Priceless Lessons from Worthless Things

I met inspiration the other day. I met inspiration thanks to a broken down old lawn mower that I had listed on Craigslist on the outside chance that someone might give me enough for it to buy a cup of coffee or in the very least in hopes I might get it out of the yard. In my natural salesman like genious I tagged the ad with an optimistic “great for someone who knows how to fix an engine!”

And that is how I ended up getting a call from Don the following morning inquiring about the mower. “Is it still available?” he asked with hope in his voice. now, obviously people hadn’t begun lining up yet at the chance to snatch up the mower that had probably been collecting dirt in the backyard for years while the sun did its best to crack and fade the color of every plastic part. So I was happy to inform him that "yes it is still here!"

I liked Don right away over the phone. It was a brief conversation, littered from his end with phrases like “right on, man!” and “cool, no problem!” He spoke with a lot of energy and life, especially considering our conversation revolved around what I considered an afterthought of an old, useless mower. From his voice alone I imagined Don to be a fifty-year-old free spirited type, most likely an seasoned surfer or an aging musician.

The cloud of black and gray smoke had barely cleared the area from my test start-up attempt on the mostly lifeless mower when Don pulled into the driveway. As I coughed to clear my lungs from smoke, I watched as he slowly stumbled out of his Toyota 4-Runner, barely straightening up from a seated position as he began moving in my direction, dragging one foot behind him and holding  the other crooked and gnarled like an old tree branch by his side. He apologized from a distance at his sluggish trek, casually and without a hint of embarressment chalking it up to the two strokes he had suffered in the past few years.

Despite his uncooperative body, Don spoke with so much life and passion like he had earlier on the phone, that it almost completely compensated for his nearly lifeless right side of his body.  He radiated such an enthusiasm for even the most mundane details which allowed no room for feeling sorry for him, although you might (like I did), feel a bit guilty and subconscious of your own self-pity, laziness or pessimism in his presences.

Don looked down at the mower, quickly dismissing my offer to start it up for him, taking me at my word that it does indeed start as he handed me a $20 bill with his good hand. He then preceeded to go right into his story as if he somehow owed me an explanation, although the level of intrigue was probably clearly seen in my face. He explained  to me that working on lawn mower engines was a hobby of his to keep himself busy, to keep himself functioning, useful and in the very least to simply keep himself sane after his strokes. He said “I might fumble trying to line up a bolt all day long, but in the end I have a great feeling of accomplishment when I finish one of these!” nodding towards the mower. He explained that it was either this or sitting on the couch watching television and feeling sorry for himself while he simply waited to die. Knowing Don as well as I did in those five minutes I knew he could never let that happen! He has too much life, too much optimism, too much resolve to fade away like that.

And so rescuing lawn mowers from garages, sheds and overgrown back yards gives Don an incredibly lifegiving purpose, and in turn he slowly resurrects those old, forgotten machines and gives them a second chance at life as well.

One of the things I really became aware of from this whole experience was how we spend so much time and energy, sweat and tears in life grasping for, seeking to understand and finally accomplish some sort of great purpose, reason for being, or legacy.  And it must be something great, something noble, something impactful that fuels our march through life. Sure, we can point to our family, children, spouses, friends and careers as proof of our greatest accomplishments and rightly so, but often that isn't enough and we selfishly long for more still unfulfilled.

And then there is Don who finds treasure in other peoples trash. Someone who sees victory in lining up a few bolts, screwing in a spark plug and finally starting up that old engine made new again.

I feel like I got so much more than a few bucks for a cup of coffee, but that I got some deep and impactful lessons that are relevant to my life! And when you meet someone like Don who drops such gifts into your life, you are wise to unwrap them and meditate upon them!

Status Update

It is a tumultuous time we live in. Our Nation is embroiled in gun, marriage and reproductive rights debates and battles. We still face racial prejuidice and inequality as the events in Ferguson have so brightly shined a spotlight on issues that have been lurking in the shadows for years and exist in all facets of our society.

Good lord if I can’t have a cup of coffee in the morning and scroll through my Facebook feed or peruse my favorite news homepage without feeling bombarded with it all! Half of our Country is angry as hell about who is leading this Nation, half the country wants to “legalize it” and a good majority just want to see Tebow get a fair shot at quarterback or see if a certian team can win The Super Bowl with a properly inflated football.

We are torn apart and turned around in all different directions; most of the time unsure which end is up.

Our society is all about debating, scrutinizing, judging and most of all fervently disagreeing with one another. Every news program, reality television show and online forum attests to this truth. For each person who stands for something there is someone else who will stand against it. For instance, when I am out having coffee with a group of friends who may even agree on a certain subject there is always one or two people that can’t help playing the devil’s advocate just to keep the conversation “spicy”.

It can be fun, it can make us feel empowered, we can even learn something from it, but if conflict and disagreement is all we ever do than in the end all we really are is distracted. We are being distracted from the things that deep down really matter.

I admit that over the past few years I have been distracted myself and spent too much time being angry with certian politics, certian churches (Westboro Baptist) and a certain chicken sandwich franchise everyone was divided upon supporting. And every year I devote too much of my valuable time reading articles and box scores of my favorite baseball team from the North Side of Chicago (although I do consider it a long term investment).

We all have worries and wants, passions and perspectives, convictions and concerns. There are things that we all believe are worthy to stand for, fight for and we should. However, although some of these social and political issues are truly important I can’t help but believe that we often are caught in a kind of tunnel vision, so focused on the things we are passionate about and yet missing the point, the bigger picture.

Currently that means that many people are afraid that our right to bare arms to protect ourselves and keep the government honest is being threatened. Yet I have to wonder if our Government is remotely concerned with a population so preoccupied by social networking sites, television, smart phones and celebrity worship? The majority of America has no idea what is really going on because we are too busy playing Trivia Crack on their mobile device.

The Government already has us right where it wants us, distracted. We are like those videos on YouTube of people caught on surveillance video walking into bears (seriously?) or falling into fountains because they are so busy texting and not paying attention to where they are going.  

Others are concerned with the dangers of legalizing medical marijuana yet they don’t even question the fact that people are prescribed chemically created and engineered medications (from Pharmaceutical companies who line our politicians pockets with kickbacks) that have quickly become our nations most abused, dangerous and deadly drugs.

People rant and rave about our Nation’s health care system, as we stuff our faces with Big Macs, drink Carmel Macchiatos with extra syrup and allow our Gym memberships to lapse.

Everyone is concerned with Government spending and our Countries ever increasing debt and yet when it comes to our own personal finances we spend and borrow in excess without saving a dime while simultaneously botching our checkbooks and failing to even put together a budget.

Many people fight to protect traditional marriage from “alternative lifestyles” yet we do very little to strengthen or even protect the marriages we already have.

We complain about Government yet we don’t vote in local elections or even attend PTA meetings of the schools our children attend.

I witness all of this transpiring in society at large but sadly I see similarities of this happening within my faith and church as well.

It is no secret that the Church has fractured apart into so many little cliques and disgruntled family members throughout our cities and towns that we can hardly keep count. Sometimes it happens because of deep theological differences and sometimes it happens because someone made a negative comment about someone else’s homemade potato salad at the church potluck.

We fight incisively about who will get into heaven or if there even is a literal hell as people suffer and live in "hell" all around us every day

We squabble over correct interpretations and versions of the Bible that only serve to collect dust on shelves of believers anyways instead of being thankful people are inspired to read it no matter the language used.

We spend time and money on seminars, books and meetings so our churches can be more “hip” and “relevant”, while people who live outside the four-walls of church live every day with their own relevant concerns, hurts and needs.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying our convictions, feelings and beliefs are unimportant or even all wrong. However, we cannot allow ourselves to become stagnant or useless because we are paralyzed by a certain issue or concern. And that is my whole point here. So often we only get passionate about the headlines, the highlighted content, the Tweets, the juicy sound bites and we ignore the whole content of the story, the sources, the consequences

We see this every election year. Many people became so troubled, so focus on a handful of issues and political candidates while ignoring a world of more pressing ones. The world doesn't stop turning so we can focus all of our energies on politics and winning. People were still going hungry, wars still raged, marriages were falling apart and children were still abused.

We can’t allow ourselves to become like the futuristic people prophesied about in the Pixar movie WALL-E who lay around all day in a hover/wheel chair with computer screens in front of them and Slurpee’s in their cup holders. They were so overfed and distracted that they become a useless people that lacked the muscle tone to even stand up.

My challenge to us all (for sure myself included) is to branch out and broaden our horizons. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, mow your neighbor’s lawn or have a cup of coffee with a friend.

Read a book, watch a documentary or have a conversation with someone that challenges rather that validates your beliefs.

Say a prayer (instead of complain) for those who lead you whether it be a boss, a pastor or yes, even the President.

Speak life rather than death. SPEAK LIFE RATHER THAN DEATH!

Be optimistic…yeah, in this world we will have troubles, but if you’re someone who professes faith like I do than remember that Jesus took care of it so you don’t have too! All of our concerns, worries and fears accomplish NOTHING; put your hope in the one who accomplished everything!

Heck, take a picture of your kids, an awe-inspiring sunset or even the incredibly tantalizing food that has been placed in front of you and upload it via Twitter or Facebook every once in awhile. Then at the very least the rest of us will know that you are getting out of the house and doing something.

Most of all, as the Apostle Paul encouraged, “set your mind on things above!”

Those We Seak Not Of (Addressing the "gay debate" part II)

-As I declared in my previous post, Christianity finds itself in a time of great opportunity and responsibility to bless and minister to the gay and lesbian communities. I understand that the idea of allowing gays and lesbians into the church may be too controversial, uncomfortable and disruptive for many. It is urgent then that Christians personally step outside of the comfort and protection of those “four walls” and serve, love, listen, pray, comfort and make lasting friendships with gays, lesbians, bisexuals or transsexuals when their church cannot. If the gay community is unwelcome and uncomfortable in a church setting then we must take the church to them.  

                It’s no surprise that many Christians would be tentative, uncomfortable and furthermore ill equipped in responding to such an appeal. Christianity as a whole has for years presented mixed messages concerning how its members are to love their gay neighbors while remaining true to their morals and standards. We want to know what "loving the sinner, hating the sin" looks like and if it’s even practical or effective. To this day Christianity remains painfully slow in addressing this issue or presenting any clear direction for its followers who desire answers in responding to their Gay, Lesbian, Bi or Transgendered neighbors, co-workers, friends and families who stand before them right now!

 

                A good place to start if we wish to be sensitive and loving to gays and lesbians is to discontinue to believe, preach, teach or have anything to do with the idea that homosexuals are without morals, promiscuous, pedophiles and unfit to parent. The truth is that many Gays and lesbians do attend church, believe in God and have high moral standards. Some find themselves in committed long lasting relationships while others remain single or even choose a life of celibacy. Furthermore, gays and lesbians raise good kids and have healthy family lives. People have attached these negative characteristics to gays and lesbians to build their cases against them. If you can contend that Gay people are somehow “inhuman”, wildly immoral or dangerous it is easier to recruit people to your “side” of the argument. But the misinformation, lies and slander has only raised hostility, birthed hatred and caused widening division between the “sides”. Somehow the representatives of God’s unfailing love, redemption and grace find themselves on a “side” and we must make our way to the middle.        

            In our aim to be relevant to gays, lesbians and everyone else for that matter, we must practice the instruction of Jesus when he commanded us to “do to others as you would have them do to you”. If I wish to be treated with grace and mercy than I must extend it to others, if I am going to demand that I am respected and treated fairly than I must treat others likewise. If I want others to listen when I talk than I must give attention to their voice. How we want to be treated by others is how we must treat them now.

In addressing the idea of loving our neighbors, C.S. Lewis writes, “you have never talked to a mere mortal…next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.” He goes on to present the idea that by loving and encouraging one another we are assisting each other to our full potentials as not only humans but eternal souls. Finally C.S. Lewis concludes, “it is in light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play and all politics.” We should live our lives with the perspective that each person, each eternal soul is precious to God and it is our responsibility to nurture and encourage one another.

            When I encounter someone who is gay or lesbian my heart goes out to them and I go out of my way to be kind, considerate and friendly. My wife, Sarah recently shared with me that she had similar feelings. She recounted an experience from when she worked in a dentist office in which some of the staff refused to assist a gay couple that had HIV. However, Sarah always enthusiastically volunteered to assist the dentist when this particular couple had an appointment. Sarah said she always went out of her way to be friendly and treat them with care and concern, going above and beyond for them because she knew that they probably weren’t always treated with such dignity and respect because of their sexuality and their disease. Like Tony Campolo wrote in Speaking My Mind, “We must find ways to present homosexuals with opportunities to have fulfilling, loving experiences so that we affirm their humanity and ensure their participation in the body of Christ.”

                The Biblical scriptures are full of such incredibly uplifting and hopeful passages concerning God sending his only Son to die for us, His compassion and grace, His goodness towards all of His creation, His offer of a life lived abundantly, rest for our souls and a hope that only comes from Him. These promises, these verses of hope, these passages of grace and love is God’s message to all people, including widows, the oppressed, the sinners, the alcoholics, straight, gay and lesbian of every race, color and background. There must be good news for homosexuals, because God also had them in mind when He inspired the scriptures.

Honestly the politics and debates concerning this whole issue are nauseating. I often wonder whether it is fair for us to expect the world around us to adhere to our biblical standards. Perhaps we can affect society more fruitfully when we focus on loving people unconditionally. David Kinnaman writes in “Unchristian”, “You change a country not merely by bolstering its laws but by transforming the hearts of its people”. We might win a proposition or Supreme Court decision, but at what cost? Are we willing to completely alienate an entire generation of people and lose their audience to win our moral battles? Maybe we need to reevaluate our focus and mission because although we might have the best of intentions, the world doesn’t perceive our actions out of an obligation of love. To be honest, we don’t always have the best interests of people at heart, what we have is our agendas. Sometimes we are more concerned with being right than we are with the feelings and the well-being of an eternal soul. 

            As Christians, everything we do should be motivated out of compassion for others. If we have any other motive, whether it is anger, hurt, self-righteousness, resentment or offense, than we should stay out of it. The world will see right through our empty actions if it is not executed out of compassion. 

Some Christians will argue that we will somehow be condoning the LGBT communities or that we are being too sympathetic by extending to them such grace. However, don’t they deserve to know and observe the message of Gods redemption and mercy? When we stand before God to be judged someday I don’t believe that He will condemn us because we extended too much grace, cared too much, was overly tolerant and excepting of others, excessively kind and loving. However, scripture is clear that we will be judged in the manner in which we judged others and we will be held accountable for withholding justice, blessing, forgiveness and love. I prefer to error on the side of loving too much.   

                Our obligation as Christians is to live out our faith in a way that represents the love and grace of God to the world. My hope for the gay and lesbian co-workers and friends in my life is that they will reflect back on their life someday and respond, “I have experienced prejudice, hate and struggle in my life not only from strangers but from my own family. However, this Christian has always loved me, been there for me and treated me with respect”. Shouldn’t we strive to leave such an imprint and impression on people’s hearts?  

It is my personal belief that the loudest message of the Christian church should always be love for God and love for others. Unfortunately the loudest message that Flagstaff has heard from the Christian church this year is that Christians don't like gays… What has not been heard or said as loudly, is that God is in love with them and has a desire to impart life that surpasses all that this world could ever offer…our message this year whether intentional or not has been one that rejects, not moral decisions, but individuals.

-Excerpt From my friend Kris Dohse’s blog, addressed to the local churches in his community who vocally and passionately supported an anti-gay marriage ballot proposition.

 

To Mend the Bridges or Burn Them Down (Addressing the Gay question. PART I)

I have brainstormed tirelessly trying to come up with some cute way to intro into this topic. Usually when I sit down to write I have already conceived some clever opening in which I can then build the whole essay around. However, this issue is too critical and pressing, there seems no painless way to ease into the subject matter. Its uncomfortable, controversial, and passionately debated, being as it is the “hot button” topic of our day. It is the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Transgender) people, community or lifestyle. When you throw faith into the equation, much like water and oil, cats and dogs, it seems an awkward and perhaps impossible mix. 

Can I be honest and say that I’m no expert on this topic. What follows is simply my opinions and insights gleaned from my experiences in life and faith, as well as from my friendships with gays and lesbians. All I can say for sure from my safe vantage point within the “four walls” of Christianity is that I feel uncomfortable by what I have witnessed so far in my life in regards to Christianity and its interaction with people from the LGBT community. I have heard so many sermons and read enough “religious” books and scripture to know how God feels about his creation, about justice, about mercy and grace and about treating our fellow human beings with respect. I believe that Christians have made numerous irreversible mistakes in relation to LGBT's. We have been ugly, hateful, vengeful, unmerciful, judgmental and unloving to the gay and lesbian communities. We have not represented the love and mercy of our God very well and for that I am sorry and I live my life in such a way as to make amends.  

As the nation continues to go to the polls to decide the fate of gay rights and as gay, lesbian and religious organizations draw up their battle plans, it’s easy to see that these issues are not going anywhere in the near future. I believe that Christianity finds itself in a place and time of great responsibility and opportunity to minister to the LGBT communities, however I am afraid that we are missing this incredible chance to represent the love and grace of God. I fear that many within Christianity are so focused on the cultural and political war being fought regarding “gay rights”, that we are alienating ourselves from people who deserve to be loved, respected and cared for whether we agree with their lifestyles or not. These are human beings who deserve to receive the same message of hope, redemption and forgiveness that I did. No one should be excluded from those opportunities, however I wonder if the “Vote Yes on Prop 102” signs that support banning same-sex marriage in front of our churches send them a different message.

If Christianity sincerely wishes to reach out to gays and lesbians than I believe that somehow the culture and mindset of the church and its believers will have to change. First of all, the doors of our churches must be open to all “seekers” without prejudice, expectation or judgment. It should be a safe and welcoming place where people who are foreign to the gospel and the Christian faith can “taste and see that the Lord is good”, experiencing a relationship with God at their own pace even if it take weeks, months or even years to come to faith.

As believers we need to exercise some patients towards those who are in a place of pondering questions about faith. There is this expectation that people should walk into the doors of the church and immediately make a decision whether they will accept or reject the whole “Christian package”. The whole idea that we can hold isolated “evangelistic services” that cater to outsiders and focuses on getting them saved, plugged into the church and turned from all their sins that very day is unrealistic. We have to allow space for God to reveal himself to them, while our responsibility is to patiently represent God to them with love, while assisting in nurturing their faith. In our fast paced, drive-thru, high-speed everything world, this can be challenging. But a true, enduring, mature faith takes time to cultivate.

Furthermore, I have noticed that the church often has an underlying, unspoken yet tangible sense that everyone who enters is guilty until proven innocent. The truth is that everyone is unworthy, everyone has fallen short, there is no one who is righteous, yet God patiently offers everyone His favor which we are criminally undeserving of. We must keep in mind that it is God’s spirit that convicts people of their sins and not our bullhorns, protest signs or political agendas. We need to trust God enough to do His job within the hearts and lives of people and not intervene impatiently or without love. Scripture shares an important insight into the Character of God as “patient with (us), not wishing that any should perish”. That will probably mean we are going to be a little uncomfortable at times as God deals with the real issues in people’s hearts and we are left to tolerate and witness their “symptoms”. David Kinniman writes in Unchristian, “If we allow the actions and attitudes of outsiders to shock us, we become either isolationists or crusaders, and neither extreme will have much influence on outsiders”. How true and yet tragic this statement is.

Scripture is full of brilliant, yet often ignored examples for us to follow. Take Romans 2:4 for instance; “do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” When God deals with us He is kind, tolerant and patient. Unfortunately Christians do not often display these same characteristics in their interactions with others. God tolerates our transgressions and sins, and then we turn around and are offended by the sins of others. He is patient but we are “tired of wickedness of our generation”. He is kind, but we lash out in sarcasm, anger and disgust. As Christians God constantly extends to us His grace, mercy and forgiveness as we constantly lay ruin to any sign of righteousness we might have. God does this not only out of an unfathomable love for his creation, but also as an example for us to live by.

If we as Christians are serious about loving the gay community than I plead that we drop the insensitive jokes, the untruths, misinformation and the stereotypes about homosexuals. Well we are at it, if we feel a strong conviction to fight for traditional marriage than that is fine, but let’s come up with a better argument than claiming we are “protecting the sanctity of marriage” by attempting to bar same sex marriages. We heterosexuals have done a fine enough job destroying the sacredness of marriage, trampling on its sanctity with divorce and infidelity that is just as prevalent within the church than it is in the world of “heathens”.

I consider myself blessed to have grown up in the Christian faith and church. When I think of the church what comes to mind are second rate horror movies in which people who are chased by either monsters, zombies or knife wielding psychopaths who are attempting to “hack them to pieces”, narrowly escape to the refuge of some peaceful, gothic looking church. Perhaps a better example is the far too familiar scenes from CNN following terrible storms and hurricanes, in which displaced families huddled together in the safety of a churches holy sanctuary, which has become a Red Cross evacuation center.

Too often Christian people who have “come out” have quickly been shown the door or have been shunned in shame by their old friends who simply didn’t know how to respond. Something seems terribly wrong when people are sent packing from a supposed loving, caring, community of believers. As the church opens its doors to victims of natural disasters, I believe it should also open its doors to all people who are in need spiritually. What better place for people to be than in the house of a loving, caring God where redemption and healing take place.

TO BE CONTINUED... 


“Love covers over a multitude of sins”

1 Peter 4:8

 

“Christians are primarily perceived for what they stand against. We have become famous for what we oppose, rather than who we are for”.

David Kinniman

 

THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT!

             I’m not sure if the same is true where you live, but out here amidst the outlaw mentality of Arizona the whole Photo Radar thing is a wildly controversial topic. I have heard reports that in the Phoenix area alone less than a third of all traffic fines are actually paid as most people simply refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of this technology. Apparently we like to drive fast, but we don’t appreciate having our picture taken while doing it and we’re especially not fond of the ticket we receive in the mail in 7 to 10 business days.

            Somehow having a “beef” with photo radar brings to mind Adam and Eve. When I think about Adam and Eve I think about fruit, or more specifically the fruit they were forbidden to eat (which didn’t dissuade them for too long). So when God confronts Adam about partaking of that fruit, Adam quickly attempts to pass the blame onto Eve (and God) by replying, “you know that woman you gave to me? Well, she gave me the fruit!”

            Now this whole business with fruit gets me thinking a bit deeper about things like the various selfish reasons many children are forced to grow up without the full love and support of both parents, politicians who blame one another for our nations economic woes, celebrities who check into rehab when they have done something controversial to skirt the blame and athletes who conveniently “misremember” certain details about what performance enhancing drug they were taking…uh, I mean not taking!

At their core, photo radar, forbidden fruit and finger pointing is really about responsibility, or the lack there of.

            Which brings us to Christendom, where there are two statements that make me cringe, (actually there are many more, but just play along) the first being "The Devil is attacking my life!" and the second is "God is blessing my life!"

Now, I do believe that there are spiritual forces at work in our lives whether we are aware of it or not and both statements do carry with them an incredible amount of truth that we can hardly hope to understand. God is hardly given enough credit for his merciful interventions, protection and blessings that we are so often oblivious to. Whereas, I think most of us choose to remain in ignorance to the actual amount of influence and involvement the devil has in our lives. 

Its just that all too often in my lifetime spent within the “friendly confines” of the church I have heard such statements thrown around quite frequently and flippantly as God or the Devil has been credited with everything from God having a hand in providing a parking place to the devil striking with pimple outbreaks before big dates.

I don’t pretend to know how the spiritual realm works and to be honest those Bible passages informing me that my battles are actually against the “forces of evil in this dark world” sound a bit creepy and a tad overwhelming. I am pretty sure however that when my car runs out of gas on my way to the store it doesn’t mean that somehow the devil has taken an upper hand in the spiritual arm wrestling match with God. And vice versa, when I trip while walking down some stairs and miraculously catch my balance before a disastrous fall, it doesn’t mean that God has just “put it” to the devil either. 

            These statements bug me so much because it is just another avenue for people to deflect responsibility. I have seen too many people pass the buck of responsibility in their lives to either God or the devil depending on the circumstances. Most recently I was reading a story about a popular Christian musician back in the 80’s who was arrested for possession of cocaine. Years later it seemed that he had learned little about personal humility and responsibility, simply chalking it all up to “the devil (doing) his number”.

A friend of mine who was going through a divorce also skillfully attempted to evade blame with his comment on the dreary situation that "the devil is really working hard to tear us apart". My first thought being "is God on vacation or something? The Devil is wreaking havoc on your life and God isn't doing a thing?" The truth was that he was simply refusing to acknowledge the years of mistakes, hurts and unforgiveness within his crumbling marriage. Oh, but we can throw all that practical thinking out the window and blame it on the ole’ devil!

            Besides the fact that it is a cowardly way of attempting to dodge personal responsibility, there are other issues with the emphasis on the devil being associated with every negative and God being credited with every positive thing that happens in our lives. First of all, when it "hits the fan" (oh, and it will!) it causes us to wonder where God is in the midst of the devil laying waste to our lives, despite His great promise that He will never leave nor forsake us.

Sure, it would be nice to be able to credit the devil with all the uncomfortable and painful moments in our lives, however, more often than not those difficult chapters in our story are actually sacred moments in which God is carefully and gracefully putting the defining touches on who we are.

The truth is that what we may want to believe is the devil may actually be God trying to get our attention.

            Another problem with the (positive = God, negative = the devil) approach is that the devil, crafty as he is, can manipulate situations so that they appear to be positive, like an answer to prayer even, when in fact it is of no benefit to us at all. We might be tempted to believe that because an answer we have been seeking drops from the sky all nicely packaged with a bow on top that it is a blessing from God, when in all reality it may be nothing more than another empty promise from our enemy. 

Now, God isn't immune to having a fair share of blame directed at him either. The biggest problem most people have with the whole idea of the existence of God is that they cannot fathom a loving God allowing all the pain and suffering that ills humanity. As if its Gods fault that humankind has made bad decisions, as we slowly destroy the planet, engage in war with one another while often ignoring the needs associated with the spread of sicknesses, disease and hunger. We seem to forget that God originally created all things good, beautiful and complete, while it was humanity that made a mess of it.

If we aren’t placing the blame on spiritual forces than we are not too proud to pass it along to someone or something else. We’d rather accuse our spouses, mothers or fathers, our depression or addictions, our boss or work situations, the economy and even the President (need I go further?) than lay claim to our own mistakes and troubles. I was even talking with a pastor who blamed alcohol consumption as a factor in many occurrences of infidelity. I don't really buy that, alcohol doesn't "make" anyone do anything, (besides act stupid) it is simply an easy excuse.

The fact is that we are reckless with our money and our time, our bodies and our birth control, our emotions and even our very souls. Heck, because of our unreliability and negligence the very planet that God so lovingly and deliberately designed for us is slowly being destroyed. From within our dire circumstances we cry out “why God?” while ignoring the fact that our actions have consequences.

Without responsibility and accountability in our lives there is little hope that our co-workers, friends, significant others or even our children will hold us in any measurable amount of esteem. In fact, it may very well erase what little character we might have had and remove any clinging fibers of integrity. A lack of responsibility has cost us in our marriages and has done damage to our relationships with our children. With only finger pointing and no one willing to shoulder the blame our country has been driven into unimaginable debt. Irresponsibility and at times an unwillingness to admit its wrongs the churches reputation and effectiveness has been eroded.

            All of us (myself most definitely included!) need to begin taking small steps of responsibility within our lives and own up to our faults and failures. Seek forgiveness from God and those around us for our weaknesses and our shortcomings. We make our own decisions and we need to be accountable for them. Like the old saying goes, “we must lie in the bed we make”.

           

WARNING! Contents may be hazardous to your life!

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as a sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." Paul the Apostle

I have become tired of the lethargic church and of empty Christianity. It saddens me that the world does not see a true representation of Jesus when it sees His supposed followers. I am dismayed that we continue to build extravagant homes (churches) for God and yet don't take care of those without homes. I am concerned that we have merrily built for ourselves a fortress and now reside within its four walls as if protecting ourselves from the "evil" world around us.

Though I am saddened, angry and tired of these things, I am even wearier of just simply talking about it. I have to guard myself and watch that I don't become too cynical, judgmental and frustrated that I become useless to God, to Christianity and to humankind.

Sure, I can write blogs about Christianities issues until my hair turns gray and my fingers become arthritic. I can sit around at coffee houses discussing the problems of the church with friends until every stone is overturned. I can read as many books and articles about what the church is supposed to look like or how its inhabitants have grown overfeed and lazy. But all the while the world turns, time passes and I grow older. I have to ask myself whether I am simply becoming a clanging cymbal? Am I nothing more than a noise that is pounding like the neighbors stereo at 2 AM annoying all those around me?

Yeah, we have done a fine job messing up Jesus' image throughout history. I feel a responsibility to tell people "no, this isn't who Jesus is". This is not the Jesus I have grown up to know and live for. He is not like those who angrily condemn the gay and lesbian communities while inconsiderately shouting hateful things at them at protests and rallies. He is not the one who hangs "No-Smoking" signs outside churches so that those who do smoke feel even more alienated from the “saints” inside. He is not the one standing on street corners shouting "Turn or Burn!" He does not send hurricanes or fly airplanes into buildings to punish or scare us into getting our act together or repenting. And he is not the one on TV asking for our money while promising us prosperity because of our generous contributions. He is far from any of these things, unfortunately however, their bullhorns are loud and they draw all of the attention.

It all makes me wonder if the world has ever actually gotten a glimpse of the real Jesus? Sure, people can know about him, know a little about religion and spend some time in church but all of that means very little. Those of us who are Christians are supposed to represent the incredible love and grace of Jesus to the world, not send them running away, causing them to despise Him.

Don't get me wrong; there are some of the coolest Christians, churches and people who are doing and being everything they are supposed to be. I am thankful for them because they encourage and challenge my faith and give me hope that all is not lost.

It was because of a somewhat stagnate faith that I began writing blogs and talking to people about my frustrations with religion and church. I was hoping in the very least to encourage and inspire them to think a little more critically about their own faith while at the same time desiring to ignite a little life into my own. I was also hoping to find people that may have experienced or witnessed some of the same things I had, to see if my feelings were legitimate or unfounded. I guess what I really was hoping to determine was if I was crazy, "backslidden" or if I was on the right track.

Thank God I found that I was not alone. There are many people out there who are just as tired and frustrated who desire to see some positive changes within their church and faith. This is where we need to be cautious however. If all we do is sit around complaining, writing and talking we will begin to hear a distant clanging in our ears. We need to follow passionate discontent with action.

God has designed all believers to play significant roles in something incredibly spiritual, powerful and effective, called the church (which is simply a term meaning the collection of all believers, not to be confused with a building). And as much as it frustrates me to no end and tests the level of my patients I cannot remove myself from it nor can I renounce my place from within it. It is a part of me and I am a part of it. So when I find myself nitpicking all of its flaws and inconsistencies I have to ask myself am I doing my part? Is it the churches fault or should I share in the blame because I have taken myself out of the game and stand on the sideline judging it to pieces?

Too many of us have allowed the hurt, the abuse and the neglect we have experienced within Christianity render us ineffective. We can sulk and lick our wounds for a time and point out all the things that need to change, but until we do something proactive it all eventually just becomes noise. The church may be a mess, but its our mess, so what are we going to do about it?

This might sound crazy, egocentric, or as John Lennon put it best "you may say I'm a dreamer", but its time to be true representatives of what we believe. I know it sounds cliché but we need to be the change we want to see. Instead of shunning the soiled, misused label of Christian, perhaps we need to begin redefining it through our lives and actions. How do accomplish such an overwhelming and seemingly impossible task? Well, may I suggest we begin not by beating down the doors of neighbors, handing out evangelistic tracts, or inviting people to our church (though those are tools that sometimes work)…but let’s start somewhere simple, humble, often ignored and almost always undervalued. Let it begin with us living out our faith, loving others, serving and being hope. If we can accomplish this quietly without all the fanfare and hype it will speak the loudest and our message will be heard.

"Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.' St Francis of Assisi.

Alien Nation

You probably wouldn’t guess it by my easygoing demeanor, but I actually have a bit of a rebellious streak in me. When you’re a Christian all this really means is that you wear jeans and Converse to church, smuggle snacks into movie theatres, and occasionally disagree with the politics of FOX News. Oh yeah, and you listen to David Bazan.

To those uninitiated, David Bazan is a critically acclaimed solo artist in the indie music world whose songwriting is heavily influenced by his Christian upbringing while also being beautifully interlaced with the darker aspects of life and faith. The result is songs containing such hefty topics as infidelity, murder, alcoholism, suicide, lust, and doubt. Not the kind of tunes your apt to hear on your local “always upbeat” Christian radio station, nevertheless real and honest topics found scattered throughout the Holy Scriptures within the lives of our spiritual heroes.

On his latest album Curse your Branches, Bazan boldly dares to take God to task on the disconcerting aspects he wrestles with in the Christian “story” or at least mans best interpretations of it. No stranger to controversy, Bazans new album has ignited some pretty heated, albeit predictable debates, especially within online forums and blogs.

Which is precisely where I encountered a comment that began by clarifying that although he liked the album he didn’t “agree” with Bazans particular commentary on the Christian faith.
Despite his “fringy” songwriting, I had honestly never really given much thought to whether I should agree with Bazans theology or not, I just simply understood. What I understand is the places of questioning and doubt from which he poses his questions. So I never necessarily felt compelled to pronounce whether I agreed with him or not as much as I felt obligated to at least attempt identifying with him.

Whether its simply clicking like/unlike or airing our views in 140 characters or less, we love to make ourselves heard don’t we? We especially enjoy interjecting our own personal “critiques” into any and all conversations. Honestly, isn’t the most entertaining part of American Idol watching the judges argue and disagree with one another? The fact is many of the most popular shows and personalities on television (Pardon the Interruption on ESPN, Glenn Beck and The View) simply offer us their highly opinionated views on varying topics.

Can, or maybe a better question is should every component of life be thoroughly scrutinized (or judged) before being so simply classified and categorized into being either agreeable or not, good or not, beneficial or not? And although my young, brash generation of disgruntled churchgoers would love to spotlight all the ways in which the church arrogantly does just this, I have to humbly confess that we are (I include myself) equally as guilty as we nit pick every nuance of the Sunday morning service.

Obviously utilizing a healthy amount of discernment is wise, however, when we consider that most everyone’s value systems vary whether the subject matter is family, religion, education, the arts or politics, sometimes the things that we believed could only fall into a neatly packaged category of either black or white actually begin to merge into a more complicated gray. What we are left with is not always universal truths, but simply many unique and varying personal convictions.

Take the Christian church for example, which has such a wide range of differing beliefs, ideas, doctrines and theologies about how God, the church and believing people are supposed to function. And the varying views go beyond simple doctrinal matters and into childrearing, women’s roles, birth control, marriage, divorce and so on. My point is that even within Christianity there is a divide on many spiritual and practical life issues. If a faith with common core beliefs can be so messy, how are we to come together civilly when the topic is seemingly something more complicated?

Interestingly enough many religious and political people approached Jesus with questions hoping to identify where he stood on “the issues”. More often than not, however Jesus skirted around the questions being posed refusing to give in to their games. On occasion he actually offered an alternative viewpoint altogether which threw a wrench into the whole idea surrounding “two-sided” debates.

Sure, there is a time and place for debate; however, we also need to have moments of peace from all the noise of dogmatic chatter. We need to have moments of understanding and if nothing else discover some harmony within our “sacred beliefs” to level enough common ground upon which to stand together. It is imperative that we have such places of safety where we can relate to one another and come to understand each other as people and not just as puzzles to be solved.

Mark Driscoll in his book Religion Saves + nine other misconceptions, writes that there are a few nonnegotiable doctrines within our faith that we must hold tightly to with a closed hand, while in the other hand there are those doctrines that are important but secondary that we must hold more loosely and graciously. Although Driscoll is addressing differences in spiritual teachings and beliefs, I believe this advice can be applied to varying areas of dissention. However, it is counsel that is, sadly, unheeded as we often hold stubbornly with white knuckles to certain beliefs that we are convinced are so important even at the risk of alienating ourselves from friends and family.

If we look to the scriptures we find that the Apostle Paul selflessly focused much of his energies into finding ways in which he could relate to others in THEIR world, on THEIR turf and where THEY were comfortable in order to make meaningful relationships. Jesus was a perfect example of this as well, spending much of his time seeking out relationships and accepting invitations into other people’s homes and worlds, many of whom were cast out from “important” religious circles for being “unagreeable”. Jesus asked questions, began meaningful dialog and most importantly he listened.

Listening is essential to understanding. When we give someone the opportunity to speak while also attentively listening it affords him or her the proper respect they deserve. In effect, we validate that person by listening. Nothing turns (or ticks) people off quicker and sours their opinion of you more than if you are someone who talks without listening. All too often various matters escalate from simple conversations into debates and arguments because both sides would rather speak than listen and empathize with one another.

Although perhaps our family, friends, church or pastors cannot come to grips with the ugly circumstances surrounding our life we can rest assured that God does understand. And not in a shortcut kind of way being that He is a God of infinite wisdom. God took no shortcuts or easy ways out when He sent Jesus to this earth; He in effect put himself in our shoes and in our situations. He faced everything we have had to face and more, rejection, temptation, betrayals from friends, false accusations, sickness and death. The real miracle of Jesus’ life on earth is not just that he accomplished it without committing a sin. The real miracle is that God would choose to experience this life right along side of us, forever making any accusation that He doesn’t understand sound rather foolish.

The scriptures also reveal that on several occasions Jesus was moved with compassion for people. This compassion was not a matter of pity, but a sincere concern for people’s well being. Which stings because most often it is not compassion that stirs us when we offer our judgment…uh, I mean, advice to those who may or may not have come looking for it in the first place.

Having our own convictions and beliefs is important, however we need to remember that is all they are, our own. Each one of us needs to decide for ourselves how much of the surrounding world we wish to weigh according to those convictions and beliefs. More than anything else I encourage you to humbly make an effort to understand and relate to those you interact with on a daily basis. Maybe then we might begin to see people as more than simply those we disagree or clash with, perhaps we might begin to see them as God does, as His precious creation who are just a little misunderstood at times.

SOMETHING WE CAN"T BE

I confess to a tendency of being a bit critical, cynical and even unfair at times when I analyze (call it “judge” if you like) how the Sunday morning Christian church represents themselves through preaching, music, tithes, announcements, skits, dramas, etc. Sometimes that cynicism can be constructive and at other times it is neither productive nor beneficial in the least, it merely fuels my own self-righteousness (not a good thing!).

So recently during the praise and worship portion of the church service, the lyrics “a thousand times I have failed” caught my attention. I immediately began contemplating the dynamics of failure in relation to my spiritual life. That is until the very next song began with a similarly themed verse of “all my fears and failures”, at which point I quickly sat down, grabbed a pen and jotted down this “coincidence” for later deliberation.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand the heart of the songwriters, obviously it is quite true that we have all “fallen short of the glory of God”. We also know God to be gracious, sympathetic and forgiving, in whom we can openly confess our struggles (sins) without the burden of guilt or condemnation.

Furthermore, I cannot neglect the fact that Christianity has admirably made strides towards becoming more honest and transparent, abandoning the façade of holiness and hypocrisy that so often identifies us. And I don’t mean to undue any of that here nor do I beckon a return to such a destructive “fairy-tale” version of spiritual living.

However, there is a danger to the health and well-being of our faith when we get hung up on such self-critical, self-labeling and condemning thoughts of being failures. And I have been there, fruitlessly despairing over my transgressions within my spiritual life and relationship with God. Sadly, I don’t believe my experience is an isolated incident, but is a common hindrance to the spiritual growth of many.

I am not suggesting that we stop singing our songs of repentance, which I love actually, however we cannot continue to remain in such a place of mourning over and reflecting upon our past sins. The word failure references something that has happened in our past and God is more concerned with our present and our future. We need to forgive ourselves (because God has already forgiven us) and move on.

In his book Velvet Elvis, Rob Bell recounts a conversation he had over lunch with a new follower of Jesus who laments about his struggles with sin and his continual failures. Rob assessed that “becoming a Christian had given him all sorts of things to feel guilty about. I wondered if becoming a Christian had made his life not better but actually worse.” And this is what I don’t want to see happening to people, the message of the Gospels is supposedly “good news” after all.

It is finding the positive in a fallen world as C.S. Lewis did in writing that “we need not despair even in our worst, for our failures are forgiven”. Thus, since our failures are forgiven, then they are gone, no longer an embarrassing stain that wrecks havoc on our self-conscious. We cannot be defined by something that has been removed. Can you be a failure when God no longer recognizes the failings? Somewhere, somehow people are not getting this message or they are hearing the wrong message entirely.

I am concerned with the message because the truth is that we can only fail when we are striving towards something or when we try to live up to some unrealistic expectations that we have placed upon ourselves. Spiritual holiness and perfection cannot be earned or attained neither by our own good deeds nor by our obedience to some spiritual rites. As Philip Yancey so beautifully wrote, “Grace comes from the outside, as a gift and not an achievement.”

The Scriptures tell us “there is no one righteous” not as a word of condemnation, but as a message of freedom. It is a truth in which we are to exist and reside within. We need to come to peace with this in our heavily competitive and self-reliant culture, because despite our very best efforts we will never stack up, we will only find ourselves exhausted and burned out. When Jesus offered all those who were “weary and burdened to come to him to find rest”, he was speaking to a religious culture that strived tirelessly to please God through good works and obedience to the law. Instead of striving to earn our “gold stars”, we must consciously choose to live within the undeserved, unearned favor of God.

If our motivation to do good works is simply to please God and to earn his love and acceptance, then we are striving for something we already possess. To again quote Rob Bell, “There is this person who we already are in God’s eyes and we are learning to live like it is true…God is not interested in shaming people. God wants people to see who they really are.”

And we are people who have been “Justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Through Jesus, God has done his part to redeem everyone, and I mean EVERYONE on the planet, our response is to come to terms with that and live like we believe it is true. Living such good lives, obeying His instruction because of our gratefulness for what he has done and for the freedom we have been given.

And yet, the pious will continue to self-righteously bring before God their resume of “glowing marks” and outstanding accomplishments, ignoring the fact that scripture calls those acts “filthy rags”. We cannot hope to impress God by any actions of our own, after all He is our creator and upon finishing his great masterpiece declared it good. It is completely arrogant for anyone to truly believe that they could impress the maker of the planets, stars, sun and moon. As scripture points out, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (NLT)

Now all this talk of living free of guilt and shame when we accept Gods free gifts of salvation and grace are wonderfully poignant but in the reality of our lives it is a painstakingly difficult idea to grasp or live out. Truth is, that in all areas of society we are governed by certain rules that convey to us, whether audibly or not, that we must earn respect, raises, good grades, trust, love, credit, etc. As we learn from an early age, “there is no such thing as a free lunch”. Growing up in such an atmosphere makes it difficult for us to accept God’s grace without any strings attached.

Scripture tells us “without faith it is impossible to please God”. I would argue that those who strive to please God have in actuality little, to no faith at all. They have no faith that He is in control, that he has forgiven them, that he cares for them and that his grace is enough. Perhaps to appease their own guilty conscience, they strive for the approval of God, however, being faithless they toil and labor in vain. In effect their actions and good works give witness to their unbelief.

The thing that struck me the most about the God that Mack encountered in last years ever-popular book The Shack was a God who, being omniscient, had no need to place any expectations upon His beloved creation. In the book, God explains to Mack that because He does not place any expectations upon us, we therefore never disappoint Him. I don’t know about you, but from where I’ve been within the “church world” the idea that we never disappoint God is revolutionary. Such a truth should free us from all of our fruitless striving to please God and allow us to instead live truly fulfilling spiritual lives.

It is only out of such knowledge as this that we can actually desire to live and succeed in living holy lives, knowing that if we stumble somewhere along the way that we haven’t disappointed God. The point of living our lives at a higher standard isn’t to please God, which we have already established we cannot do, but simply because it is a healthier way to live this life.

Every one of us can relate to the terrible sting, stigma and struggles caused by failure in our lives, whether it has attached itself to a marriage, job, business, friendship, ministry or whatever. The possibility of failure is the cause of many detours and delays in our lives as we are paralyzed by fear and worry.

Yet, there remains one area of our lives we are afforded freedom from the weight of doubt, fear and guilt associated with failure and that place is in our relationship with God. He gives us everything we need for life and life abundantly without our having to strive to earn it. It’s a win, win situation really…how could we fail?

This Frightening Faith (A HALLOWEEN SPECIAL)

Considering the current economic crisis and the whispers of “CHANGE”, which is always a bit of a scary proposition, the chill in the air may have less to do with the changing of seasons and more to do with the current atmosphere of uncertainty, worry and fear surrounding many people these days.

In the “last days”, the Apostle Paul warns believers of “terrible times” characterized by people being lovers of themselves, proud, abusive, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, treacherous and conceited. Interestingly enough, Paul’s descriptive caution doesn’t immediately bring to my mind the “godless heathens”, with their “hidden-agendas”, as much as it does those within Christendom today that irresponsibly spew their “poison” over the airwaves of radio, through the intoxicating glow of the television and within the print of those best-selling books on our nightstands.

It seems an especially appropriate description as Paul speaks of them “worming their way into the homes of weak willed woman”, sounding eerily reminiscent of those televangelists who target the elderly.

I suggest we evaluate the happenings within the “four-walls” of Christendom, before we go pointing out the “speck in the eye” of the world around us, blaming them for all that ails this country.

Forgive me for sounding so harsh but I have a hard time equating some of the “religious elite” representing my faith, with the gracious, peacemaking, enemy loving people Jesus commanded us to be. There is no need to name those who irk me with their misrepresentations of Christ’s unfailing love, because as Jesus instructed “you will know them by their fruit”. Their character easily betrays them as the “wolves in sheep’s clothing” that we have been forewarned about.

Some will counter that this is such a small minority of so-called Christians, but in my opinion it isn’t small enough. This little contingent of “religious fanatics” is stirring up a considerable amount of “grass roots” fervor, if not trouble, that perpetrates fear and worry in good people; perhaps someone has forwarded you one of their emails.

Perhaps even more shocking and distressing is that some of this “nonsense” is originating from Christian organizations of great respect, influence and power. It makes me wonder why such groups would involve themselves in the “mudslinging” and slandering of politics when they could use their incredible amount of influence to humbly represent Jesus to this culture.

The truth is that fear is an incredibly tempting tool that offers a considerable amount of power and control. Though we’d like to believe they are motivated by something a little more Godly, don’t think for a minute that Christian radio and television programs, magazines and publishing companies aren’t concerned with ratings and revenue. Such talk of conspiracies that conjures up fear and hysteria is all wrapped up in dollar signs too enticing for some to ignore. Not everything with the “Christian stamp” on it is Gospel or beneficial, we must be discerning like the ancient Bereans who critically examined everything preached to them to test whether it stood up to scripture.

Along with this “media barrage” of manipulation and fear comes talk of an impending persecution of Christians in America. Every disheartening news story of natural disaster and war, each passage of “liberal” legislation and every constitutional challenge to our Christen heritage in this country is spotlighted by “those in the know” as examples of our slowly eroding, “everything goes” culture which is ushering in a time of difficulty for the Christian.

Writer and radical Russ Belville’s “Christian Persecution Complex” is a hilarious, often irreverent and convicting article regarding portions of Christianity that see everything as a conspiracy in which the rest of non-Christian America is constantly declaring war with their way of life in attempts to subjugate them.

Along those lines is Susan E. Isaacs insightful and entertaining memoir Angry Conversations with God, which recounts a “pep-talk” given at her Christian school on last day of sixth grade that warned “next year you’re off to public school where they‘ll persecute you because you love Jesus”. To which she responded in alarm, “you mean they’ll try to kill us?” Such an innocent and yet astute observation from a child puts some of our outlandish claims of wrongdoing in perspective. Is the world really trying to kill us or are we being overly paranoid? Are we simply throwing fits because we didn’t get our way?

Given the current climate of Christianity and its often-hostile interactions with the world around, could it be that Paul’s warnings of “terrible times” will be set into motion by the “Pharisees” of our day and not the world around us, as we have always feared?

What I am referring to are those religious extremists within the militant Pro-Life groups that deliver a “black-eye” to not only the Pro-Life movement, but also Christianity with their anger, hatred, threats and deplorable acts of violence.

I am also alluding to those protesters forever seared into our consciousness carrying incomprehensible and frighteningly hateful anti-gay picket signs that read “Matthew Sheperd is in HELL!” and “God hates FAGS!” (My personal favorite however is one that reads “GOD HATES SIGNS!”).

Not to be outdone are those “talking heads” within Christendom that leave behind a wake of embarrassing and often offensive sound-bits that arrogantly explain God’s purposes for 9/11 and hurricane Katrina, which they later recant and apologize for.

We had a pastor make the news here in Arizona recently for preaching a sermon titled “Why I hate Barack Obama”. He stated in subsequent interviews that he prays every night for Obama’s death so that he will go to hell!”

Meanwhile, in Illinois a group of Christians are rallying together to smear and discredit the professionalism of Hemant Mehta, (author of I sold My Soul on E-Bay) in hopes he will lose his position as a schoolteacher, because he nightlife’s as an atheist blogger. (When this happens to us we call it persecution, when we “do unto others” it is called defending our religious freedoms).

Are we not partially responsible for contributing to the mindset of Christianities detractors? When you consider such “noise” from Christianity, who can blame the “outside” world for their suspicions, fears and defensiveness towards Christianity.

As often as we (Christians) get it wrong, I don’t want to overshadow the many who get it so beautifully right. It may matter little however, because “The world is using our most irate voices to define us” (Mark Steele Christianish).

And we are supposed to be the peacemakers. As the Apostle Paul admonishes, “bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse…be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Oh, how I long to see more of this put into action.

Yet, we often forget the sacredness and humanity of those around us, be it friend or foe, in the eyes of God. Scripture states, “we curse men, who are made in God’s likeness”. If we are indeed created in God’s image, than to curse another is akin to cursing God. Explaining why Jesus was so adamant in his warnings against calling another a “fool”. Which convicts me of my attitudes towards certain co-workers, politicians and evangelicals,

If it were possible to pinpoint the “enemies” of Christianity (which some inexplicably find it their calling to do) than in the very least, according to the teachings of Jesus, we would have identify those who we are to love, serve and extend grace too. Perhaps in that way we will “heap burning coals on their heads” instead of fuel their fires. We are called to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry after all.

To be honest times are a bit dark and scary, but as those who claim to have faith in Jesus we have “not been given a spirit of fear”. We shouldn’t recoil in panic or act out in anger at the “godlessness” around us; our response should be that of love and forgiveness. John the Evangelist beautifully writes, “let us not love with words or tongue but with action and truth”. The unfortunate reality is that no matter the sincerity of our words and testimony, they are being made irrelevant at the hands of these small factions of so-called “Christians”. The world around us will have to come to know whom we represent by our tangible acts of love.

Independence: What a Beautiful Snare

Through my relationship with my daughter I get glimpses into my own relationship with God, which often reveals the current condition of my spiritual life. That being said, I’m not bragging, more than I am confessing when I tell you that my daughter can be pretty headstrong and independent. She regularly insists on doing things on her own, forcing me to painfully watch as she struggles to button a jacket, fasten a pair of shoes or pour a glass of milk. The innocence of which I will take over the impending, dreaded teenager years when she will undoubtedly insist on doing EVERYTHING on her own. For now my daughters actions and attitude seems to be her subtle statement of rebellion that says, “The world DOES revolve around five-year-olds!”

I have been thinking a lot about Adam lately. The way I always imagined it, whether you believe the Biblical accounts of the creation story are to be taken literally of figuratively, the Garden of Eden was a virtual paradise that left Adam wanting for nothing. I don’t know about you, but I always thought of Eden as being Heaven on earth with a similar “No more tears, pain or death” policy. A place in which Adam enjoyed the very real physical presences of God who regularly joined him for a stroll through that unimaginably magnificent place, their relationship untainted by the impending “fall” (that whole “forbidden fruit” controversy). Who wouldn’t be a bit envious of Adams situation who had the luxury of laying his head down peacefully at night without those unanswerable questions that plague so many of us with doubt, uncertainty and fear.

Until recently I had somehow overlooked an interesting and thought provoking angle to this story. You see despite what I had always believed about Adams seemingly perfect existence in which he was sustained both physically and spiritually by the very presences of God, the scriptures reveal an underlying longing and an incompleteness of which he couldn’t express or understand. God, His very nature being loving and gracious, aware all of His creations yearnings and desires understood that Adams particular need was for companionship. In fact, in the creation process God wired him in such a way that he would long for the companionship of others. It was His design.

Though God had given man the earth in all of its glory and the infinity of the heavens above that dances with the light of planets and stars, He saved his most precious gift for last; relationships. From that point forward God instituted a peculiar new math in which “two become one” in a relationship of dependence on one another. This idea expressed beautifully by the illustration of two separate threads joining together to become one strong piece of string. Sadly, throughout history humanity has gotten itself tangled up in an ugly mess of disagreements, unforgiveness, prejudice, exploitation and eventual war. However, God intended so much more for relationships.

Not to get all John Lennon, “give peace a chance” on you, but this whole idea of Adam, his loneliness and Gods gift of companionship tells me that God does not intend for humanity to do this life alone. As important as our reliance on God is, we are also meant to depend on the fellowship and support of one another. In fact the scriptures constantly implores us to “encourage one another”, “bare one another’s burdens”, rejoice and mourn with one another. In fact the early church beautifully exemplified a communal faith as they met together daily to eat, fellowship and pray with one heart and one mind. There was a selfless attitude amongst them as everyone shared what they had so that no one was in need. They lived in such a way that followers of Jesus should strive for today. (Sorry, I did get ALL Lennon and Yoko on you after all!)

So, the question I pose is this, if we were not created to do life alone, than why do we continually insist on doing all of lives little subsections, consisting of our spiritual, romantic, financial, and childrearing lives, alone? The truth is that very rarely does anything good come from someone venturing out on their own, if you have ever watched Lost or listened to the members of the Beatles (or the Stones) solo work you know this to be true.

I am not so sure that our spiritual, nor any other part of our lives for that matter, can meet it’s full, God-intended, potential by way of our own efforts. No matter the hard work and determination we put forth to accomplish it, we are still short the full compliments of people who are on a similar journey that are able to encourage us. I believe that we grow, strengthen and learn as we celebrate the blessings and trials of our faith with others. Our growth in all areas of our lives is dependent on our relationships. As Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy put it in an interview “there’s certain things in this world you can’t do alone and they’re usually important things.” Tragically marriages crumble, alcoholics relapse, believers lose faith and single parents burn out when attempting to navigate through this life on their own.

My former pastor, now simply a friend, is passionate about His relationship with God and often fasts, or gives up food for periods of time (up to forty days on several occasions) to meditate, pray and rekindle his inner spiritual desperation. However, he told me that the most difficult thing he had ever done spiritually was purposely secluding himself in a room with no books, music or anything else except for some water for three days, his purpose being to seek God without any outside influences or distractions. To me, this is mere evidence that we were not meant to be alone. Anything beyond a few days of seclusion and we begin holding conversations with Wilson volleyballs.

The topic of loneliness reminds me of a scene in Judd Apatow’s most recent movie, Funny People, in which Adam Sandler’s character, upon finding that he is cancer free, returns home excitedly to his empty mansion (save for a gardener, pool man and housekeeper) dying to share his good news with someone, anyone who will listen. However, having alienated himself from his family and not have any real friends, he walks into the dining area where his Hispanic housekeeper is tidying up and awkwardly attempts to explain to her that he isn’t sick anymore to which she nods with a smile before responding “I clean the stain in the pants for you”. A painful scene to watch that beautifully illustrates our need for the shared company of others.

Sure, on occasions we all need to get alone and recollect our thoughts, however, stay in that place too long (especially with the curtains drawn while listening to REM’s “Everybody hurts”) and you will need a caring friend to drag you from that funk. I have thrown my own depressing little pity-parties and thankfully, friends or my wife have sensed it and graciously barged in saying, “hey…is that Radiohead your listening to? Well, turn that off, open those shades, take a shower and lets go get some dinner!”

From the beginning of time humanity inquires in arrogance “where is God?” blind to his presences all around in the caring actions of those he has strategically placed within our lives to help guide, carry, instruct and encourage us. Within our relationships and friendships can be found evidence of a divine existence.

We are a proud people to be sure. We build towers to the heavens to find God on our own, we stubbornly wander through deserts to find the promise land on our own, and we greedily hoard the manna, whether that represents monetary resources or spiritual blessings, to provide for our own needs. Too often we resemble a five-year-old child who tells those who graciously offer their assistance that “I can do it by myself!” A statement that almost always precedes failure.

Whatever we are facing in our lives, God has placed someone there who can be a blessing to us. Utilize those gifts God has given you, don’t do life alone!

No, Doubt About it!

The Person who has doubts about something and then does it stands condemned because he is not true to his convictions and does not act from faith. Whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is wrong. The Apostle Paul

It is a peaceful summer morning as I sit outside of my favorite coffeehouse. The mood around me is light being that it is too early in the day for such serious conversation as the economy or politics. Most of my fellow patrons sip their morning coffee as they read the news while others make small talk over a plate of skinny pancakes. I sit in my usual spot on the porch that overlooks the whole outdoor seating area. A great place to sit and watch people come and go. My usual companions join me on this occasion, a notebook, several books and my MP3 player that is blasting some random indie band that I happen to think is cool at the moment.

As the sun gathers momentum and continues to climb in the sky, I sit with a book lying open on my lap, pages flipping in the wind while the song I was listening to has long since ended. My gaze is focused on a far off place as I am lost in one of my moments were I am taking stock of my life. I sit pondering the many questions I have about my life wondering whether what I am doing is what I should be doing and whether I am living the way I should be living.

Sure, not a groundbreaking, or mind blowing question really. Probably most of you reading this ask yourself the same question on a regular basis. "Is this what I'm supposed to do with the rest of my life?" "Am I living my life the way I should be?" "should I find another job, or go back to school?" "What about all the people in need around the world and in my neighborhood, I should be doing something about that, but what?"

I don't believe these are just the questions of youth, twenty-something's or those experiencing some sort of a mid-life crisis. These are questions we continue to ask ourselves throughout our lifetime. Media, capitalism, consumerism, government, and religion in their selfishness volunteer their assistance to us by giving us their answers and telling us what they believe we should be doing. Amidst all of their “noise” only confusion, frustration and apathy are birthed within us. The doubts persist and the questions continue to swirl around us.

The quote from Paul the Apostle speaks to my situation and I feel at least gives me a point from where to start answering questions. After reading his words and reflecting upon my own life I came to the conclusion that I must build stronger personal convictions not only in the things in which I believe, but also the issues that I waiver on. This is not easy to admit but too often my convictions and beliefs are easily swayed by politics, religion or by a person with strong charisma. Sadly it's happening to many of us. We don't know if we are living the life we are supposed to because we are waiting for someone to tell us so. We don't know the next step to take until someone tells us where to go.

Throughout history religious, political and charismatic leaders have used rules, guidelines and commands to control, use and mold their followers. I have been involved in church long enough see the power of the manipulation machine for myself. I admit that when I was a leader in the church I even took part in the pulling of strings. Oh, it's easy really; you just have to have the lighting just right and the music just so.

Therefore, whether it's a message coming from politics, religion, parents or a trusted friend we should gather that information and process it critically. We need to have our own strong convictions and beliefs. We need to be confident in who we are and not rely on the acceptance of others. Then and only then will the whispers of doubt grow silent and a new confidence will arise.

Paul the Apostle was encouraging those who would hear his words to critical thinking. What I hear him saying is that despite what some my want you to believe there really are a lot of gray areas and that not everything is black and white, right or wrong. These are some very dangerous ideas that many religious leaders would rather not have you hear, but the truth is there is an awful lot of freedom given to us by God. Of course with that freedom comes responsibility. We have a responsibility to respect others convictions and beliefs. We have a responsibility to be life students and grow in our wisdom and knowledge. We have a responsibility to build for ourselves strong convictions and firm footing on which we stand.

Think critically, meditate and process everything. Ask questions and seek answers. Don't proceed until you have dealt with any doubts you may have and are confident in the answer. Doubt doesn't have to be something we view negatively or as a weakness as long as we confront our uncertainties. It is a strong beam of light that exposes the cracks and holes in who we are and what we believe. Once we begin filling those places with knowledge, experience and faith we become stronger people with secure convictions.

So how do we know we are doing what we are meant to do with our lives and living our life to it's fullest? When we live a life that abides by our convictions, beliefs and standards that God has place in us. When we know we are being true to ourselves and to the person God created us to be we are living the life we should. When doubt and fear no longer reigns over our thoughts and our lives.

If there is an area or issue in our life that harbors doubt then we know where to start. Being responsible means we don't act on something if we are unsure. Maybe that means starting with your faith and what you believe. It could possibly even mean starting with you. Whatever area of your life contains doubt begin to build confidence.

We could spend our lives sitting around coffeehouses and bars doubting, wondering and questioning our lives and actions. However, the world in its current state and situation needs people who are ready to react and respond confidently.

What that will look like for you I can't really say, I'm still working on things for myself. Yet, once we have firm convictions and beliefs maybe that will guide you to find a new roommate, take a summer break to volunteer your time to serve others, ride your bike to work to help the environment. Maybe you will stop whining about your career, job, schoolwork, family, etc and start focusing on the positives, begin writing letters to those who have power to make changes, not listen to others but decide for yourself who you will vote for.

We need to take a look at our lives and the world we live in and face those things that make us uncomfortable. It's wrong for us to keep on living like there is nothing wrong and living each day the same when we have doubts. Its time to find who we really are and what we stand for.

God, what are you doing here?

It had been awhile since I had gone to church before inadvertently attending what became quite a memorable service a couple years ago. It was not your typical church or church service, existing without the traditional rows of pews, stained glass windows and organist playing "Amazing Grace". Black lights and neon signs dimly lit the room. A lingering smell of leftover euphoria from the previous night hung about the room and yet, also a hint of loneliness which is a constant here. As I found my seat I observed a few others scattered throughout who were also quietly digesting the atmosphere. There wasn’t a Bible to be found among the "congregation", although many sat intently studying the head of foam in their pint of beer just as religiously.



What I interpret as being powerfully "spiritual” was, in reality an evening in which brave souls tamed their insecurities and fears in order to participate in an "open mic" at a local bar.



The first few performers courageous enough to step onto the lonely stage with nothing more than a microphone for refuge and an acoustic guitar as their sole companion were a few singer songwriters. I recognized a few cover tunes like The Black Crowes “She Talks to Angels” and Pearl Jam’s “Betterman”, in addition to a few originals they had written.



Although the songs were not "traditional" praise and worship songs as one might recognize them, they were songs performed and written from a place of total honesty and a sincere heart. The songs revealed personal hurt, loneliness and brokenness; however, the lyrics still contained a hope that one-day things might be better. Songs hinting towards a certain searching or longing whether that meant a quest for romantic love or for answers to the questions that keep us awake at night. The performers were very vulnerable, seeming as though, in a doubting, defeated, Job or King David sort of way, that they were worshiping God despite the circumstances. In the very least they were gasping a few last ditch, doubt-filled and faithless prayers to a God they didn't know.



The last person to take their place in front of the attentive crowd was a friend of mine named Scott, who brought to the microphone a handful of poems he had written. I admire Scott because he has never been afraid to be honest with me about his life, struggles and faith. He grew up believing in God but like many of us, he is struggling to find peace with Him. Probably most Christians would call Scott a "backslidden sinner", but I think he is just more honest than the rest of us.



His sincerity and blunt delivery pertaining to struggles with faith, relationships and life made it apparent that Scott wasn’t simply reading some poems he had written. The scene was reminiscent of someone making confession of his sins in front of the congregation. He was sharing his agony and disappointment with a God that seems so distant and who speaks only in "whispers", if at all. Although the poems might have sounded doubt-filled, disconcerting and lost, I was moved by the boldness it took to share them with a crowd of strangers in a bar. The crowd appreciated such honesty and I think everyone could relate to the difficult, and at times heart wrenching questions he was wrestling with concerning a relationship with God.



Yes, perhaps Scott didn't preach a typical sermon from the Bible and his intentions were not to "save souls" but I think it was the most relevant preaching the bar and its patrons had ever heard.



As I walked out of the bar gripping my jacket tight against the chilly Flagstaff evening, I was thankful that I had attended, like I said earlier it had been awhile since I'd been to church. I realize that this analogy will make some uncomfortable, but honestly, church isn't a building, a religion, or denomination.



Church is made up of those who believe in God and Church happens wherever people gather. I've been to some of the best church services lately in bars, at concerts, in coffee houses, on camping trips, at poker games and on the phone. God is everywhere…right?



My wife, Sarah and I used to attend what some might call a Bible study, but in all honesty we were just a group of friends hanging out, eating dinner together and discussing life and faith with one another. I still consider it the best "church" I have ever been a part of. We began every evening with each person answering the question "where have you seen God this week?" It was simply a time to reflect on our lives over the last week and find God somewhere in it. It wasn't Christians getting together and saying that they saw God in the rainbows, sunshine and everywhere else in their perfect little world. It was real people being honest about seeing God not only in life’s victories, but in their struggles and pain as well. Sometimes it meant being honest enough to say we weren't sure if we witnessed God at all.



That evening at the open mic would be my answer to the question "where have you seen God this week?" In a dimly lit, sour smelling bar is where I witnessed the evidence of God in my life. We can encounter God in the most unexpected places and He can use the most unforeseen things to speak to us if we are willing. We expect God to be found only in the sacred and holy, but we shouldn’t limit his presents solely to churches, temples and the Bible.



In this world, news quickly turns from bad to worse in a moment. Daily we may awaken in the morning forced to face a failing marriage, another disheartening negative on a pregnancy test, a job we may loath or another prescribed pill to swallow. We desperately need to see God somewhere amongst the adversity, failures and hurt we face in our lives. We need a reminder that we are not alone and that God does indeed hear our prayers, comforting us even if it is simply seeing him in the kindness of a stranger or in the innocent words of a child.

So be aware as you go about your life, perhaps take in an open mic and you might just see God where you least expect!