A Timeless Difficulty

Sometimes I hear people say, "It's not easy being a Christian in today's world." As I've thought about that, I'm not sure I understand what that means exactly. Does it mean that it was easier yesterday or that at some point in history following Jesus was easy? It's clearly not easy to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, and Jesus himself says so. We've all heard the cliche' "No Pain No Gain", I wonder if this applies to our faith as well.

I'm going to throw something out there, and if you don't like it you can send it right back. We know that at no point in history or in the future will it be easy to be a disciple of Jesus but what if I made the argument that the less "Christian" our culture is the more real our Christianity becomes? What I mean by this is that it isn't all that difficult to claim to be like Jesus when everyone else around me claims the same thing. This doesn't mean that we are actually living Christ-like lives but we certainly don't have to worry about being looked at weird when everyone else is saying the same things.

Now, on the flip-side, when we claim the name of Christ in a time, place or culture where not everyone is claiming the same name or maybe even dislikes the name there is a good chance we will catch some flack. Instantly it becomes a deliberate, conscious decision to try and follow Christ, not because everyone else around you is doing the same but because you have decided to make your faith real, fully aware that it will not be easy but well worth it.

Rebuilding The Wall

Over the past couple Saturdays, a few of us from our young adult group at church had the opportunity to do some community service with a local organization here in Indianapolis called Rebuilding The Wall. This is an organization that buys run down houses in the urban neighborhoods of the city, completely renovates the house and then sells it back to people from the community for a reduced price ending the cycle of poverty by putting equity into the hands of these families. It's a process that can take 2-4yrs per house from start to finish but seeing the impact this makes in the community is worth a lifetime.

If there is anything one picks up on from reading the Gospels it is the relationship of love and how much Jesus loves the poor and oppressed and calls His disciples to love them as well. I was talking with one of my friends tonight about this very thing and he brought up a good point about how easy it is for people to be blinded by their "richness" so that they don't or won't sympathize with the poor. It is impossible to ignore the responsibility to care for the less fortunate that is found in Scripture, too bad it has become so easy for many of us today...

I'll Trade You a Castro for a Castro

I must admit that I know very little about the history of Cuba or the government run by Fidel Castro for the past 49yrs other than what I hear in the news about things like: communism, dictatorship, economic embargo, human rights issues, native Cubans fleeing their country, etc. Early today Fidel said that he was stepping down as the president of Cuba and experts say that things have been set in place so that Fidel's younger (and by "younger" I mean 76yrs old, not 81) brother Raul will be the country's next president and not much is expected to change. So the people of Cuba are trading one Castro for another. You can read an article from the BBC here.

The thing that jumps out to me the most in all of this is the continual push by the government of the U.S. to insist that every other country and peoples around the world desire to live in a democracy. Now don't freak out and think that I'm somehow anti-democracy but I wonder what it might feel like to have another country from the other side of the planet, with a completely different (and very short comparatively) history and mix of cultures say that the way they do government is the best and only way? I must admit to you however that there are times when I struggle with our attitude and approach as a nation to some things on the global stage, where we come across as not only knowing what's best but that we are the best. I wonder if humility could ever play into a foreign policy...nah, surely not.

Clipping the Religious Wings part 2

This post is a result of a request from one of the readers named Alison and relates back to my original post on Jan. 21 entitled Clipping the Religious Wings.

I raised a number of questions surrounding the terms "Evangelical Right" and "Religious Left" as they refer to different combinations of religion and wing politics. If you have followed any of the presidential election process up to this point, you have seen that religion has played a significant role in more than one way. The religion or faith of the candidates has been talked about more in this campaign than in any other I have lived through and the emphasis on the "religious wing" voters grows stronger almost by the day.

It's interesting to look back at the history of our country and remember that many of those that came from Europe came seeking religious freedom from their governments even to the point of including the idea of separation of church and state in the founding documents. So what role should one's faith play in the voting process? I think it should be made clear that Christians as a whole find themselves voting all over the place....conservative, liberal, Democrat, Republican, Independent, not voting at all, moderate and to try and pigeon hole Christian voters as only being able to vote one particular way is not only impossible but foolish. Can someone be a Christian and vote Democratic or even Republican...OF COURSE!! Last I checked, no political party or lobby group has exclusive rights to the faith whose main focus is to be like Jesus.

Naptown Roller Girls

This past Saturday we had a Fusion Young Adult Ministries social event to the Naptown Roller Girls roller derby bout at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. If you're like me and have never been to a roller derby bout before, let me tell you from personal experience...throw out any assumptions you have about the type of people that might go to an event like this. We're talking every race, age, economic class, piercings, tattoos, etc. From the 83yr old lady sitting in front of us to the family with 2 kids that couldn't have been more than 6 sitting behind us.

Once I started to get the hang of how the event actually takes place and how the scoring works, it was kind of fun. It's funny though because I went in expecting not very many people to be there, for the girls to be skating much faster and there to be more pushing and shoving on the track. Needless to say, I was wrong on all accounts. There quite a few people there, to the point where it was hard to find a seat and a ton of people left with standing room only. The girls didn't skate as fast as I expected or beat each other up as much as I thought but it was still a good time. Here is a little video my friend Jeremy Lehman shot in case you don't believe we were actually there...

Virtues of Christ

There are a number of studies, sermons, talks, discussions, books, etc. on the various virtues of Christ such as his faith, humility, obedience, love, hope, etc. There are not many people, religious or otherwise, that would argue that Jesus was a great moral teacher who practiced and lived out these various virtues. Some individuals or groups like to focus in on one of Christ's many virtues and set it up as the one virtue which Christ was all about and then read the accounts of Jesus' ministry in light of this particular virtue; say love, humility, or faith for example.

What I think is important to remember is that Jesus used these virtues together, never just one and his ministry was never about just one of them. His heroic hopefulness was coupled with his heroic faith and heroic love, all of which find their source in relation Jesus had to God the Father. His ministry was about this relationship to God, all of these virtues must be seen in light of this relationship, never for the sake of the virtue itself. "The virtue of love in Jesus' character and demand is the virtue of the love of God and of the neighbor in God, not the virtue of the love of love." (Richard Niebuhr Christ & Culture)

The Beginning of the Lenten Journey

This past Wednesday started the church season of Lent as 'Ash Wednesday'. Ash Wednesday is a day that is used to symbolize the attitude of sorrow for sins committed and repentance for those sins. Ashes were used in Bible times as a means of demonstrating that same attitude of sorrow and repentance, hence Ash Wednesday.

Lent is a 40 day journey that is done to remember the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing for his ministry and Christians observe Lent to prepare themselves for the Resurrection celebrated on Easter, when Lent officially ends. There are 40 days of the Lenten season, not including the Sundays leading up to Easter, as they are seen as mini-celebrations in honor of Resurrection Sunday. Many people decide to give up things for Lent in an attempt to practice discipline and self-sacrifice just as Jesus fasted during his 40 days in the wilderness, while others go a different direction and take something on, ie. volunteer service, intense study of Scripture, quality time with family and friends, additional financial giving, etc etc. So whatever this Lenten journey means for you, I hope and pray that you experience the presence of Christ in a real and powerful way that goes way beyond these 40 days.

Super Tuesday

I'm not sure who noticed or cared, though it would seem almost impossible to not have heard this past Tuesday referred to as "Super Tuesday" because of the more than 20 states that were holding primaries and caucuses. In an attempt to come closer to deciding who would be the respective candidates from the two parties for president, only the Republican results were decisive. On the Democratic side, nothing was decided other than proving that this will continue to be a close race.

While I have been more intrigued in this primary season more than any I have lived through let us not forget about those whose lives were literally turned upside down that day by the severe storms that hit Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee. Countless people lost family members, friends and loved ones as 56 people died as a result of these storms that swept through the South. Being engaged in the political process of our country is a responsibility we all have as a citizens as well as Christians, in the same way, and maybe even more so, we have a responsibility to reach out to those in need as do the very politicians we are voting into office. I think it will truly earn the title of "Super Tuesday" when our politicians rise up and take a stand for those in need.

Super Bowl XLII

If you are one of the unfortunate New England Patriots fans then you may want to start getting use to the reference of one of the biggest upsets in sports history. With only 1 game to go to be the first NFL team to go 19-0 and lose it by a New York Giants touchdown in the final seconds of the Super Bowl this past Sunday must be a double-whammy. Not only did the Patriots not make history by having an undefeated season but they also lost the championship game.

I'm not sure if you were one of the 97.5 million people that watched the game Sunday but if you were, you might have found it to be rather boring. Don't get me wrong, I'm pumped the Giants won but they did it with little excitement, rather it was hard-nosed football with solid defense. To be honest, what really kept me watching the game were the commercials and I was curious to see how Tom Petty's halftime performance would be.

Tom Petty did fine, played a few of his popular songs and avoided any wardrobe malfunctions. The commercials overall I found to be pretty funny. The E*Trade baby ones were hilarious and my favorite by far (make sure to check those out). Bud Light had one or two that were pretty funny as did Tide and Pepsi. If you missed any, you can find them at www.myspace.com/superbowlads. Let us know which ones made you laugh.

Living Off-Line

There are a number of countries in Asia, the Middle East and Northern Africa that have lost their internet connections as the result of a broken undersea cable. Being pushed off-line has forced a number of businesses into a standstill and left people trying to figure out what to do without access to the internet. You can check out the story at CNN here.

This left me thinking about the days before I became aware of the internet. I remember growing up as a kid and not having heard of the word "email" let alone myspace.com or Facebook.com. I sit here typing this on my fancy little laptop that has the capability to access the internet wirelessly and wonder how I would survive off-line. I have no doubt that I could survive, I mean I could still cook my food without the internet, though my recipe database would be seriously lacking but when I take a step back and think about the impact the internet has on my life, it's kind of scary. I wonder how much time I spend on the internet a day, week, or even year. I must admit I don't spend a ton of time messing around online other than emailing and trying to update my blog daily but I bet most of my online time otherwise is fairly pointless.

Maybe for the 40 days of Lent I'll give up the internet and use that time for something else...but I guess it would be rude not to read or respond to people's emails...and I'm sure the few of you that actually read this blog would get bored with seeing the same post for 40 days straight...sooo maybe I'll try to survive off-line for 40mins a day....but what if someone IM's me.....or I get a friend request on Facebook........

The state of the State of the Union

I'm not sure how many people made it through the almost hour long speech from President Bush but if you noticed nothing else, you had to notice the ridiculous amount of hand clapping and standing ovations. I'm not saying that what President Bush was saying didn't deserve an applause but I mean seriously, every 2-3mins?

Now I know that the State of the Union address is typically used to recap the president's term, discuss the state of our country and to lay out plans for the future on pressing issues, all of which President Bush did but he also wasn't holding back from letting the Democratic members of Congress know they are cramping his style. As I sat and watched this spectacle play out, there were a couple things I noticed...

1) The cheers of the "manly" hoots and hollers I found to be somewhat funny and reminiscent of a college sporting event with a large section of frat boys.

2) The political term "across the aisle" became visibly apparent to me as one section of Congress found themselves clapping and giving standing ovations hardly at all. The partisan divide was painfully obvious and made me wonder how many things get pushed aside because of that giant chasm the size of a movie theater aisle.

The whole thing seemed to be a little theatrical but I'm hoping and praying that our leaders in government will start or continue (depending on your perspective) to address the basic needs of not only the citizens of the U.S. but also people around the world regardless of their ethnicity, religion, bank account, education or political views.

Finding Ourselves in the Wilderness

No doubt we have all had times in our lives when it seemed as though we were wandering in the wilderness, sometimes not knowing how we even got there. The wilderness I'm talking about can be a different experience from person to person. For one it might be a struggle in a relationship, for another it might be the health issue of a loved one and still for another it might be the loss of a job. Looking through Scripture, one can see that time in the wilderness can be life changing.

God meets His people in the wilderness. We see over and over again that God uses the wilderness as an opportunity to meet with and speak to His people. In Moses' life alone we see God leading him into the wilderness on two separate occasions and both times God speaks to him in powerful ways. In chapter 4 of Matthew we read that Jesus was "led by the Spirit" into the wilderness so that God could prepare him for his ministry that would change the course of history. The wilderness belongs to God and He uses it to meet us there.

Often times the "wilderness" experiences we have in life can cause us to feel confused, afraid, doubtful and uncertain of the direction we're headed but it's also in the wilderness that the other noises of life are stilled and we are able to hear God speak to us more clearly. Sometimes God leads us into the wilderness to find Him and only then truly find ourselves. So if you are finding yourself in a time of wilderness, be patient and seek God because He desires to meet you there.

OT Heroes Part III - Moses

I would imagine that one could study the life of Moses in great detail and it would take years to glean all of the meaningful insights and experiences. Here is a Hebrew who was raised as a son of Pharaoh's, a prince of Egypt. He had the very best money and Egypt could offer: food, education, clothes, shelter, etc and yet we find that he is convicted by the treatment he sees of his fellow Hebrews to the point of actually murdering an Egyptian slave master. As a result of this, he runs away into the desert and he stays there for a long time.

Most of us know the rest of the story and how God calls Moses out of the wilderness to lead God's people, the Israelites, out of Egyptian slavery and into the Promised Land with a short 40yr "pit stop" in the wilderness on their way. The significance of the Exodus from Egypt cannot be understated as it is one of the most important events in the history of the Israelite people as well as Christians today. If you have never read this story or you find yourself realizing it has been some time since you last read it, check out Exodus chapters 2 thru however-far-you-want-to-read to see a great story of God's presence with Moses and His people.

The part that I would like to key in on has to do with two things about Moses...1) often times we forget or overlook the fact that Moses was a murderer and yet God still choose Moses to lead His people out of Egypt and 2) like Abraham, Moses has an exchange with God and at one point, after God telling Moses to go get His people out of Egypt, Moses actually tells God he doesn't want to go and asks God to send someone else. At this point in Moses' life, he is shepherding out in the wilderness, comes across a bush that is on fire but not burning up, hears the voice of God speaking to him out of a burning bush and has the nerve, audacity, courage, stupidity (whatever you want to call it) to tell the voice of God coming out of a burning bush that he doesn't think God choose the right guy. The thing I like about this the most is not that Moses felt comfortable enough with God to share his own thoughts on the idea but the patience, faithfulness, trust and wisdom that is demonstrated by God as He deals with Moses.

This is the God I want on my side knowing that He is going to be patient with me when I am unsure, doubtful, questioning or willing to share how I think it should go. Be encouraged to know that it is the same God that showed patience and compassion to Moses who desires to do the same for you.

Through the Eye of the Needle

Everyone has heard that the economy is in a slump and on the verge of recession, if not already there. The volatility of the markets around the world is making it evident that there is little to no certainty in accumulating wealth because the next thing you know *poof* your investment is gone. It's interesting how many of us associate security and stability with the condition of our finances.

Jesus tells a story about a guy that has a lot of money and asks how he can go to heaven (Matthew 19:16-26). Jesus responds by telling the guy to follow the commandments, which the rich guy says he has and then asks Jesus what else he must do. The response that comes out of Jesus' mouth blows the guy away and leaves him dismayed. Jesus tells the man to sell all of his possessions, give his money to the poor and then follow him. Notice the guy's response in verse 22, "When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth."

Here we see an exchange between Jesus and someone who has obviously accumulated a lot of wealth with the misconception that it would somehow provide him stability, security and a future. Jesus turns this guy's world upside down by pointing out that one cannot pursue eternity by chasing after things that are temporary and remembering Jesus' words, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Could Peace Really Happen?

President Bush made his first visit to Israel/Palestine last week in an attempt to motivate peace between the Israeli and Palestinian people. Regardless of why you think Bush actually went there (as many have claimed it was a last ditch effort to salvage some sort of legacy for his presidency) the idea of peace in the Middle East is one that everyone can jump on board with. The time line of seeing this happen within a year seems a little optimistic but I'm all about having goals.

How this peace will come about will be something to watch but I think President Bush made a strong point when he urged Israel to end the 40yr occupation of the West Bank. I must admit that I was somewhat surprised at Bush's pro-Palestinian comments, something that the extremely pro-Israeli media and lobbyists here in the U.S. couldn't have liked much. It's about time we consider both sides of the story instead of allowing ourselves to be "media-ed" into thinking that Israel can do no wrong or somehow the people of Palestine don't matter.

This is a region that is rich in cultural and religious history. As a Christian, it seems to me that we should be concerned about the welfare of all the region's people, hoping and praying that peace can be something to be realized by all nations and all peoples, not just the ones lobbyists or the media deem worthy.

OT Heroes Part II - Noah

I'm not sure how many of you have seen the movie 'Evan Almighty' but it's suppose to be a modern-day comedy based upon the story of Noah and the flood found in Genesis 6-8. I'm sure many of us have heard the story of the flood and Noah and his family gathering the animals 2 by 2 into the ark, 40 days and 40 nights of rain, and the promise with the rainbow but I wonder how many of us have thought about who Noah was before he built this large boat.

Noah's great grandfather was Enoch, who lived 365yrs and walked with God and then was no more, because God took him away. So you have to imagine that Noah heard stories of his great grandfather who was a godly man and never died, he just disappeared because God took him away. Being aware of something like this happening to a family member probably makes you more aware of other things that God is doing and saying, perhaps even to you. Noah lived in a time when society was not in good shape; people were selfish, mean, violent and didn't care about God (not to say that ours is necessarily much better now) but despite all of the things going on around him, Noah found favor with God because he was blameless and walked with God.

It seems that most of the Old Testament heroes we read about where God did extraordinary things in and through them were people that were already walking close with God. Do you think it is a coincidence that God used people that were close to Him or maybe God used these people because they were close enough to hear Him speak. If God wanted to use you or I would we be walking close enough to Him to hear Him speak?

To Serve and Protect

We had a surprise birthday party for my dad up in Michigan this past weekend (which I might make some comments on later) and on my way home yesterday I got pulled over by an Indiana State Trooper. A couple of details concerning this "adventure", to quote one of my sisters...I was driving south on US 31, posted speed limit is 60mph, I have no idea where the trooper was or where he came from, I usually set my cruise for about 8-9mph over the speed limit.

Trooper Patty pulled me over and quickly mentioned that he had pulled me over for speeding and then asked if I knew the speed limit. I replied by stating that it was 60 and answered his question of how fast I was going by saying 68 or 69mph. Trooper Patty said he clocked me going 72mph and then asked for my license and registration. After a few minutes, he returned with a written warning and told me to be careful as I pulled back onto US 31. Once back on the road, Trooper Patty sped past me while giving a short but polite wave as he continued his mission of service and protection.

What makes this a blog-worthy story, in my opinion, is that Trooper Patty was one of, if not the nicest police officer I have ever encountered. He was extremely polite from the very beginning of our time together. He laughed and joked with me but was still very professional and certainly made the point that I was driving, in his judgment, too fast. He did not keep me waiting long as he checked out my information and I like to think regardless of whether I got a ticket or not, it was one of the more enjoyable times I've dealt with the law. I found myself having a certain respect for Trooper Patty that I might not have had otherwise if he had been a trooper with something to prove. So here's to you Indiana State Trooper Patty for serving and protecting all of us so well and doing it with a smile.

Happiness

Friday night I was watching 20/20 on ABC and they were doing a segment on happiness and how it was measured around the world. They had ranked a number of countries around the world, ranking them from the most happy or content to the least. A couple things you might find interesting from their research...

• The happiest country in the world is Denmark where 62% of their income goes to taxes, their health care and educational system is paid for by the government, all occupations are considered fairly equal and community/relationships are encouraged by the government through paying for social activities.
• The most unhappy country in Western Europe is Italy because the people do not trust their police or government due to uncontrolled corruption and deception.
  
• The U.S. ranked as the 23rd happiest country in the world, where the "need" to "keep up with the Jones" causes people to constantly compare focusing on the things they aren't or don't have.
• Iraq ranked as one of the most unhappy places in the world for obvious reasons.
  
• Singapore was ranked the happiest country in Asia. This is a country where there are rules against gum usage and where breaking certain laws can result in a caning. It also has the highest capital punishment rate in the world.
  
• There was not a direct correlation between poverty or wealth and an individual's happiness.
  

I thought 20/20 did a nice job of putting together a well researched report while at the same time emphasizing some important points that lead to happiness and contentment. Throughout their research they determined that happiness was not related to the amount of money we make but rather the relationships we have, the people we surround ourselves with and the community we are a part of. Seems to support Jesus' constant theme of loving our neighbors and looking out for the good of others. If I had to make a guess, I would guess that some of the happiest times in our lives have been when we were doing something for someone else. Interesting how much happiness can be found in bringing about the happiness of another.

OT Heroes Part I - Abraham

We are starting a study on some of the Old Testament heroes which will include David, Jonah, Noah, Moses, Rahab, Esther, Daniel, Ruth and a handful of others. The one I wanted to comment on right now is Abram, whose name later becomes Abraham. One of the parts of his story that I think is worth highlighting takes place in Genesis 17. It is here that we read about the covenant that God enters into with Abraham and his descendants. As you continue to read through the chapter, you come across an interesting exchange between God and Abraham that I think is worth noting.

"15 God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her." 17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?"

God tells Abraham that the world will be blessed through his descendants, that will be as numerous as the stars in the sky and all of these people will come from he and his wife Sarah. They have a combined age of almost 200yrs, not to mention Sarah has been barren up to this point in her life and God promises that this promise will be fulfilled through Sarah. I love that the author points out that Abraham first falls down in reverence and submission and then laughs. He actually laughs at what God says to him.

Two things I like about this: 1) God is hilarious and has a sense of humor. I mean come on, how funny is it that God, in His perfect wisdom, waited for Sarah to be over 90yrs old to have her first baby!?! 2) Abraham wasn't afraid to laugh in God's presence. I think sometimes Christians forget it is OK to laugh; to laugh at ourselves, each other, and maybe even at the things God does some times. Not only is it OK but it's good for you and I to laugh every now and then. Don't miss the joy found in following Christ by taking yourself to seriously.

Happy Birthday Dad!

I have to pass along birthday wishes to my dad who turned 50 yesterday, the 9th of January. If you remember a few posts back and put two and two together, you will realize that my dad is pretty young for having a son my age. Now I'm not sure which one makes a dad feel older, turning 50 or having a son that is almost 30? Either way dad, in my book, you're far from being old. Happy Birthday!!