DownshoreDrift

Wade Burleson Resigns from IMB Board of Trustees

I am aware that a good portion of my readership attends Baptist churches and they have gotten a lot of SBC news from me over the past couple of years, so I thought that I'd share a near final bit of information with them. Wade Burleson, the International Mission Board (SBC) trustee who dared to oppose the direction of the board in their implementation of policies that denied missionary service to otherwise qualified individuals who had a private prayer language or who were not baptized in baptistic churches, has finally resigned as a trustee with the IMB. You can read his own words, HERE.

Here are my thoughts on this:

Suffering, Perseverance, Character, Hope: Gary Graham (1947-2008)

My father-in-law died yesterday. Gary Graham was 60 years old and he died after suffering for six years with kidney failure, congestive heart failure, and a host of other related ailments. Gary was Erika's step-father, although he did not allow any "steps" to come between us. He married her mother 16 years ago (before Erika and I ever met) sometime after his wife died tragically. He loved Erika's mother deeply and I knew him as a father, a friend, a grandfather to my children, and a good man. Gary opened his heart and his family to us, and his two children and their spouses are aunts and uncles to my kids and their children are my children's cousins. Gary faced much hardship throughout his life, especially the last few years, but he faced it with determination, hope, and a cheerfulness that was contagious. Gary never faced a challenge that he shied away from and he never believed that something couldn't be done. He had an incredible optimism that would sometimes leave you shaking your head that he was going to try something, but when he succeeded, you just had to give him credit.

The Bible says in Romans 5:2-5, And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.  Gary truly placed his hope in God. When he suffered, he found a way to rejoice in the Lord. This attitude in him produced a remarkable perseverance. The doctors gave up on him several times over the past few years, but he would always look to God and just keep living with an incredible strength. He always bounced back. He was the son of Baptist pastor/farmer from Kentucky and became an accomplished businessman, father, husband, and basic jack of all trades. Gary was very good with his hands and he loved to take on projects.  Those projects were always a creative expression of an inner hope that life could be better, that there were always still mountains left to climb, and that life was meant to be experienced and enjoyed instead of just muddled through. When he had to go on disability and endure dialysis, he didn't lose heart. He faced it like he had faced so many other things and found a way to get the dialysis machine to get more fluid off of him in less time than the doctors thought possible. He was so proud that he was able to share this news with the doctors and other patients and help them out along the way. He faced all of his medical challenges this way, even being proud of his wheel chair and the wheel chair lift that put it in his van. He had great confidence and joy in life that way.

Gary's perseverance in the midst of his suffering produced great character. He was a man who was always there for you. He was a deacon in his church. He provided such strength to our family.  He was there for the birth of three of our four children. He was in the hospital room during Caelan's cancer surgery almost two years ago. He even traveled down to visit us a little over three weeks ago for my son Peyton's first basketball game of the season. Though he was in a wheel chair and on oxygen and in incredible pain, he still wanted to make the three hour trip to visit us and cheer Peyton on from the sidelines. It was hard to feel sorry for Gary, because no matter what he was going through, you almost had the sense that he was getting more out of life than you were. He had great character and that character was rooted in the hope that he had in the Lord.

About a week and a half ago, we got a call that Gary had some new problems and had to be hospitalized. My wife knew it was serious and she went up to be with her mother and to help take care of him. Along with Gary's daughter, his son's wife, Erika's mother and her sister, Erika helped provide around the clock care for Gary for 11 days. As he grew weaker and weaker, the doctors lost hope that he would recover. But, Gary never did lose hope and we didn't either. He had overcome the odds so many times. Surely, he would recover this time, we thought. I spoke with him on Saturday night, and although he was starting to slur his words from his complete exhaustion, he still encouraged me and spoke with inner strength, hope, and determination. He asked how I was and told me to take care of myself and the kids. I told him I loved him. He said he loved me too.

Later the next morning, Gary fell asleep.  He never really woke up again and passed away on Monday afternoon. Erika had journeyed home on Monday morning and she got the call when she arrived in Montgomery. I met her and we cried and shared stories. His death hit us like a tsunami. Even though we knew that death was coming, it just didn't seem like it would really happen - not to him. He always exuded so much hope. He had overcome death so many times. When he died, he died fighting and believing, never having given up. His confidence lifted us for years. It encouraged us even in his death.

When we told our children, they were devastated. They cried and were so sad. They had lost their Papa and they loved him so much. They knew that he loved them. Our family lost a part of itself yesterday - a part that gave us strength, comfort, and courage. We lost a man who loved us and supported us through so many difficult times. He would call at different times to check on us or to wish us happy anniversary or happy birthday. He would think about us when you least expected it as well. Gary's perseverance and joy in living was contagious and it made you realize that you could face difficult times as well and still overcome.

Gary was an overcomer. Eventually, he succumbed to death, but I know that he ultimately beat it. He conquered death through his faith in Christ and his hope that life could always be better, that he was always going to get stronger, and that he would never give up trying to live the best life he could even though the evidence seemed to point in the other direction. He loved his wife and children and grandchildren. We are better for having known him. I wish that I would have told him how much he meant to me.  As men, there is always a distance and things that you don't speak of without some embarrassment. What keeps us from really telling those we love how much they mean to us? What keeps us from spending time together and enjoying life together the way we should? When I look back on the 13 years that I knew Gary Graham, I don't think of problems or the things that I focused on as much as I just wish that we would have spent more time with him. I wish that I would have called him more often and just said "thank you" for being a great father-in-law and grandfather to my children. It is only when someone you love is gone that you truly see them for who God made them to be. If they are Christians, then Jesus lives through them. Perhaps what we are so drawn to in one another is the image of God that we bear upon our souls, and as Christians, the essence of Christ that comes from within us. I know that is true about Gary. I was drawn to his courage, his strength, his perseverance, his confidence, and his hope in better days to come.

Gary will be greatly missed. Our family will never be the same. He died too young and the pain and sting of his death grieves all who knew him. We are heartbroken today. I pray that I try a little harder to tell the people that I love and admire how I feel about them while I still can. When they are gone, you realize what a hole they have left behind. You realize how they filled a part of your world with their unique contribution and their own special way of reflecting God's glory. You realize how fortunate we are to have and love each other and how we should always see the best in each other - we should always value each other for who God made us to be. I praise God for Gary Graham. He was a good man. A good husband, a good father, and a wonderful grandfather to my children. He will be missed. But, one day we will see him again because hope does not disappoint us. God has poured out His love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. One day, we will see him again, just as we have seen all those who have gone before us. One day, our hope will be realized along with his and every tear will be wiped from our eyes and we will grieve no more. Gary placed his faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and his sins were forgiven - he is with Jesus even now. He has already stepped over into eternity and one day, we will join him there. Gary just had a unique way of living from an eternal perspective now. I pray that I live like I know where I am spending forever instead of worrying about every little thing. May I spend more time enjoying life and exuding hope, than worrying about what I cannot control.  May I hope in God. This is what I saw in Gary Graham and I am a better man for it.

Rick Burgess' Testimony About the Death of His Son, Bronner

Last week, Birmingham radio personality, Rick Burgess' two year old son, Bronner, died tragically by drowning in the family swimming pool. Rick, of the Rick and Bubba Show that airs all over Alabama radio and has been on television on Turner South, spoke at Bronner's memorial service at Shades Mountain Baptist Church.  He gives an incredible testimony of the providence of God and our need to give glory to God in all circumstances. He is seeing the death of his son as a wake up call to all of us to live for eternity instead of for ourselves and to be willing to share Jesus boldly. Rick said that many, many people have come to Christ after hearing the Burgess' perspective on this situation and their continued unwavering faith in the God who loves them.  You really need to listen to this testimony. I am failing at describing the power of his words. If you can imagine the father of a two year old boy who just tragically died standing in front of thousands of people and praising God and telling others to believe in the God who allowed his son to die because He is a good God and He is still on His throne, then you might be able to begin to anticipate what you are going to hear. Sit back for a while and be amazed at what God has laid on this grieving, yet believing father's heart.  Caelan, my son who has had cancer, has his three month scans tomorrow. This reminds me that no matter what we learn, he is God's. My trust is in the Lord. Thank you, Rick, for believing God and reminding me that this life is not all there is and we have to live for eternity.

Check out Bob Cleveland's thoughts on this tragic event and the amazing testimony of the Burgess family.  He quotes from another local sportscaster who was at the memorial service. Yes, Bob, it is noteworthy that we have gotten a clearer view of the gospel and the awesome power of God from someone in the media that we do from many pastors of churches. By the way, the last video contains pictures of Bronner.

On Heath Ledger: Did Joker Role Lead to His Death?

UPDATE: July 19, 2008. See my review of The Dark Knight, including Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker,  HERE.

The death of actor Heath Ledger has shocked the world. He did not appear to be one of the many Hollywood party figures who live for their next drug binge or DUI.  He seemed to be a serious actor and a devoted father.  I've watched his career since early movies like 10 Things I Hate About You, A Knight's Tale, and The Patriot.  I was disappointed that he played in Brokeback Mountain and skipped that one, realizing that I don't expect anything more out of Hollywood than that, anyway.  He seemed to have a promising career in front of him and his upcoming role as The Joker in this summer's Batman sequel, The Dark Knight had everyone eager with anticipation.

Yet, it appears that playing the role of a "psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy ..." took it's toll on Ledger. He slept less than 2 hours a night and his mind would not stop racing. He had to take ambien to get to sleep and even that didn't work. Reportedly, Jack Nicholson warned him that this was possible when he took the role of the Joker. Nicholson played this character in 1989.  We still don't know what killed Heath Ledger, but the fact that he was severely affected by playing this role should not be overlooked.

When you spend your days and nights getting into the character of a homicidal maniac, it is going to affect you. We think that it doesn't but, just like you can be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:1-2), you can also be destroyed by what you think about. When you entertain these types of thoughts and actually become this type of character in your mind, a disconnect can take place and you can open yourself up to all types of evil influences. Evil really does exist. There is a spiritual realm. Demons are real.  When Ledger walked around his apartment getting into character, what might he have unknowingly been getting in touch with? I think that it might have been more than the dark recesses of his own mind, as scary as that could be for all of us. Matthew 15:19 says that it is the evil that comes out of our heart that makes us unclean. Maybe Ledger, even as an unbeliever, could only take so much uncleanness without being emotionally and mentally affected.

This whole story is a tragedy. Ledger was a promising young actor and he seemed to be a decent guy who was trying to handle the stardom thing as well as he could. We still don't know what caused his death, so I am not saying it was suicide. Maybe he was just trying to get some sleep and escape the horrors in his own mind and he accidentally took too many ambien. Maybe it had a reaction in his body. At any rate, it should be a lesson to all of us to place our thoughts on "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things" - Philippians 4:8.  As Christians, we have the mind of Christ - we can take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:3-5). We don't have to be subject to the evil that we are assualted with. And, we should also take care regarding what we fill our minds with. I am not saying that no actor should ever play an evil character - sometimes those stories are important to tell. But, if it ever does have to happen, a distance should be created so that we do not become what we are playing. If you are not a Christian, I have no idea how you would be able to do this effectively.

At the very least, this story should remind us that we have no idea the turmoil that the people around us are going through. As followers of Jesus, we should seek to minister love, grace, and mercy to people. We should also be available to pray the prayers that set people free. That is what Jesus wants to do through us and He still gives freedom to captives.

Sanctity of Human Life: Gaza

I started this series last week and wrote several posts about having a biblical view of the sanctity of human life primarily involving current social issues. I have written a couple of posts on this that have not been published yet, but now that I am thinking about this subject, I keep noticing things in the world that fit within this category. Admittedly, these topics can be kind of depressing, but I think that it is important to be aware of how people are really living and what people are going through, instead of burying our heads in the sand.

                                          

Gaza.  This area has been on my heart for some time. Palestinians have broken down the wall that has kept them in Gaza and out of Egypt. The wall was constructed by the Israelis after Hamas took over Gaza by force last year. Gaza has been encircled for the past 6 months and supplies are running low. Approximately 1 million Palestinians live in this area and it has basically become a prison camp. The purpose of the wall is to keep terrorists and weapons out of Gaza, but they are already there.  Walls seem to only hurt the people who are law abiding, anyway. The children, the elderly, and those who cannot adequately care for themselves are the ones who suffer. Terrorists and criminals will thrive in this situation because they will use fear and force to get what they need. It is the weak who are most severely harmed.

In 2005, I visited Jordan and Israel. I drove through the West Bank and crossed over the Allenby Bridge, which was quite an experience in going through immigration. As I drove through the West Bank, the gripping poverty was mind numbing. I met quite a few Palestinians in Jerusalem who were trying to make a living as honest merchants and citizens. They are not all terrorists. Many of them are just normal people trying to make it through the day. But, I also learned that the hatred between Jews and Palestinians is like nothing I have ever seen. I stumbled into a riot that had to be broken up by Israeli troops. I saw the disdain from the Palestinians as the Jews went through Jerusalem headed to the Western Wall for the Sabbath. The Jews would not even make eye contact. I realized that peace accords are useless because it only takes one suicide bomber to destroy whatever "peace" might be established through negotiations. In truth, locking up 1 million Palestinians in Gaza does nothing to make Israel safer or quell terrorism. It just breeds more terrorists.

I don't know the answer for the Israeli-Palestinian Crisis. I know that it is very complicated. But, I also know that the Palestinians in Gaza are people too. They are on the brink of a major humanitarian crisis. At the very least, they are living in a prison camp. Inside of this area are many, many innocent people. Perhaps we should pray for them today. A prayer for the innocent Palestinians is not a prayer against Israel. It is just a prayer that they would have their daily bread. I especially encourage you to pray for the Palestinian Christians today. They are the forgotten ones in the midst of this crisis.

For other thoughts on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, check out Bob Robert's blog. He just went there and is writing about his observations.  He has some interesting observations on the role of Jesus in the peace process as well.

Sanctity of Human Life: What Did We Do While 5 Million Died in the Congo?

Over the past 10 years, over 5 million have died in the Congo unnaturally because of Civil War, famine, and disease - all preventable. I wrote about this crisis about a year and a half ago. We continue to face an incredible humanitarian crisis. This is the largest death toll in a country since WWII - imagine the entire state of Colorado dead in a decade because of war, disease, and malnutrition. What have we been doing about it? Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." Jesus also said, "whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me." Have we missed ministering to Jesus in the Congo? I don't know what the answers are, but I am at the point that I don't want to just write about such things anymore.  I also don't just want to pray, as important as that is. I confess that I have done nothing. But, I must start asking, how can we be involved and give our lives so that the Kingdom of God will come, as Jesus told us to pray, in the Congo? What can we do? Can we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and bring peace to a war ravaged part of the world? It seems that the power of the Holy Spirit within us could make this possible.  Have we raised up peacemakers to go to the Congo? Have we prayed? Have we given?  Does our Gospel not move us to step into the hell holes of this planet and lay our lives down?  This seems too difficult and too daunting for us, I know. But, nothing is impossible with God. Aren't we supposed to disciple nations?

One last thing: I am not speaking of the many missionaries who have gone to this land over the years.  Many have gone and God has blessed their work. I am speaking to myself, primarily, so that I never grow accustomed to human suffering or turn a blind eye because it does not affect me directly.

May we not look forward to dying in a warm bed of old age in this country drawing on our retirement while children die because they can't get a bowl rice in a foreign land.  If we know Jesus, our eternity is secure. What are we afraid of? What are we holding on to?

RESOURCE:  My friend, Jay Lorenzen, is involved with a movement called Families For Africa. There are several practical ideas about things that individual families can do to begin to make a small difference in the situation in Africa. Perhaps you might pray about some of these things as a way to get started making a difference from where you are. I suggest that you think about the Congo. 

Sanctity of Human Life: The Gospel's Influence on Racism, Religion, and Slavery

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and it has me thinking about some things in regard to the role of Baptists and the issue of race in the South. A few weeks ago, I ran across a comment in the Baptist Blogosphere regarding the issue of the gospel and slavery. This person and I engaged in a debate over this issue that was enlightening and confusing at the same time. We were talking about issues of race, segregation, and the history of Baptists on this issue. Here is what the man said,

“As bad of a taste as it leaves in my mouth to say so (and it is an awful taste), I would gladly go back to a time when we were much more messed up about race yet much more committed to sharing the gospel. By some twisted irony, we did more to get lost Black people to heaven back when we thought less of them. I would rather that we be right on both counts than to have to choose at which point to fail. Make it happen, dear Lord, in our lifetimes and through us.”

My response:

I understand what he is saying and I also commend the many white Baptists who shared the gospel with blacks both before and after the Civil War. I do understand his point and my prayer is the same as his at the end. But, I don’t really think that you can be truly committed to sharing the REAL gospel and be messed up on race at the same time. You end up with a partial gospel because the Bible says that there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female. 1 John says that if you hate your brother, then you do not know Christ. We were so messed up on race that we stunk to high heaven and it is hard for me to not believe that we are now reaping the bitter harvest of our generational sins through dying churches, lack of zeal over the gospel, and continued division. The gospel is about more than just getting into heaven. It is the Gospel of the Kingdom and it is also supposed to impact the world that we live in today in dramatic ways. This gospel tears down the dividing walls that come between ethnic groups in Jesus Christ himself, our peace.

Our church is trying very hard to heal racial wounds in our community and we are praying that we become a church that is as diverse as our city. We believe that we give witness to Christ when that happens. I would go so far as to say that churches that do not make every effort to bring reconciliation between races after all the damage that has been done, that those churches are missing the implications of the gospel in rather stark ways.

Here is his response: 

Alan,

I concur.

I further the conversation by observing this: Personal conversion is a remedy that works against personal racism (deliberately using “conversion” rather than “salvation” to avail myself of the former’s broader meaning). When denominations leap the chasm from a commitment to personal conversion on the one hand to a commitment to institutional justice on the other hand, the gospel is always lost in the shuffle and the results are always devastating.

This man is not a racist or prejudiced. He abhors what happened in the South in regard to race. Yet, I believe that he has a fundamental misunderstanding of the scope of the Gospel. Here is the problem with his perspective: It pits the gospel of personal conversion against the Gospel of the Kingdom. We do not need to chose one over the other - they are to work in tandem. In Scripture, personal conversion brings the Kingdom as we act to be salt and light in a fallen world. We were told by Jesus to pray that God's Kingdom (His reign and rule) would come and that His will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Is there racism in heaven? Is there injustice? Jesus said that the Gospel of the Kingdom would be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end would come (Matt. 24:14).  In the Great Commission, we are told to make disciples of NATIONS, teaching them to obey all that he commanded us.  Micah 6:8 says, "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."  The book of James and Isaiah 58 among many other places tell us how we are to treat workers, the poor, and those who are under the burden of injustice. Actually, the Bible talks about this from cover to cover.   Justice is at the heart of God's Word to us. Does he act injustly towards us? Is God a God of unequal measures? Does God enslave people for selfish ends? Does He treat people differently according to skin color, socioeconomic status, or national citizenship?

The problem with separating a gospel of personal conversion from God's Word to the Nations is that they are never meant to be seperated. God wants to affect and change all of society - everything that has been broken by sin.  The fact that personal conversion does not lead to justice in the streets has everything to do with a lack of discipleship in this area, not a seperation in the gospel. The fact that liberals appealed to a social gospel does not mean that they were all wrong. It just means that you cannot change society WITHOUT a change of heart on a personal level. It doesn't mean that we shouldn't try and change society. We do all the time on issues that matter to us. Unfortunately, racism and segregation didn't matter to white Baptists.

How could we rather go back to a time when a large segment of the population is treated as inferior and harshly discriminiated against because we supposedly did a better job of getting them into heaven? What kind of message do we send when we supposedly share the gospel with someone and say the ground is level at the Cross, yet we won't eat at the same restaurant as them or drink from the same water fountain? This lie and compartmentalization in our spiritual and moral lives should have been condemned in the strongest of terms. It was not and we seem to want to make excuses for that or sweep it under the rug. Yet, our lack of desire to ever face our error continues to haunt us today.

The truth is, slavery and subsequent segregation occurred in a part of the country that was filled with churches - Baptist ones at that. What was the deficiency in our theology that allowed us to see a whole race of people as inferior to whites? What was the deficiency that caused us to either side with the prevailing segregationist culture or not have the strength to oppose it? We won't know because our theologians refuse to address the errors of the past that still plague us today. Was this error any different than the church in Germany during WWII that turned a blind eye to the Holocaust? Leaders of the Confessing Church like Dietrich Bonhoeffer called the German church to repentance but they refused to listen because they were either afraid or had lost their strength of conviction. Or, they actually believed that they were superior to the Jews. Perhaps they thought that they were innocent because they were not the ones who were doing the gassing, but Martin Luther King once said, He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. -- "Stride Toward Freedom," 1958.

Have we considered what would have happened in the South if the Baptist churches had repented in the 1950's and fought for equal treatment under the law for blacks instead of opposing it or standing passively by? Our communities and states were filled with white Baptists who exercised power. What if they acted with justice? What kind of a "testimony to the nations" would that have been of the transformative power of the gospel?  Would the societal breakdown of the 1960's had happened if we had had some credibility? We were on the wrong side of history in one of the biggest moral challenges of the 20th Century. In reality, we opposed God.  The sheep were without shepherds because it cost something. To take a position against society meant that we would be persecuted.  Heaven forbid.

No one wants to talk about this today. We want to point to how we shared the gospel with black people while keeping them enslaved and how we treated them kindly while denying them basic civil rights. The truth is, northern abolitionists, many of them evangelicals, pushed for the abolition of slavery in the north. It took the death of 600,000 Americans to end slavery.  Why didn't the Southern Church call for justice? Why didn't we agree with God? Why did blood have to run for us to do what was right? Judgment came upon the South, yet Southern Baptist preachers and churches refused to see it. We had to go through a similar crisis 100 years later because we refused to see that we were wrong.

_____________________

Attitudes have changed. Blacks and Whites get along better than ever in the South. Many people have expressed remorse over their previous attitudes and actions. Racist and prejudiced remarks are still made, but they are made in hushed tones and we know that that attitude is not accepted. Much progress has been made. Yet, Baptists have never taken a look at what was wrong with our theology that led us to a point that we helped enforce slavery and segregation, or we stood idly by and did nothing to stop it. Why did we not help set the captive free? Why did we not hear the groans of a people that were marched in chains and sold on the auction block? Why did we not cry out when police dogs and fire hoses were turned on non-violent resisters who only wanted fair treatment under the law? Why did we not cry out in repentance? My Bible says that we should have. I see no difference in a gospel of personal conversion and our responsibility to change society according to the reign and rule of God's Kingdom. One directly leads to the other. Faith without works is dead.

We cannot go back and relive the past. Most of the people who lived and were in leadership back then regretted their positions. Much has been done to correct what went wrong. Yet, for those of us who grew up a generation after the events of the 1950's and 60's, we are not served well by glossing over the facts and refusing to see that there was something incredibly wrong with our theology. It only ensures that we will repeat the error of our forefathers in another direction if we do not understand how we could believe and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, yet be so wrong in how we treated other human beings. What areas are we blind to now? How are we on the wrong side of history? If we do not learn from the past, we are destined to repeat it. I have yet to see a theological analysis of why the prophets were absent from the church during this time. Was it because of a false dichotomy between the gospel of personal conversion and the Gospel of the Kingdom? If so, how are we repeating this today? We didn't seem to struggle with this dichotomy in regard to the Culture Wars of the 1970's to the present (see Moral Majority). Why do we live out of the separation in regards to race? What does it say about us today? Do we only get involved with what personal offends us or what personally affects us?

We need the whole gospel, not a neutered substitute.  I think that Martin Luther King and others were trying to live out of this reality. They may have been wrong on some areas of theology and did not live perfectly, but they were right in some areas that still need to be heeded.

Sanctity of Human Life: Protecting the Most Innocent of All - Unborn Children

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is this week. I have some thoughts about "life" issues that I wanted to share because it is important that we have a correct view of the value of human life. We are all made in God's image and every human life is valuable to God. C.S. Lewis in The Weight of Glory says,

It may be possible for each of us to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbour. The load, or weight, or burden, of my neighbour's glory should be laid daily on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken. It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you may talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and corruption such as you now meet if at all only in a nightmare.

All day long we are in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in light of these overwhelming possibilities it is with awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never met a mere mortal, Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations, these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit -- immortal horrors or ever lasting splendours.

Genesis 1:26 says that every person is made in God's image. We are all valuable to Him.

I Walked Into a Christian Bookstore The Other Day . . . (Or, Spiritual Growth is NOT Easy)

I went into Christian Book Store the other day and threw up a little in my mouth. Not really, but that imagery is appropriate. Generally, I try to stay away from Christian Book Stores (CBS).  They are filled with many things that are dangerous to the soul and spiritual growth. The whole atmosphere is one that is full of knick knacks and self help books. There are gifts everywhere and more Christian diets than you can count, which is not a bad thing, but it is just exhausting. The gospel of personal success is on full display and it seems that Jesus is just a means to an end: Our own personal happiness. There are books about how to experience God's favor (apparently, there are steps you can take to make sure that God's favor rests upon you and that you will have good luck, er, "blessing" everywhere you go).  There are ways that you can pray and arrange your life for healing, prosperity, and wealth.  There are steps to happy marriages and personal growth, and if you follow the advice of the writers, you can be all that you ever wanted to be. I even saw a book that promised me the "secret to effortless success, wholeness, and victorious living." Seriously. Effortless success? It seems that the Christian publishing industry is churning out manuals and inspirational gifts for every occasion that help us on our way to fulfilling the Christian version of the American Dream. If I do these things, then God will enable me to be healthy, wealthy, and wise as I live out my inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Ugh.

Times of Refreshing From the Lord

Back in the fall, I was talking with a pastor friend of mine who told me that God had really gotten a hold of him and called him to spend every morning only in Bible study and prayer. He would do that for hours at a time and only go into the office after lunch. He pastors a church of around 1000 people, but he realized that he could not do anything unless God was working and moving, so he committed himself to this. When he said this, something jumped up in my spirit and I knew that I needed to do the same.  So, I told my office staff and my elders that from now on, I would be with the Lord until around noon each day. Sometimes later. They were very supportive.

I started spending about half my day with the Lord in Bible study and prayer last Monday and have continued every day since. I am not studying for a message - that comes later. I am not preparing a Bible study. I am only spending time with God and asking Him to work on me and reveal Himself to me. I have learned that I need a lot of work. My heart can be a mess. My motives are often plain wrong. I am selfish. I depend on my own strength. I have a lot of pride. I am easily offended and bury my hurt instead of bring it to the Lord. I have trouble forgiving others. I want to do things myself to prove that I am capable. I can be insecure. I get my identity from what others think of me rather than what God thinks of me. That's just the stuff that I can print. God is doing a deep work in my heart, deeper than at any time in my Christian life.  He is bringing me to repentance and dependence on Him. It has been going on for 10 days now and while it is very painful, it is also very wonderful. I am experiencing the Lord like never before. His Word is coming alive to me in beautiful new ways. I am finding ways to obey the Lord that I had not been aware of and I am making some things right. I can't wait to be with God in this way everyday and I know that if I go a few hours without encountering His presence, I am undone. I am seeing the depths of my flesh and how I have tried to live life in my own strength, all dressed up in a religious veneer. God is dealing with me deeply, and it is a beautiful pain - a cutting that hurts, but that brings life.  My desire for Him has been renewed and I am experiencing personal revival for the first time in a long time. Repentance is a blessing. Pleasing God is my desire. And, lest you think that I am bragging on my spirituality I can assure you that this type of joy only comes from staring straight into your wretchedness and inablility to love God or anyone else and being overcome with sorrow. It comes from seeing yourself and your desperate need and crying out to God for mercy. This joy only comes from doing that and then encountering the grace and mercy of an amazing God. I am not bragging on myself - I am praising God for bringing life to a very weary heart.  I have nothing to prove.

This is the reason that I have not posted in the last week or so. I have been too busy listening. Yes, even pastors are people and need to be renewed by the Lord. Let me rephrase that - ESPECIALLY pastors. We might be some of the biggest messes of all because in trying to do so much for the Lord and lead a church and minister to so many people, we end up neglecting our own hearts and we can easily become self sufficient instead of God dependent. How sad.

God is always at work. To start the new year, we had a special prayer and worship service at our church on Sunday night. I had been asking people to pray about what God might do in our personal and corporate lives in the 3 areas of our vision/mission statement: Loving God, Loving People . . . To the Ends of the Earth.   They were all given pieces of paper with those three headings on them and we asked them to write down their prayers for these areas. If they didn't have anything, then they could write down a particular area of their life where they needed a miracle. What was something that was in their life that only God could take care of? We met for worship and prayer and began to cry out to the Lord. Our church has around 250 people in it and about 160 showed up for the time of consecration to the Lord. I was amazed that that many came on a Sunday night when we do not normally have Sunday night services. We talked about repentance. We talked about who God is and what He wanted to do in our lives. We talked about knowing Him and serving Him with our whole heart, not a divided heart. After about an hour of worship, prayer, and Scripture reading, I invited people to come forward and lay their prayer sheets at the altar and leave their requests and burdens before the Lord. That way, when they went through the year, they would be free, and if these things tried to come back on them or if they tried to pick up their burdens again, they would remember that they laid them down before God.

Over the course of the next 30 minutes, just about every person in the sanctuary came forward, knelt before the Lord at the altar, and laid their prayers before the Lord. People prayed for one another. Many tears were shed. God was working in people's lives. God was showing people things that they had not seen and people were getting right with the Lord. People were laying down things that they had no business carrying.  God was working.

I am only writing this to give praise to God and to share that He really does answer when we call upon Him. When that pastor told me that He had been spending that kind of time with God, even though his church was four times larger than mine, I realized that my current time with the Lord was not sufficient for the challenges I was facing. What was I doing? Somehow, I had become more focused on other things than I had on being with the Lord. I had taken the burdens that only He could carry upon myself and I was separating myself from the only Source of Power that was available to me. I had also become focused on so many different things that I was becoming completely worn out emotionally. It might not have been apparent to others, but it was becoming apparent to me and my family. Our church is heading into a building program this year and I have no idea how to do that. We have grown a great deal over the past year and I don't know how to keep it going or minister to the people we have. The door has opened for us to impact Northern India and strengthen the Church there - I am ignorant as to what to do next. I can pretend to know what to do so that I will appear competent and be able to impress people, but I really don't know what to do. Sure, I can come up with a bunch of plans that look good, but without God's power, they are worthless. I don't know how to be a good husband and father to four children. I don't have all the answers for everyone's problems. I really have come to the end of myself and I need God to do what only He can do.

So, all I can say is that God is faithful. Day by day, He is doing a work in me and I don't want Him to stop.  It seems that He is working in our church as well. If anything is going to happen that is lasting, God has to be the source and strength of it. We have to humble ourselves and cry out to Him. He is listening. I am only writing this remembering how the story of another pastor's time with God challenged me and put me on this path. May I continue and perhaps someone else will be encouraged to set aside more time to be with the Lord than ever before.   

LSU Team of the Decade?

I don't have much to say about the game last night, except it is good to be an LSU Tiger fan. Very good. 2 National Titles in 5 years. Wow. I was very worried after we got behind 10-0 (I am naturally pessimistic), but then LSU just systematically took Ohio St. apart by scoring 31 unanswered points. Matt Flynn played great. The defense attacked.  The corners shut down OSU's receivers all night. Speed, strength, and power. It was a win for the SEC as well, as LSU reiterated that it is by far the best conference in college football.

LSU's much criticized coach, Les Miles, completely outcoached Jim Tressel of Ohio St. It wasn't even close. As long as he has been at LSU, he has been in Nick Saban's shadow and people have called him stupid. He has now beaten 7 national championship coaches in his career and is 34-6 in 3 years at LSU. You can't argue with the record.

LSU is the first team to win two BCS titles. They are the only team to win two national championships in this decade. After losing 4 first round picks in the NFL last year, this team just reloaded, got better, and won the whole thing. Wow.

Anyway, I just wanted to give credit to my team for the dismantling of Ohio St. last night. Geaux Tigers!

You are welcome to leave you congratulations for the Tigers and thoughts about the game here!

Edgy Church Makes New Rules

I've always said that the style of church or worship that you experience doesn't matter - it is the heart that matters most. Often, in trying to be innovative, we are just repackaging the same old forms in new ways. The heart doesn't really change. At the core of our experience, we must ask the question: Do we look to God or are we just trying to do what pleases us? I ran across a hilarious bit of satire at Larknews that makes a great point about new church forms:

Edgy church breaks old rules, insists on new ones

    ROCHESTER, Minn. — At The Circle, a young, innovative church which meets in a renovated bus depot, there is no pulpit, platform or pastor, as such. The congregation rejects the labels "Christian" and "congregation," preferring "followers of Jesus" and "friendship community."
    There are no ushers, but rather "helpers."
    There is no worship team, but rather "God artists."
    And woe to anyone who affixes traditional church labels to any of it.
    "God's doing a new thing here," says Mitch Townsend, the leader of the church. He shuns the "pastor" label and insists people call him, "Hey, man," or simply "Dude." If someone slips and calls him "pastor," he bristles and gently rebukes them.
    "We got rid of all those old labels," he says. "There's no going back."
    At the church office, which they never call a church office but rather "the Hub," secretaries, or "community action facilitators" as they are called here, tap-tap on computers (which they still call computers) and take calls.
    When a visitor slips up and refers to The Circle's "sanctuary," Dude Townsend cuts him short.
    "Listen, it's not a sanctuary, it's a meeting place, a gathering place," he says, flushing red.
    "Sorry, pastor," the visitor says.
    "Not pastor," says Townsend. "Dude, or friend. Or just hey, Mitch."
    "Sorry, Dude Mitch," the visitor says uncomfortably, and slinks away. Mitch quickly goes to him and hugs him.
    "We're all about love and freedom here," he says. "I know it's hard to get used to."
    At a Sunday morning "gathering," as services must be called, people sit in chairs arranged in circle around a "focal point" (not a platform) and listen to the team of God-artists play instruments and sing "songs of adoration and devotion to the Creator," as opposed to praise and worship music. The gathered "posse of Jesus followers" is free to sing along and to express themselves in any way that seems "real and authentic."
    "We strive to be genuine here," says non-pastor "Hey, Jim" Richards, who in another setting might be called an associate pastor. "It's about being who you are, not fitting into a pre-determined box."
    Before Dude Mitch's personal sharing time (which markedly resembles a sermon), one visitor raises her hand and says, "Is there going to be an altar call? Because I really want to give my life to Jesus today."
    Dude Mitch answers quickly, "We don't have altar calls here; we have 'God moments' or 'Creator re-connects.' And we don't say 'give your life to Jesus,' but you may begin a lifelong love relationship with the Creator-Friend, if you like. But please wait until we are done with sharing time."
    After the service, "new friends" join in the "kick-back hall" for refreshments and conversation with the Dudes and other Hub personnel. They may also join a mid-week "hang-out crew" of 10-12 people which meets in a home, and which is steadfastly not referred to as a "small group."
    "Anyone who wants a break from normal, rigid church life is welcome at The Circle," says Townsend. •

I'm still laughing. I do feel a bit sheepish, however, because my folks call me "Alan" instead of "Pastor Alan," so I guess I can't say much. I just always figured that no one has titles in the Bible, so we shouldn't have them now. But, God save me from making it a rule!

Thoughts on the Iowa Caucuses . . .

If Obama wins the Democratic nomination, no Republican will beat him. He is too charismatic and he will change America. He reminds me of Bill Clinton in that his policies do not matter as much as his charisma does. People might disagree with his policies but they like him. That perspective will win the masses.

If Hillary wins the Democratic nomination, any Republican will beat her.  The more she talks, the more people dislike her. But, third in Iowa?  Not good.

Romney will not win the Republican nomination.  He reminds everyone of John Kerry.

Huckabee has a chance if he keeps talking - great victory speech.  But, he needs constant exposure. His lack of funds will catch up with him in a national race. 

Thompson is done.  He just didn't seem to care.  Too bad.

Guiliani hasn't gotten started yet. I don't think his gamble will pay off. He's like Hillary - the more he talks the more people dislike him.

McCain????  They are saying that he is the big winner here because he can move past Romney, but is anyone beating down the door to nominate McCain? He's in the same boat as Edwards, but with less support.

By the way, I got an email the other day regarding my previous comments about Huckabee and SBC leadership. According to a source that was present when this took place, apparently, Huckabee was told that he was disliked by Arkansas SBC leadership because he did not have "enough blood on his hands" from the wars of the Conservative Resurgence. In other words, he took the middle road too often and was not considered to be conservative enough. Considering the vertical politics that he is calling for now, I can see how he might have taken the high road back in the late 80's in Arkansas during the SBC battles.

Don't Read This Book - It Will Make You Angry

A friend of mine gave me a book before Christmas that I didn't think that I would read, but I opened it up and started skimming it and was hooked pretty quickly. It made me angry. I wanted to throw it across the room. I completely disagreed with parts of it. I thought that the writer was out of his mind. And, I couldn't put it down. It has caused me to rethink quite a bit, especially considering Jesus' very tough words in the Sermon on the Mount. Maybe I should start taking those words seriously? The book is The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne and I highly caution you against reading it. As a matter of fact, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. It will cause a great deal of emotional distress concerning your current practice of Christianity. Claiborne is a radical Jesus follower on the evangelical left (think Tony Campolo but much younger), so everything that he says should be thrown away and disregarded. He's a loon. He asks questions like: Is Christianity political? Should the ethic of Jesus affect how we see the poor, our enemies, and the forgotten? What should we do about injustice? What does it mean for the Kingdom of God to come? Claiborne shows how he has addressed these issues. I have not recovered.

Here is a quote in the book on page 294 from Danish pastor Kaj Munk, who was killed by the Gestapo in January 1944:

What is, therefore, our task today? Shall I answer: "Faith, hope, and love"?  That sounds beautiful. But I would say - courage. No, even that is not challenging enough to be the whole truth. Our task today is recklessness. For what we Christians lack is not psychology or literature . . . we lack a holy rage - the recklessness which comes from the knowledge of God and humanity. The ability to rage when justice lies prostrate on the streets, and when the lie rages across the face of the earth . . . a holy anger about the things that are wrong in the world. To rage against the ravaging of God's earth, and the destruction of God's world. To rage when little children must die of hunger, when the tables of the rich are sagging with food. To rage at the senseless killing of so many, and against the madness of militaries. To rage at the lie that calls the threat of death and the strategy of destruction peace. To rage against complaceny. To restlessly seek that recklessness that will challenge and seek to change human history until it conforms to the norms of the Kingdom of God. And remember the signs of the Christian Church have been the Lion, the Lamb, the Dove, and the Fish . . . but never the chameleon.

Those words hit me firmly. Why am I not angered by the suffering, death, and lostness that I see around me? Why do I not work with every bit of effort within me to see God's Kingdom come? What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus in a land where Christianity is well known, but the Kingdom of God is often absent? What does it mean to live out and proclaim the scandal of the Cross when it has been encrusted with gold and diamonds and made the scepter of those in power?

I don't know, but I would like to find out . . . I think.  Nevermind. Claiborne's a loon. Ignore him. Sorry for the interruption. Carry on.