on Facebook. All the time, the cup of coffee is there.

So, this evening, as I was doing some cleaning in the kitchen, I looked at the coffee pot, and determined that I did not need to make a cup.

But then, I sat in my spot on the couch. I grabbed to computer to finish off some blog posts. The table next to me was empty, and for the past half hour I've been craving the cup of coffee I previously ruled out.

All by the power of place and habit. There is probably a spiritual application of all of this, but without my coffee, I can't capture it right now.

---

Which reminds me – my absolute favorite mug was handmade by Nigel Rudolph.

Nigel and Cheyenne Rudolph are gifted potters who make wonderfully attractive mugs (one is pictured) and other things. They apply a glaze on them that is hard to describe, but it makes the mug feel unique in one's hands.

Their creations make wonderful Christmas presents. If you live in the Bradenton area, watch their site (or subscribe to their blog) for news about their upcoming sale. It is a rare pleasure to drink coffee or tea in a handmade work of fine art.

To Do List

2009-10-27T05:17:00.001-04:00

Today's to-do list for those apprehensive and fearful about their steps in life:

1. Read this post.

2. Watch The Rookie (tag line: "It's never too late to believe in your dreams.")

3. Play Aerosmith, Dream On. [Okay, you can pass on this last one if you want to.]

Shock Jocks

2009-10-26T05:12:00.000-04:00

Megan McArdle is a libertarian blogger whose blog has been identified by the Wall Street Journal as one of the top 25 on economic issues.

This recent post is a somewhat late entry in the whole controversy regarding Rush Limbaugh's rejected attempt to join an NFL franchise ownership team.

I don't really care about this. I'm libertarian enough to believe that those who rejected his bid had a right to do so. In that regard, Ms. McArdle and I are in complete agreement.

But there are some other points of overlap between her and me.

1. Her disappointment in irresponsible journalism: "Who single-sources a quote of a public figure praising slavery?"

2. Her contention that boycotts don't work: "Announcing yet another boycott with the expected active lifespan of one of those rainforest butterflies that breaks out of its cocoon and then spends one happy hour mating and laying eggs before expiring on the soft, mossy floor of the primeval forest... well, this does not actually achieve any worthy goals."

3. Her disdain for radio extremists: "[I am] someone who really doesn't care for shock jocks of any stripe."

I especially 'ditto' the last.

Dear Mr. Sport's Theologian

2009-10-25T18:45:00.002-04:00

The Great Sports Theologian is ordinarily very busy determining the Rules for Righteous Rooting. However, occasionally he has time to handle a question or two from the less enlightened.

Today's question comes from a puzzled fan in these waining days of one season and while we are in the heart of another:

"Why do pitchers always look so unhappy? Is this my imagination? Do any of them smile when they play? They look like they are under so. much. pressure. Quarterbacks just seem to have more fun."

I can't say that I've observed this phenomenom. However, upon reflection, it is probably this which makes the brief career of Mark Fidrych so peculiar and outstanding. [I'm attaching a great reminder of this guy at the end of this post.]

Anyway, I think the answer is clear. The reason for such unhappiness is that as a result of the fall, humans will act contrary to the created order, and so reap unhappiness upon themselves.

Here is how it works in baseball. The Bible says that 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' Clearly, you see, the most blessed person on the baseball diamond should be the pitcher. His primary act is one of giving. But being a sinner at heart, he does not want to give. The very act that should bring him joy, the giving of the ball at the beginning of every play, is a grief to him because of sin.

So, he never smiles.

But is not the same thing true of quarterbacks? Absolutely. The principle holds. The primary act of quarterbacks, however, is to receive. At the beginning of every play, the quarterback receives the ball. His sinful heart, therefore, makes him smile.

Quarterbacks, you should know, never willingly part with the ball. There is a theological reason that they do: 300 pounds of hell coming from all sides intent on pummeling him have a persuasive power which overcomes the natural possessive instinct.

---------------

Saddest Facebook Message Ever

2009-10-23T17:28:00.002-04:00

On the side bar, under the name of someone whose name I've hidden. I know they are new to this, but it looks sad!

Disciplined Privilege

2009-10-23T05:04:00.000-04:00

One of the enduring memories of my first (of two) trips to Africa was visiting the church of an African pastor. In many respects it revealed that he was effective in his ministry and was providing good care for a needy people. When he showed me his study, I was struck with the size of his library. All six inches of it.

What riches I have by comparison.

As is often the case with the rich, we do not take full advantage of the privileges granted to us.

This post is not about getting good books into needy hands. That is a work worthy of our support. Rather this is about those of us with good books not taking advantage of what we've been given.

The pastor is to be a scholar of two worlds – the world of the sacred of the Bible, and the world of those to whom he is called to preach. And to be scholar of both demands disciplined study reaching in both directions.

It is easy to lose sight of the critical importance of moving in both directions. We have spoken already about the importance of knowing the world into which we speak. We must be as diligent in becoming a scholar of the message we preach.

John Stott, with a hand both stern and gentle, challenges pastors at this point. The one thing which keeps a pastor from study, he suggests, is laziness. He says that pastors are prone to laziness “because we have no employer to supervise our work or to reproach us for our neglect of it. Besides, we have neither set tasks to do, nor set times in which to do them. We are our own master and have to organize our own schedule. So it is possible for us to fritter our days away, until our time-wasting lapses degenerated into a life of gross indiscipline.” Ouch.

I would not be as harsh as Stott (on myself, at least!). My impression is that the lack of study arises not as much from laziness or unwillingness, but from a lack of a proper vision of the pastor’s task. I mean, does it really feel like work when I’m sitting in my study reading for several hours straight? Am I persuaded enough that this is part of my job, that I can defend such investment of time? And do those whom I serve understand that this is a vital part of my ministry?

If we were persuaded of the value of study for our public and private ministries, we would gladly labor to allocate and defend the time necessary for it.

* * * * *

Allocating and defending the time is one thing; knowing how to find and make use of that time is another, which is what we'll address next week. I've been greatly helped in this regard by David Allen's Getting Things Done
. His seminars cost far more than our church, or most, for that matter, can afford. But since he is an alumnus of New College of Florida, I get to hear him speak this afternoon at the college for peanuts. I'm very excited!

Free Keller

2009-10-22T06:56:00.002-04:00

I'm sure that Redeemer Church in NYC has its reasons for charging those who want a copy of a sermon by its pastor Tim Keller, but I've found the policy a bit disappointing.

Now, they've cracked the archives a bit with the release of 150 sermons which are downloadable for free.

I appreciate the desire of Redeemer to not detract from the ministry of the local church by creating a virtual church of those who find it sufficient to listen to sermons.

"Redeemer’s primary method of evangelism has always been through the planting of gospel-centered churches. The Free Sermon Resource is not intended as a “broadcast ministry” which would create “virtual” members listening from home, rather than getting involved in their local congregations. Instead, we hope that this will serve as a “resource” for the broader movement of the gospel in the world: both as an evangelistic tool to share with our inquiring friends, neighbors and co-workers, and as a way of sharing our core principles, or “DNA,” to assist in the planting and nurturing of gospel-centered churches around the world - many of them in places difficult to reach via traditional means."

Of course, other free sermons are ALWAYS available here....

Cats

2009-10-21T05:47:00.003-04:00

Too early to assess this book as great, as some have done, but the author certainly endears herself to me with this profound and highly accurate observation:

"The only purpose of cats is that they constitute mobile decorative objects...." (page 51)

(Pictured is the only cat ever allowed to live in my house, which my daughter brought home and hoped to endear to me by giving him the name 'Calvin'. Nice try.)

The Great Sports Theologian

2009-10-20T19:34:00.003-04:00

Not everyone reading this blog is a Christian, and not everyone is a sports fan. But for the person with Christian sensibilities and a modicum of interest in sport, I, The Great Sports Theologian, herewith offer you my assessment of the baseball teams now playing for their respective league championships that all righteous people should support.

First, we weigh the Dodgers and the Phillies. What is a Dodger, anyway? The 'Artful Dodger' in Oliver Twist was a pickpocket, was he not? Clearly we can't support a Dodger.

In the other dugout we find the Phillies. The name 'Phillies' comes from the 'Phila-' of 'Philadelphia', and originates in the Greek root 'philos', meaning 'love'. Is it not clear that 'love' is to be supported over Dodgers. no matter how artful they be.

In the other league, we have the Angels playing the Yankees. To the southern half of the United States, of course, anything termed 'Yankee' is clearly of the Devil, an assessment supported nationwide with the Broadway production (and later movie) properly titled Damn Yankees.

And whom are they playing? The Angels. There is no question whom God's people must support in this contest.

If both Phillies and Angels square off in the World Series, The Great Sports Theologian will again consult his books of wisdom to determine The Righteous Choice. Should the choice be between the Yankees and Dodgers, he will do the same, but only after an appropriate period of mourning.

Go, Kaz

2009-10-20T07:18:00.004-04:00

For Tampa Bay Rays fans, there is an extra reason to be cheering for the Angels in tonight's game four of the American League Championship Series (other than the fact that they are playing the Yankees).

We'd love to see Kaz have a great outing. It's the closest we get to being in the series ourselves.

Church Growth: The End of the Matter

2009-10-20T05:15:00.002-04:00

Qoheleth's hardly startling 'end of the matter' in his search for contentment was this: "Fear God and keep his commandments." (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Rodney Stark seeks an explanation for the curious and phenomenal growth of the church over its first three centuries. His "end of the matter" is no less underwhelming:

"Christianity did not grow because of miracle working in the marketplaces (although there may have been much of that going on), or because Constantine said it should, or even because the martyrs gave it such credibility. It grew because Christians constituted an intense community, able to generate the 'invincible obstinacy' that so offended the younger Pliny but yielded immense religious rewards. And the primary means of its growth was through the united and motivated efforts of the growing numbers of Christian believers, who invited their friends, relatives, and neighbors to share the 'good news.'" (page 208)

Let me break that down.

"Christianity did not grow because of miracle working in the marketplaces (although there may have been much of that going on)...."

Christianity does not grow primarily through show and spectacle. Arena crusades and powerful testimonies have their impact – and nothing that is said here is meant to disparage such things – but spectacle is not the engine driving the transforming power of the church.

"Christianity did not grow because... Constantine said it should, or even because the martyrs gave it such credibility."

Hope for the church does not depend upon the attitude of those in power. Certainly an official act or a martyr's death will have local impact and implications. But the long term growth of the church and its power over a society depends little upon these things. (This is particularly because the persecutions focused upon leaders while Christianity's power was not generated from the top down.)

"It grew because Christians constituted an intense community, able to generate the 'invincible obstinacy' that so offended the younger Pliny but yielded immense religious rewards."

The key word here is community. Christianity drew people into a counter-cultural community which was not cut off from the world around it, and as such, revitalized that culture. Christians found ways to address the chronic problems plaguing Greco-Roman cities, and at some sacrifice invested themselves in addressing those needs. That is, the Christian community was obstinately relevant. In an eye-opening chapter on the nature of life in ancient cities, he pulls these things together:

"Any accurate portrait of Antioch [as an example city] in New Testament times must depict a city filled with misery, danger, fear, despair, and hatred.... Christianity revitalized life in Greco-Roman cities by providing new norms and new kinds of social relationships able to cope with many urgent urban problems." (pages 160, 161)

This is not the place to develop this, but in essence Christians made themselves relevant to the questions and issues which shadowed their neighbors' lives.

Finally,

"And the primary means of its growth was through the united and motivated efforts of the growing numbers of Christian believers, who invited their friends, relatives, and neighbors to share the 'good news.'"

Stunning, isn't it, to discover that the church then grew by Christians having such a passion for this new community and the Christ who was its head that they invited them to share in it.

//// \\\\

The book is a fascinating portrait of how Christianity overwhelmed the Roman Empire. It forces upon us the 'relevance' question. What are the social/cultural needs of a community like my own, Bradenton, Florida, which we are overlooking and not addressing and therefore condemning ourselves to irrelevance? Are we providing the answers to the questions the culture is asking, or are we too busy providing answers that the culture is NOT asking? And do we think of 'relevance' in strictly a 'sermon' sense ("Pastor, you need to preach more 'relevant' sermons.")? It was the whole community of the church that was living and acting and believing and serving in a way that made their presence transforming.

Further, the book may suggest that we depend too much upon the charisma and giftedness of our leadership to the detriment of the ministry and gifts of the community as a whole. When persecutions arose, the Romans focused upon the leaders, thinking that the power of the church flowed from its leadership to its laity. That may be the case today – but it was not in those days in which the church was turning the world upside down.