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Faithfulness

It has been a long time since I have posted anything of content. Summer has been long, but rewarding. Some recent events include:

I either attended or was involved in a total of 3 weddings this summer (a record for me - I know that there are some out there who have crushed that record, but it is my personal best). All of which were great God-honoring weddings that keeps reminding me of the blessing of marriage.

On a similar note: Pamela and I celebrated 3 years this past July (the 24th to be exact). Time flies by fast!

We recently got back from a rafting trip with the high school students last weekend, which was great. Pamela and I while there got a call from a person in the fraud detection department of our bank - I guess you don't have to steal someone's credit card physically... you can just take the numbers and make your own card. So some companies in Texas became $700 richer. Anyways, it is great that the card companies don't put you on the hook for the charges.

Finally I am preaching this weekend: Aug 19th to be exact. Our church is doing a series on the Fruit of the Spirit and I am speaking on Faithfulness (I will be talking about how the Spirit produces faithfulness in our lives towards God). I was lucky to not get "gentleness", which was next on the list and the one that I was originally lined up for until the schedule got bumped around.

Here is my big question... we have a casual dress for summer (usually collared shirt type deal). Could I get away with wearing converses and giving the message at the same time?

Nightline Debate

Interesting background to an upcoming debate between the Way of the Master guys and the Rational Response group. May 9th there is a debate on Nightline about the existence of God... which I am sure will solve everyone's questions, apprehensions and doubts...

I watched the video in the upper right hand corner. The guy from the Blasphemy Challenge seems really angry and bitter. I also disagree that the Atheists are the "only group that can be publicly hated these days" and how they refer to their persecution. Christians today get their fair share of "hatred".

I disagree with some of the methods that Comfort and Cameron go about their business and I definitely disagree with what the Rational Response guys are doing... so it should be interesting to see if this debate explodes because the Nightline crew sure picked two groups on the opposite end of the spectrum.

I guess my main critique of this whole thing is that they really focused on the existence of hell and the eternal placement of man (probably because that is what Comfort and Cameron focus on the most). However, in my experience with God it has become overwhelmingly clear that he also impacts my life now and provides a fullness and richness to it that would otherwise be absent. I guess my prayer for these guys at the Rational Response group is that they come to see God's love and compassion and experience the richness that he alone can provide.

The Athiest's Nightmare

The Nightmare: the banana.

I love the comments about how it is also a great argument for evolution and the one about how they were genetically altered to be that way. You also got to love how excited Kirk Cameron looks.

Part of me seriously wonders if deep down it was really a joke.

The long days gone...

After making all these arguments for why life apart from God doesn't satisfy, the writer of Ecclesiastes goes off on a poetic rant contrasting wisdom and foolishness specifically pointing out that life is valuable and when wrapped up in foolishness it is wasted. There is a passage where he specifically says that reminiscing on why the good old days were better than now is foolish... that this question is not born of wisdom.

One of my main complaints of my childhood is that I had to grow up really quickly. It seems like responsibility was forced on me. I started working and never stopped. When I graduated High School I immediately had my almost full time job at the bank and started school full time. I graduated in 4 years which is an anomaly in itself and immediately got a job doing what I wanted to do. I even got married right after school ended, which was a great blessing, but still an immense responsibility.

Part of me misses out on the opportunity lost of the freedom to be irresponsible. There are times where I feel like I missed out on something. I have no regrets for where I am now, but sometimes I wish the journey looked a little different. This question about the former days used to haunt me... and I see now why Solomon calls it foolish. If we are wrapped up in our past whether it was good or bad... regrettable or missed... we are paralyzed for life in the here and now. The argument made in this part of Ecclesiastes is that life is valuable - something to not be wasted. So it is easy to dwell on where we were instead of where we are and where we will be... and thus forget the value of life now and forget about what God is doing currently.

The Love of the Father

In Isaiah 53:10 it says that it was the will of the Lord to crush him (in reference to the suffering servant). It was God's good pleasure, his will, his desire to crush Jesus. Every time I read that it remains uncomfortable. However, it was the goodness of God displayed for those who would trust in that death... it was the goodness of God displayed for me.

I was thinking about the Garden of Gethsemane and the emotional anguish of Jesus as he approached the last hours of human life, in the shadow of the cross. How everyone usually focuses on the anguish and despair he felt as his disciples abandoned him to sleep only to allow him to seek God in prayer by himself. Twice he asks that the cups passes, but only the will of God to be done.

I am not a father so I do not know the true emotional connection of the Father-Son relationship... however I can imagine that it is very deep - especially between two members of the trinity. If my son cried out to me in anguish I would do everything I could to alleviate his pain. How could one sit back and hear the voice of their Son and not be moved to action? Yet, it was God's goodness in his will that Jesus went to the cross.

With this in mind... if we believe that God experiences emotion... that God is compassionate... that God loved his son... then one MUST conclude that, even though God does not experience time the way we do, must have been horrendous for him as well. Knowing and trusting his plan for mankind, for those who would look to the cross with love, for me... at the expense of his son. No one knows the agony of the Father who endured the prayers of his Son.

The will of God to crush him was for my gain. God's endurance through the pleas of his Son was for my gain. How can I feel distant from the one who gave everything for me? The conclusion is that WE are WORTH a Son to Him. My worth in this world is not dependent on how I think of feel about myself or how other think or feel about me; instead it is dependent on the fact that I was worth a son to God.

God is good, and God is trustworthy - even when it was his will to crush him. Thank God that He is faithful in his plan and that his will will never be shaken.

Screwtape Letters to be a movie

Screwtape Letters

I was not a big fan of the Screwtape Letters the first time I read through it, however the second time I saw a lot of value in the thought that coursed through C.S. Lewis' words. The concept would be a very interesting movie. I can't wait for Mere Christianity to hit the big screen! All joking aside - I think the best movie out of all of Lewis' books would be the Great Divorce... hands down.

This brings back memories...

I cannot wait to see the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie... it brings back so many fond memories of Saturday morning cartoons...

http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1547483&vid=123641

Just not feeling it today

Today has just been a really slow day. I just don't feel motivated to do stuff today... I wrote out my message outline for Jr. High group, did some reading in the book that I have been going through, got the shopping done for our youth group Christmas dinner on Saturday... and now it is 3:15 and I just feel bored and unmotivated. The one reassuring thought is that I am probably not the only person in the world feeling like this at this exact moment.

The One Who Sees

what great faith of him who has seen
a wonderful power and majesty
face to face, hand in hand,
Jesus Christ helping him to stand

what a faith of him who believes
but cannot speak like him who has seen
face to face, hand in hand
yet Jesus Christ still helping him to stand

fear and sadness of what was missed
even that night that Jesus was kissed
doubt and despair when all goes wrong
remembering that night Jesus remained strong
grief and trouble when life falls apart
hoping that Jesus will never depart

what can one say to thee,
as they stand before you the almighty?
When fear, doubt and grief fill the air
Can their life still know your care?

the thought of death still makes me scared
can this belief hold true when this flesh finally faints?
I know that you’ve given me a cross to bear
so for now I can only hope and wait
for the certainty of him who has seen
since I have not, yet still believe.

What a force they could be...

I never went to private high school, that is until today. I spoke at the Valley Christian, Christian club and was amazed to see how many students actually came. I know that it is a Christian school, but they have Bible classes and other things that usually supplement the public school's Christian club. Also, it wasn't compulsory like the chapels. There was probably 60-70 students there who listened to me drone on and on about something they probably all have forgotten by now, and the whole time I was thinking, "if only these students attended public school". And, just think how many more students out of the high school class would have gone to Christian club if they were in public school where they didn't have the compulsory saturation of the Bible... where they would be hungry for a chance to meet with peers at school.

I asked the group to see how many of them became Christians in high school/were not raised in a "Christian" home, and only three responded that they were not raised in the faith. I was amazed because I kept thinking, "why do we lock them up here?" I am shocked because most of these students will not have the same opportunity as public school Christians do to reach out to unbelievers and because most of these students will not have the same problems to face that can mold and shape their lives.

I know that there are non-Christians in the private school system and that students there still face family issues as well as drug abuse, etc. However, it seems as if many students who could make a significant impact on the lives of others are stuck in a school that is saturated with the gospel message instead of being challenged to spread it in a hostile world. Surely these students are getting a "better" education and are being sheltered some... however I still wonder how many lives could still be reached if given the chance.

Every Saturday Morning

This class numbs me to sleep. I am bored out of my mind. I love this seminary and have loved most of my classes, except this one. This post right now is therapy for my mind.

Christian Community

I read this interesting quote from Bonhoeffer today:

"I can never know beforehand how God's image should appear in others. That image always manifests a completely new and unique form that comes solely from God's free and sovereign creation. To me the sight may seem strange, even ungodly. But God creates every man in the likeness of His Son, the Crucified. After all, even that image certainly looked strange and ungodly to me before I grasped it. Strong and weak, wise and foolish, gifted or ungifted, pious or impious, the diverse individuals in the community, are no longer incentives for talking and judging and condemning, and thus excuses for self-justification. They are rahter cause for rejoicing in one another and serving one another."

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, 93.

Life Together is probably one of the better books on Spiritual community that I have read and is considered a classic by many. This quote came after a lengthy discussion of the nature of fighting the tendency to ask... "who is the greatest?"... in any particular group or community, and thus seeking self-justification and some sort of self imposed importance.

well... earlier this week I got mistaken for a high school student. I was on campus visiting the Christian club and was leaving the campus with one of our parents. When we stopped by the front office, we were told that we had to go sign me out at the attendance office.

then... later on this week I was returning some carpet samples back to the store when this older lady who worked there called me "kid and son" in the same sentence. The only "name" I hate more is "boss"... I cannot stand being called "boss"... I used to get that a lot at the bank.

Reflection on Mark 8

I was reading Mark 8 today when a few things clicked for me…

To open the chapter, a great crowd gathered around Jesus, which sparked his compassion to feed them. Seven loaves of break fed four thousand people. After the miracle Jesus and his disciples embraked to Dalmanutha… somewhere that one needed a boat to get to from where Jesus was. They ran into some Pharisees – who were ironically demanding a sign from Jesus – too bad they missed the boat and did not have the chance to see him feed the four thousand. Upon this the disciples and Jesus all got back into the boat – and the disciples were stressed out and worried because they only had one loaf of bread. The first thought that came to mind was, “did they miss the miracle too?” If Jesus could feed four thousand with 7 loaves… surely he could feed 12 with one loaf. This prompted the question, why is it that you do not understand, do you have the leaven of the Pharisees? The disciples had eyes, but could not see and ears but could not hear… the same complaint that was raised against Israel in: Isaiah 6:10 ¹⁰ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

They came to Bethsaida: where Jesus took two attempts to heal a blind man… did he get it wrong the first time? Certainly not – it was an illustration, which will be discussed later. The first time he was able to see, but it was only fuzzy; men looked like trees. The second time he saw it clearly.

On the way to Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked the famous question, “who do people say that I am and who do you say that I am?” Peter replied you are king! The next passage involves Jesus teaching clearly about his death and resurrection, but Peter obviously did not get it this time – even though it was said plainly (v.32)… he rebuked Jesus. The message was clear: Jesus is king and the king must die.

At this moment in time the disciples did not get it… they saw Jesus doing miracles and still they did not see or hear or understand. This is the point where everyone is hard on the disciples, but truthfully you and I would have had the same response – because their blind eyes were open, but they were still seeing men walking around like trees. It is only after the cross that the disciples finally got it… Look at John’s response to the empty tomb: John 20:8 ⁸ Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. It wasn’t fully known until after the resurrection.

The resurrection of Jesus is the thing that has brought clear sight to the world.

The whole passage culminates with Jesus turning to the crowd (there is always a crowd in Mark, Mark likes to make that known to his reader – Jesus draws a crowd wherever he goes). If you want to follow Jesus, take your cross, deny yourself and come. At the of this short discourse he makes it known that there are some there standing around who will not taste death until the kingdom of God has come with power. The kingdom of God was not heaven, not the end of the age, the end of the world… Jesus ushered in the kingdom of God. However, the kingdom with power… what would that be? The kingdom of God with power is now. It is now where we can see clearly… post-cross, post-resurrection. The gospels were written by disciples for disciples… and they want the reader to identify with the disciples; this is abundantly clear throughout this passage.

This passage has made me long to see clearly the things of God, to know the king and to trust him when things do not make sense… when the king tells me he must die. How often do I see Jesus doing the miraculous and I start complaining because I only have one loaf of bread? How I long to understand him clearly, to see his kingdom with power… to use my eyes and my ears. We must never be content with fuzzy sight; a disciple of Jesus must always be seeking to see with clearer eyes.

Early Morning Discoveries...

I have come to a few conclusions after rolling out of bed around 6:15 for my Saturday morning class.

1. Starbucks maple lattes are better than they sound.
2. It is frustrating when your professor, who is a practicing counselor - not a full time prof, keeps getting different components of Bible passages mixed up. It is "cute" once, not ten times.
3. When you keep looking at the clock, time does really go slower... Just ask Hiro Nakamura from Heroes.

I usually love my seminary classes, but for some reason I cannot stand this one - too bad it is a required part of my MDiv program. I am sure that there will be a few of these along the way.

Sunday Night

I had my first opportunity to attend a worship service at Vintage Faith this past Sunday and both Pamela and I were really impressed. It was my first Sunday night off from youth group in about 6-7 months, so it was definitely a much needed rest and chance to refocus. The teaching was solid and the community there was amazingly welcoming and receptive. Dan Kimball taught on service, in conjunction with a ministry fair to allow people to have the chance to get involved... and amazingly enough, both Pamela and I, even though we have heard messages similar to that one, were invigorated to keep on serving in the church. The combination of art in worship was also intriguing, since most churches forsake the arts and the setup it would require for bland church buildings that do not inspire worship or the imagination that God has given us.

All in all I left the service reinvigorated for ministry and impressed with what God is doing in the area among people who are my age. If given another Sunday night off, I am sure that I would spend it the same way.

You Could Call It A Nightmare

I had a really bizare dream that involved preaching and anxiety.

Last night I dreamt that I was planning out a sermon, but the week that I was to preach I had other engagements, namely a vacation that I was to go on. I agreed to preach on Sunday, but knew that I wouldn't have very much time to prepare the week prior. I do not remember any of the planning that went into the message, but remember the Sunday morning part of my dream very vividly.

I got to church late Sunday morning and actually missed the entire first service. We got back late from our trip and I completely missed every aspect of the morning service. I came running in the doors right as the next service began.

When it came time for me to preach I realized that I did not have my outline, but I went on anyway becuase I knew the material. When I fill in the pulpit on Sunday mornings at MHPC, I usually try to deliver the message every day of the week leading up to Sunday morning so I can work through any bugs or potential problems... as well as practice on slowing down my rapid speech and learn to enunciate better. Since I was on vacation in my dream this did not happen and I was completely lost.

The whole message was about the difference between faith and belief. I thought I was hammering home points and leading up to this huge point that was going to drive it all home. The message contained examples from Adam and Abraham and the Gospel of John all nailing home the final point that I wanted to make: faith is easy... belief is the hard part. My whole message was centered around how the commitment to follow Jesus was much easier to make than the daily struggle of what belief looks like.

I was leading everyone to that huge point, without telling them what it was until the very end. Right as I was about to drop the bombshell I looked up at the clock and realized that I was 25 minutes over the normal ending time of the service, because I had been rambling on and on about stuff... all without really getting people engaged in what was being said.

I looked up at the clock and then looked at the congregation and realized that no one wanted to be there...everyone was looking at thier watches and they all seemed very agitated.

Instead of driving home the final point or finishing up the message... I simply asked, "do you guys just want to end now and go home?" The unanimous response was, "yes!" followed by everyone getting up and leaving without even singing the closing song. The next thought that came to mind was failure and about what the fallout from such a horrible showing of homiletics would look like at our Tuesday staff meeting.

I woke up tense wondering if Paul ever had a dream like that.

Camp was never like this for me -

I have been reading articles, watching trailors and listening to interviews at the movie that was recently released entitled, Jesus Camp, and everything that I have seen and heard has made me sick to my stomach. I have yet to see the documentary, so my opinion is skewed and a bit limited... however it is plain that the basis of the camp is emotional maniuplation of young kids with the end goal of getting them involved in the political framework of our country. There is something a bit unsettling about elementary school students chanting, "righteous judges".

It is a shame that people have to twist the gospel for political game. One of the camp directors in an interview also mentioned how it was impossible for her to divorce religion from politics, which I agree has to be true... however, when the only issues you care about are homosexual marriage and abortion then your religion is much too small. Poverty, injustice, and plenty of other issues get ignored. I know that it is a shame that young people around the world are being manipulated and used... but are we not called to something greater?

"We are a key generation to Jesus coming back", "we're being trained to be God's army" and, "I just know I needed a change" are not things you hear 5-8 year olds saying. These poor kids are being manipulated. I truly hope they encounter God in a real way, apart from all the smoke an mirrors of the political framework they are being forced into.

It is no wonder the world has a bad taste for evangelical Christianity.

Again I have not seen the movie, if you have and I am wrong, please let me know.

Movie Review here:
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/pc_article.php?id=7265

Movie Trailor here:
http://www.jesuscampthemovie.com/"

Postseason Baseball

I am a big fan of postseason sports... especially baseball... because anyone can lose any given series. It is a game where there is no time limit, no chance for a tie, where the entire game can change with one pitch.

The Tigers just upset the Yankees, a team with a combined payroll that was greater than the other three AL postseason teams. For whatever reason you have to love rooting for the underdog and seeing the big teams get upset. The tigers, a team who lost 119 games three years ago, are now moving on to the next round of the playoffs with a legitimate chance to make the World Series.

Too bad it is not the Giants who are in the postseason moving on to the next round right now.

When I do not feel like going to church on Sunday...

I usually remember that I have to since I am on staff at church. It is so easy to feel like sleeping in or doing something else with my time. However, recently I have been remembering some words that I read in Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer described the nature of living in Christian community and the joy that one should have when presented with the opportunity of meeting with fellow believers. It was especially convicting when Bonhoeffer wrote about people around the world who are in prison, who are sick or worse facing persecution. There are Christians around the world who are isolated from other believers who are dying to be part of a community of believers.

Some words in Eugene Peterson's, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, further frame the nature of worship in a Christian community. He described worship in three ways... 1. Worship gives a framework for life - where believers can focus their thoughts, feelings and activities on God. 2. Worship nurtures a necessity for a relationship with God - where one can discover reason and motivation for living in faith, coupled with the idea that God is helping one accomplish that very task. 3. Worship centers one's attention on the decisions of God - The word of God presented to the community of believers... where one can hear what God said and what God has to say to us. Worship was never defined or confined, by Bonhoeffer or Peterson, to the bounds of praise or restricted to merely Sunday morning. However, it seems that the main form that worship has taken over the course of history has been Sunday worship as a body of believers.

Now when I do not feel like going to church in the morning, I think of Christians around the world who would trade places with me to be part of a church body. When I do not feel like "worshipping", I must remember the reason and focus behind the action. Sometimes my heart and my attitude is not in the right place and when everything is stripped down to the bare basics... Believers gathered in structured worship of God... Then it all seems to make sense.

Holy War?

I have known about this for a while now, but found another article on the apparent absurdity of it and wanted to share/vent. In case you do not know the theological masterpiece that was the Left Behind book series (sarcasm added) is now being extended into the realm of video games. Left Behind: Eternal Forces will hit the local EB Games just in time for Christmas shopping... and what better way to celebrate the birth of Jesus than to destroy unbelieving forces with realisitic shoot-em up action.

There are a few options... from what I have heard, read and seen (they had a booth at the Spirit West Coast), you can play as either the "good guys" or "bad guys", although it is hard to determine which is which. You can either combat unbelievers by trying to convert them in the last days or destroy them with realistic fighting action. I guess people can and will market anything.

The irony is and should be evident.

There are many articles on this whole endeavor... but one is posted here.

Left Behind: Eternal Forces

A Long Obedience

I just picked up the book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, by Eugene Peterson. It is about the nature of discipleship in a culture that craves immediate results... and the funny thing is that this book was written 25 years ago. I know that our society has been on its current trend for some time, but I am still a bit surprised that this kind of insight was seen and documented that long ago. It is easy to forget that discipleship means staying true to the course in our obedience to the calling of God and that the road will not be the short easy path that most crave.

In another book of his, Run with the Horses, Peterson talks about one of the examples that God told Jeremiah to use to make a point about Israel... the example was of the Rechabites (Jer. 35). The Rechabites were given a few simple commands by the founder of the family. They were told to not drink wine, build houses or plant vineyards. Basically they were not allowed to drink or settle down in any one area for a extended length of time. Peterson's insight is that they were a metal working family and they were supposed to travel to sell their merchandise... so they should not settle down. And they were commanded to not drink, because of the fear that trade secrets would be let loose.

In reality the specific commands did not matter, but their example of obedience was crucial. God told Jeremiah to bring them to the temple... a very public place... and to offer them wine. They of course refused. The question posed to Israel was simple, how come they were obedient to their father's command and you were disobedient in your calling.

Being a disciple, having that intimate relationship with God, following God's call... they all require perseverance and obedience. In a world that is always changing and always trying to get faster... with a mind that struggles to stay on topic... yet we are still called to the long obedience of a life with God. This is why disappointment and discontentedness are so hard to deal with. We live in a fast pace world with a God who has no problem in developing us over the long haul. I have no idea about what God is doing in all of the various things he has been leading me through. The answer has to be now, the promise has to be fulfilled now, I have to have joy now. Jeremiah was called to speak to a people who would not repent. His earthly ministry would be fruitless, and worst of all he was repeatedly told to not pray for the people he was speaking to. Yet, I wonder if he ever knew that his obedience when he was being persecuted and everything seemed so pointless, as well as the words that God used him to speak would bring comfort and encouragement to people throughout history.