Listening Inside Out

A New Perspective on Life

2012-01-16T13:45:00.003-06:00

A new chapter has begun. One month and one day removed from the joys, relationships, assignments, and stressfulness of seminary, I find myself searching for a new way to approach life. For the first time in about twenty years, I am no longer a student in the formal sense. Now I am forced to find a new identity in life.

Unfortunately, my first response was the enjoy all the freedom that assignment-free life brings to the twentysomething year-old American male. Some blow-out wins on NCAA 2011, 75 ranks in MW3, and about 10lbs later I am realizing that I need to rethink my strategy.

Reprogramming. The past 3.5 years of seminary and the three years at Olivet before have, no doubt, been the most formative years of my entire life. Attending NTS while also serving as Associate Pastor at Victory Hills, being a husband, being a dad, and now working at JCCC has really made me a different person than I was when I first moved out to KC. Above all else, I believe that my love for and understanding of the Bible have increased exponentially during this time. But now, done with the world of academia (at least for a time), I am realizing that I can't simply live on the powers of intellection. I need reprogrammed.

Spending so much time concentrating on exercises of the mind has left me emotionally lacking. While I have friends, I am unsure on how to interact with them. The hobbies I once enjoyed seem only reminders of the "good ol' days" in high school when I had youth group, Bible Quizzing, and a [really not that awesome] band that I played in. Now I find myself with bills to pay, futures to plan, a family to spend time with and invest in, and time that goes by whether I am using it or not.

While my seminary studies provided for me the opportunity to know the Bible with much greater depth and I once knew possible (and I have a lot more to learn), the relational aspect of "New Life" in Christ seems weak and fickle. In the midst of the transition period I have found myself becoming even more lax in the means of grace, in spite of the fact that I know that it is the means of grace that I need to engage myself in all the more in these days.

I received some hope last night as our home church started a new study on Forgotten God by Francis Chan. Check out this video:

It is this life in the Holy Spirit that I am excited to engage in again. "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Corinthians 16:13.

A Naza What?

2011-11-18T14:29:00.003-06:00

Having grown up as a part of the Christian, Protestant denomination called the Church of the Nazarene, I often forget when I talk to those unfamiliar with it how funny the name of our denomination sounds. For those not engrossed in the culture or for those not especially familiar with Scripture, it may be a strange, funny name. I often think it has potential to sound like a crazy cult to those who don't know the phrase "Jesus of Nazareth."

Inside the denomination, I am often faced with the reality of really poor discipleship and educational processes in adopting new members into the church. I am afraid to ask a lot of my peers "How is the Church of the Nazarene different from any other Christian church?" I'm quite positive that the majority of answers I would receive would be "I don't know." Or, even if one of my friends could answer "holiness," I would be incredibly surprised if he or she would be able to explain what "holiness" means in the context of our tradition.

You might need your knowledge tweaked if you would give any of these answers to the following questions:

Q. What do Nazarenes believe about the Bible?
A. It is the inerrant Word of God and should should be read literally.

Q. What does it mean to be holy?
A. To be holy means to be perfect, but nobody is perfect. We are really made holy in heaven.

Q. What do Nazarenes believe about evolution?
A. We believe that God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th. Evolution isn't true.

Q. Why do bad things happen to good people?
A. God makes bad things happen to teach His children lessons.

Confused? Well, ask some questions and I will do my best to answer them. What do you want to know about the beliefs of the Church of the Nazarene?

The Revival of My Blog - An Invitation to Conversation

2011-11-03T11:10:00.003-05:00

There is no better way to lose readers than to stop writing. It has been so long since I have written a blog on here that I am not even sure if there is anyone still out there. Even so, I find myself in a place where I need to write again. After a great deal of life change and personal growth, and in the midst of the busiest time in my life since college, it seems true that I still desire to think "out loud" in a way that spurs on more conversations about life, culture, and what it means to follow Jesus in our world.

I am under the conviction that, as Rob Bell writes in Love Wins, there is something divine about conversation. The power of dialogue between believers and non-believers is something that has yet been identified. There is true growth that happens in the midst of doubts, questions, fears, and confession. It is this type of conversation that I would like to entertain.

I would like to personally invite you to participate in the discussion. All are invited. Atheist. Agnostic. Buddhist. Muslim. NotSureWhatIBelieve. Homosexual. Christian. Catholic. Mormon. You.

Unreasonable Truth - a Rethinking of Decartes

2011-06-08T11:21:00.003-05:00

What if empirical evidence and logical arguments were not the best way to prove something to be real or true? This is a thought that has been blowing my mind recently.

In the West, we live in a time where Reason is the prime source of authority or truth. We are still living in the culture produced by the Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, the Scientific Age. We are in the midst of a culture that evaluates any theory, hypothesis, assumption on the basis of reasonable evidence. "Where's the proof?" our world demands.

If something can be proven - if one can demonstrate the reality of a concept, object, or person by presenting proofs that can be tested by scientific means, then this concept, object, or person must be real, or right, or true.

This worldview is all around our culture in the West. Some of our favorite television shows are CSI, Law & Order, Bones, Lie to Me, Numb3rs, Big Bang Theory etc. Each of these is based on the search for truth through scientific means (although some question the "science" of social sciences like psychology or sociology). It has influenced, quite possibly, every area of study. It has even proven very helpful in the areas of Theology and Biblical Scholarship.

But what if Reason were not the basis for truth or reality? What if something could be real simply because it is. To make a variation of Decartes, "It is, therefore it is."

Gravity existed and worked on our world before it was discovered or defined. The wind blew long before meteorologists were able to predict weather patterns.

Many have been approaching New Testament Theology in the last several decades through the lens of Reason - looking for the historical reality behind the text. No doubt, some great insights into the Christian Scriptures have emerged because of this historical approach. While movements like the Jesus Seminar and the Quest for the Historical Jesus have occasionally taken historical criticism too far, historical criticism has great contributions to Christian Theology.

But what if Jesus really was born of a virgin? What if his miracles all really did happen? What if he really was resurrected from the dead? I'm not talking about a blind faith in something that I hope that happened. I'm not trying to imply that Christians should be mindless individuals who disregard logic. But what if these events are historical realities?

If these events are historical realities and God actually exists, then perhaps the means by which we measure truth should be reevaluated. Statement's like "that's scientifically impossible" would hold absolutely no weight. If it happened, then it's possible. Instead of trying to explain these events in scientific terms, perhaps science should be changed to accommodate these historical realities.

The point of this blog is not to be a apologetic for Christianity or the historicity of Scripture. I really just want to pose the question: what if science is an incomplete or imperfect way to measure reality? What if our model for deciding rightness or realness is a flawed model? What if there were some other method to measure the reality of existence?

I am not simply stating that science has not yet explained all the mysteries and history of the universe, as any scientist would freely admit - Science doesn't know everything. I am trying to ask what if it is impossible for Science to explain the universe. What if there was truth - actual realities - that were unexplainable by science? What if some concepts, forces, objects, people, deities are real and actual that cannot be explained by science? If something is real it does not simply become unreal or nonexistent because Reason cannot explain it. "It is, therefore, it is."

Getting Arrested to Make a Difference

2011-05-09T11:51:00.004-05:00

The first nuclear weapons plant to be built in the last 33 years is coming to Kansas City - my home area. Here I am sitting in my office, writing about it.

I know that Nathan wanted me to write about a more global problem connected to China, waste disposal, and foreign relations but this issue is a little closer to home.

Just last week, over 50 people were arrested while protesting at the construction site. I know that there have been some awareness meetings at NTS over the past few months. And surely there have been other meetings, gatherings, and plans to take a stand against this new facility that I know nothing about.

To be quite honest, I know very little about social action. Perhaps I can say that I know a little bit about it on the theoretical level, but I have next to no experience being involved in it. Sure I've signed a few petitions and written a couple of letters over the past few years. Of course there are a few business and franchises I refuse to visit due to their positions on various issues, advertising techniques, and overall moral quality. And yes, I try to plug organizations when I can on Facebook and Twitter. But still, I don't really feel like I've made much of a difference in these areas.

To continue in my honesty, I'm not really sure if I want to be a social activist. I am perfectly comfortable in my office today, thinking about what should be done and reflecting about the theological implications of various potential actions. When I get done writing this blog, I will probably feel happy with myself for making people think about the nuclear weapons plant and social action. I will say to myself, "There, I've done my part to stop it."

I do a lot of thinking. I wish someone would pay me by the hour for the amount of thinking I do. Social Justice is something I think about often. I am constantly haunted by the scene in Hotel Rwanda where the camera man tells about how so many people watch atrocities on their television, say "that's so sad," and then continue with their lives as if nothing is different. Human trafficking, rich individuals ruling over poor and starving people, ruthless dictators, and so many other things truly bother me. But yet, I am here.

I realize that as a Christian, I am a participant in the missio Dei. I am a active participant in God's plan to reconcile all of creation to Himself. I know that this includes compassionate ministry, social justice, evangelism, disicpleship, etc. But many times I do not feel like I am making a difference in our world.

While I realize that not everyone is called to do carry out God's mission in exactly the same way, I still wonder what each Christian's role should be. My real, specific question is what can we do to stop the construction of this weapons plant? I honestly don't know if the type of protesting done by these Catholic Workers is going to make much of a difference. What do you think on the issue?

To: President Obama Subject: bin Laden's Death

2011-05-02T09:25:00.004-05:00

Dear Mr. President:

I am writing to you as a citizen of the United States of America and as a pastor in an international protestant denomination - the Church of the Nazarene. As the subject of this letter suggests, I am writing you today in regard to the recent operation in Pakistan which lead to the death of al Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden. Before I engage this subject, I would like you to know that I have great respect for you as a leader and for your position as the president of our nation. While I realize that a great deal of political work is seen as controversial, I believe whole heartedly that you are working hard to make our nation a better place. While I may not agree with you on every issue, I want to thank you for your service to our nation.

In the war against terrorism, there is no doubt that this event is one of great consequence in the ranks al Qaeda. The removal of their long-time leader will undoubtedly weaken their ability, organization, and resolve. According to news reports worldwide, many people are rejoicing with the news of Osama bin Laden's death. While I have not read any direct testimonies, many are suggesting that this news brings additional healing to those who lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks.

While I recognize the positive consequences of bin Laden's death, I am still faced with several questions and concerns that I was hoping you may be able to help answer or resolve. There is no doubt that you are a busy man (perhaps one of the busiest in the world), so I will try to keep my questions brief.

First, in your televised speech and in several news reports, "justice" is a major talking point. Many have stated (and CNN quotes you as saying this) that bin Laden "has been brought to justice." However, bin Laden was not put on trial in any court. I recognize the difference between domestic and international law, but I also know that if an individual living in the United States orchestrated the death of so many civilians, they would face the legal system and be found guilty before any penal actions were executed against them. In this history of our world, individuals who orchestrated similar horrific acts to bin Laden's faced War Crime tribunals. However, Osama bin Laden was killed in an operation that CNN reports was specifically to take his life. Obviously, if bin Laden lived in the United States, the government would have been accused of ordering a murder. I am not especially familiar with the specific differences between domestic and wartime laws, but I think that you can understand my point. Could you explain to me how these differences make this military action a legal event (I am not necessarily accusing our military of an illegal action here, I am simply stating that I do not understand what laws apply to this situation).

Second, do you believe that the American people are rejoicing over bin Laden's death because he was brought to justice or because of some sense of revenge or retaliation? What was the motivation driving this operation?

Third, how do you feel about a nation rejoicing over the death of an individual?

I recognize Osama bin Laden's death as an event that will spare many people's lives in the future. He is unable to orchestrate any more attacks and al Qaeda has been weakened by this blow. However, I come from a tradition that greatly values life. While I understand how bin Laden's death can viewed as a victory against terrorism and as closure to the families of the 9/11 victims, I am unable to find myself among the rejoicing. Although I am not a pacifist, I cannot bring myself to rejoice in death. I am also afraid that the healing that this victory achieved will only endure until the next terrorist attack.

Mr. President, I understand the significance of this event in the journey against terrorism. I acknowledge at times that military actions like these are occasionally the only option to stop murderous acts. I do not want this letter perceived as an attack on this military operation, but as my way of processing through its meaning and significance in the life of my fellow citizens, friends, and parishoners. I hope you can understand my concern and my desire for our nation to react to situations like these truly out of a desire to bring life and forgiveness and not revenge and more death.

I thank you for your time and want you to know that I live among a people who pray for you and your administration regularly.

Respectfully Submitted,

Keith M. Davenport

Writer's Block

2011-04-27T10:14:00.002-05:00

I need help. For the last 3 months I have had a hard time writing anything. Before 2011 started, I was writing all the time - blogs, articles, papers, even collaborative writing projects! But for the past several montsh, I just haven't been able to sit down and write much of anything.

Perhaps my mind is too busy, or my heart is unsettled. 2011 has been an interesting time in the life of my family. We've been spending a lot of time reflecting on our place in the Kingdom, on how we can be faithful to God's calling and crazy love in our lives. Parenthood, education, careers, finances, friends, growth, ministry...all of these things have been consuming our thoughts in these days.

Allison and I recently started a book club with 2 of our friends - Eric and Christina. Our first book was Crazy Love by Francis Chan. This week we started reading our 2nd book, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson. We take turns picking the book for the group. This morning as I picked up our newest book, I sat here overwhelmed with the amount of books out there. I was overcome with a longing feeling to find the most fulfilling book ever when my pick comes around again. There is something in me that craves knowledge...that craves fulfillment.

I am slightly afraid to read In a Pit with a Lion because I'm worried it might mean I have to do something.

The last few months I have tried to buckle down and really invest more into the ministry here at Victory Hills. But I still feel a longing. More? Perhaps I need to invest more here? A new adventure? I don't know. One thing I've learned recently is the need to be utterly faithful in the place where you are. Don't go chasing waterfalls? God called me to this place in life - at Victory Hills, with great people, in finacial uncertainty, at the end of my time at seminary, with the start of my family. And it is in the midst of this newness - this change - that I am called to be faithful. It is here that I am to make my calling and election sure.

In theory this makes sense. In practice, this is challenging. Perhaps the point is that it's too big for me. Too much for me. Too demanding for me. Too impossible for me.

But not with God.

In the meantime, while I continue to wrestle alongside my wife with what God desires for us in these days, I try to write. I want my writing to make a difference. So here is my appeal to you:

What do you want to read about? What questions do you have? Theology, Bible, Church Life, Devotions...is there something that doesn't make sense. Give me something to do. Ask me a question that requires me to research some. What do you need to know to live out the Kingdom here on earth?

Wrestling with a Wild Heart

2011-03-23T11:29:00.002-05:00

John Eldredge's Wild at Heart changed my life in high school and college. I totally centered my identity around the premise that "my heart" desired a beauty to rescue, a battle to fight, and an adventure to live - which were the stamp of God's image in my personhood. I watched and rewatched Braveheart as the epitome of manhood. These three attributes resonated with my very being...then.

But now, I'm not sure that John had it all figured out after all. Yes, God did rescue His Bride - the Church. Yes, God did defeat sin and death. But I'm not sure if rescuing a beauty or fighting a war are the very nature of God. Which means, I'm not sure if they're really the innermost attributes of my character. I watched Braveheart one too many times, I suppose. William Wallace seems more motivated by revenge than he does by some ultimate Goodness. That doesn't resonate with me, and surely does not reflect the character of God. The more I learn about God, the less I feel that fighting a battle is a part of His character. The idea that God's mission to reconcile the world to Himself translates into my desire to rescue a woman just doesn't seem logically connected anymore. Plus, why would a woman need rescued? Christ has already rescued men and women alike. We all have the Holy Spirit!

But what about adventure? Where can I stand on this issue? I really don't think God just looks around seeking some adventure to live. But, at the same time, there still seems to be some truth to this within me. I don't know that I would call it "adventure" though. I mean, I do love the adventure, but I think what us men (and women too, I'm sure) are really looking for is telos - a purpose in life. Why did God create me? Why do I have these certain skills? What am I supposed to be good at? How can I make a difference?

It is in this place that I am wrestling my wild heart. I had for a long time tried to find my worth in the easily accessible world of video games. But now, after a long time of God speaking to me, I am three-weeks into a life without solo campaigns, team deathmatches, and achievement points. And now, I am realizing that I was hoping to find my worth in that world. Ranking up, unlocking new items, and being respected by my opponents were important to me. I wanted other people to know that I was good at these games.

But now I am here, in the real world, outside of all the fame and glory Xbox Live has to offer. I'm still searching for an outlet for my desire to be good. Do I need the affirmation and respect of others? Maybe a little. But that's not the main point. I want to find a place where I can use my gifts for good. I want to be challenged. I want to make a difference. I want people to grow closer to Christ because God is using me. I desire to lead. I long to preach and teach.

So this is where I am, wrestling with my wild heart...trying to follow Jesus, but still trying to figure out how to respond to his leading.

Thoughts on Oord and Lodahl's "Relational Holiness"

2011-03-19T12:37:00.003-05:00

I had posted on Facebook and Twitter that I was reading "Relational Holiness" by Thomas J. Oord and Michael Lodahl and some of ya'all wanted to hear my comments on it. Since I figured I would have more to say than Twitter's 140 character limit, I thought I would put it in a blog post.

First, if you're hoping to get the main points of the book in this review, I'm sorry. Besides the main thesis, you're not going to get a lot of content here, just some theological reflections.

The back and inside covers have a lot of good things to say about the book from a lot of people. Several of these individuals are people that I know personally and respect greatly (H. Ray Dunning, Jeren Rowell, Mary Paul, Al Truesdale, Fletcher Tink, etc.). If nothing else, this should tell you that this book is worth reading.

As a brief summary, this book sought to provide a core theological truth to holiness that is centered around the idea of love. When we know and experience God's love for us, we can then love God, others, and creation perfectly. Love is an intentional act that brings wholeness and blessedness to the other.

Here some some really good things that this book did:
- Provided a new vocabulary to the doctrine of holiness that is refreshing and relevant to today's culture.
- Described holiness in an understandable way that you don't need a theological education to grasp.
- Gave a great and helpful description of the Trinity
- Expressed what a holy life should look like, especially in relation to a community of believers

Here are some questions I had when reading the book:
- How should sin be understood within this framework?
- What's the difference between salvation and sanctification in this framework?
- What does it mean to really "experience" God's love, and to what extent does it transform us?

While I was reading this book, there were several additional questions that I had about this theological framework. Most of these questions (which were actually critiques) were answered in the final chapter of the book, which related this concept of holiness as love to the more traditional ways that holiness is explained. While I still think that the authors could have put a little more emphasis on the transformative power of God's love and less on the human experience and knowledge of it, I really appreciated what this book had to offer to the conversation of holiness.

As Dr. Jerry Porter, General Superintendent, wrote, "Every believer's life can be enriched with this candid, contemporary dialog about the holy life."

A Generation Without Holiness

2011-03-02T10:42:00.004-06:00

This morning I spent some time e-mailing back and forth with Dr. H. Ray Dunning about two workshops I attended at M11 and how they reflect the direction our denomination is headed with our beliefs about holiness in the life of the believer. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to dialogue with such a well-respected thinker about the doctrine of holiness in the Church of the Nazarene.

As I was finishing sharing my thoughts on the workshops I attended and my feelings about the direction our denomination is headed (especially in relationship to our American Holiness Movement and Wesleyan roots), I realized that there is a much more important conversation that needs to be initiated, particularly in reference to the representation of the CotN in North America. Here are some prompting questions for this conversation:

When is the last time your youth group heard a lesson or sermon sanctification?

When is the last time your young adult ministries (if you even have young adults in your church) learned about the doctrine of holiness?

If you were to name the most dedicated member of your congregation between the ages of 30 and 50, would that person be able to explain the Church of the Nazarene's belief about holiness?

I am afraid to say that the answers to these questions for most of us would be quite discouraging. Many lay peers that I speak with realize that holiness is an important belief in the tradition of our denomination, but that's the problem - it's tradition. We have to remember that holiness is as dynamic, relational, relevant, and real as it has ever been. A life free from the bondage of sin and in right relationship with God is what God desires for us and has already offered us. Scripture makes this clear! Holiness is not just a antiquated doctrine of our denomination - is a Scriptural reality that can be lived out in the here and now! God the Holy Spirit is working and sanctifying His people each and every day!

Why have so many pastors (senior, worship, youth, children, and every other title a pastor could have), evangelists, and lay leaders stopped preaching and teaching holiness? Why have our lay people stopped believing that they can be free from sin? I would suggest these causes:

- Some are confused about holiness. If you've heard different people try to explain the same thing in different ways, it's easy to be unsure about the right way to understand holiness. Or, if someone explains holiness in a way that seems to contradict with your personal experience, it's hard to know how you should receive this explanation. It's nearly impossible to teach something you don't understand.

- Some don't believe that the doctrine of holiness is true. Although they understand the explanations of the doctrine, they think it's too optimistic to think that humans can be free from sin; we are "only human" after all. You can't very well teach something you don't believe yourself.

- Reformed/Calvinist Theology is predominate in our lives. Many of our lay leaders (and even pastors) listen to, read, and teach from Reformed thinkers. To be sure, these people have a lot of good and helpful things to say about God, Christianity, Faith, and how to live. One of the most important aspects of this tradition is the high belief in God's sovereignty. On the flipside of this belief is the sinfulness of man. The Reformed tradition believes and teaches that it is impossible to be free from sin in this life. Often this belief shows up in sermons, devotional books, and small group curriculum in subtle and hidden ways and it has made its way into the beliefs of many Nazarenes. If your formation comes primarily from Christians who believe it's impossible to be free from sin, you will not be able to teach or believe that the holy life is possible.

- Some of our laity and clergy are put into places of leadership in the local church before they've learned about the doctrine of holiness themselves. You have to have a firm grasp on something yourself before you can teach it to others. If you don't have a good understanding of holiness, you can't teach it to others.

- Some people think sanctification happens later in life that teenage years. Sanctification is a wonderful work of God in the life of the believer. Many of our youth groups are made up of teens just trying to figure out what it means to be Christian in the first place. However, some teenagers have been Christians since they were a young child and are searching for total commitment to God, but don't know how to receive it. But, if we don't realize this need, we won't teach about sometime we don't think our teens are ready for.

- Some churches don't have a clear roadmap for Christian discipleship. A lot of churches function as several different and separate departments operating together - Sunday School, Children's Ministries, Youth Ministries, Adult Ministries, Senior Ministries, Small Groups, Bible Studies, etc. If there isn't some overarching plan, no one knows which groups should teach what topics. Often, many of the groups teach the same things, leaving large gaps in the overall discipleship of the church. If there's not a plan for discipleship, the church will miss some really important things -- like holiness!

These six suggests are probably just some of the causes for the holiness gap in several of our younger generations. Maybe you can think of more! But what do we do about these? How can we address the issue that our young families, adults, and teenagers (and probably children too!) aren't being taught about holiness and sanctification. And, even more important, they're not surrendering their lives to the sanctifying power of God!

I don't think I'm just making this problem up. On a personal note, I didn't learn what sanctification was until I was a junior in high school and I grew up in the Church of the Nazarene! And what I learned about holiness then came in 1 or 2 sermons from an evangelist and was not through our youth group! After I found out what it was, I realized that I had received that work of Grace in my life a couple of years before, but just didn't know what it was called.

So how do we solve these problems? What are the solutions?

- We can't give up on holiness just when we're confused about holiness. Holiness is a major theme in Scripture, we can't just give up on what God's Word says because we don't understand it at first. It can be confusing, but God doesn't want us to be confused about it and will help us understand it better. There are some great books out there on holiness that explain the doctrine in understandable ways. In addition to this list, there are several books that have been written and are in process of being written that share it in conversational ways. Relational Holiness by Oord and Lodahl and A Layman's Guide to Sanctification by Dunning are just two examples. Besides books, we can talk to pastors, professors, or denominational leadership to help us understand the doctrine better.

- We can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. A lot of people question the validity of holiness because they've heard people testify to being sanctified in church but live a different life outside of the church. There's nothing that can kill a belief faster than hypocrisy...nothing except just not talking about at all. We can't give up on the biblical idea of holiness because we've run into some hypocrites. Again, if we do some more study about holiness maybe we can better understand what it should look like in the believer. Also, talking to godly Nazarenes about their holiness experience can be helpful. Jeren Rowell, my District Superintendent, often talks about the power of testimonies. If our churches begin intentionally using testimonies again of people live out the holy life, the gap between word and deed becomes so much smaller!

- We need reevaluate the voices we're letting form our faith. There is no doubt that Mark Driscoll, Beth Moore, and John Piper (and many others) have been helping people grow closer to God for a long time. But they don't preach a message of holiness! Instead of listening to all of their podcasts, reading all of their books, and utilizing all their small group material, we need to find these sources in the Wesleyan tradition. Perhaps ten or fifteen years ago, the Wesleyan selection was poor, but today there are a lot of great Wesleyan resources out there. Admittedly, Wesleyans don't often speak on nationally syndicated radio programs, but there are plenty of podcasts, CDs, and tapes you can get (check out our Nazarene university chapel services on itunes!) If we want to live out holiness, if we want our children and grandchildren to hear the holiness message, we need to start using holiness curriculum and devotional material!

- Let's make sure we aren't compromising our leadership. In many places around our denomination, people who are willing to lead ministries and churches are in short supply and large demand. We often read over the part in the Manual that board members and church staff should live out and testify to being sanctified. In a couple of years, when my daughter is old enough to attend Sunday School and Children's Church, I want to be sure that the children's workers who are teaching her can testify to the sanctifying work of God in their lives. And I want my daughter to learn about holiness from other adults besides just her mother and me. If we want our children and peers to know about holiness, we have to have leaders who know about holiness! We need to hold off on putting leaders in position until they can testify to holiness. And, in my opinion, it might not be a bad idea to hold off on hiring pastors who haven't yet taken a course of holiness in their studies for ordination.

- Holiness isn't too hard to work into our curriculum. This is a solution that's easy to implement. I think that if youth pastors specifically talk about holiness with the whole youth group at least once a year, then at least everyone might know what holiness and sanctification are. Special events like summer camp, lock-ins, and retreats are also great times to invite special speakers to share the message of holiness or to encourage students to surrender their whole lives to Christ.

- Let's map out discipleship in our churches. Let's just sit down and make a list of everything that a Christian needs to know. Then let's work through the list and see if, where, when, and to what age group each of these topics are being taught. We need to offer all of these topics to each age group. It's also good to evaluate the types of small groups we have. I now teach young adult Sunday School and house church in my local congregation. In the past, both of these venues were issues-based conversational small groups. There wasn't a lot of instruction, there was no Bible study, and very little theology study. So now we try to get a good rotation in these two groups. Currently, we're teaching theology in Sunday School with NPH's Christianity 101 material (which I supplement a little) and the Gospel of Mark in home churches. During Lent, we'll be teaching biblical theology in Sunday School and Spiritual Formation in home churches with Ashes to Fire. When we look over our lists, we can easily see where the weaknesses are. I don't think we would be surprised to find "holiness" being left on our lists without a home in our current discipleship patterns.

This is only a start to this conversation. Now that you've read this talk about it on here, and with others. Talk to your pastor, Sunday School teacher, or District Superintendent about it. Let us continue to proclaim Scriptural holiness!

Holiness and Perfection

2011-01-31T14:23:00.003-06:00

We serve a Holy God. Isaiah made this pretty clear when he wrote down the words of the seraphs: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty." In the Old and New Testaments, holiness is described in a variety of ways. William Greathouse wrote a really good book on this subject. If I tried to write a book on this subject as a blog post, no one would read it. So don't worry, you're not in for a book if you continue reading!

At least 2 ideas of holiness can be found in the Old Testament. The first is holiness as it was connected to ritual purity. This is strongly connected to separation from all things evil or "unclean." The second idea, usually when it's used referring to God, is the idea of a "divine otherness." A "holy God" means that God is divinely something other than humans and creation. So, if God is "holy, holy, holy" he is something much greater and more divine than humanity can fathom.

In the New Testament, Jesus reinterprets holiness in many ways. In the life of Jesus, the "divine other" becomes humans. He also shows that holiness can't be made "unholy" by coming in contact with the "unclean." Instead, Jesus goes and eats with tax collectors and sinners. By his presence with them, it is the "unclean" who are forgiven and made whole again. The Sermon on the Mount explains in greater detail what holiness looks like lived out. Jesus summarizes holiness in the two greatest commandments: love God and love others.

It seems that throughout the Bible, "holiness" is often connected to "righteousness" and "justice." Connecting to these terms expands the description of holiness to include living in right relationship with God and others. It means facing the justice of God in regard to our sins, and being made righteous despite these sins. It means caring for the blind, orphaned, widowed, lame, oppressed, and all those who can't care for themselves. But it's not works-righteousness. Holiness is derivational. That means that we are holy only to the extent that God makes us holy. The closer we are to the "divine other," the more holy He makes us. Picture again the scene from Isaiah 6.

Holiness becomes confusing to most of us when we start speaking of it in terms of "Christian Perfection." This is mostly because the word "perfection" throws us for a loop. When most of us hear this word we think "without flaw or mistake." If a person confesses to have experience "Christian perfection," it would seem in our minds that this person would no longer make [stupid] mistakes. No more open-mouth-insert-foot sort of situations. The problem is, none of us have ever met someone who is without flaw!

However, the "perfection" that actually goes with "holiness" is not "flawlessness." Instead, it's more like "absolutely embodying the definition or description of an ideal." ((I didn't make this up...it's in the dictionary!)) So, to say that Christ was perfect, we mean that he absolutely embodied the ideal relationship with God. As Christians, when we talk about being perfected by the Holy Spirit, we actually mean that God is shaping us to absolutely reflect an ideal relationship with God. This is what holiness is.

Holiness is having a perfect relationship with God and others. It means embodying the ideal - perfect love and absolute surrender. It doesn't mean that we'll stop making mistakes like tripping over our own feet or accidentally messing up a recipe. It means that we will live in total surrender to our Holy God.

Finding My Identity

2011-01-12T12:07:00.004-06:00

2 Months. That's the longest I've ever gone without having something thought-provoking to ask all of you. One could blame this on the holiday season, the new computer lab our church is starting, homework, or being a new dad. All of these probably added to this word drought. Perhaps the main reason why I haven't been asking all of you thought-provoking questions is because I've been too busy asking them of myself.

From my experience, it seems that we go through different "seasons" in life. There are times when things seem new and exciting, like Spring. There are other times when life seems like Autumn, and everything is transitioning and changing. Other times, life just feels like winter. It's cold and you can't seem to see what's really growing anymore.

When I find myself in these winter months, I tend to ask myself a lot of questions. If you have been reading this blog very often, you know that I am very interested in the relationship between humanity and God. I am especially interested in vocation and calling. Recently I have been wresting with vocation, calling, personality, spiritual gifts, and psychology all at once.

When I first started this attempt to get back on the blog wagon, I had every intention of writing a long, self-searching blog post. Now, after two phone calls and as many requests for help with other projects, I feel quite less inclined to spill my guts on the World Wide Web.

Let me leave you with these questions:
- What makes a person who they are?
- Can a person change themselves to become any type of person they want?
- Does God want us to be a certain person? Does He have an ideal Keith (and/or You) in mind and is He trying to shape me to be this ideal Keith?

Thought Vomit

2010-11-08T09:13:00.004-06:00

This is a whole lot of randomness this morning. Not quite as random as The House Studio's Monday Morning is for the Random, but hopefully equally refreshing in a totally different way.

This is just a whole bunch of thoughts that I've had over the last few weeks and months in raw form. Some of these thoughts are just a regurgitation of things I've heard and read, others of them are originals, and there are probably several that are a little bit of both.

Here is my thought vomit:
1) When electing a government official, which is more important for a Christian: 1) The candidate agrees with you on all the issues or 2) The candidate is a Christian who truly seeks to live a Christ-like life (but doesn't necessarily feel the same way about the issues that you do)?

2) The divorce rate in the Christian church is almost identical to the divorce rate outside the church. In order not to make anyone feel bad, a lot of pastors don't really talk about divorce directly anymore from the pulpit. Now, a lot of church-goers don't realize that "irreconcilable differences" or "we don't love each other anymore" or "we're just not happy" don't excuse the evilness of divorce. Pretty much, if there isn't abuse or infidelity, God wants you to stay married! But we don't like preaching that anymore.
I know everyone is really tired of hearing about homosexuality (me included), but what will happen if we just stop talking about it?

3) My wife and I have been living off of the miraculous provision of God for several months now...our paychecks just don't cut it. How long is too long to be in this sort of a situation?

4) I recently heard that "death is for us," because death is something that is God's hands. No one dies except when God wants them to. Is this biblical? "Where O death is your sting?" I always thought that the Bible explains death as a result of sin. "For the wages of sin is death."

5) Why do people buy the newest versions of Madden, NBA Live, NCAA, etc. if they have an old version? Is it just for the new rosters? (which you could update yourself on the old version?!)

6) Why have I not read anything by Francis Chan? This video is awesome:

Catalyst East 2010: Francis Chan from Catalyst on Vimeo.

7) Why is Fantasy Football so addicting?

8) As a spouse or parent, how many books do you read on the subject? I haven't read too much at all on being a husband recently and sometimes I feel like I'm a slacker husband. Does reading help you remember to do the things you know you're supposed to do?

9) How much authority/responsibility does a pastor have in the lives of his/her congregants? If your pastor knows that you are struggling in personal areas, would you want your pastor to approach you on the issue or just be available if you go to him/her?

10) How much time do y'all spend with your family each week?

11) Why do people mourn death? If a Christian dies he/she is with God. If a non-Christian dies, I'm not sure where they are until the judgment, but it's probably not a good place. I suppose I understand why it would make a person sad if someone close to them who wasn't a Christian died. I haven't really been able to figure out what's so sad about a Christian going to be with God. I have to admit that I haven't lost anyone super close, but I still wonder sometimes why that's a sad thing. It would be difficult to readjust to life without such a person, I am sure. Not having experienced such loss makes me think about what it will feel like someday, I guess.

12) We just had an awesome prayer revival at our church with Rev. Nathan Covington. The two Sundays since this revival have been obviously different. I believe this is because people are praying. What can we do to make sure we don't stop praying? I don't mean so our services will be good, but because prayer is something that often falls by the wayside in busy or stressful times.

Ok. I guess I will limit the thought regurgitation to 12 things. I hope it made you think!

God and Country - Some Thoughts on Election Day

2010-10-27T09:57:00.006-05:00

When I turned 18, I was so excited to be able to vote! I remember proudly voting for George W. Bush in 2004. Voting was something that I thought everyone should do and was appalled to learn that there were some who chose not to take part in the democratic process.

In the last couple of years, I have become so disenfranchised with the outlandish party-line battles (which seem to be more important to some politicians than actually accomplishing anything with lasting value) that I have struggled to pull myself to the polls at all. The ridiculousness of the left vs. right debate only fueled the fire of my internal political struggle. As I have learned more about Scripture and learned that as Christians we are a part of the Universal Body of Christ (which transcends nationalities), national pride has taken a back seat to the desire for social justice, people to know Jesus, and a unity in the Global Church. The fact that many American Christians have wedded Christianity to certain political opinions and, at times, have cried "God bless America" louder than "May I bless You, Lord" made this internal battle almost entirely one-sided.

But now I see myself moving back the other way a little bit. Now, you're still not going to see me wear patriotic apparel or join any political group that seeks the good of the American People at the expense of people of other nations, but you will see me at the polls on November 2nd.

As Christians, we need to let our voice be heard in the political and national arena. To put it simply, we often serve as God's voice in these issues. However, when we speak as Christians, we need to be speaking for the good of ALL people, not just the good of the American People. We need to be careful to vote with the Holy Spirit, and not with our pocket books. Sometimes tax cuts, government aide, and stimulus packages can be very good for our pocket books and our country. However, sometimes these things come at a cost to other people, whether it be other social classes within our own country, or the citizens of other countries.

I am not a political expert, and I do not know too much about economics. But these are some issues that are important to me this election:

1) Government Aid to the Poor: What are we doing to effectively help the poor? What are we doing to "give them a hand-up, instead of a hand-out?"
2) Abortion: The "Abortion Problem" in the United States will not be fixed with legislation, there has to be a change in beliefs. However, I want my elected official to vote people into office, when given the opportunity, who value the lives of the unborn.
3) Same-Sex Marriage: Same-Sex Marriage is not just a religious or moral issue. According to some researchers, same-sex marriage has negative consequences for society, hurts the physical health of the nation, and can have detrimental effects on children (among other things). See The Case for Marriage or The Broken Hearth.
4) Education: What are we going to do about the education crises happening in many of our urban school districts?

Fast Thoughts

2010-10-04T14:14:00.002-05:00

I have been thinking about a lot of really neat ideas for blogs, I just haven't had the time to sit and write about them. Here's a blog on something I've been thinking about for about a week now - Fasting.

This isn't going to be a long blog, it's just a "simple" question.

The word "fast" occurs in the Bible (NIV) approximately 47 times. However, in some of these verses it is used with a different meaning (e.g. "Solomon held fast to them in love.") There are also additional passages where fasting is implied, but not literally stated (such as Jesus going into the desert for 40 days).

In the Old Testament, fasting is prescribed by the Law on the day of Atonement. Also, different national and city leaders declared fasts at certain times. In Kings, Chronicles, Esther, and Ezra fasts are called to inquire of the Lord and to ask for safety.

In the New Testament (particularly the Gospels) fasting seems to be connected primarily to mourning. This is especially true of the times when Jesus says that his disciples will fast after he leaves them. There are a couple of occasions when fasting seems to be connected with prayer as well. Typically, I have heard it explained that fasting is associated with mourning for the sins of a people or nation. Jesus seemed to assume that people would fast, because in Matthew 6 he says "When you fast..."

In Scripture as a whole, fasting is not really thoroughly explained. Although there are examples of what people did during a fast (and even the results of the fast), there is no theological explanation of the practice itself. It is not utilized to the same extent that prayer is, and the regularity of a fast is not prescribed by Christ (the early church continued the Jewish practices).

From the Biblical understanding, how does fasting fit into the life of a Christian desiring to live a holy life?

My "To Read" List

2010-09-27T16:16:00.002-05:00

I have recently started to intentionally read books in addition to books assigned for my class work. Here is my most up-to-date "to read" list:

1) First Things First by Kurt & Brenda Warner
2) The Gospel According to Starbucks by Leonard Sweet
3) Church Unique by Will Mancini
4) Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

Some other books that will probably show up on my "to read" list are: Crazy Love by Francis Chan, 180 edited by Bruce Nuffer, and Nudge by Leonard Sweet.

As far as classes go, I'm currently studying The Gospel of Mark, Church Leadership, and Women in Church and Culture. So I'm reading a variety of books on these three topics.

What are you reading? What would you recommend?

Reflections on Fundamentalism

2010-09-08T13:28:00.003-05:00

This is a clip from the documentary "Jesus Camp," which came out in 2006. I'm not sure what the intent of the documentary originally was, for there was no narration to it. However, it seems that even if it wasn't intended to do this, it did create a lot of conversations about "brain washing" our children. Although parts of it are a little questionable, there were some parts that we challenging and convicting too. I couldn't help but think of the "faith like a child" that Jesus mentions in the Gospels as I watched and heard some of what the children were doing/saying.

Regardless of the intent of the original documentary, this blog isn't really about the documentary itself. I'm more interested in the overall impact of Fundamentalism in American Culture - in both Christian and Non-Christian contexts.

Dictionary.com defines Fundamentalism as "a movement in American Protestantism that arose in the early part of the 20th century in reaction to modernism and that stresses the infallibility of the Bible not only in matters of faith and morals but also as a literal historical record, holding as essential to Christian faith belief in such doctrines as the creation of the world, the virgin birth, physical resurrection, atonement by the sacrificial death of Christ, and the Second Coming."

When first reading this description, most would believe that this is what all Christians belief. However, this is not completely accurate. There are a few distinctions between Fundamentalism and the doctrines of the Church of the Nazarene (CotN):

1. Fundamentalists belief that the Bible is inerrant theologically, historically, and scientifically. However, the CotN believes that Scripture is inerrant in everything having to do with our relationship to Christ. In other words, the Bible is the theological/faith authority, but it is not a history or science text book.
2. Fundamentalists believe that Scripture was dictated word for word from God, particularly in the autographs (original copies of the texts). The CotN believes that the Holy Spirit inspired all of Scripture and it is the living word of God; we don't have the autographs, so we shouldn't understand that these texts were word for word spoken by God. Instead, the Holy Spirit inspired and guided writers who lived and ministered within specific cultural and social contexts.
3. Because of the two above beliefs, and the initial reaction of Fundamentalism against Modernism (primarily the belief that human reason is the prime means for all knowledge, thus making scientific reason trump Christian faith & creating a Deistic understanding of God), Fundamentalism rejects Science as a means for investigating creation (the rejection of science occurs in varying degrees, with the most extreme rejecting all scientific discoveries).

Before we move on, I must confess that I am already late getting home so I am abbreviating this post.

Here are some things that the Church of the Nazarene could learn from Fundamentalism. In other words, here are some things that Fundamentalism does well:

1. The belief in the Sovereignty of God. (Although Fundamentalism tends to be Calvinistic in nature, Wesleyans could benefit from holding God in higher esteem than "your best friend.")

2. The authority and knowledge of Scripture. A well-respected theologian once asked the question, "Who would win a debate on the biblical doctrine of holiness [living above sin], between a Wesleyan and Calvinist." The answer was quite telling: "The Wesleyan should win, but the Calvinist probably would because he knows more Scripture than the Wesleyan."

Here are some weaknesses of Fundamentalism, which are also probably the reasons that the Church of the Nazarene intentionally separated itself from the Fundamentalist movements in the early 20th Century:

1. Theology and Science aren't Necessarily Contradictory. Because many Fundamentalists have rejected science all together, the secular world has labeled many Christians as ignorant or fools. (I'm not talking about the virtue of being a "fool for Christ.") I don't have time to go into detail on this subject, but the rejection of science has created a chasm of understanding between Christians and non-Christians. This has done great harm to any type of evangelistic effort in the scientific community (among many other hazards). The rejection of science, as noted early, comes primarily from the Fundamentalist's understanding of the literal interpretation of Scripture (especially the Creation narratives in the opening pages of Genesis).

2. Christianity, Patriotism, and the Political Right aren't Necessarily Synonymous. To summarize: Yes, Christians should be pro-life and should be in favor of heterosexual marriages. However, there are a lot of other aspects of politics that are a matter of opinion and have very little Biblical and Theological significance (such as small federal government vs. big federal government). Also, the liberties and freedoms promised in the U.S. Constitution and the fact that many of our founding fathers were Christians (although, actually many of them were deists) does not make the US have greater value in God's eyes than any other country. There is no scriptural evidence to support this. It's true that living in a democratic country that believes in the rights of the individual is must easier than living under a malevolent dictatorship, but I'm not sure that there is a good theological foundation for believing that the rights and borders of people in the US should be protected or preserved at the cost of any other person from another country.

3. Generally speaking, a literal translation of Scripture leaves much to be desired. Simply, we miss a lot of God's intentions by reading everything literally. Usually such readings are totally ignoring the context in which the text was written, which provides great insight into the theological significance of Scripture and the story of God and His people.

The Emergent Church & the Church of the Nazarene

2010-08-30T12:15:00.005-05:00

Some have requested some additional background information on the issues related to the Board of General Superintendents' recent Statement on the Emergent Church. Here is a brief introduction to the conversation:

There is a little ambiguity to the title "Emergent Church," because it is not an official group or organization. Although some have labeled themselves as members or leaders of the "Emergent Church Movement," there is no official body with this name. It is additionally confusing because many people automatically assume that anything politically, theologically, or biblical liberal should be labeled "emergent ideology." However, this is not the case.

Here are a few tenets often [rightly] associated with the Emergent Church:
1. Mostly a part of Western Culture, specifically North America. Connected to the young adult generation (Technological Generation, Generation Y, whatever name you would like to give it). Also made up of pastors and church leaders specifically organizing ministry geared towards this generation.
2. Relationships and Community are very important. Christianity is not an individualistic religion, but can only be lived out in the fellowship with other believers.
3. Connected to their strong emphasis on community, social justice issues are very important -- both locally and abroad.
4. More concerned with living out what it means to be a Christian than being able to articulate correct doctrine. This is not to say that right beliefs are important to the emergents, but living out these right beliefs is much more important.
5. Concerned with taking care of God's creation. Believe that God is working to redeem all of his creation, because all of it was effected by sin.
6. Place a great emphasis on experiential Christianity. Emergents often connect with God the most in worship services that have moving music, art components, and hands-on methods of expressing love to God.

Here are a few overgeneralizations or incorrect beliefs about the emergent church, but that some believe to be true:
1. Emergents have a disregard for biblical authority.
2. Emergents worship creation, as if "Mother Nature" were real.
3. Emergents often align themselves politically with the democratic party (which is probably true), and this makes them less orthodox or biblical Christians.
4. Emergents are intentionally trying to "take over" the Church of the Nazarene doctrine and leadership.
5. Emergents are heretical.

Here are some legitimate concerns about the Emergent Church:
1. Church involvement and personal piety can be left behind for the sake of social justice. Individuals may spend less time in God's Word or praying than doing good works. (both need to happen in balance).
2. There are definitely some who are extreme on the emergent side of the spectrum. Of these few, some of the overgeneralizations may be true. However, they are not true of the Emergent Church as a whole.
3. Any theological concept/method that deconstructs the basic tenets of the Christian Faith should be rejected. (Basically, if it disagrees with the Apostles' or Nicene Creed, it's probably not orthodox).
4. Because the Emergent Church is connected to the culture of our day, some of the other cultural identifiers of today can also creep into the church. We need to stay away from moral and religious relativism.

Some Guidelines for Future Conversations:
I mentioned some of theses in a slightly different form in my post about Overgeneralizations and Stereotypes.
1. Conversations should be held in a Christ-like manner. Underhanded comments, public ridicule, and untrue/unfounded assumptions about another's character have no place in such dialogue.
2. Be up to date with contemporary Biblical scholarship from trustworthy sources. At least some of what is being labeled "liberal" is actually the generally accepted understanding these days.
3. Some conversations should happen behind closed doors, not on blogs, e-mail, for facebook.

Well, that should be enough to give you a general background on the discussion. I would be happy to talk more on this issue with anyone interested!

Waiting on the Lord

2010-08-25T12:11:00.003-05:00

As I wrote the title of this blog about waiting on God, I realized that any of you who frequent my blog have also been waiting on me for the last month. I'm sorry about that. I am afraid that I have been busy waiting on the Lord.

Having some idea of what changes our life would be going through at the arrival of Cosette in June, my wife and I began praying about our job/financial situation back in January or February of this year. It is now nearly September and our job situation is essentially unchanged since Allison quit at Caribou Coffee to have the baby.

Now, I am writing this not because I want your advice about my specific situation. Primarily, this blog has not functioned as a personal diary or a place for me to seek advice from loving and well-meaning friends and strangers. I am writing this for another reason:

I want to hear about times when You have had to wait on the Lord. What's the longest you have had to wait? How do you discern God's will? What are some hindrances you have found to hearing God's direction?

Now, it's true that Allison and I are facing some difficult times these days. But God has blessed us and sanctified us through this process. So again I say: I am not seeking advice about my particular situation. Instead, I want to hear you share your experiences of waiting on God. Perhaps these testimonies will help or encourage someone else in a similar situation.

Seminary Stereotypes, Concerned Nazarenes, and the Emergent Church

2010-07-23T11:09:00.004-05:00

I am a student at Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO. In recent months, I (along with several other students) have fallen prey to demeaning stereotypes and generalizations. I am sharing these cases for two reasons 1) It makes me mad when people stereotype me and 2) Make public the erroneous stereotypes that are being made in hopes to correct the problem.

Stereotype #1: The only thing seminary students care about is seminary. I was recently interviewing for a second job at another Nazarene Institution (my first job being Community Outreach Pastor at Victory Hills Church of the Nazarene). Right in the middle of the interview, the woman interviewing me went off on a long monologue: You moved here to go to seminary and that's your main focus, I need to hire someone who will be focused on this job. And of course you're graduating in two years and I don't want to hire someone who is going to leave in a year or two, because it takes a long time to train someone. (Paraphrase) She assumed that the only reason I moved to Kansas City was to attend NTS (which it's not). She also assumed that my tenure here in Kansas City was necessarily contingent upon my graduation from NTS (which it's not).

Stereotype #2: Seminary students who are on staff at a church during seminary are students first and pastors second. They are only on staff because they need a job while in seminary. I've heard mixtures of this from various pastors, professors, and lay people alike. Some individuals who are enrolled in seminary might actually see themselves as pastors first and students second (like me!).

Stereotype #3: All students at NTS are a part of the Emerging Church Movement and are, therefore, heretics. There are several members of the Nazarene church who are concerned by what they call "The Emergent Church." The members of this group have called anyone who belongs to or supports this group "naive and ignorant" and have called the "movement" heretical. Several Nazarene Institutions have been targeted by this group. Some dialogue politely about their concerns, others are quite rude and un-Christlike. The difficulty is, there isn't really such a movement; the "Emergent Church" doesn't exist as any type of structured "invasion" of the Church of the Nazarene or the Church Universal in any way. What seems to be happening is that any belief that is contrary to an extremely conservative interpretation of Scripture (perhaps even Fundamentalist) is being called "Emergent." My latest read included political liberals (democrats), process theologians, environmental activists, and experiential worshippers into one category -- emergent (although they have very little in common). Obviously there is a problem here. The moment we equate orthodox Christian theology to a political party of the United States of America we have gone beyond what Scripture declares as Christian-living. ((The Bible says absolutely nothing about patriotism and the early Christian church didn't even allow its members to serve as soldiers -- the occupation held in the highest esteem in American Culture...Christ's Church is both global and universal and is not synonymous to any nation or political party. We are citizens of a Kingdom of a different kind and should never elevate a single nation above any other -- for all people of all nationalities are equal in God's sight and can have an equal part in the Body of Christ, should they accept Christ as Lord (Iraqis, North Koreans, Communists, and Socialists alike)) A second problem with the "Concerned Nazarenes" is that many of its members base their concerns and feelings upon the words of others and do not investigate the matter themselves. For example, I have read that some believe that Rob Bell a heretic. I am assuming this is because he brings up some alternative interpretations of Scripture in some of his writing. However, if one did any biblical research from any of the main commentaries that have come out in the last 20 years or so (with the exception of Fundamentalist-type Commentaries), he/she would see that Rob Bell is one of the most Scriptural Preachers in the forefront of Christianity today. (The New Interpreter's Bible, New Beacon Bible Commentary, etc). Since many members of this group of concerned Christians learn and pass on information by word of mouth, the movement resembles a childhood came of "telephone;" the message starts off clear, but gets altered or exaggerated along the way.
To be sure, some of the concerns of this group are legitimate. From the little I've heard about process theology, for example, I too have concerns about this theological stance. However, we must not forget who we are as a denomination. The Church of the Nazarene is a Wesleyan church that believes that the Bible is inerrant theologically (every thing having to do with our relationship with God), it is not primarily a scientific or historical book. This has been the stance of the denomination since its birth -- "In the essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity" (Bresee). Any theological stance that is not biblical when utilizing the Wesleyan way of reading Scripture (Scripture, as the revelation of God, is authoritative as it is interpreted by tradition, reason, and experience) we should be concerned about. But if the same stance is a viable option in Scripture (such as the Democratic party's care of the poor or social justice), we cannot name it heretical. The Church of the Nazarene has never been a Republican, Fundamentalist, or Calvinist denomination. In hoping to "save the denomination" we cannot try to make it something that it never was to begin with. "We are a Christian People. We are a holiness people. We are a missional people." (I will surely be writing more on this broad topic in the future)
Some have concluded that since NTS is under scrutiny these days, that all (or at least most) of the students must be heretics. It is often assumed that when an institution has a professor that believes differently than "the norm," that all of the students must believe the same way. Indirectly, this belief implies that the young people of our denomination are not able to hold on to their own biblical beliefs if a professor teaches something differently.

Stereotype #4: Seminary students are un-professional. In the same interview I mentioned before, the woman interviewing me was surprised to see me in a suite because she often sees seminary students in jeans when they come for meetings. She felth that this is tacky and inappropriate.

Clearing Up Some of These Stereotypes:
1) Seminary is only one portion of my life, not the whole thing
2) My ministry at Victory Hills is more important to me than my schooling
3) If "The Emergent Church" did really exist as a movement as described by those who have named it, I would still not be properly labeled "emergent" and absolutely not "a heretic"
4) I am just as capable of being professional as any other person
I am a seminary student. I do not fit the stereotypes. Thus, the generalizations are false.

What is the Solution:
1) The first and most obvious is: don't make generalizations!
2) If you hear a generalization, don't pass it on
3) Talk to me, get to know me. If you and I talked about theology for even a few minutes, you would find that I am "in love with" the Wesleyan Quadrilateral and am among the first to test any belief with Scripture.
4) Christians are constantly thinking, writing, growing closer to Christ, and learning new things about who God is and what Scripture says. If you want to take part in theological conversations, it is always helpful to be reading both foundational works of the past and insightful works of the present.
5) Never make a judgment about a person until you get to know them (or at least talk to them about the subject)
5) This is my most blunt solution, and I am quite sad that it even needs to be said: Publicly insulting and ridiculing other people (Christian or nonChristian) should never be a part of a Christian's search for truth or expression of concern. There is no simply no excuse for a Christian to utilize such hurtful and disrespectful language.

Three Thoughts on Evangelism

2010-07-15T12:09:00.001-05:00

Here are three things everyone should know about sharing the Gospel:

1) Not everyone has the gift of evangelism, but everyone is called to evangelize. To be honest, I don’t have the spiritual gift of evangelism (and I’m the evangelism pastor!) However, I know that this is not an excuse for me not to share my faith with non-Christians. God wants me to use the gifts He has given me in evangelistic ways. Three of my main spiritual gifts are preaching, teaching, and administration. So I preach evangelistic messages, teach others how to evangelize, and oversee ministries that reach out to unbelievers. But I also am “prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks [me] to give a reason for the hope that [I] have” (1 Peter 3:15a). Although evangelism is not one of my spiritual gifts, I am prepared to share my faith with anyone.

2) Almost everyone has fears about sharing their faith, but fear does not trump the work of God. God is always working to bring people closer to Him. This means that He is always working to redeem those who have not yet believed in Him. In the Great Commission, and the birth of the Church in Acts 2, we understand that God has invited us Christians to participate in His rescue mission. Would it be appropriate to tell God “I can’t participate, I have too many fears.” We might not always know the right answers when we’re talking about God. We might not know any creative ways to share the Gospel. Some people might reject us for sharing our faith. All of these fears are legitimate. But we can’t forget the promise that Christ gave: “Surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.”

3) God has invited us to join Him as participants in His saving work. He has not commanded us to do it on our own. I once heard a sermon titled, “God cares about lost people.” The fact is, God cares about lost people even more than you do (even if it’s your spouse, child, or parent). God is doing the redemptive work Himself, but has invited us to participate in it by sharing how God has changed our lives. We never have to carry the burden that it’s our responsibility to save people. We are simply “ambassadors for Christ,” and God is making his appeal through us. God does the redemptive work Himself and He gives us what we need to share our faith. “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

Vocation

2010-07-12T16:02:00.002-05:00

Life is rushing by these days. I'm working on some non-internet writing projects, so sorry that I haven't been faithful to the blog.

One of the things I'm working on is a paper on vocation or calling. If I were to say that there is no place is the Scripture that God calls a person to a specific occupation, what would you think? God's call is an invitation to a specific role in the community of believers (such as teacher, helper, leader, preacher, etc.).

How does this compare to your understanding of calling? Have you ever thought about what the Bible says our understanding of calling should be? Is it different than the very brief description I put above?

ABC's New Show Downfall

2010-06-28T10:59:00.003-05:00

(please read to end, or this will be misleading!) I feel like this show is an act against humanity. There are people in my community who can't get a job because they can't afford a car to get them back and forth from work. There are children who would be amazing musicians, but their families can't afford musical instruments or lessons. There are literally people living and dying on the street. But still, it seems okay to throw all of these things off a side of a building instead of donating them to someone who really needs them.

How horrible is it to have in your possession something that someone else needs, and then destroy it instead of giving it to this person?

What is your reaction?

--------------------------------------------------------
EDIT:
One of my friends (who actually watched the show instead of just the commercials like me) just pointed out that the prizes that actually crash are fake. So my biff with the whole tv show is rendered moot.

What would be an appropriate way for a Christian to respond if this tv show was actually destorying real cars, etc.?

A Global Theology

2010-06-22T09:50:00.003-05:00

The Church of the Nazarene is one of the few, if not the only, denomination that is truly a global denomination. I don't mean we're the only denomination in other countries, but we are unique in that we still try to keep a global identity with one international polity. In other words, there's not a Church of the Nazarene USA, a Church of the Nazarene Korea, a Church of the Nazarene France, etc. There's just one, unified denomination.

Within the last decade, the number of Nazarenes outside of North America has exceeded the number of those inside. I believe this to be a wonderful thing. The Body of Christ is not complete if it's only made up of Christians from a specific culture. As the denomination expands, it reminds us that we North Americans are only part of a global body. (I say a little more about this in an article in Cultural Expressions Magazine)

This worldview can be a challenge at times. As a country who has been sending missionaries for more than a century, and is often called (probably inaccurately) a "Christian Nation," it's hard for us Americans to realize that our nation is not the center of Christianity. To be sure, God did not make any nation more important than any others after Pentecost. All countries are equal members of the same body.

Our denomination has been working to make this paradigm shift. It's not easy to take nearly 100 years of North American majority and leadership and immediately make it a global perspective. Undoubtedly, patriotism and nationalism makes this even a greater challenge. Despite the hindrances, the change is necessary and worth the "growing pains."

One change that is just beginning to be made is in the field of literature. For the most part, all of our denomination's theology and Christian living books are written my Americans (with just a few Canadians also in the mix). Our denomination has been raised on the theological writing of American theologians like Purkiser, Wiley, Staples, Wynkoop, Greathouse, and many others. For the most part, the Holiness Theology of the Church of the Nazarene has been expressed by Americans. Although our theological heritage is very rich, it's all written from a Western worldview. Our understanding of salvation, sanctification, holy living, and eternal life are all tinted with western culture. It would be enormously enriching if the denomination began inviting writers from other cultures to write theology and Christian-living books and articles for our church.

The denomination has begun this change. Thomas Noble, a Scottish Nazarene Theologian and professor at Nazarene Theological Seminary, is currently working on an updated Systematic Theology for the Church of the Nazarene. People like David Wesley, former missionary and current professor at NTS, are encouraging pastors and theologians from South American to begin contributing to the thought-life of our global church.

I look forward to this change as we can all be enriched by so many new ways to understand who God is and how He relates to His people.

On Evolution

2010-06-14T15:29:00.003-05:00

To begin with, sorry so long since my last post. In the last two weeks I've become a father (Cosette Marie was born on 6/2) and also started an intensive class (Philosophy of Religion) at Nazarene Theological Seminary that lasts through the end of this week. Needless to say, my life has been a little busy recently.

I want to post a little bit about evolution. Now, I realize that this is a very touchy subject in some Christian circles, so I proceed with some degree of caution. However, I believe that sweeping issues under the rug because there's tension related to them is very harmful to Christianity.

The Church of the Nazarene, according to The Manual, denies any theory of creation that leaves out God. I point this out because the denomination does not make any specific claims concerning how creation occurred, but simply the theological claim that God did it. Officially, it neither endorses nor rejects evolution (except for a godless theory of evolution).

Second, the Church of the Nazarene (of which I am a part, for those who have not gathered as much) understands Scripture to be primarily a theological work. In other words, it is inerrant in everything necessary for our salvation. It is neither a scientific work or a historical document. Although there may be both scientific and historical truths within Scripture, the Bible should not be read as a science or history text book. It's a theological work. It reveals God to us.

I do not share these two premises in hopes of convincing any one to believe in evolution. Instead, I do want to point out that the purpose of the creation account in Genesis 1 is to show that God created the world, man in His image, and has given humans the responsibility for caring for creation. It's primarily concerned with the who and not the how.

Any Christian who claims the Bible as their theological authority (which I do) should be a student of the Word. Being a student of Scripture means personal devotions and study time, but also entails paying attention to contemporary biblical scholarship (such as commentaries or biblical journals). Making claims about the Bible, especially claims that impact science, history, or any real-life situation without proper understanding can create difficulties and confusion about who God is.

Many people believe that science and religion are constantly at odds with on another. Despite this popular belief, science and religion don't have to be adversaries. In fact, they should compliment each other. From a philosophical standpoint, theology and science have two totally different fields of influence. Theology impacts what we believe about God and how we should live. Science is the study of empirical evidence, and does not have directly impact on how people should live. Science does not dictate how one's relationship with God should be practiced. Nor does theology explain the origins of different scientific rules or natural laws. However, there are times when these two spheres overlap.
On the same note, it is important to realize that God created the world. This means that He created all the natural laws and factual things about nature that science discovers. Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity, but God created it. My wife just had a baby, and it's remarkable how her body changed throughout the pregnancy in such intricate ways and now, after the baby is born, is changing back to its "old self." Science explains this, but God created it.

The more I study theology, the more I find that theologians I love believe and accept a God-designed evolution (in various forms). I realize that at this point, some of my readers may be having a melt-down. Well, before you pick up the phone to call a Pastor, District Superintendent, or College President to complain about the liberal teachers at our Nazarene Schools, please at LEAST finish this blog.

I was raised creationist (one who believes Genesis 1 to be the historical account of HOW God created the world). When I went to College, I became more fluid of a creationist, but denied a literal 6-day creation. However, I was not ready to accept evolution. Now, here is where I stand (and if this shoots me in the foot for the rest of my pastoral life, well, at least I spoke the truth):

The scientific evidence in favor of evolution or natural selection is incredibly convincing. I cannot truly be a logical creature and deny the evidence provided from both secular AND Christian scientists. I am quite convinced of natural selection, at least to some extent, has truly impacted the development of animals and plants (and perhaps, humans). I cannot ever accept any theory of evolution that denies God as the designer and sustainer of this process. Evolution can be compatible with "God created the heavens and the earth" worldview.

To accept as fact the evolution of humanity creates a plethora of theological difficulties in addition to the creation account of Genesis 1. The image of God, the story of the Fall and how we understand sin, the naming of Adam and Eve in both New and Old Testaments, the development/creation of the soul, and many other problems arise out of accepting evolution as God's method of creation for humans. This is not to say that I am completely rejecting the possibility, but it is to say that I am not yet ready to accept it. For today, I am simply content with knowing that God created humanity in His Image. How is not especially important.

I have 1 more point to give, and then I would like to provide you with some resources.

As I mentioned above, the Bible tells us everything we need to know to be in a healthy and growing relationship with God. The Bible tells us the who of creation -- God created. Because the how was not an important point in Scripture, I don't think that it has to be an important point for us. Don't get too caught up in the how. Even though above I say that evolution is quite convincing, I am not a concrete evolutionist. If tomorrow a scientist discoveries a whole new system of creation that disproves evolution, I will by no means be heart broken. However, to simply refute scientific proof because of out-dated biblical scholarship is both ignorant and arrogant. It's harmful to the Kingdom of God. Again, I'm not proposing you believe in evolution necessarily. I am proposing that you take an objective look at it.

Here are some resources for you:
Francis Ayala #1
Francis Ayala #2
The New Interpreter's Bible Commentary Volume 1

There are so many. You might also be interested in studying the Enuma Elish, from which it seems the writer of Genesis modeled the creation story.

Breaking Out of Addictions

2010-05-25T09:05:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted about "those habits that we can't break." Some of them are pretty serious and blatently sinful like pornography or drugs. Others of them are not as obviously hazardous to your spiritual health like food, caffeine, or video games. (If you want to brush up on this conversation, just scroll down a bit)

That post basically described the problem without proposing a solution. Here I want to give some direction on how you break these addictions. These are just basic principles that I found to be very effective in my own life.

First, it's important to note that addictions related to drugs are slightly different than most of the others. There are programs like NA and AA that have been proven very effective in helping people break drug addictions. Gambling, pornography, and even many other addictions have been such a problem that support groups, help lines, and resource materials have been made for them. Of course, there are also rehabilitation facilities for extreme cases. Most of these programs and resources are both good and effective and I would encourage you to take advantage of them if needed. You always want to look out as a Christian though, some programs are slightly anti-Christian.

Here is a check list of things you can do to help get out from underneath whatever addiction plagues you. Some of them are similar to parts of the 12-step program found in NA or AA.

1) Realize and profess that you cannot free yourself from the addiction. You need God's forgiveness, grace, and empowerment to ever be free. God has saved you and is working to make you holy, you can live free from sin as long as you live in His grace.

2) Evaluate your devotional practices. Have you been in God's Word and praying regularly? If not, you have not given the Holy Spirit the opportunity to work in you. Sometimes memorizing relevant Scripture verses or passages is helpful too.

3) When and where are you tempted the most strongly? Try to avoid these times and places. If you always seem to give in when you're alone in the mornings, try to change your schedule around so you won't be "available" for temptation at this time.

4) Usually "the big challenge" isn't where the war is fought (and it's rarely ever won at this point). If you're addicted to pornography and you find yourself at a fence-riding website and you feel tempted to go all out, you're probably going to give in. The war is won in the little battles -- what TV shows are you watching? what music are you listening to? is there a particular place where you find yourself looking lustfully at women? is you sexual life pleasing to God? If you begin winning these smaller battles, you will find that you rarely ever get to the big battle. You can put this principle into practice with any addiction, just find out what the small battles are.

5) Remember that God wants you to be free of your addiction even more than you do. As long as you don't turn your back on His Presence in your life, He will provide you with everything you need to conquer temptation.

I hope these principles are helpful to you!

Do you have any other suggestions that you have found helpful in conquering addictions? Do you have any questions about addictions that you would like others to address?

Rich Christians?

2010-05-17T11:55:00.003-05:00

As of last Saturday, my wife is 36 weeks pregnant. As of last Friday (with the exception of 1 outstanding paycheck), my wife and I are living off of my salary. In the past few weeks we have received several letters asking for donations for mission trips and have had several special offerings at church for some really good causes. Allison and I were talking yesterday about this. As we're writing out checks to give to these different causes, we can't help but wish we were able to give more. We thought, "If we had a lot of money (or at least more), we would be able to give so much more to all of these causes. We would be able to take people out for dinner 'on us.' We could help so many things to happen for the Kingdom!"

There are a lot of books out there that promote simple living, rooted from the biblical text "go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor." I've even heard it said that there should never be a rich Christian.

This week I met several rich Christians. Probably millionaires. They were supporting a lot of ministries and giving to a lot of organizations. Are there rich Christians?

John Wesley's Axiom for Christian Economics was "Make as much as you can. Save as much as you can. Give as much as you can."

What do you think? Can there be rich Christians? What does it mean to be a rich Christian?

The Church's Funny Business

2010-05-14T22:08:00.005-05:00

To all of my avid readers (perhaps 5 of you), I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up with my Monday schedule. The last two weeks have been full of family, travels, and class time. Hopefully I'll be back on track next week.

I want to share some initial thoughts on a project and article I will be working on this summer and hear what you have to say about them.

This week I have meet with several business people in the Kansas City Metro. Their backgrounds are diverse: Christian/Non-Christian, black/white, male/female, construction/banking/entertainment/retail/restaurant, and so on. I learned a lot of great things from them.

There was one reoccurring theme I heard from all of them about the church. It can be summed up in the words of the first business man I met, "I have been pretty disappointed with the local church." It seems that those with entrepreneurial dispositions and creative abilities have not been able to find room in the church. The fear-of-risk conservatism and the semi-gnostic dislike of anything named "secular" (like business and financial success) have choked the God-given gifts and talents of these business people. Many of them attend church out of obligation, have left the local church and started their own Bible fellowship, or just left the church (and Christianity) all together.

Is this the Church's fault or their fault?
What can be done to make room in the church for successful business people?

The 4th Commandment of the Ten is Optional

2010-05-06T11:07:00.005-05:00

I read in Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest this morning that "Jesus said, 'Go and make disciples,' not 'make converts to your opinions.'" So, with that being said, I will try not to simply propagate my opinions in this blog (because I have many of them!).

Do you ever get the feeling that the 4th commandment is optional? Maybe not you personally, but do you think that the Church functions under this assumption? Do we as Christians remember and keep the Sabbath?

The Sabbath is not just an Old Testament, outdated biblical principle. It's in the New Testament in several places (the Gospels and Hebrews for sure!). Also, recent medical science has also proven that the human body needs one day out of every seven to recuperate and reset itself. Agriculturally, there is evidence that the ground needs a year to refresh after six years of planting and harvesting.

However, both cultural norms and some theological assumptions seem to be set in direct opposition to taking a Sabbath.

Culture: According to a 2001 study by the National Sleep Foundation, the average employed American works 46 hours a week. More than 1/3 (38%) of those who responded in this study worked more than 50 hours a week. If a person averages 7hours a sleep each night, this leaves 73 hours left each week of non-working time. If a person's family is involved in community, school, or church events it's easy to see this amount become even less -- sporting events, meetings, fund raisers, Bible studies. When is there ever time to find a 24 hour period to take a Sabbath?

What makes this even more difficult is that individuals are praised for the amount of time they spend working or volunteering with community or Christian organizations. People are honored in our society based on how they spend their time.

Theological Assumptions: I think that there are two traditional beliefs in Christianity which actually hinder people from taking a real Sabbath. On these two subjects I tread lightly, for I know that I am probably in the minority as one who disagrees with these theological assumptions.

1) Sundays are the Sabbath. Although this can be true for many Christians, I do not think that it is true for all Christians. It has long been understood that for pastors, Sundays aren't a Sabbath because they "work" on Sundays. However, I think that many Christians are without a Sabbath-day's rest on Sundays.

In Biblical Times (especially OT times), the Sabbath was a day spent in communal worship of God. No physical labor was done on the Sabbath. Now, I am not well-informed on the ecclesial practices of Ancient Israel, but I image that usually this day consisted of readings from Scripture, perhaps some community singing of praise, and reading from the Law (Pentateuch). The Pharisees in the inter-testament times created specific laws for the Sabbath which made it very legalistic (which Jesus confronted on many occasions).

Today, our Sundays usually consist of Sunday School (or some other small-group time) and a pre-planned worship service consisting of a well-rehearsed (hopefully) worship through music portion. A substantial percentage of a congregation is involved in volunteer ministry on Sundays -- teaching Sunday School, working in the nursery(and missing the worship time), playing an instrument or singing, leading worship, participating in choir, seating guests, taking offering, counting the offering (which sometimes is quite a task), and sometimes special skits or programs. This doesn't even include any special meal or event that needs to be planned or prepared on these days. Some of these tasks are comparable to the amount of work expected during the work week. Quite simply -- they're not restful.

So, for many Christians Sundays are not a Sabbath. For a few, they are even more exhausting than the rest of the week. Although some extroverts may find these days rejuvenating, the only others who might find rest in this day are those not involved in any ministries on Sundays.

2) Christians are to tithe their time. Tithe has been accepted standard of giving in Christianity for Centuries. The concept is that Christians are to give 10% back of the income that God provides for them. This principle has been expanded to include not only income, but also skills and time. Although this might be an appropriate way to measure stewardship, it does not seem to have the biblical foundations that tithing income does.

When someone is to tithe their time, this usually means that they are to give 10% of their week volunteering or working for for the church. Since there are 168 hours in every week, this means that a person is to give 16.8 hours to the church each week. Even if you only count hours awake, this is still 12.2 hours each week. If you add 16.8 to the average of 46 hours in the work week, you're sitting at 62.8. This is in addition to any activities your children might be involved in. If you thought finding a 24 hour period to rest was difficult when you had 73 hours of non-reserved time in your week, try finding 24 out of 56 hours. If you're a student or teacher with homework to complete or grade, this becomes even more difficult.

The basic principle of this idea of tithing our time isn't wrong, but perhaps it would be better stated like this: 1) Christians should live out their faith in all aspects of life at all times and 2) every Christian should be ministering through the church in some way.

As I mentioned above, these thoughts are probably contrary to those of most Christians on this subject. In fact, I know Christians who are more mature and have more education than I do and believe these theological assumptions to be true. So perhaps I am entirely off base to question these principles.

What do you think? Does the Church need to reevaluate these principles? Does the church need to be counter-cultural in how we measure the value of one's schedule? Is the 4th Commandment less important than the other 9? (which, by the way, I don't perceive the Church lowering theirs standards on any of them) Or am I completely off base all together?

Food, Smoking, and Video Games

2010-04-26T10:40:00.002-05:00

Have you ever heard somebody say "We all have that one thing that we keep going back to."? Perhaps you've heard it said, "Everyone has one sin that they just keep falling into." There are a lot of other ways it's said, too. But here's a question: is it true?

In one church I was involved in, there were several regular attendees that smoked. Some of them were members (which is another question about membership in the Church of the Nazarene). One couple who smoked worked in the children's department. Sometimes on Sunday mornings, they would take turns going out into the parking lot to take a smoke break.

In the church that I grew up in one of my friends had what some people call a "food addiction." I think there were some medical causes involved, but he was probably somewhere around 300lbs.

I like to play video games. I play on Xbox Live several days a week. I almost always find someone who is spectacular at whatever game I am playing. Now, I play video games quite a few hours each week, spread out in various sittings. These players that I am talking about must play 20, 40, or maybe even more hours each week.

Now, there are plenty other "addictions" or "vices" that fall into this category. Some of them are much more intrinsically sinful than these three I've talked about. Pornography, lying, gossipping, a violence would all be on our lists of things we should be involved in.

Perhaps you could find yourself connected to one of these things that I've listed. Or maybe, you there is some other addiction that has you that you can't get away from. Some agree with the statement that opened this blog "we all have our one thing/addiction/vice/sin..." Others, however, think that's a bunch of balogne.

Here's some Scripture that I think helps dictate how we should understand such addictions:

"But you know that [Christ] appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him." 1 John 3:5-6 (NIV)

"My little children, I am wirting these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins..." 1 John 2:1-2a (NRSV)

"If we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prsopect of judgment..." Hebrew 10:26-27a (NRSV)

Scripture explicitly explains some things as sinful: adultery, gluttony, slander, untruthful speach, acts of hatred, etc. There are other actions that can be explained as sinful that are not sinful in themselves. For example, drinking alcohol, smoking, and video games are not explained in Scripture as sins. Some would use 1 Corinthians 3 & 6 as some passages to argue against these -- our body is a temple, and we should take care of it. While this may be legitimate in some regards, this would be applying these specific passages to a universal mandate that is maybe not necessarily included in these chapters.

I believe all addictions to be hindrances to our relationships with God and other people. This consequence is in addition to whatever consequence the action has in itself. In other words, even addictions that aren't explicitly sinful can be hindrances to our relationships. There are four themes in Scripture from which I draw to come to this conclusion: 1) You shall have no other God's before me 2) I shall not be mastered by anything 3) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and 4) I shouldn't do anything that could cause my brother to stumble. Here is how addictions hinder our relationships:

WITH GOD: Addictions can keep us from hearing God or being able to obey God.
Hearing: Susanna Wesley once said, "Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, takes off your relish for spiritual things, whatever increases the authority of the body over the mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may seem in itself." If you have ever played video games or watched TV for hours on end, you may have experienced this phenomenon in very real ways. Drinking alchohol or smoking in such a way that it effects your cognitive processes would also fall into this category. A good question to ask yourself about situations is "if God were to speak to me here, would I be able to hear Him?"
Obeying: Often, our addictions inhibit us from being able to be entirely available to God. If you are addicted to caffeine, and God asks you to go be a missionary in a remote location where caffeine is not available to you you just plain won't be as effective as you go through your withdrawl. I know people who are so addicted to cigarettes that they could barely go a few hours, let alone a few days, without smoking. How would they be able to be a camp counselor at a Christian summer camp where smoking is not allowed? How can a person who is extremely overweight keep up with little children or volunteer on a work & witness trip? If you are truly addicted to video games, you may choose to play video games over doing devotions or going to a special church event.
Addictions can often hinder us from hearing and obeying God.

WITH PEOPLE: Addictions can often cause people to treat others poorly and not spend the time investing in important relationships.
Actions: As you probably know, many of the addictions which people are caught up in cause various physiological changes in the body which may change physical health, mental capacities, emotional awareness, and even one's mood. Personally, I know that whenever I play video games for too long, I become quite snappy. In these moments, I don't like for my wife to interupt me at all. Every one knows how smoking and drinking can effect your relationships with other people -- especially if you don't get your fix on these. Eating can have similar effects. Even caffeine (or lack-there-of) can change how people treat other people.
Time: Addictions take time. If a person is so concerned about how or when he is going to be able to get "his fix," the time he is spending with other people is not effective in building relationships and sharing time together. Christian theology tells us that God is eternally Triune -- in other words He has always been and will always be the Trinity. It is part of His nature to live in community (Father-Son-Holy Spirit). If we are to be like Him, we too are supposed to live in community. So, whenever our addictions hinder us from doing this, we are not living the holy lives God has called us to live.

So, thus far we have established that 1) people have addictions 2) addictions aren't good for our relationships with God and others. We have not answered the question: Is it possible to live without these addictions?

I think that the answer is yes. The verses above from 1 John and Hebrews seem to indicate that life without sin is the life we have been invited to participate in through Christ. 1 Peter, Matthew, and many many many other passages in OT and NT declare that followers of God are to live holy lives. This seems to indicate life without sin. It also does not seem logical that God would invite or tell us to live in a way that is impossible to achieve (although it is without Christ).

In conclusion, we don't all have to have addictions, vices, or sins that keep getting us down or away from God. Although there may be certain sins that each person is more susceptible to, it doesn't mean that he/she has to be enslaved by those sins for his/her whole life.

What do you think?

Living in Shame

2010-04-19T12:08:00.002-05:00

Last night, Pastor Dave Dayhoff preached a wonderful message on I Corinthians 1:18-25. One of the main themes of the message was the foolishness of God. Quite honestly, we don't often talk about the foolishness of God very much. Pastor Dayhoff explained how the cross was foolishness.

Did you know that in addition to the excruciating pain associated with crucifixion, was horrible shame? It's true. Crucifixion was so shameful that it was a punishment made restricted to only slaves and insurrectionists? A Roman Citizen never would have been given the sentence of crucifixion, regardless of how horrible a crime he or she committed. Death by cross was such a horrible thing that it was taboo for people to even talk about it.

For the Jews, anyone who was hung on a tree was cursed. Crucifixion was so horrible, that the only way a person would be killed in that way was if God had cursed them and intetionally put them there. It was impossible for the messiah to be crucified, for the messiah could not be cursed.

The death of Jesus of Nazareth is foolishness, for how could the messiah be hung on a tree? Of course, today we know that his resurrection is even more foolish. And it is because of this foolishness that we know that Jesus of Nazarene was also God the Son -- the Word made Flesh who died as a ransom for many.

This sermon really got me thinking about the cross. If the cross is shameful, what does it mean for us when Jesus said "if anyone should come after me, he should take up his cross daily and follow me." (Matthew 16; Mark 8; Luke 9). I've heard people interpret these verses as each person should take up a ministry, or take up the sins of the their past and move forward. However, I'm not quite sure if these are the best understandings of these verses. I've also heard our crosses explained as persecution, which might be a bit closer to correct.

What do you think? How should following Christ connect to carrying the shame of the cross? Does this influence how we perceive work, money, success? Should it influence our self-image, our pride? What does it mean?

Thoughts on Homosexuality

2010-04-14T09:20:00.003-05:00

As promised in my last post, I want to offer some thoughts on homosexuality. I believe that one of the biggest difficulties in the conversation is ignorance -- Christians don't know how to "categorize" homosexuality and those who support homosexuality don't have a clear understanding of a Christian perspective on the issue. So, the goal of this post is to create some additional understanding for both parties.

First, here are 2 stastics to get us started:
From www.gayfamilysupport.com/gay-stastics.html
█45% of gay males and 20% of lesbians have reported receiving verbal harrassment and/or physical violence at school.
From Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/)
█In 2008, the CDC estimated that over half (53%) of new HIV infections in 2006 were among homosexuals in the US.

How should we understand homosexuality? What is it? Is it genetic, a disease, or a choice? Is it caused by nature or by nurture? The truth is, the jury is still out on answering these questions. I tend to believe that it is a combination of all of these elements. Some people are genetically predisposed to homosexual tendencies. I also think that many homosexuals are that way because of a break down in relationships at home or school at an early age. I do not think, though, that it is a disease -- you can't "catch" homosexuality. However, some people do choose homosexuality as a lifestyle as well. And probably, there are various components of each of these and every story is a little different. Individuals who are genetically predisposed to it, who have poor family relationships, also probably make some choices that help him/her to move further down the road to homosexuality.

This is not a blog about those who simply choose it as an "experimenting" adolesence. This is about and for those who one day "discovered" they were gay, not by a direct choice.

The Bible has some to say about homosexuality in both the Old and New Testaments. Sodomy, a word that most know today, is actually a word taken from a town called Sodom in Genesis 19. A similar story can be found in Judges 19. The New Testament speaks towards homosexuality more directly, not within narratives. Two specific passages are in Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 6. There are also a couple more. I encourage you to read these verses, and any verse for that matter, in the context of its chapter, book, and the Bible as a whole. One cannot take out a single verse or passage from the rest of Scripture and create a theology based on it.

Here is what we can learn about homosexuality from these 4 passages:
Genesis 19 -- Sodom was destroyed at the end of this chapter. In the chapter before, Abraham pleads that God would spare the city if there was only 10 (a small number) of righteous people there. The fact that God then destroyed the city shows that there was not. Homosexualty, specifically manifested in the mob's desire to rape the visitors, is recorded to display the wickedness of the town.
Judges 19 -- The whole book of Judges is a record of the downfall of Israel. From beginning to end, there is a constant spiritual decline throughout the book. Since this is at the end of the book, it is evidence that this was considered an example of Israel at its low point. This chapter does not condone having a concubine, the sacrifice of her to save the Levite's life, or the Levite's actions as a whole. All of these are also proof of their spiritual degregation. (Robert Branson)
Romans 1 -- This letter was written to Gentiles in the Roman Empire. At this time, homosexuality among males was generally accepted, but lesbianism was not. This passage, similar to Judges in some ways, is provided an account of progression of sinfulness. As people continue to worship creation instead of the Creator, they move on to more destructive sins. In fact, the word used to describe the homosexual relationships in the NIV, "unnatural," in Greek literally means "against nature." (William Greathouse with Lyons)
1 Corinthians 6 -- This passage simply includes homosexuality in a list of sins which cannot exist in the Kingdom of God.

If you want more information on these passages, I encourage you to do some of your own study. I have provided only a glimpse into them.

It is important to understand why homosexuality is sinful. It's not because God arbitrarily decided that heterosexual relationships were good and homosexual ones were bad. Some people would just say "it's sinful because it's unnatural, not how God created us." Although it's true that God did not create humanity with the intent for homosexuality, this is a very simplistic understanding

The reason why homosexuality is sinful, at its very root, can be found in Genesis 1:26-27. God created men and women in His image. Now, this does not mean His physical image, for God is Spirit and we are physical beings. It means that God created male and female in the image of His characteristics. God is Trinity, in eternal community, so also should men and women be in community. God does not want us humans to only be with our own kind. In this respect, homosexual relationships are exclusive, and maybe a little selfish in nature. Homosexuals are not able to see the value of the other sex. John and Staci Elderedge, in Wild at Heart and Captivating, explain how men reflect God in some ways and women reflect Him in others. Like God, men are warriors, adventures, fathers, and providers. Women are like God in that they want to be cherished, motherly instincts, and the like. The list can go on for both, and it's true that they share some of the same attributes. It is when a man and woman come together that a clear picture of God can be seen. Homosexual relations are a perversion of God. Two men cannot paint this picture, neither can two women. God, in this Genesis passage, also gives the command the humans are to be fruitful and multiply, which is also impossible in homosexual relations. Gay and Lesbian sexual relationships are rooted in passion, and can often be full of lust. So the simple understanding of such relationships being "not how God created us" is true, but a better understanding is homosexual relationships are against the very nature of God."

Christians, here is one point that I want to make clear: The Bible does not seem to say that it's sinful to be attracted to members of the same sex. It is the acting out of these homosexual feelings that is wrong. A gay man is not sinning for simply being attracted to other men, nor is a lesbian sinning by thinking other women are attractive. It is not until these feelings are acted out in romantic or sexual ways.

I have heard people say that this fact seems unfair. "If God created me this way, why can't I be myself." First, sin has corrupted us all. We all have a desire to sin when we're born. Although not the same, being gay is very similar to other questions of sexuality. For example, most men are born with the desire to look at pornography. They love it, and the satisfaction that it brings makes it incredibly addicting. However, this type of adultery and lust is sinful. It's hurtful to a man's relationship with all women. "But I have a natural love for pornography, why can't I be true to myself." We (Christians) and God expect the heterosexual man to resist the temptation to look at pornography even though he desires it. I believe that it is not entirely unlike asking the homosexual to resist the temptation to act out his or her homosexuality.

Well, there are my thoughts on homosexuality. This is not the end all, or the final authority on Christianity and homosexuality. In fact, perhaps it will be the subject of a future blog.

Ugly Betty and Homosexuality

2010-04-09T10:22:00.005-05:00

ABC airs a show on Wednesday nights called Ugly Betty starring America Ferrera. Betty Suarez, the central character played by Ferrera, works at a fashion magazine. The show, although focused on her life, also includes many other characters including Betty's co-workers and family. Overall, this show is pretty funny. The characters are likable and the scenes are laughable. I am surprised, however, that this show has not received more media coverage with its more recent episodes.

Homosexuality is conveyed in this show as not only an acceptable lifestyle choice, but a positive one. Even Betty's sister (Justin's mother) is excited that Justin has his first boyfriend.

Perhaps I will post more about homosexuality in general in the coming days. But first, what is your reaction to this?

Relevantly Counter-Cultural

2010-03-29T12:04:00.002-05:00

This video has sparked some interesting comments on youtube. Now, there hasn't been a lot of comments, but the few that have been left are interesting. It seems that they can be easily separated into two categories: 1) positive -- everyone should hear this and 2) negative -- Christianity is constantly "getting people down."

I understand many of my readers to be younger Christians. If you are anything like me, you are constantly looking for ways to help the Church to become more relevant to today's culture. For example, many churches now have Facebook pages, are re-thinking worship, and are planning events to draw the people of today in.

Simultaneously, however, there are churches that are taking this too far. Some denominations have embraced homosexuality, are preaching a gospel of health & wealth, and have refused to call sin for what it is.

So there are 2 different pages of the same chapter in this story of the desire for the church to be relevant to today's culture. However, there is also another chapter -- a chapter on being counter-cultural.

You have probably heard it said "be in the world, but not of the world." There are some churches that have been doing a great job of being faithful to the gospel and being counter to our North American culture. I think that this is a biblical-principle.

Some have taken this too far! Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church is an example that comes to mind quite clearly.

So how can we hold these two chapters in harmony with one another? How can we be relevant to today, but still remain faithful to the gospel?

Should we listen to different music? Watch different TV shows? Wear different clothes? Talk differently? Speak differently? Go different places? Have Different Jobs?

What do you think?

On the New Healthcare Bill

2010-03-22T11:18:00.005-05:00

As everyone probably knows by now, last night the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Healthcare Bill. It is probably not too presumptuous to assume that thousands of people are blogging about it right now, and have been for weeks or months. I will not pretend to be a political expert, nor even a well-informed citizen when it comes to politics or this healthcare bill.

Here Are President Obama's Comments:

Here are some links to some videos about it: (you may want to right click and open in a new window)
Yahoo
Google Video Search

I have three comments about the healthcare bill:

1) As I am preparing to preach this Sunday (Palm Sunday), the story of Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem is fresh in my mind. I cannot help but think of the crowds of people who lined the streets, laid their cloaks on the road, waved palm branches, and all the while shouting "Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."

These same people, just five days later, crucified him.

They believed that Jesus was coming to save them from the oppression the Roman Empire had on their people. They were looking for a political Messiah, an earthly king to lead them into victory. Instead, what they received was a humble, broken servant who died to give us freedom from our sins.

He is the King of a different Kingdom. The politics of this world are not Jesus' first concern, nor is making the US a "Christian Nation." He cares about the people themselves more so than the government over the people. He wants to be a part and center of every person's life. He wants to free us from our bondage, sin, and past and give us a life a freedom in Him.

Does God want Christians to be a part of political conversations? For sure. Does He wants Christians to help lead our country in Godly ways and be agents of change? No doubt. Is making a nation (any nation, not just the U.S.) "Christian" His first priority? No, He's making a new Heaven and New Earth where His reign will be established forever!

2) It is true that not a single Republican voted in favor of the bill. It is also true that many Christians find themselves siding with the Republicans. It's important to note, however, that Christians and Republicans are not synonymous terms. For example, there are lot of ways in which the Republican party fails to care for the poor and hurting in our society. In fact, many believe that a homeless or jobless person is in that state because he/she is too lazy to find a job. To be frank, this is not a Christ-like way to look at people or care for them.

Now, let it be clear that I am not siding with Democrats either. I am simply pointing out that we Christians cannot judge the value of a bill simply based upon how Republicans vote on it.

A lot of what the healthcare bill is doing is good. The immediate changes seem to help a lot of people who are not able to afford health insurance or are denied coverage because of pre-existing coverage. It will save a lot of people from the enormous debt that accrues after an accident or medical emergency. Thousands of people right in my backyard will be able to have health care coverage that do not currently (and perhaps never) have health insurance.

3) There are some things that we Christians should be aware of in this new healthcare bill.

This is an e-mail I received a number of weeks ago from Dr. Jim Garlow, Pastor of Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, California:

Greetings Pastors and Church Leaders,
Like all pastors, I occasionally share my heart with my church congregation on many topics facing our nation. At times I am silent on some issues, following Mary's pattern of "pondering it in her heart." (Luke 2:19) One of the issues that I have not spoken on is the healthcare bill before our Congress right now. I was concerned that the topic is so thoroughly hyper-politicized that my comments might be misunderstood. (In fact, that is a concern of mine even now as I write this.)

Everyone agrees that something needs to be done regarding the present and looming healthcare crisis. As believers, I think that we can agree that true Bible-believing churches across America - though having done much in the past - can address this issue much better today than we are currently. I suspect we will agree on that.

Historically, the health care provided by churches - both Protestant and Catholic - has been quite remarkable. In fact, an astounding number of persons are still served today by faith-initiated health care providers. But we can do better. I would love for us, as pastors across the nation, to strategize what the Spirit of God is saying to us regarding how to meet this need in our communities in greater ways. I would welcome shared insights from you.

However, I need to speak specifically to the present legislation. After contemplating the many specific ways in which the current congressional healthcare legislation violates Scripture - abortion being only one - I have decided I can no longer, in good conscience, remain silent. When I received word that the bill had a de facto "marriage tax," which meant that married couples would have to pay considerably more than cohabitating couples (some have calculated this to be as much as $10,000 per year), I immediately asked qualified people to check this out. The "marriage tax" was confirmed.

The way in which biblical Christianity is being denied in the current proposal is profoundly egregious. I have been noting the ways the current proposed bills violate - for starters - the Ten Commandments, let alone the New Testament passages. And it is profoundly offensive when certain biblical passages are taken out of context by some of the defenders of the current legislation.
For the record, I have no interest at all in partisan based discussions on this topic. This is not a Republican vs. Democrat issue to me. It is a "people issue." My interest is driven by the ways in which the proposed bill is distinctly anti-biblical.

Now, I have not confirmed whether the specifics of this e-mail are still present in the newly passed bill, but I do think this is a good representation of some concerns we Christians should consider. I am also aware of some changes that it will make for coverage of the elderly and young that some pastor friends of mine have expressed to me.

----
Okay, so there are my 3 comments about this healthcare bill. Now, I want to hear some of your thoughts. I am much more interested in your theological reflection than on political debate. How does your faith relate to this healthcare bill?

Keith Davenport on Drawing Lines (or "on Denominations," or "on Open Theism," or...)

2010-03-17T09:01:00.012-05:00

Over the last 24 hours I have been mauling over lines. Okay, so the issues have been much bigger than just lines, but perhaps you will understand better if you listen to this:

Jeren Rowell - NTS - January 22, 2010 (right click and choose "open in new tab")

Once I served as an administrator over a dozen or so different ministries. These ministries ranged from music and drama to prison work to caring for the elderly. The leaders of these groups where from a variety of denominational backgrounds, yet we all served together on the same ministry council.

The leaders often changed from year to year. This was normal and a part of this specific ministry context. In my last year as part of this council a gentleman became the leader of one of the ministries. Throughout the first few months of the new year, it became evident that this leader had no intentions of making it to any of our weekly meetings (we met for 1 hour each week). So, according to our procedures, the administrative office and I reminded him of the expectations of his position. After several more week with no change, we asked him to appear before the judicial branch of the council for an interview, which was also according to the procedures established by the council.

During this discussion, some disturbing issues came to light. A large part of the reason that this ministry leader was not taking part in the council was that many of the other leaders were believers from other denominations and theological traditions. After quoting 2 Corinthians 6:14 to the council and claiming that he could have no fellowship with us, I quickly ended the meeting out of pure surprise, and probably a little anger.

This individual was not from some small tradition that most of us have never heard of. No, he is part of a very well-known theological tradition and today is probably a minister or professor in a main-line denomination. However, he felt that if someone did not hold the same beliefs that he did, that person could not be a Christian. Figuratively, he drew a line and said, "If you stand on this side of the line with me, and believe just as I do about Scripture, God, and Salvation then you are a Christian. If you stand anywhere on the other side of this line, no matter how close or far from my beliefs, you cannot be a Christian for you do not believe as I do."

Lines bother me. I suppose that it is natural for humans to believe that whatever it is that one has decided in his or her heart is true must, therefore, be true. For quite simply, you would not believe something is true or right if you did not believe it to be so. I realize that this is somewhat of a redundant philosophical statement, but it is an important starting point. For example, if you believe that it is right to believe that abortion is wrong, then you are going to believe that any other stance on abortion is wrong, or maybe even sinful. You believe one stance is right, if another stance were also right, you would then believe in that stance too.

Okay, let's get away for philosophy now. Just so I don't lose you. If you got that, great! If not, just forget I even typed that paragraph.

Yes, we can draw lines on some things: God is good; murder is wrong; homosexuality is a perversion of God's original intentions for human sexuality; Jesus died on the cross and rose again; etc.

But there are also some things we cannot draw lines on. For example, we cannot truly think that one denomination or theological tradition is the only group who is truly serving God and will be the only ones in heaven. Here's a segment of an article I wrote that is supposed to be published sometime next month:

The universal Church needs Baptists to remind us how sovereign God is, Catholics to teach us how our faith can be learned through liturgy and the importance of the history of Christianity, Pentecostals to remind us of the significance of the Holy Spirit, and Nazarenes to remind us that God desires for us to live holy lives. We cannot be the body of Christ without each other. The fact is, when Christ returns all believers will be gathered around the throne of God joining in the same song of worship.

There is no theological tradition that as a corner on the theological market. I am a Wesleyan without shame. However, I believe that I have a lot to learn from Calvinists about how God is Sovereign and how I should study Scripture.

Besides this point on denominations, I have also found people that last out against specific theological issues. They draw lines -- it is either this or that and there is no "both."

╬. A very hot topic these days (well, for some) is Open Theism. This is the idea that God sometimes changes His mind and He does not always know what humans are going to do before they do it. There are many verses in Scripture that seem to point this conclusion. Here are just a few: Exodus 32:14; Numbers 14:11; Deuteronomy. 9:13–14, Deuteronomy 9:18-20; 1 Samuel 2:29-30; 2 Kings 20:1–6; 1 Chronicles 21:15; Jeremiah 18:7–11; Jeremiah 26:3; Jeremiah. 26:19; Ezekiel 33:13–15; Ezekiel 20:21–22; Amos 7:1–6; Jonah 1:2; 3:2; 4-10; Joel 2:13–14;

Traditionally, however, Christians have believed that God is omnipotent and omniscient. He knows what we do before we even do it. Also, many believe that God has a very specific plan for each individual. Some, but not all, would even believe that God has predetermined the exact order our lives are going to be lived out in. There are also many verses in Scripture that point to this conclusion (however, not as strong to the exact predetermination). Since we might be more familiar with this understanding, I will not provide specific Scriptures.

So what do we do? The line has been drawn. We either believe God is omnipotent and omniscient because the Bible says so or we believe that God changes His mind and doesn't always know what's coming because the Bible says so.

Now, those who find themselves in a group that draws such lines would simple say at this point that the Bible only says one of these two options, and not both. With the full awareness that I might be wrong, I believe that in order for a person to read one or the other of these two understandings in Scripture he/she must be approaching Scripture presuppositions that already discredit the other camp. They let their theology interpret Scripture rather than Scripture interpret their theology.

I believe that the Bible is God's revelation of Himself and His work in the world to us. Although Christ was the perfect revelation of God, Scripture reveals the identity of Christ and God's redemptive work throughout history. Scripture, according to Outler's understanding of John Wesley, must be interpreted through reason, history, and experience. (This is called the Wesleyan Quadrilateral) Theology must be formed using this model, and we simply read into Scripture our theological presuppositions.

So since the Bible seems to point to BOTH Open Theism AND God's Omniscience, would it make more since to realize that both camps offer insights into the identity of God. Instead of picking one or the other, what if we find the Scriptural Truths in each and let them sing together the song they were meant to sing about our God. It's not that either one is absolutely correct, because each group maintains some ideas that can't be find in Scripture. It is, however, that each group has something to offer the Body of Christ in order to more fully reveal God.

Just as different denominations give us a fuller revelation of Christ's intent for the Church, so different theological camps and traditions offer insight into our theology. Instead of being driven by fear that the Church is going to fall to these "foreign doctrines," perhaps it would be better to live in dialogue with them. Glean what is good, get rid of what is not. Instead of ostracising another camp, converse with them with an open mind and the Bible in hand.

There are other issues that are also up for debate these days:

Fundamentalism vs. the Emergent Church

Holiness in a Moment vs. Holiness as a Process

Changing things to reach today's Culture vs. Traditions with a Strong Heritage

Orthodoxy vs. Scholarship

There are many others, too. But I think the same principles apply to all of these. There is something we can learn about God from each of these stances. However, the via media (The middle way) is often the best option.

C. S. Lewis wrote "He's wild, you know. He's not like a tame lion."

May we not try to confine God to theological constructs or traditional beliefs. He is not man and His ways are not like our ways.

Also, I do not believe that we need to feel responsible for sustaining Christ's Church. Jesus told Peter that the Gates of Hades will not overcome the Church. I am under the firm belief that God Himself will protect His Church, and we do not need to feel like we are responsible for keeping it "pure" or "right." Although we must continue to follow the Holy Spirit, it is the Holy Spirit that has been guiding this Church for far longer that we or our denominations have been in existence.

The Law of Inertia

2010-03-15T12:06:00.003-05:00

Rev. Clark Armstrong taught me something very interesting the other day. It’s the Isaac Newton’s First Law of Motion – The Law of Inertia: In the absence of a net force, the center of mass of a body either is at rest or moves at a constant velocity.

Simple, right? Well, I never took physics so these words do not mean much to me. But part of this Law of Motion is a little more familiar: An object that is in motion will not change its velocity until an unbalanced force acts upon it. In other words, if something is moving it will keep moving until something makes it stop. A car that is coasting will eventually stop because of the wind-force acting against it. If you slide a book across the table it will eventually slow down because of friction – an “unbalanced force” is acting upon it. A Christian will eventually stop growing because the worries of the world are working against him/her.

People are in motion all the time. In our Spiritual lives, we are constantly moving. But often the world acts as an unbalanced force against our spiritual growth. We can keep moving forward, but unless there is something (or Someone) that is giving us more energy, this friction will eventually keep us from growing. We’ll just plain stop. Perhaps you have experienced this: As Revival gets farther and farther behind us, have you felt yourself slowing down spiritually?

So what are you doing to continue to move forward? Have you just been relying on the last special event, revival, or camp you last attended to get you through to the next one? Let me tell you from experience, you cannot live from special event to special event. You have to keep nurturing your faith every day. Just as you need food daily to continue to function (and you probably eat multiple times each day), you need to feed your faith as well!

There are lots of ways to do this!
1. Take part in our worship services. Entering into the Presence of God with a community of believers is a life-changing thing. I’ve heard some people complain about how they are “at the church whenever the doors are open” – saying that they are too involved. In contrast, I can’t think of a better place to be if I want to keep growing closer to God!

2. Daily Scripture reading and prayer are perfect daily routines to get into. After years of Bible Study, I am still constantly learning new things from Scripture.

3. Becoming a part of a Sunday School class and a small group are great too. Walking through life with other believers is a crucial part of our Christian walk!

4. Get plugged into a ministry. As we read Scripture, we see that as Christians grew they naturally became a part of a ministry in their church. Think of the seven leaders that the Apostles appointed in Acts 6:1-7.

5. Take advantage of special training days, focused classes, or teaching events that are offered by the church, the district, or other Christian organization. There are special classes for almost anything you want to learn! Paul the Apostle spent much of his pre-Christian life learning the OT Scriptures and how to apply them. Although the application part was changed when he met Christ, it is obvious that his education helped him know who God is and how He interacts with His people. Also, you might even try enrolling in a class or two from one of the nearby Christian colleges or seminaries!

6. Always have a book to read. The older I get the more I realize how many amazing, life-changing books there are in print. Any genre of book that you might enjoy can be found with a Christian message. Let me know if you need help finding a book. If you don’t like to read, let’s talk and see if we can’t find a book that would help you get started.

7. Tell others about your faith! I once heard that you have truly mastered something once you are able to teach it. Perhaps a better way to understand this is that the more we share our faith others, the more we are able to understand it ourselves.

From the April 2010 Church Newsletter -- Victory Hills Church of the Nazarene

Democrats, Christians, and Republicans

2010-03-11T11:27:00.008-06:00

I came across this video today. He's a Christian comedian, and I think a lot of his routines are pretty funny. This video really made me think though. It is funny, just like the rest of his material. But, I'm not sure how I feel about it.

I admit that I am especially sensitive to this recently. In the past several months, as I have heard people call President Obama "the antichrist" (which is not a very biblically accurate title to begin with, see comments below for more information) and also compare his health care plan to Adolf Hitler' Third Reich. Now, I am the first to confess that I am not a democrat. Nor am I a Republican. I will also admit that I have some faith-issues with the President's health care plan. But seriously, should Christians be talking this way about a person who is made in the Image of God? Wouldn't we all agree that President Obama is honestly trying his best to make this nation better? Even if he's going in the wrong direction, he's trying. Do we think that, because he's president it means that God does not care if we tell dirty jokes about him or talk about him behind his back? Does he not need God just like you and I do. Is he a worse sinner than you or me?

I did some traveling with a school principal a couple of years ago. We were teaching English to children in Kazakhstan. There was one child who kept misbehaving. My principal friend kept telling him "Be part of the solution, not part of the problem." This didn't translate well, and made no sense to the child. However, I think it's pertinent to this situation. Christians, to you I say "Be part of the solution, not part of the problem."

Our bi-partisan government really is not efficient. Decisions are about political lines and not about moving forward. It's true that the majority of Evangelical Christians align themselves with the Convervative Right. I hate to break it to you, but the Republicans don't always reflect the biblical principles that God desires of His followers. I seem to find in Hebrews 11 (among MANY other places) that we're not supposed to hold on to our citizenship here. We're part of another country -- the Kingdom of God. We are not to align ourselves with the powers of the world, but with the Power of God.

I thought of this passage after seeing this video:

Romans 13:1-7 (New International Version)
Romans 13
Submission to the Authorities
1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (http://www.biblegateway.com/)

Brain Love

2010-03-01T11:47:00.015-06:00

As Christians, we are probably all familiar with the greatest commandment: Love the Lord your God will all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And, as regular church attenders, we probably have all heard sermons about this verse. You may have heard it broken down like this:

Heart: Your Emotional/Relational Self

Soul: Your most inner life force

Mind: Cognitive, your brain

Strength: Your Body & Actions

Now, to be sure, Christians are Platonic in this sense. We don't think that our souls are good and our bodies are bad. We are to love God with all of our being. We "feed" or "express" love in these 4 areas in different ways; going to church, praying, reading Scripture, acts of service, healthy eating, and working out can all be expression of love to God and practices which help us love Him more.

So here's the question: What are you doing to feed your mind?

Now, I have to admit, I am have a great interest in formal education. As a graduate student with aspirations to eventually become a professor or theology teacher of some kind, I definitely have in mind some ways to feed the brain in ways that please God!

But what about outside of the classroom? What are you doing to help yourself gain knowledge of who God is and how He interacts with the world? I'm not just talking about reading your Bible or praying here. Although those are amazingly powerful and definitely good practices, they're not focused primarily upon loving God with your mind. They are, in many ways, "whole body workouts." So what are you doing for your brain?

What are you reading these days?

I am, like I said, in class regularly. I have really been challenged by some books I've read for my classes: Evangelism, holiness, and Scripture. This year, though, I have tried to become more disicplined in my personal life to grow in God. Although I would have to admit that I am notorious for starting a book and never finishing it, I learned some good things already this year. I have read about cross-cultural servanthood, repainting the Christian faith, and being on God's anvil. One book that I have been more faithful in reading is a commentary I am using in my daily devotional life. There are tons of great magazines and journals out there too!

So what about you? Are you reading anything? Do Christians need to be reading or am I just biased because of my role in higher education?

Knowing God

2010-02-22T09:45:00.004-06:00

Dr. Daniel Spaite, M.D. came and spoke at church yesterday. Some of you may know his name, others probably don't. He's a Nazarene and a member of the General Board for the denomination. He also authored (with Goodwin) Time Bomb in the Church: Defusing Pastoral Burnout.

Yesterday, though, he did not speak only to pastors. He spoke to Christians. The title of his message was "What Does Sabbath have to do with ME?" He spoke a lot of truth and through him came conviction to a lot of people. It was a good day in the House of God.

Here's a question that God has been asking me since his message:

"You've been spending a lot of time doing the work of the church and studying theology, but have you really been spending time with me?"

I can't help but think of the conversation between Jesus and Peter at the end of John 21. Jesus three times asks Peter "do you love me." Oswald Chambers, in My Utmost for His Highest points out that this is a poignant question. A question that pierces into the inner most part of the heart. But Simon didn't...couldn't answer with "yes, can't you see what I've done for you." It was simply "yes, you know that I love you."

Do you love Jesus?

The Perfect Devotional Book

2010-02-16T10:01:00.003-06:00

So here's the question: What makes a devotional book good? If you were to have the perfect daily devotional book, what would be in it?

A good starting point in answering this question would be to take this survey:

Rate each of the following according to its importance. 1 - Not Important 3 - Neutral 5 - Very Important.

- Daily Scripture Reading
- Covers many areas of faith
- Spiritually Challenging
- Simple
- Daily Prayer
- Journaling Instructions

Here are some other areas where I would like to gain your opinion:
Do you like devotional books that cover a lot of different books of the Bible, or ones that focus on a single book or genre?
Would you like devotional books that deal with some of the difficult passages of the Bible, more obscure instead of ones that are taught a lot?

I would appreciate any other of your thoughts on the matter as well!

A Theology of Work

2010-02-04T09:28:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking a lot about work recently. Some might like the word "vocation" better. Others would use the word "call."

So what is our theology of work? How do we understand the way in which God interacts with our careers? With our participation in the body of Christ?

I've done a little research on the topic in the last six to eight months. I specifically studied the connection between the biblical Apostle and the modern-day missionary. First, it's important to note that both words mean "sent ones." Also, the duties between the two are very similar. However, Apostles usually had another job that supported them. Although there is 1 Corinthians 9 that suggests that one who preaches the gospel should gain his wages from the gospel, we also know that Paul was a tent maker and this seems to be how he supported himself. When someone was called to be an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher this was a call to a specific role in the community of believers. It seems that they all has "secular" jobs through which they provided support for their ministry (and probably family as well, if they had any).

Today, most denominations pay their pastors and ministry is their career.

Also, most church-goers have their careers but have not realized a role within the community of believers.

What do we do? Can you help me understand what God thinks about all this?

Give Me Jesus

2010-01-20T15:03:00.000-06:00

How do you learn the heart of God? How does He reveal himself to you? Is there something holy about waiting to hear from God? Do you ever wrestle with the Bible's promises about prayer and how God answers it?

How does God use Scripture in your life? What about your prayer life, in what ways do you live in conversation with God?

How do you live out what God speaks to you in the quiet? How do you say "goodbye" to things you might love, and "hello" to the unknown? Do you ever really stop worrying? When was the last time you told a non-Christian the story of God? Do you seek holiness?

Share with me.

The Prescriptive Word of God

2010-01-02T16:11:00.000-06:00

I think that it's safe to say that, for the most part, we read the Bible as a prescriptive work. In other words, when we read the Bible we believe that we should do or live out what it says. There is no doubt that the commands and exhortations of the Bible like "Love the Lord your God..." and "forgive each other" are meant to be lived out.

We often read Bible narratives the same way. For example, since David was "a man after God's own heart," we often read about his life to learn how he lived so that we can live like him.

There are times when this can be challenging. Since Israel (the people of God) cut off the thumbs and big toes of enemy kings, does that mean that we should repay our adversaries by doing to them what they have done to others? Or, since Solomon had many wives and concubines, does it mean that polygamy is acceptable?

I've recently been confronted with the idea that parts of the Bible are not meant to be prescriptive. Instead, some of the Bible is to be descriptive. This idea is easy to swallow for the ideas listed above. Sure we can accept that when the Bible is explaining Solomon's heirum, it does not mean that all Christian men should have dozens of wives. We also would agree that David's adultery is not an example of holy living.

There are some parts of the Bible that might choke us up if we read them descriptively. In Acts, new Christians were baptized immediately after salvation. There are no specific accounts of infant baptism (although some entire families were baptized) and there are no baptism classes. Does this mean that we should baptize every Christian immediately after salvation? Are baptism classes unbiblical? Or, is the book of Acts (at least partially) descriptive of the early church?

Now, I would admit that some would argue that this is a poor concept of Scripture because it means that any person can subjectively decide what's prescriptive and what's descriptive based on whatever feels good at the time. However, whenever we read Scripture we cannot take any verse or passage in isolation from the rest of Scripture. If someone wants to claim that Solomon's marital practices are prescriptive for all, they must then explain away Adam and Eve, Paul's exhortations in Corinthians, and the instructions for deacons and overseers.

What do you think of these topics:

- Baptism in Acts

- The role of women in the church throughout NT

- Homosexuality as a sin (Romans 1)

- The belief that all authorities, whether good or evil, are put in place by God (Hebrews 13)

- The "Holy Wars" of the OT (Yes, this is a broad category of which some are good and some aren't)

- Slavery (Old & New Testaments)

Perhaps we should consider reading descriptively more often.

A Christian Nation

2009-12-15T12:27:00.000-06:00

"The United States is a Christian Nation." "Christians should be the best citizens in the country." "We need to do a bigger celebration for the 4th of July in our worship service."

How do these statements (or statements like these) make you feel?

New Nazarene Ministry to Peru

2009-11-30T09:07:00.000-06:00

Check out this video:

Interview with Pastor Freddy

How can a church minister effectively to those caught in these 3 "problemas"?

God's Social Justice

2009-11-05T11:02:00.000-06:00

A verse that challenges the current perspective of social justice:

"Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly." Leviticus 19:15

Obviously there are a lot of verses that show God's desire to care for the poor. However, how do you think understanding this verse would impact the social justice movement?

We Shouldn't Believe in God

2009-10-13T12:16:00.000-05:00

Watch this video and let me know what you think:

Ministries, Inc.

2009-10-02T12:42:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking about a paradox recently (as I often do). Scripture undoubtedly makes clear God's desire for the church to reach out to the poor, broken, and the lost. There are also passages that explicitly call for good stewardship of money, resources, and gifts. God tells the Church to have compassion, mercy, and grace on the one hand and structure and accountability on the other.

Can the Church (or a church) or a specific ministry show too much grace or too much compassion? What if this means that all of the resources are going to places that are unfruitful entirely and neglecting other people or places that have great need? Can the church be so concerned about faitfully administrating the gifts and resources God has provided that they leave out the gospel?

PASTOR GETS RANK 55 ON CALL OF DUTY 4!

2009-09-19T17:46:00.000-05:00

What do you think about this headline? Should pastors be playing video games like Call of Duty, Halo 3, or Rainbow Six? Should pastors be playing video games at all?

All pastors have some hobby or pasttime. It seems natural that young pastors today play video games. Does natural mean right? What do you think? What would your response be if you knew your pastor played video games? Does it matter what type of video game? Is playing Sonic the Hedgehog better that Grand Theft Auto IV? What do you think?

Why Visit My Church?

2009-09-14T10:12:00.000-05:00

What are people looking for? Why are people visiting this church?

I'm not trying to say anything about the Seventh Day Advent church(because these are not isolated to that type of church), but do you think that community and spirituality are the most important signifiers of a healthy church?

Is there a tension between what people are looking for in a church and the church that God wants us to be? Is it good? Is it bad? What are the difficulties?

Hearing Voices

2009-09-03T20:35:00.000-05:00

I've read/learned about a couple of different books recently:

The Next Christendom -- Jenkins
Boundless Faith -- Wuthnow
The World is Flat -- Friedman

If you know anything about these books, you would know that they say a lot about globalization. One thing that my wife and I have been thinking about recently that is connected to this is the fact that anyone can let their voice be heard. In fact, you're hearing someone's voice right now. Anyone can blog, post a video on youtube, or Tweet (twitter, twit?).

What do you think the implications of this is on Christianity? Is it dangerous? Is it good? Helpful? How does it change our beliefs? What do you think?

First Church of the Starbucks

2009-08-26T14:07:00.000-05:00

What do you think?

Education in the Kingdom of God

2009-08-20T11:38:00.000-05:00

I've been slowly working through Breaking Tradition to Accomplish Vision: Training Leaders for a Church-Planting Movement by Paul R. Gupta and Sherwood G. Lingenfelter. Basically, it's the story of how Hindustan Bible Institute broke away from the tradition paradigm of Theology School and Seminaries. Instead of seeking accredidation from outside groups and exclusively teaching in the formal setting, this institute has sought to truly train leaders to plant a new church in every village in India.

As a current graduate student, this raises some interesting questions. How important is proper accredidation for a school? Does God measure a school the same way that we do as students? Is the purpose of an undergraduate degree, or even a masters degree, only to prepare a person for more education or is it to make a difference in the Kingdom right away?

Does God Ordain Divorce?

2009-08-10T10:33:00.000-05:00

According to http://www.divorcerate.org/

"The divorce rate in America for first marriage, vs second or third marriage50% percent of first marriages, 67% of second and 74% of third marriages end in divorce, according to Jennifer Baker of the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Missouri.”

According to enrichment journal on the divorce rate in America:The divorce rate in America for first marriage is 41%The divorce rate in America for second marriage is 60%The divorce rate in America for third marriage is 73%"

The figures are different depending on the source and the year, but they are all about the same. Most sources also agree that the divorce rate among Christians is not much different than the national average.

Scripture says several things about divorce:

"...the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the LORD made them one?...So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.
'I hate divorce,' says the Lord God of Israel..." Milachi 2:14b-16a

"Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?'
'Haven't you read,' He replied, 'that at the beginning the Creator "made them male and female," and said, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh"? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.'
'Why then,' they asked, 'did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?'
Jesus replied, 'Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces hiw wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.'" Matthew 19:3-8

There are 31 other places where "divorce" also appears in the Bible in the NIV. (according to biblegateway.com)

So here are my questions:
Is there ever a time when divorce is an appropriate response to marital struggles? Marital unfaithfulness and death are the only 2 reasons given by Scripture for the ending of a marriage, are these fair boundaries? Most also agree that physical abuse towards a spouse or children would be appropriate grounds for a divorce. How does this relate to Scripture?

How should the church relate to those who attend the church who have gone through a divorce, especially for reasons not founded upon Scripture (fell "out of love," arguing a lot, differing opinions)? How should the church respond to marriages based upon poor marriage foundations (such as spouse becomes a Christians after marriage and the other is not, a Christian marries a non-Christian, were married before they both became Christians and find that they don't get along, etc.)

There are a lot of questions, what do you think?

A Defining Question

2009-07-20T10:53:00.000-05:00

A Church Without Walls?

If you were to hear this description of your church, what would it mean? How would it be in relationship to the missio Dei (Mission of God) to reconcile the world to himself? What is the church and how might a journey towards a definition be helpful?

The Little Things

2009-07-13T09:44:00.000-05:00

We did some skits at church last night by a group called One Time Blind. One of them, called "Little Things," was all about our desire to see God do big things in our lives. Throughout the whole skit, Tony is trying to convince Jesus that he never sees Jesus do anything any more and that he wants to see him do "incredible things." Interspersed between Tony's requests, Jesus is doing little things for Tony that he doesn't even notice.

Jesus delivers the powerful line, "How can I expect you to see me in the the big things when you don't even notices me in the small things?"

What can we do to start seeing the little things that Jesus does in our lives?

The Knowledge of God

2009-07-07T10:29:00.000-05:00

Sunday I preached on Genesis 22 -- Abraham tested to sacrifice Isaac.

The sermon was all about faith in God's provision. Faith is acting in the knowledge that God provides in the impossible. One thing that I did not address though was God's (through the angel) response when he saw that Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son. "Now I know..."

Terrence Fretheim pointed up this verse in his commentary on Genesis. Why would God say "now I know?" Wouldn't he already know? If God was all-knowing, why would he need to test any of us? How can we accept the principle of an omniscent God on one hand and true free will on the other?

I have been fighting through this for nearly two years now and have come to peace with a few things. But I want to hear what you think!

surprised by surprise

2009-06-23T19:02:00.000-05:00

I'm going to be brutally honest right now: sometimes I just don't feel like Christians exist outside of my world. I mean, I know other people who follow Christ, I know that those people have friends who follow Christ, but do I honestly believe that any exist beyond that? I find myself assuming that everyone I meet (who is not my friend/friend of my friend)could not possibly believe.

could not possibly believe this crazy idea that I follow.

would not be so silly as to buy into a Christian worldview.

I understand why I am a Christian, but I cannot understand why someone else would be. I suffer from a fundamental doubt that someone outside of my world could/would/already could/would believe in the outrageous concept that God exits, or that Love (of God and Neighbor) is the only thing that matters, or that by serving we actually overcome.

So I'm completely, jawdroppingly, flabberghastingly surprised when I come down to Atlanta, Georgia for teacher job training, and immediately I meet 30 people who have similar/the same belief in Christ that I have.

Why am i surprised?

God Makes Me Prosperous

2009-06-15T09:45:00.000-05:00

I received an e-mail recently that ended with this phrase: "My success is non-negotiable and unapologetic because Christ is my source."

This makes me think its author is rich and powerful and does not care what other people think about him because Christ made him this way. It seems to epitomize a ladder-climbing, corporate mindset and tries to put it in a Christian framework.

I personally know strong, mature Christians who never have more money than enough to pay their bills and eat. Some Christians I know barely have even that. I do not think that we can conclude that a dynamic relationship with Christ means that the individual will have a great job with great pay. Is it good to believe that our faithfulness to Christ demands a blessing of riches? If we are seeking such a blessing, can we really say that we are seeking Christ?

I suppose, however, that we need to define what "success" means. It is measured by money or power? Is it quantified by the number of friends or fans one has? The number of children? How are we to understand true success?

What is vanity?

2009-05-26T20:41:00.000-05:00

One thing that I've learned over time is that I have expensive tastes. I've told myself that it's just coincidental that the thing that I want happens to be the most fashionable, or expensive, or unique. I want a Samsung LED 120 hz TV, I want a VOX AC 30 amp, and a nice surround system, I want 3 nice dress shirts from express (because their dress shirts fit me the best, and I want a new cd playing alarm clock with a red back light because my blue one is too bright.

Have you ever made a list of all the THINGS you want to buy?

I have
It's scary

At want point are my desires for these things justifiable?

If I'm still giving money to charities, paying my tithe, and saving money for the future, am I then allowed to have these nice things?

Clearly, only a few of the things I WANT are necessities, so where is the line?

How do we know when it's okay to splurge?

Your Suggestions Please

2009-05-20T10:47:00.000-05:00

I'm the Community Outreach Pastor at my church. I've been pondering this question and want to know what you think:

How can one foster an entire church culture that deeply cares about sharing Christ with non-believers?

In other words, how can a church become entirely concerned about sharing Christ in everything that it does?

More Discipline

2009-05-18T22:04:00.000-05:00

"Spiritual Disciplines" is often a title given to practices such as prayer, Bible reading, silence, fasting, and the like.

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, practiced these Spiritual Disciplines on a regular basis. He called them "means of grace" and "acts of piety." As the name of the movement implies, Wesley was often very methodical in his lifestyle. He had a very structure life, with a very particular schedule.

Obviously, the spiritual disciplines are beneficial to our relationships with Christ. But what place does personal discipline have in the rest of our lives?

Should we limit how much we play video games or watch tv? Is it important for us to do things just because they can be done? (like chores, yard work, etc.?)

Is their spiritual merit in being a disciplined person or does it just make us well-rounded?

Seeking God's Face

2009-05-12T10:24:00.000-05:00

"God doesn't want us to do devotions; He wants us to be devoted" - Erik Willits

God doesn't want us to have habbits of seeking his face, but we should be unconciously habitual - inspired by Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

What is your reaction to these statements?

Eeny Meeny Miney Mo...This is the way God wants me to Go!

2009-05-04T22:51:00.000-05:00

Continued conversation on "Gambling God's Will"
Although I understand drawing comparisons between voting and drawing lots, I don't know that these are equal comparisons.

In Joshua, it is clear that the people really believe that God's will is revealed through casting lots. Some of my fellow classmates have pointed out that casting lots was viewed as a "fair" way to make decisions. However, I am not sure that I would say this is true in democratic voting process.

In casting lots, it was a "game" or "method' of chance. The outcomes happened randomly. Of course, the Israelites believed that God ordained the outcomes, but there was still no human influence on what these outcomes would be. (besides drawing the stone, or something like that). In voting, each person does influence the outcome of the election. And, even if we are to say God's desires are revealed through voting like the Israelites believed through casting lots, we would also have to admit that humans have free will. The individual could reject God's leading and vote according to his or her own desires. Thus, in my opinion, voting does not seem to be as open to God's divine leading as casting lots would be.

Back to Joshua, it is true that the Israelites did not use casting lots on every decision. However, it is interesting to note the decisions that they did make. In Joshua 7, for instance, although it does not literally say "casting lots," it does say that "the lot marked" this tribe...clan..familiy. In this case, it seems that casting lots did lead to the exact household that was guilty. The chances of this happening randomly are quite slim. It seems that God did use casting lots to reveal his divine will in this case.

I would agree that God does not have specific plans marked out for us all the time. And really, there are times when we just need to make decisions. But I would also say that there are times in Joshua when YHWH speaks his will, and others times where casting lots is used to reveal God's desires. Although I would not go so far as to say that casting lots always reveals God's will, I still have to ask how we should interpret such a practice.

In Joshua, whose role was it to decide whether they should wait to hear from God, or to cast lots? And again, how are we supposed to know today whether we should wait or decide?

Discerning God's Will

2009-05-01T14:16:00.000-05:00

I have always wondered what exactly it meant in Scripture when it says that the people "cast lots." In my research I found that casting lots was a very common method of making difficult decisions. Throughout the centuries and around the globe different methods were used. Sometimes "casting lots" means, quite literally, drawing names of people/objects out of a jar. Other times it means casting dice. Modifications of drawing from a jar with a narrow neck were also used. Overall, it is a game of random chance. In Judaism, it was believed that God would control the outcomes of the lots in order to give specific direction for his people. (Smith's Bible Dictionary, accessed on www.crosswalk.com)

In Joshua 20-21, the method of casting lots is used in order to determine who gets what land and also which cities will be called cities of refuge. Obviously, it is possible that Joshua and the people of Israel believed that God would determine the outcome of this "drawing from a hat" methodology. However, if this was a particularly spiritual method for making decisions, why did the soldiers at Calvary also use this method to take Jesus's clothes?

Did God use the casting of lots, which we would now consider a game of chance, to reveal His Divine will to the Israelites? How one answers this question causes many implications. If God did "ordain" the casting of lots as the method by which he revealed His will, why is that non-believers also used this method? Also, this would mean that we have no need for church boards or special committees to make specific decisions in the church. Elections also would not be needed for these committees. We could just cast lots to see who should be on the boards. Although there would be some need for such governing bodies, wouldn't much of the doubtful decisions be made by the practice of casting lots?

If God did not use the casting of lots to reveal His will to the Israelites, we are also faced with some tough questions. Why did the Israelites use this method? Why didn't Joshua pray and converse with Yahway to hear His will. Yahweh had spoken to him in the past with specific directions, why would this case be any different?

The practice of casting lots also invokes questions concerning Israel's (and the apostles in Acts 2) understanding of God's will. Does God only share His will by us "trusting" him through games of chance? Is it possible that God does not have every detail of our futures already planned out for us and this is why He allowed Israel to use such practices? Should we be praying less about what God has for our futures and begin casting lots? Where should I go to college? Where should I work? Which passage should I preach on this week? (unfortunately, I think pastors actually do that last one sometimes) Should I be a pastor, missionary, or professor?

I often just read past "casting lots" as a practice of the times. But I think that such a practice deserves some attention.

On a Missional Mission

2009-04-27T11:41:00.001-05:00

This is an article that I recently wrote for our church newsletter. I know that usually the posts on this blog are conversation starters, but I thought that this may start conversations in a different way.
---------

If you’re familiar with the Great Commission, you know that Jesus did not tell part of his disciples to “go” and the rest to stay at home. And, by the way, God never intended for the Church to have missionary organizations. As we look in Scripture, we never see the Old Testament prophets putting together special committees or boards for missions. The Apostles never created a special society for missionaries. Through Christ on the cross, God provided a way for all of His disciples to be missional.

The fact of the matter is that God is a missionary God. Since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, God has never stopped working to reconcile the world to Himself. In the Old Testament He used Israel as a light to the world; nations far and wide heard about how God Almighty tore open the waters of the Red Sea and set His people free. He sent prophets to proclaim His word to the people. He gave special instructions on how aliens living among the Israelites should be treated and welcomed into the believing community.

The most definitive and powerful example of God’s missionary work can be found in the New Testament. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” In Christ, God gave all humanity the opportunity to be in relationship with Him.
In order to proclaim this great news to the world, God sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to proclaim the Gospel through the Church. This same Holy Spirit works among us today. It is this Holy Spirit that really makes us the Church — the Body of Christ.

God is all about being missional. If the Holy Spirit (who is God) lives within us, this means that we are to be missional too! Through Christ, the perfect sacrifice, God has provided us the means by which we are to be missional. Just as Christ was missional, so should His Body be. Missions is the very essence of the Church. God does not want us only to have missionary societies, He wants the entire Church to be missional. Everything that we do here at VHCN should be pointing people towards Christ. God, through Christ and by the Holy Spirit, has already given us what we need to be a missional church. The question is, have we made ourselves available in our everyday lives? Dr. David Wesley once said, “The church is not a where it’s a who.” Are we being a missional, reconciling church?

God Bless America

2009-04-21T19:28:00.000-05:00

Overall, USA is a very patriotic country. With the exception of some small groups of people, we are proud of our country. Freedom, liberty, democracy, capitalism --we love these things! Although it's hard to see today, we often talk about America being a Christian country, founded on Christian values.
Often we think about how America could be better. We want to protect our borders, only fight our own battles, and grow our economy.

Have you ever thought that we maybe we are getting the United States of America confused for the Kingdom of God? Do we think that as USA gets better, the Kingdom of God will come?

The body of Christ, the universal church is a global thing. Hebrews 11 talks about how we are not of this world, but strangers here. Should we be patriotic at all? If so, to what extent? Where should we give our allegience?

Sabbath? What's that?

2009-04-12T21:25:00.000-05:00

Rest? What's that?
Many cultures today don't take time for rest. Work (success) is too important.

As Christians, how should we understand rest/sabbath?

Do we need to take a day of rest? What does it mean to rest?

Keep OT in mind here. 10 commandments, Levitical Law, and the whole God-Israel narrative. Also check out Hebrews 4 and also Romans.

God Doesn't Call Anybody?

2009-04-05T20:48:00.000-05:00

What if I told you that God doesn't call anybody to a certain occupation?
What if I told you that "call" in the Bible really means an invitation to the benefits of the Gospel and isn't really connected to occupation?
What if I said that there is not a single example of God appointing a person to a specific occupation in all of Scripture?

How would you respond?

Umbrella of Faith

2009-03-30T14:07:00.000-05:00

I've always thought it was strange how some people feel the need to limit the ministries of others. I'll be the first to admit that there are some programs that a church will put on that I don't find particularly appealing...I am not much interested in being a part of the "Mothers of Pre-schoolers" group for instance, but I know some people need that group to connect with God, or even just with other people. The point is God can be present in all kinds of people/gifts/programs/screw ups/disasters so who am I to say, "Nope, sorry, God doesn't need any elderly ministries right now, It's a Young Adult Church. Try again in 35 years when our congregation actually can use it."

Clearly nothing this blunt has ever happened (or at least I hope not), yet I see church boards shoot down project/program/ministry ideas laymen have. Worse yet, sometimes I see other laymen complaining about such-and-such ministry because it doesn't fit his/her/their mold of the church, and therefore the church should not endorse it.

And there's the word:

Endorse

Support: When we say the "Church" supports a ministry, what are we saying? Well if we are all in agreement that the Church is not a building or business (in the non-tax deductible form of the word), but rather a group of people, then we are saying that at least one person wishes to do something to reach people outside of the already established group of people (church).

"Where three or more are gathered..."

Have you ever heard someone say, "I don't think our church should support that ministry"? Essentially, what that person is saying is, "I don't think we can reach anyone for Christ that way," or, "I don't think we can build any relationships that way."

Aren't we in Crisis here? Should we be trying practically anything that even has the possibility of building relationships/being Christ to someone?

I think maybe we should look at the church more like an umbrella. You wouldn't stand on an umbrella, right? You don't use your pink and green *****ed umbrella from GAP as a walking stick, do you? No, you use it as protection from rain...from grey, wet, cold times. Umbrellas come in different shapes, sizes, colors, and materials, but they all are designed to give people protection from the elements.

What would it look like for a church to allow anyone to start a ministry who wants to?

What if I didn't feel the desire to put my ministries title and information in the bulletin on Sunday?

What if we stopped trying to stand on our umbrellas, and used them to get people out of the cold?
Or
What if I'm off, and we need to run every ministry idea before the Board?

What if we need to know what every person is doing to Shows Christ?

What if there is a mold, and every program needs to be in line with the business model the elders of the church (who are not always old) have in mind?

*I promise they won't all be this long*

Christian Disappointment

2009-03-23T09:28:00.001-05:00

What should Christians do with disappointment?

Should Christians have disappointment?

Is there good disappointment and bad?

Who are you?

2009-03-19T14:40:00.001-05:00

I am a procrastinator. I hate being late, but I always wait until the last minute to get anywhere or get anything done. I plan my procrastinating ahead. "This paper is due at this time, so I don't have to start it until this time." I also like change a lot. I sometimes get really excited about something and put a lot of effort into it, but I sometimes lose interest after just a few weeks or months.

My wife is a hard worker. She [usually] paces herself on her school work. She never turns in anything late, but she is sometimes late to different events.

I have a friend who works weeks ahead on her school work. She also goes above and beyond any requirements. She's never late and she's always in a good mood.

Do these personality tendencies have any connection with our spiritual lives? Is one better than another?

Ladder Climbing

2009-03-16T11:29:00.000-05:00

Henri J. M. Nouwen talks about the hazards of ladder climbing in his book In the Name of Jesus. Basically, he points out how the individual's desire to climb to the next position or pay raise often hurts his/her ministry as it is currently.

A pastor of a small church who is seeking to become pastor of a larger church will often pastor the smaller church differently. Also the pastor may leave the church before God is ready for him/her to move, to the detrement of both churches perhaps. Nouwen talks about this in greater detail.

Here are 2 questions:
What are the other potential consequences of ladder climbing?
How can we reconcile the need to reject ladder climbing with culture?

The Dos and Don'ts of Divorce

2009-03-12T11:06:00.000-05:00

Is it ever okay to divorce?

Jesus says in Matthew 19 that the only case where divorce is okay is marital unfaithfulness. Dr. Mark Quanstrom describes sex as the seal of the marriage covenant, if a personal is unfaithful to his/her spouse, he has broken that seal. I think that we would agee that only the one who has been wronged can [rightfuly] seek the divorce. A person can't cheat on his/her spouse and then seek divorced thinking that he/she is spiritually justified.

I think that we would all also agree that it is okay for a person to seek a divorce if there is physical abuse going on in the home. As a pastor, it would not make sense for me to advise a woman to stay with her abusive husband.

What about some other areas where Scripture & Reason aren't so clear.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 7:12-13 that a believer should stay with his unbelieving spouse as long as the unbeliever is willing to live with the believer. What if the non-Christian is not willing? What if the non-Christian is strongly opposed to Christianity, Church, etc. to an extent that the believer's relationship with Christ is harmed? (That may be an individual vs. communal question).

What about emotional/verbal abuse in a relationship. If one is always degrading the other, should divorce be considered an option? You know relationships like these, when the wife or husband has been so belittled that they are not even able to develop his/her own opinions.

I want to know what you think! Leave a comment!

Good Pride vs. Bad Pride?

2009-03-03T10:15:00.000-06:00

So Paul writes in several places in the New Testament that the only thing that one should boast about is Christ. In II Corinthians 5 he sort of takes it a little further and says (well, what he does say some think implies this) that one can protect his reputation in so far as it protects the unity of the Church.

What does it mean to boast in Christ? "My savior rose from the dead and yours didn't!"? I realize that I'm being a bit sarcastic, but how should we understand this?

If something exciting happens in our lives, how should we react? A promotion, pay raise, new house, baby, job, an award, ect. How should we act when we receive such blessings? Also, as a community how should we act when one of our brothers or sisters have been honored in such a way?

The Church of Tomorrow

2009-02-28T15:02:00.000-06:00

Scripture says that all of those who believe are part of the body of Christ. Over and over again the New Testament points to the "oneness" and unity that God desires for the church.

So here's the question: What sort of things do we say when we label a generation "the church of tomorrow"?

Are they not part of the church today?

Working Out Our Own Salvation

2009-02-26T08:34:00.000-06:00

Joshua 3:5 says, "Joshua told the people, 'Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.'"

Some versions translate it "sanctify yourselves." This brings some interesting conversations about our understanding of sanctification. It seems that it was the individual's responsibility to sanctify himself/herself. This challenges the Wesleyan understanding of sanctification.

In Woudstra's commentary of Joshua, he points out that it seems that the people should sanctify themselves (by certain practices) so that they would be more open to the action of God on the next day (the Israelites crossing an "interupted" Jordan River).

This understanding seems to sound similar to our concept of practicing spiritual disciplines. We pray, read the Word, fast, study, sit in silence, ect. to be more sensitive to the moving of the Spirit of God. If we are more open to the Spirit of God, then the Holy Spirit can work in us more freely -- drawing us closer to Himself. With this understanding, as we practice spiritual disciplines we are, in fact, being more sanctified.

What do you think of this interpretation of this verse?

Conversations in Community

2009-02-19T12:43:00.000-06:00

Conversation.

I have posted before about the need for churches (and the Church Universal) to become a community of believers. As I read about community in Acts, it seems that the communities grew together, not just as individuals in a group. God wants us to grow together. If talking, learning, and sharing with one another is part of that process, why aren't we doing it?

The purpose of this blog is to facilitate relevant conversations among Christians from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, and traditions. We are the body of Christ! We need eachother! The Nazarene from California needs the Lutheran from Flordia who needs the Catholic from France who needs the Methodist from Scotland and so on and so on. We all have some things right and some things not as much. We need to grow together.

In the same way, we need to grow together in our local churches. The teenager who just met Christ last year needs the senior citizen who has been growing in his faith for sixty years. The senior citizen also needs that teenager. We give eachother new perspectives to see the same Savior. That is why God has called us into community!

Do you feel that you are able to express your doubts and fears about Christianity with Christian peers? Are you able to ask questions about things that you don't understand? Have you talked with someone who is a long-time Christian recently? A new Christian?

What do you think about conversations?

Natural Christianity

2009-02-13T11:37:00.001-06:00

How natural or unatural is/should be sharing one's faith as a Christian?

Church or Community?

2009-02-07T14:58:00.000-06:00

This conversation has come up in a variety of settings recently.

We all want to be a part of a community. Even more specifically, as Christians we long to be a part of a community of believers. I long to be a part of a community like the one described in the opening chapters of Acts. Christians coming together in large-group and small-group settings, deeply caring for one another. Seeking God together, asking questions, doubting, answering, loving, serving.

We want to be accepted by a community AND challenged to grow.

Do our churches look like this? Are we in community with our WHOLE church, or just those of similar ages with us?

Sometimes I think that underneath some of the cliques, structures, and traditions a true community actually exists. I have recently seen a community in my church. The people in our church care very deeply for each other. I am not sure that everybody experiences a true, Acts-chapter-two community during our Sunday morning service.

Do our [as in, yours, mine, everyone's] weekly church services and small-groups embody the communities that we are called by Scripture to be? If not, how can we restructure our churches to be the true Body of Christ?

A Call to Missions

2009-02-03T12:56:00.000-06:00

Classes started back up this week at Nazarene Theological Seminary. My class this morning was Theology of Mission. I'm to write a 20-30 page paper on this subject:

The missional "call": Is it Biblical?

What are your initial thoughts? (don't worry, I won't quote you unless you say something uterly inspiring).

Does God Really Take Care of Everybody?

2009-01-29T10:48:00.000-06:00

Last night at our Wednesday night Bible Study, one woman had a praise, "Thank you God for taking care of my daughter." I think that we've all prayed prayers similar to this one.

This particular case made me think though. This woman told the story about her daughter traveling during bad weather and making it home safely. She also shared, I think to illustrate the treacherous conditions, that someone else was not so fortunate and lost her life in an accident.

My wife leaned over to me and asked, "Does that mean that God does not take care of those who don't make it home safely?" She asked this not as a poor reflection of the individual sharing the testimony but as a deep theological question.

Can we determine whom God has taken care of based on who makes it home safely? If not, why do we pray and converse like that?

Input on Christian Intimacy

2009-01-24T21:54:00.000-06:00

This weekend was the Men of Valor conference at Olathe College Church of the Nazarene. It was sponsored by the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Family. It was really good. Here are a few highlights from what I learned:

1) Intamacy is more than sex. If you want a happy marriage, you must be more than just sexually intimate with your spouse! You need to spend time showing love in the relationship in general -- words and time are really important!

2) Why in the world did God choose circumcision has the sign of the Old Covenant (Abraham would have offspring and they would be God's people, etc.)?!?!?!?! Well, think about it...who is going to see that sign? Well, Sarai of course! The sign of circumcision was to remind the people of the covenant every time they were to have union with one another!

3) The Father-Son relationship has a huge impact in the sexual purity of a man. Relationships, pornography, and sexual orientation are all impacted by this relationship!

4) Of Friday night's crowd at the conference (perhaps 1400 total men and women) about 95% was raised in Christian families. Of that same 1400 people, 1 person said that their family had open and healthy conversations about sex...and we wonder why Christians are no different than the rest of the world. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SEX FROM A BIBLICAL POINT OF VIEW!

5) More than just "accountability groups," we need people to walk along side us through our struggles. Not just to hold us accountable, but to love us!

There are so many more good things, perhaps this will get you thinking about how you can honor God with your body and with your relationships.

Video Games and the Pursuit of Holiness

2009-01-22T18:18:00.000-06:00

Which statement is more true?

Video games help a person grow closer to God.
Video games help a person grow further away from God.

Is there such thing as God's Call?

2009-01-19T11:21:00.000-06:00

"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts." (1 Corinthians 12:27-31a)

My wife and I have been talking a lot about God's call lately.

As a pastor in the Church of the Nazarene, I have to have a firm grasp on what God's call is on my life. Credentials board often ask me about my call, I'm asked to give a testimony about my call on yearly reports or applications, and members of the congregation ask me what I think God's will is for my life. People want to know if I'm called to be a senior pastor, a youth pastor, a misisonary, or something completely different.

What about those who are called be doctors or teachers or janitors? Are their callings any less significant.

Sometimes I wonder if we have made up this idea of God calling us to specific careers. In Scripture, I do not find a lot of examples of God calling people to careers. The passage above talks about God calling people to specific functions within the body of believers. I can't find anywhere in the New Testament a list of God calling people to be carpenters, physicians, fishermen, etc. The only specific example of calling that I can recollect in the NT is Paul called to be "God's instrument to the Gentiles." And then Paul later claims that he is an apostle to the Gentiles like Paul is the the Jews.

Have we gotten it all wrong? Does God call us to careers, or just to specific places in the body? I know that I am called to preach, disciple, and work cross-culturally. I don't know if I'll always be a pastor.

What are your thoughts on God's call?

The Christian Life of a Sinner

2009-01-14T13:24:00.000-06:00

I want your thoughts on this. Here's a made-up story similar to a real-life happening.

As a freshman in high school, Steven received an add in the mail offering him a cell-phone plan. The company had in their records that he was 18yrs old, so Steven took advantage of their mistake and started a contract with the company based on this lie.

As a sophomore, Steven became a Christian. Some time after this, his cell phone situation came up in conversation with his mentor. His mentor explained to him that this deception-based cell phone bill is part of his old life and that Steven should cancel the plan. Steven acknowledged the sinfulness of it and that canceling it would be the right thing to do.

After coming to this realization, what if Steven still did not cancel the plan? What would his relationship with God be like if he continued to live in sin? Does God still interact, bless, answer prayers for those who are willing living in sin?

Leave a comment, let me know what you think.

Social Justice and Christianity

2009-01-12T15:00:00.000-06:00

Over the past five years or so there has been an outcry for social justice. The AIDS epidemic, Dalfur, Rwanda, Invisible Children, and so many more have all been in the forefront of the minds of many in our generation.

The Holy Bible has a lot to say about caring for the poor and hurting:

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matthew 25:35-46)

And

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:25)

There are several other examples, but it is clear that caring for the pour and weak is important to God. Christians would proclaim that even a free, well-fed, well-educated, healthy individual that does not know Christ would still end up in hell.

So here's the question, to what extent is social justice beneficial if not accompanied by spiritual truth? In other words, to what extent should we pursue meeting the physical and social needs of individuals and communities if we are not also able to share Christianity with them?

Should Christians be involved in Social Justice movements that are void of spiritual salvation?