Really Pat?

You may have heard the news about Pat Robertson's latest offensive comments.  This time it didn't target gays or foreigners, but the diseased.  In a recent television appearance, Robertson replied to a caller asking about how he should adivise a friend who had decided to see another woman because of his wife's advanced Alzheimer's. 

I grew up fundamentalist, so I think I know the answer here.  Tell the friend to stop, ask forgiveness, and love on his wife until death.  From birth to seventeen years old, I attended a good old King James, Bible Believing, Independent Baptist Church, three times a week, every week.  That makes over 2500 sermons before I even became an adult, and most of them had something to say about sex, drugs, and/or rock and roll.  Don't take me the wrong way, the people of that church showed love and care with their actions, but the message out of their mouths came clear.  Adultery and Divorce are wrong.

I've never been a big fan of Robertson, but I thought he would at least get this one right.  But no, he said "I know it sounds cruel, but if he's going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but make sure she has custodial care and somebody looking after her."  He admits that marriage is until "death" but then says that Alzheimer's is like a living death.  So that makes it ok I guess.

This is so wrong, and the reason why I believe Christians (yes, I am one) need to understand the source behind their convictions.  For starters, our nation is great, and I love family, but let's be clear.  I believe in a man, who I also believe was a God (the God even).  That this God-man lived on this earth and suffered death at the hands of his creation.  Miraculously, he didn't stay dead.  He returned to this earth until ascending into heaven.  If you're not a Christian, that sounds foolish.  If you are, it probably doesn't sound foolish enough.  If you really believe that (and I do) its a pretty big deal.  Bigger than a pledge or blood relationships, or all of the legalistic morass we let ourselves get bound up in.

Let's look to some reason.  If said wife has "lost her mind", we might conclude that she is no longer "like the living", therefore a covenant relationship like marriage may be voided on those grounds.  She is less than human, not deserving the same right to expect faithfulness from her husband as one who possesses full mental health.  If that's the case, then how can you argue that a fetus in the womb possesses full life that can't be violated.  Is the potential of life more valuable that the fulfillment of life embodied in its final journey to death?  Does the fetus deserve any more the right to birth than a person deserves the right to maintain full dignity and humanity even unto death?

Too much self-serving logic going on here.  Of what value is life?  Can we argue over it's beginning at conception or birth while we sit idly by watching execution take place?  How did a discussion of Alzheimer's take us to capital punishment?  Shane Claiborne wrote just today a defense of Grace in the face of death.  Should we dismiss the Psalms and get self-righteous over the fact that King David, guilty of murder, should have never been allowed to live long enough to write them?  Should the bulk of the New Testament be rejected because the writer, Paul, would have willingly accepted the penalty for his crimes if his conversion had been true?

We need to think!  Humanity, infused with the very breath of God is exceedingly deep, but we flippantly decide who is deserving and who doesn't have the privilege to the rights of that humanity.  We are too ready to set our minds firm on issues of abortion, death, the right to life, and dying with dignity when these issues deserve deep and mindful consideration and soul-searching. 

But unfortunately for many, it's just a whole lot easier to find out what Pat thinks about it.

What I Learned at Church This Week

After the early service at church last Sunday, I had a conversation with a friend. He commented on a prayer I'd offered in the early service.  I suppose a little more of my life crept into this prayer, because as I talked with this friend he expressed that the idea of servant-leadership really spoke to him and that he had really been trying to work this out in his own life as a business leader, a husband, and a father. Those last two stuck out to me, because that is what I needed to hear from God this Sunday morning.

I stood there drinking coffee, in the transition time between services thinking about how God comes to us in the most unexpected times; or is God coming to us all the time and we're just not paying attention. So I decided for the rest of the morning to take note of everything that God was trying to tell me that morning at church. Here is the list:

1) Servant leadership is not just a concept for the nation and world; it's probably even more important in the home.

2) Sports and other activities can be a burden or a blessing, it is really depends on what you make them. (learned from non-lesson related conversation in SS)

3) Children are capable of great creativity and great beauty. But they are also capable of the opposite. (learned by watching kids participate in the worship service)

4) Trying to serve your self and serve God leads to either guilt and self-loathing OR obsessive doubt and anger toward God. (learned from the sermon, but it wasn't really the main point, or even any point)

That's just in one Sunday, and only #4 is related to the sermon.  I may post about each of these in the future, but tomorrow I plan on a second round of taking note of what I learn in church.  I know that lot's of people question the value of "Sunday morning church" and see it as more of a relic than relevant, but I really believe that God honors our commitment of time and community and uses this time to both bless and prepare us on our journey.  I look forward to what tomorrow brings.

⁸ Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
   for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
   for to you I entrust my life.
⁹ Rescue me from my enemies, LORD,
   for I hide myself in you.
¹⁰ Teach me to do your will,
   for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
   lead me on level ground.    (Psalm 143)

What the Hell Rob Bell?

Pardon the title, but it appears that a prominent religious leader, Rob Bell, has stirred quite a nest of hornets by raising this very question, even prompting John Piper to declare "farewell Rob Bell" in his twitter feed.  If you're not familiar with Rob Bell, he's well known for a series of short Christian videos known as Nooma.  I have enjoyed these videos for several years in addition to podcasts of his sermons.  He is also the author of several books; I've read Velvet Elvis and Jesus Wants to Save Christians (For fellow Central Virginians, this Rob Bell is not to be confused with our long time House of Delegates Representative)

One of the most telling illustrations from Velvet Elvis challenges Christians to stop looking at their faith as a wall with individual bricks making up the elements of our faith.  For one, when these small elements of our faith are broken, the wall's integrity is compromised.  For two, when we build a wall, we want to stay inside of it and protect it.  Bell argues that Christian faith is more like a trampoline.  When a spring or two (the elements of our faith) give out, the trampoline is still just as functional as before.  And unlike a wall that we defend, a trampoline is a joy that we invite others in to play on.

Bell says that certain doctrines should not "make or break" our faith.  As an example, he uses the Virgin Birth.  I remember him taking much heat for that.  He didn't disavow the Virgin Birth, he simply showed that with this metaphor of faith that even a doctrinal tenet as strong as the Virgin Birth should not be such a strong part of our faith that if it turned out to be untrue that our faith as well would be proved untrue. (On a side note, it appears that the 2011 American Catholic Bishop's "New American Bible has remove the reference to Virgin Birth from Isaiah 7:14)

But apparently, his statements about the Virgin Birth didn't go nearly as far as the claim in his new book at upsetting the Christian community.  His new book Love Wins is due out April 1, and the short video promo and news release about the book this weekend was too much for some to handle.  Here's what the publisher says:

In Love Wins: Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, Bell addresses one of the most controversial issues of faith--the afterlife--arguing that a loving God would never sentence human souls to eternal suffering. With searing insight, Bell puts hell on trial, and his message is decidedly optimistic--eternal life doesn't start when we die; it starts right now. And ultimately, Love Wins.

In this video trailer, Bell asks "Is Gandhi Really in Hell?"  Seriously, what Christian wouldn't be ready to tackle that question.  These are the types of questions that should shake our faith to its very foundation.  How many good Christians have lived a life of anxiety worried about the eternal soul of a loved one?  How many people struggle with the question of what happens to little babies that die and what is the age of accountability?


LOVE WINS. from Rob Bell on Vimeo.

These are questions that I'd rather avoid; on one hand, the answer could be one that I find hard to live with, but on the other it could be an answer that contradicts much of what I have been taught my entire life about heaven and hell.

Apparently the reaction to Bell's new book in the "twitter/blogosphere" rated among the Oscars in terms of popularity over the weekend and the beginning of the week.  It's kind of crazy to think that so many people are ready to attack his theology before the book is even released.  As the title says, Love Wins, not only that, but truth wins, and if I find myself on the wrong side of truth I want to surrender before dying defending a lie that I've come to believe.

So I don't know what Rob Bell has to say about the Christian doctrine of Hell, but I am quite grateful that he has chosen to wrestle with the question.  I hope that the rest of Christendom will just as eagerly pursue the truth with humility.  I can neither stand in defense or judgement of Bell's theology, but I will always support the value of asking difficult questions.

A Manifesto for Restoration

"The Good News About the End of Christian America" reads the text across the front cover of Gabe Lyons' The Next Christians.  Many would argue that "Christian America" has always been a myth, but myth or reality, that mindset pervaded the evangelical Christian community throughout the second half of the twentieth century.

For this reason I found myself skeptical reading the first two chapters.  Lyons' described recent changes that would indicate that what once was an idyllic Christian environment has come undone in recent years.  I was wrong about Lyons' intention.  Rather than bemoaning the demise of "Christian America" and describing the twenty-first century method of fighting it, Lyons' embraces the challenges of a new century and the opportunities to reframe the Christian narrative in a restorative framework.

Lyons describes several subgroups of Christians, grouping them all into two main categories:  separatists and cultural.  The former reacts to the broader world by withdrawing and criticizing.  The latter integrates into the world at the expense of the gospel.  The Next Christians represent a third way forward.  This new way forward is neither progressive movement leaving the old behind nor a reactive movement rejecting the new to hold on to the old.


The next Christians practice restoration by fully living out the call of Paul to "be in and not of" this world.  They do this by being provoked, not offended; creative, not critical; called, not employed; grounded, not distracted; in community, not alone; countercultural, not relevant.  This third group of emerging Christians are neither separatist or culutural, reclaiming the full gospel beginning with creation and ending with restoration.

Within this clear and easy to follow framework, Lyons' fills out his description of The next Christian with moving stories of people living out this type of faith.  Some are familiar like the story of "To Write Love on Her Arms" and the simple Christianity of Shane Claiborne.  Others are surprising like the story of Kevin Kelly of Wired magazine.  Still others are personal acquaintances with first names only.  These stories turn an interesting but lifeless structure into an engaging and inspiring work.

The Next Christians encourages and equips the reader to begin a journey of engaging the contemporary world in a Christ-like restorative fashion.



Disclaimer: this book was received as a complimentary copy for review by the publisher.

A Sunday Prayer for History

Dear God,

In a world of smoke and mirrors and shifting sand, we thank you for being the Rock on which we stand.*  The passing of time brings loss and change, enough to shake the most steady soul, but you are ever with us.  When we fail to cope and berate each other give us peace within our hearts.  Remind us when we provoke our children, lose patience with our spouses, and complain about our work that we are a people of blessing.  Keep us mindful of your promises to us that our hearts may grow thankful and not bitter.

We continue to fret over money.  Paying three dollars a gallon seems unfair, and we hate to be burdened this way.  As we deal with economy and make hard decisions we pray that you would show us the way of simplicity.  In our thanks for food and drink, family and friends, community and health may we learn that is enough. 

We honestly pray for our leaders.  They have such tough decisions to make.  May our voices inform them and not deflate them.  Give them wisdom to lead.  We pray as well God that when political answers are not the end of our problems that you would give us the wisdom to lead.  We are the body of Christ on earth, may your Christians practice the discipline of “Thy Kingdom Come.”

Thank you God for being our Rock, for today we stand at the end of history and the beginning of future and we don’t know what it may bring.  We give thanks for the people of North Africa and the Middle East that they have found a voice and the world can now hear what they call for.  But we pray for peace to come, along with an end to oppression and tyranny.  May the people of Africa and the Middle East gain the freedom they desire that we have taken for granted.  As troubling as the affairs of the world may be, and as uncertain as they leave our future—from political changes in Africa to growing populations and economies in Asia may we remember to rest our hope in the future on you, that we may know that all things will work out for good.

We pray for the earthquake victims of New Zealand, and those coping with the aftermath of flood in Australia; and as we consider the world, we lift also the needs of our friends up to you God.  We know of many who have received word in the last weeks of serious health concerns for themselves or for family and we pray that as their worlds change in a way that will render them forever different that you would be their strength. 

And we pray for your Church dear God, and our little part in it.  May we be the agents to drive change for your Glory instead of the reactors that infuse anxiety into the world.  We can do this through your will, and for this reason we pray the prayer you taught us through Jesus, our Saviour:  Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us of our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever, Amen.

*credit to Jerry Varner for this line, a youth minister and friend from Richmond.

Embodiment as a Spiritual Discipline

I remember the "good old days" of sitting in the "gifted classrooms" at the county administration building in middle school programming the Apple II to make my name flash on the screen.  Flash forward six years, and I'm sitting in a lab of computers ten times as big trying to get the command right after the DOS prompt to find WordPerfect so that I could complete my first word processed paper in college.  Shortly after graduating I was using the internet and e-mail, and today I am resisting the urge to upgrade so that I can do so on a device that will fit into my pocket.

I'm certainly not at the head of the curve by any means, but like many (would it be presumptive to say most) I am certainly experiencing the ever increasing pull of connectedness offered by modern technology.  I am in the middle of reading a book called "The Next Christians" by Gabe Lyons.  I'll write a review of the book later, but chapter 8 is titled Grounded, not Distracted.  I encountered a new concept in this chapter that would serve all of us well in the changing world of the 21st century.

Lyons describes the concept of being "embodied, not divided" by sharing a story about Kevin Kelley, a senior writer for Wired Magazine.  To paraphrase, Kelly shares that God chose to be embodied in Jesus relating to his "creations" by being present with them.  Perhaps this would be another way of saying incarnational, but 1)does anyone really use that word, and 2)the idea of embodiment fits so much more nicely with the idea of the true church being the body of Christ on earth.

The basic premise of the idea of Embodiment is being truly present for others.  I notice this problem most acutely when I find myself at the counter of a store and the attendant takes a phone call while providing service to me.  I once had a parent take a phone call in the middle of a parent-teacher conference. (I am a teacher if you didn't know)  Most of American adult culture bemoans the teenage addiction to devices, but the over-30 crowd is quickly surpassing our youth in their attachment to technology driven connection.

Abstinence may be the answer for some, but the basic rules of embodiment as spelled out by Kelly and related in Lyons' book sounds like a great plan for beginning to notice our surroundings. 

Priority One: Face-to-Face.  If you are able to be physically in front of another person, they should have your full attention.

Priority Two:  Voice-to-Voice.  Without the visual "accountability" of physical presence it becomes increasingly important to refrain from engaging in other distracting behaviors such as watching the television, viewing your computer screen, etc.  Again, full attention to the person you are engaging with.

Priority Three: Screen-to-Screen.  Even here, we should be mindful that communication is a vital part of relationship.  We should keep this communication as brief as possible and recognize that there are limits to what can be communicated effectively this way.  And as always, the person with whom we are communicating deserves our full attention.

I doubt that Embodiment will achieve the status of traditional disciplines such as prayer and fasting (indeed, perhaps it shouldn't)  but as Christians in the 21st century, striving to be "in and not of" this world, the discipline appears to be a Christ-like practice.  The discipline of embodiment should keep us aware of the needs that God places in our lives enabling us to better serve as the body of Christ on earth.

Lyons' suggests that this relates to the story of Daniel refusing to eat the King's food.  A practice which seemed counter-cultural and certainly not mainstream led to blessing not only for Daniel, but for the lives that he touched.  Perhaps discipline in our use of technology, counter-cultural as it may seem, will serve to bless not only our lives, but the lives of others that we interact with daily.

The Gathering

For the last few months, several young people at our church have hosted a gathering on Saturday evenings aptly called-- "The Gathering."  Tonight I had my second opportunity to attend.  It is quite a unique experience.  Walking into the Gathering, the informal nature of the event is evident, but despite the informality, it is not disorganized.  The attitude is also rather loose and laid back, but certainly not irreverent.

The service is primarily music driven, but we also took the time to vocalize prayer requests and time was spent reading from the Bible and praying.  Usually when you attend a religious service with children their behavior can become an issue and minor disruptions cause great stress, but with the atmosphere in this service the children were not a problem at all.  In fact, they were included in part of the service tonight as the leaders invited them to participate with rythm instruments in one of the songs.

What I most appreciated tonight was the worshipful experience.  Several people gathered, shared a bit of their lives with each other, and worshipped God without the normal distractions of "church."  We didn't have to follow a bulletin or be mindful of the myriad other activities going on in a usual Sunday morning.  I found myself acutely aware of the words.  Words that resonated in my mind through this service.  Words that just don't seem to fit in our world anymore-- faithfulness, mercy, grace, joy, hope.

I applaud the three young adults who have initiated this experience for our community, and hope they find encouragement as they continue.  If you live in this community I would encourage you to join in this experience in March on the 26th and in April on the 30th.  The Gathering meets at Chestnut Grove Baptist Church in Earlysville at 4:00.  It is a wonderful time of experiencing God, friendship, music, and coffee.

Justice and Mercy Redux

Over the summer I posted a link to a sermon I gave at our church.  The text for the sermon was Micah 6:8 and the title "Justice and Mercy."  I also noted in a previous post that our church staff is currently involved in a study using the Kairos Lifeshapes tools.  The most recent shape we've looked at is the triangle as a tool for managing our relationships.

The three basic relationships in our lives are up, in, and out.  Up refers to our relationship with God, in to our relationship with a closer circle of friends, and out to our relationship with the larger world.  Jesus reflects this balance in his relationships, spending focused time alone with God, time in the company of a few disciples, and time among the crowd.  It only makes sense that we would strive for the same type of balance in our own lives.

The resource we use for this study compares the angles of the triangle to the three commands from Micah 6:8.  At first I didn't see the connection, and even felt like I had spent time trying to understand Micah 6:8, and this didn't seem to fit with my understanding.  The connection between walking humbly with Our God and the "up" portion of the triangle seems obvious.  But acting justly being an outward focus and loving mercy being an inward focus doesn't fit quite as nicely.

But then I got it.  Just last month I posted a video of Cornell West on the Colbert Report with a little commentary.  One of the quotes I shared was as follows: "Justice is what love looks like in public, just like tenderness is what it looks like in private."  If the "out" angle of the triangle represents how we relate to the world, this makes perfect sense--Justice is what love looks like in public.  And the "in" angle of the triangle represents how we relate to those we are closest to--Tenderness is what it looks like in private. (I'm taking liberty of associating tenderness and mercy)  The power to do both comes from the love of God which we draw from our upward relationship because after all, God is Love (1 John 4:8 & 16).

So may we learn to balance the relationships in our lives, acting justly in the world, showing mercy to those we love, and walking humbly with our God.

It's Real!

This week started off pretty poorly when I heard the news of the Taco Bell lawsuit claiming that their ground beef really only contained 33% beef.  I thought back to all of the tacos and burritos that I've consumed at "the Bell" with disgust.  But thankfully, the record has been set straight.  It turns out that Taco Bell officials assert that the lawsuit is unmerited, as the beef used at Taco Bell is 88% beef.

That sure did make me feel better, knowing that instead of 67% filler and other stuff, I had only been eating 12% filler and other stuff.  In all seriousness, after reading an ingredient list, it really doesn't seem that the Taco Bell meat is full of nastiness that you would be afraid to eat, but it does lead one to question again just how our food gets from pasture to table.  To think that an animals meat can be processed and repackaged to the point where when we finally eat it more than ten percent is actually something other than meat is an unsavory thought.  I reviewed the Omnivore's Dilemma in a post a few months back, and a story like this makes me appreciate the book even more.

On a side note, apparently Taco Bell has been proactive in deflecting criticism.  Here is a commercial from their new add campaign.  Click the link to find more related videos on YouTube if you find it entertaining, but honestly, you could probably catch the drift and figure out where it's going in about thirty seconds.  More after the break:


Just a few weeks ago, I rediscovered "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" on Netflix with my children.  I shared the discovery with a few co-workers.  We marveled at how the show resembled a Public Service Announcement more than entertainment.  When I remember the cartoons of my childhood, I appreciate the positive message that so many of them conveyed.  I learned positive social interactions from Albert and the Gang; grammar, math, science and history from School House Rocks, and even G.I. Joe reminded us that "knowing is half the battle."

This add campaign seems to hearken back to those days.  Unfortunately, its purpose is to mask the seriousness of a message that needs to become a part of the public dialogue.  It also serves to further manipulate the public into a false sense of dependence on the corporate machine that so drives the American economy and culture today.

To be fair, Taco Bell does not appear to be acting in an unreasonable or unlawful manner, nor does their product seem to be unsafe for consumption.  They do not appear to be misleading in their response to the accusation.  But I still have this nagging desire to move my diet away from the corporate/factory model of food production and consumption so ubiquitous in our world today.

Thinking of this post in terms of my blog title, it is so easy to take the quick and convenient route to our sustenance.  But if we truly see our bodies as the temple of our Lord we should certainly take more care in what we put in it; and if we see ourselves as caretakers of God's creation we should be more mindful of how our choices in consumption affect that role.