Bigger Than Basketball by Clint

The night before last, I was crushed. I couldn’t believe what I heard on the radio. Now is a good time to mention that I am a huge Baylor basketball fan, especially this season. I can’t exactly explain it, but for various reasons, I am really emotionally attached to this year’s team. I have watched or listened to almost every game this year. By the way, when you listen to an entire regular season men’s college basketball game on the radio, it either qualifies you as a dork or a die-hard fan. I hope I fall into the latter category. Anyways, the last two games have been devastating. We lose in the most heartbreaking ways- I’ve coined the term, Bear-ly losing. It’s not just tough losses, they’re losses that come down to the final seconds and games that we are right in position to win. The loss last night against Oklahoma was too much to handle after coming back against UT one game earlier to only throw the game away. I won’t go into all the details with the Oklahoma game, but it involves overtime, winning by four with fifteen seconds, and missed free throws. As mad as I was, I thought about the game, the season, and the past few years for Baylor men’s basketball, and I got a little needed perspective.

You probably remember the events that happened to the Baylor men’s basketball team in the summer of ’03. There was a tragic murder and a terrible scandal. The entire program had blood on its hands, as the coach and others were part of a cover up to make the victim, Patrick Dennehy, look like a drug dealer. The head coach was fired and banned from coaching in the NCAA until 2015 (He will certainly never coach in college again). Baylor’s athletic director resigned, and the school rightly imposed harsh sanctions on its own program along with the sanctions levied by the NCAA. Our program was as good as over. Realistically, it would take over ten years even to start to compete in the Big 12. The whole events were utterly tragic, and it was another black eye on a school that desires to promote Christian values and ethics.

Two days ago, I read an article about the resurgence of the Baylor men’s basketball program. The article spoke to the miraculous turn around of the program. We have competed and even beat top 25-ranked teams this year, and are in the top 6 of teams in the Big 12. The rebuilding process was one of sacrifice and hope. When Scott Drew came to coach the team, people told him he had lost his mind. When Aaron Bruce left Australia to come play for Baylor, his friends did their best to convince him not to go. They both explained why they came to Baylor. Their responses were the same. “I wanted to be part of something bigger than basketball.” And they certainly have been. Along with them, Coach Drew has had great success recruiting, and Baylor has a bright future. But even more than recruiting success and winning games, they have blessed one person more than they might ever know. Brian Brazabon, the stepfather of Patrick Dennehy, watches every game he can. He still has his son’s old jersey and he roots his heart out for Baylor as one of the only BU fans in Nevada where he lives and works. The success and sacrifice of those in the Baylor program have given him a chance to cheer for something and a chance to replay precious memories of his son.

We often forget we are part of something bigger than the work we do, the hobbies we are good at, and the people we know. We sell ourselves short and say, “Well I’m just ….” One of my favorite stories in scripture is when Peter is restored by Jesus after Jesus’ resurrection. Peter probably looked at himself as a lowly fisherman who had betrayed his friend and failed as a disciple. Yet Jesus tells him that he will feed and care for the flock, meaning he would lead those in the early Christian church. Jesus tells Peter that he will be part of something bigger than he could ever imagine. Peter must have been scared, and he must have known the road would be extremely difficult. But he wanted to be part of something bigger. In faith, if you realize you can be part of what Jesus is doing in the world, if you believe that faith can still move, you can be part of something bigger than you even know. Believe in that, and take steps of faith for the Lord.

The Schizophrenic Church by Brady

Few people who have worked on a seminary degree would argue against the fact that it is one of the hardest things to accomplish. The hardest part of seminary is that it lasts so long (a 93 hour Masters degree) and is grueling physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I would say, without trying to be overdramatic, that I live with a tension within me most days. Maybe I should “let go and let God,” but the truth is that it is hard to wrestle with the tough questions in Christianity while also dealing with the day to day grind of balancing family, school, work, and social life. I do not think it is seminary students alone that live with this tension I am talking about, because I think it is a societal issue present in many people today.

We are in the midst of a dramatic paradigm shift within our civilization today. We are moving from the Enlightenment way of thinking called Modernism to a Post-Enlightenment age called Postmodernism. But anytime a massive shift like this takes place, it is never quick and easy. Within our faith, we have people who are operating fully on the Modern paradigm, those who are attempting to function fully on the Postmodern paradigm, and the rest of us being pulled between the two. This pulling actually creates great stress on individuals as well as institutions. David Bosch says in Transforming Mission, “This (shift) produces a kind of theological schizophrenia, which we just have to put up with while at the same time groping our way toward greater clarity. Scholars in all disciplines are overtaxed, and yet there is no way in which we can evade the demands made on us.” (p. 188)

One place this change in paradigms is particularly stretching is the Christian Church. Bosch goes on to say, “the Christian church in general and the Christian mission in particular are today confronted with issues they have never even dreamt of and which are crying out for responses that are both relevant to the times and in harmony with the essence of the Christian faith.” This is the stress I feel spiritually in my ministry. How can I be relevant to the world while remaining true to Christ? Another way to put it is “What does Jerusalem have to do with Waco?”

Maybe you are unlike me and do not feel this tension or maybe have not even heard of Postmodernism. All I can say to that is you are either operating on the old paradigm, live in a community sheltered from the outside world (which is not always a bad thing), or are ticking a lot of people off and you don’t care or aren’t aware of it. But either way, the shift is happening with or without you, and it is your job to make yourself aware of the culture you are living in. You may be wondering, why in the world would I want to live with this spiritual tension in my life? The answer is simple.

First, you are called to be a follower of Christ in one of the most important times in Christian history. I truly believe that the Christian Church, especially in the West, is on the ropes like it has not been in hundreds, if not thousands, of years. But there is another reason as well. Living with tension can create something beautiful for the world to ultimately be a better place to live. If you like listening to music, how good would a guitar sound if the strings were not full of tension? Maybe you’re an avid tennis player, so how well would your racket serve you if the strings were not wound tight with stress? Girls, you are the biggest fans of stress because diamonds ultimately would not be produced unless they were put under high pressure and heat naturally by the earth. My point is, stress can either kill you or produce something great. This is where we stand as the Church today.

Some sources today say Christianity has over 38,000 denominations and I would say each one believes they have the full revelation from God. This Church must decide what it will be to the next generation. Whatever it decides, there is one fact that remains: A single individual that lived in Israel in the first century has utterly turned this world upside down with the Good News he brought to us. During this time of change and uncertainty, my prayer is that we rest firmly in this reality.

Pit-iful Experiences by Clint

About two weeks ago, I went to the Foo Fighter’s concert in Dallas at the America Airlines Center. The show was awesome, and I was fortunate enough to land tickets in The Pit. The Pit is the area right in front of the stage on the floor. It’s usually really claustrophobic and hot, but it is a really fun way to see a show. I don’t think they officially call it the pit anymore, though. A few years ago I went to a concert and on my ticket it said, The Pit. This time, on my ticket it just said “Floor.” I was a little disappointed to be honest. Labeling it The Pit kind of encapsulates the experience. I guess they changed the terminology because “pit” just has so many negative connotations. I guess it’s too grungy a term to put on the ticket stub. Besides using it as a label for concert seating, I can’t think of any positive things relating to a pit. Some of the ladies reading this might say Brad Pitt, but that doesn’t count. Pits just aren’t good things. It makes you think of expressions like “bottomless pit.”

I meet with the youth at my church on Wednesday night, and I was trying to relate to them the story of Joseph. I think the point that hit home the most with them was Joseph’s experience of being thrown into a pit by his brothers. It connected with them because we’ve all been in personal pits. We’ve all had moments where we feel like we are at the bottom. We feel as though we are in a place where there is no getting out of. Before being tossed into the pit, Joseph was on top of the world. He was young, had a great relationship with his father, and he was even having dreams of being powerful and successful. Things took a sour turn, however, when Joseph tells his brothers his dream of them bowing down to him. Being the baby of the family may make you a bit spoiled and naïve, but he should have known better than to tell his older brothers about his dream. Some dreams you just keep to yourself, and this was one of those. So one moment Joseph is on top of the world, and the next he is down in a hole, betrayed by his own family.

Something that jumps out at me in this story is that the brothers were going to kill Joseph first and then throw him in the well. They were going to use the well as a grave. They don’t end up killing Joseph, but they still throw him into what would have been his grave. Joseph, in essence, was buried alive. How often do people say things like, “My life is over!” Or, “I’m done for.” It is easy to pronounce ourselves dead when there is still so much living to do, and so much that can happen. Joseph could have easily thought that he was done for. All his plans, his hopes, and his dreams (remember his dreams from Gen. 37:5-9) surely were at the bottom of that well with him, never to get out. It’s hard enough to look forward from ground level, it’s near impossible to do so from the bottom of a hole. Why didn’t God keep him out of that well? Why did Joseph have those dreams that got him into trouble? God, though, was with Joseph at the bottom of the well. God was still working in the life of Joseph. Even when the situation went from bad to worse, as Joseph was taken out of the well to be sold as a slave to Gypsies, God was still working in him. As you may know, Joseph went on to be a great leader in Egypt. He was reunited with his brothers, and he played a major role in the narrative of his people. When life lands you in a pit (and like Joseph, it may even be the work of those close to you), know that God still won’t abandon you. But there aren’t always promises of an easy escape. Some people battle pits their whole life. But the hope is that God can work good out of pit experiences. In faith, no pit has to be a bottomless one. Don’t pronounce things to be over before they are. God is a God of Hesed, meaning He is loyal and merciful. A good parent doesn’t over-protect their child from every scrape, bump, bruise, and hardship. A good parent, though, offers support and concern in those times. God is a good and gracious Father. He won’t abandon you in a pit when you call to Him.

Even More On Hesed by Brady

I have been talking recently about the importance not only believing the right thing, but also doing the right thing when it comes to being a disciple. In my last blog, I talked about how Western Christianity puts more stress on orthodoxy (right belief) than orthopraxy (right practice). I wanted to take an example a little further than I used last time in order to get us thinking about hesed and what it means to become vertically horizontal.

I suggested last time that most people choose their church and decide if they like a preacher based on their orthodoxy rather than examining their orthopraxy. In fact, the majority of churchgoers often wonder what exactly it is that their pastor does during the normal work week. To add to this, our education system has trained us that we must learn by sitting and listening, and that this practice will somehow change the way we interact with the world around us. The only field I can see that does an above average job of continually breaking down this paradigm is science. At least students are forced to dissect actual animals and complete chemistry experiments in order to better understand the study of science.

The funny thing is that we have allowed the Western way of learning to greatly influence how we do church. We turn following Christ into a passive activity such as listening to a sermon and then feel like we are magically further along the road of becoming a better follower/disciple of Christ. I am not sure that you can “disciple” someone in a Sunday School room. Don’t get me wrong, I love preaching and teaching and it is how I make my living, but this cannot be the sum of the Christian life. Jesus was a Rabbi and he used common rabbinical techniques in order to teach about the kingdom of God. He taught in parables and on the streets where all of the action was. Today, it is culturally unacceptable to teach on the streets where people actually live. These types of preachers are seen as condemning and seem to have a social disorder.

But Jesus taught on the streets to the common, everyday person and he used genius techniques in order to get his point across. Even his teaching was the embodiment of hesed, perfectly blending the horizontal and vertical. He used ordinary and tangible examples in his parables when he preached. In fact, the illustrations he would use would sometimes be so “earthly” that the people would get confused on what the heck a seed has to do with God (see Matthew 13:1-23). Another example is the famous parable known as “The Good Samaritan,” when Jesus left the crowd baffled with a normal, universal story about what it means to be an actual child of God (see Luke 10:25-37). In fact, Jesus ends the parable in Luke 10:36-37 by using the Greek version of hesed, which is eleos. ““Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him eleos.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.””

The truth is that you should judge a preacher on their orthodoxy and what they believe. In fact, I believe that the more technology plays a dominant role in our lives, the harder it is to maintain the attention of the congregation. This means we preachers are going to have to use more creative methods to teach the proper orthodoxy in coming years. But, I have a suggestion for you before you choose a new church, buy a Christian book, or watch a preacher on TBN: Find out if they live out their faith daily! Too many prominent pastors are getting busted living lifestyles that no more reflect Jesus than I reflect Tom Brady on the football field. The reason these “pastorpreneurs” can have thousands upon thousands of people reading their books and listening to their sermons and then get busted embezzling money, doing drugs, or having an affair is because we don’t take the time to check out their faith in action. In some cases, we would rather not know if they live their faith out as long as we can benefit from their teaching.

Is it possible that we have put too much emphasis on our vertical relationship with God that we have reached an unhealthy balance when it comes to faith and practice? Is it possible to be spiritual but not be right with God? When do we reach the point that we have checked out on those around us in the name of “serving God”? It is probably when we reach the point that Jesus describes in Matthew 23. “Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. “The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God’s Law. You won’t go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don’t live it. They don’t take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It’s all spit-and-polish veneer…Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called ‘Doctor’ and ‘Reverend.’” (Matthew 23:1-3; 6-7 from The Message) We must decide if the state of the Western Church is maintaining a proper balance when it comes to the call of embodying hesed. May we all become Hesed Now.

An Atheist and A Flood by Clint

I have no business immersing myself in the world of Psychology. I know little to nothing about the field; however, I was a psych major at Baylor, so I do feel entitled enough to read Psychology Today magazine occasionally. Some of it’s outside my interest –or maybe just over my head- but a lot of it is really fascinating. In the recent issue there was an article entitled, “Atheist in the Pulpit.” Naturally, being in ministry, I grabbed the magazine and flipped right to the article, very curious as to what the article would say. As I read, I found the account of a minister who had been struggling with his belief as he continued to preach, pastor, and comfort people in the hospital. He finally got to the point where he renounced his faith, and now he is in “recovery” from religion. In reading his words, his loss of faith was a slow process. I could tell that it began with his loss of touch with God. You’re probably saying, “Good work Sherlock. Of course that how loss of faith begins!” But I couldn’t stop thinking about how the former minister talked of the way that this loss of faith crept up on him. He was even still preaching every Sunday after he had personally renounced his faith. He expressed that all of this happened over an extended time, though, and it started with his loss of passion in relation to God. It is easy to fall into the trap of going through all the motions with the programmed form of a robot. It’s like muscle memory: I had a baseball coach tell me that if you do the same thing 20 times, 20 times a day for 20 days, your muscles will store that action and you can do it without even thinking about it. And going through that form may look good, and you may think you’ve got it down pat. In worship, however, getting into a pattern of always just going through the motions isn’t good enough for God. God wants spontaneity. God wants heart. God wants true passion and loyalty. Think about it in terms of relationship- if you did something nice or seemingly heartfelt for your significant other, and they asked, “What is this for!?” How would it go over if you replied, “We are in a relationship. I am supposed to do little things to make it seem like I care. I got this idea from a commercial.” That would probably land you back into the dating world, and with that level of sensitivity, good luck! But being perfectly honest, how easy is it to pass off our relationship with God by going through motions.

Back to the preaching Atheist- he lost touch, and he started going through the motions. A relationship just cannot survive without the true heart behind it, especially a relationship with God who is pure love. So, when God tells the Israelites that he is sick of their burnt offerings (Hos. 6:6), he is telling them that the robotic stuff just isn’t working. In Genesis, Noah makes an offering to God after the flood, and the aroma is pleasing to God. After landing on dry ground after all the trauma and devastation, I’m sure Noah’s offering was passionate and honest. The flood account has been on my mind lately because I feel like there is trauma and devastation all around us now in 2008. It is difficult to read the paper or watch the news. Few things are more chaotic and uncontrollable than a flood. Things seem pretty messy and uncontainable right now, kind of like a flood. In all that, don’t become jaded. Don’t become a worship robot just going through the motions. Show God Hesed- covenant loyalty. Show the people around you Hesed- mercy. Amongst the floods in your life, let your offering to God be fragrant.

More On Hesed by Brady

I often think about the differences between what it means to follow Christ in today’s culture and what it was like to follow him in the 1st century. In some ways it is easier to follow him today, and in other ways following him now is much more difficult. For example, today we are not going to suffer persecution in America for being a Christian. Christianity is also more institutionalized, and many Christians can be nominal followers of Christ and still claim to worship him. In other ways, though, it is harder today for believers. In the 1st century you either followed him around or you didn’t. You would know exactly what he looks like, smells like, and what he said. Another difficulty is our language barrier, because some words from the Bible simply don’t translate properly from the original Hebrew and Greek. Hesed is an Old Testament word, but another intriguing example of the language barrier is a New Testament term which has changed meaning over time as we use it today in the English language.

The word dikaiosyne is usually translated as “righteousness” in our English Bibles. When we think of the word as Western Christians, we usually think of it referring to justification (God’s mercy declaring us acceptable) or righteousness (a spiritual concept dealing with a quality we receive from God). These attributes are rightly attributed when we come across the word dikaiosyne, but only partly correct. There is also an element of justice (the right conduct in relation to fellow human beings) that we have missed out on. We have an obvious bias to hear dikaiosyne and think only of piety and not of integrity when it comes to dealing with others. David Bosch in Transforming Mission suggests “we should translate it with “justice-righteousness”, in an attempt to hold on to both dimensions.” (p. 72)

Perhaps part of the reason we miss out on what this means, as we also often ignore the horizontal aspect of hesed, is because Western Christianity is more focused on orthodoxy (right belief) over orthopraxy (right practice). But one website says that hesed, in regards to us as human beings, means 1 of 4 things: (1) doing favors and benefits for others; (2) kindness extended to the needy; (3) affection or love of Israel to God; (4) lovely appearance. I don’t see anything in there about our ability to theologically debate someone.

However, the normal Sunday routine for most of us is to sit and learn and then feel like that has automatically gotten us a step down the road to becoming an improved disciple of Christ. I can’t tell you how many preachers are either loved or hated for having a different orthodoxy (“He’s not a Calvinist”) than the person in the pew. How many times have you heard people get upset that the pastor is not serving at a soup kitchen on Wednesday mornings. This plays out into our normal practice of what it means to become a Christian in the first place. Many people walk an aisle, pray a prayer, get dunked, and then they have the much needed “fire insurance” promised by the pastor. Even if elements of this are absolutely central to faith, notice they all deal with proper orthodoxy rather than having a component of orthopraxy involved.

If the Western Church is going to recover from the giant difficulties it is currently experiencing (decreasing numbers, lack of participation, other religions growing substantially, etc.), I suggest we reevaluate our orthodoxy of no orthopraxy. What I am saying is that we should stop compartmentalizing our faith to church only. The reason other faiths are growing so quickly in the West is because they actually demand something of the followers. I can name at least 4 other major faith groups outside of Christianity that demand a total change of life if you are to be a true follower. They require you to change the way you eat, dress, act, and worship. They require daily prayer and submission to a higher authority. The fact is, the call to follow Christ is demanding. It is our interpretation of it that has watered it down to an hour on Sunday morning.

There is an urgent need to return to the belief that our vertical relationship with God affects how we interact with others horizontally. It’s as Bosch put it later in his book, “To become a disciple means a decisive and irrevocable turning to both God and neighbor.” (p. 82) Something changes in all of us when we go beyond cognitively learning the Gospel, and we advance into doing and being the Gospel. The truth is, as much as I devote myself to being correct in orthodoxy, Christianity is much more than just a set of doctrinal beliefs. “Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.” (Matthew 22:37-40 from The Message)

From No to Know by Clint

The other night, I was hitting up Luby’s for dinner. Fried chicken was on my mind, and also there’s no better mac & cheese than what they have at Luby’s. I pulled in and went inside, planning on grabbing the styrofoam to-go box and taking dinner back to my apartment. When I jumped in line, there was a group of about eight elderly couples in front of me. Another older couple got in line right behind me. I was feeling relatively outgoing and talkative, so I smiled at the gentleman behind me and said, “this must be a church group” (they just had that look about them). He started to say yes, but then hesitated and added that they were actually retired ministers that get together once a month. At this point, we had now found ourselves in a full on conversation. I commented that I was in seminary at Baylor and pastoring a country church. Most of them had gone to Baylor, and they had once been seminarians, too. He then invited me to eat dinner with them. In that split-second decision time, I thought about the fact that I had already planned to get the food, jet home, and see what was on T.V., but I found myself saying yes to his offer. Me, with my hair somewhat faux-hawked (would that be a faux-faux-hawk?) and in more metro-style clothes than I normally wear at the table with five 70-something couples. It might have looked peculiar to everyone else in the restaurant. I’m telling this story because I ended up having a blast sitting with them. They were very kind, interesting, and funny. I noticed an intriguing peace that all of them seemed to have. They were living in that moment, and they were content with seemingly everything. I was able to gain a lot of wisdom from that one dinner, but I’ll never forget the answer to one of my questions. I asked one of the old ministers, “What’s the biggest blessing to a life of ministry, and what’s the most difficult thing about a life of ministry?” He began to answer, but his wife cut him off. She said, “The biggest blessing is definitely the people. The biggest challenge, though, is definitely…the people.” I thought her reply was funny and wise, and it applies to everyone, not just ministers. A major part of the Hebrew word Hesed is the relational aspects. In community and in fellowship, we can bless and honor God. Christ said the two most important commandments are loving God and loving people (Mk. 12:28-31). Talking with folks that had faced the challenge of people because of their love for people made me realize the fulfillment that can be gained in relationships. God desires us to be relational. And most of us have the innate desire to be relational. However, because of the challenging aspects of relationships, we often put up walls, and close ourselves off from people that might be a bit risky to get to know. When the old minister invited me to dinner with his whole group, he took a little risk. What if I had terrible table manners? What if I was rude or insensitive? What if I dominated the conversation? I could have ruined their monthly Luby’s reunion, but he took a chance seeing that I might learn from them, and they might learn from me. Also, I almost said “no” to the offer! Going home and watching T.V. almost took precedence over eating a meal with great people. I realized that I needed to rethink my mental programming that immediately wants to say “no” to opportunities. When Christ approached two brothers wrestling with fishing nets, and asked them to follow him, I wonder if their first inclination was to say “no”(Mark 1:16-20). What a blessing that they didn’t! Their lives were certainly never the same. Theologians have a term called the “divine Yes.” This is that God said “Yes” to us as He is willing to love us and provide a Savior for us from sin. So, it seems as though we should be willing to say “yes” not only to Christ but also to a willingness to form relationships with those around us, even if they will be challenging.

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Buying Toilet Paper by Brady

The other night I was in Wal-Mart shopping for a few things and wasting time while a prescription was getting filled. I happened to remember that we were running low on toilet paper so I decided to pick some up while I had the time. Little did I know it was going to take 30 minutes to get out of the store and I would be carrying around this bulky load of toilet paper for the majority of the time.

I don’t know why my mind works this way, but it does and I can’t help it. I started to get a little embarrassed about carrying toilet paper around and I felt like people were looking at me like I was freak. I get extremely awkward in these types of situations. I especially get uncomfortable during church camps when kids forget certain hygiene products and I have to go make their purchases for them. But I had a spiritual revelation during my time in Wal-Mart brought on by buying toilet paper.

I started thinking about the state of the church today and the moral failures many prominent Christians have had in recent months. I also couldn’t help thinking about people in the church that I know struggle with things but always act like things are ok. When asked how they are doing, the proper response is a smile and a “just great!” This goes on even though their marriage may be falling apart, they may be addicted to a certain habit or substance, they are depressed, doubting their faith, or they are stealing from their work.

I do believe that a sin is a sin in God’s eyes, but what I have learned in the last couple of years is that all sins are not exactly equal. All Sin (capital “s”) separates us from God, but certain sins carry different consequences than others. But even though I do not believe there is much scriptural evidence to make a blanket statement declaring “all sins are equal,” I do know that we all struggle with darkness in our lives because we live in a sinful world.

So why is it that we have our own junk in our lives, but also we carry on in church life like we’re not dying inside? It is as stupid as me getting embarrassed about buying toilet paper. I quickly got over the awkwardness in Wal-Mart when I had the revelation that we all buy toilet paper. In fact, if you don’t buy toilet paper you’re worse than those of us carrying that 4x4 plastic square around in public which screams “I go to the bathroom” to the world.

Derek Webb, a popular Christian singer, once said that the best thing that could happen to any of us is if the 7 o’clock news would broadcast our deepest, darkest secret to the entire world. Then we could stop devoting so much energy to protecting our image and the lie that is as foolish is saying you never go to the bathroom. Think about how much of your life you devote to covering up secret sins and dark thoughts. One of the most refreshing spiritual experiences I have had in recent memory happened this morning at church when my pastor opened up the altar for prayer. Dozens of people flocked to the front, but this happened only after the pastor and his wife went on their knees first. It was different than the other times I’ve seen altar calls happen where everybody stands by waiting to see who is going to admit that they actually “go to the bathroom” and the pastor waits on this sinner to come confess in front of everyone. Of course, the congregation only watches in anticipation so they can pray for this poor soul during the week.

So why is the body of Christ not more honest with each other about our shortcomings and doubts? First, I’m not convinced most churches have the spirit and grace to allow such honesty from its members. We too often talk about each other’s shortcomings as though we do not have a plank in our own eyes. Also, I think we’ve all been trained by our Christian culture to act like we have it all together. I also believe our system teaches us that we are only accountable to ourselves, but the reality is that when we give our lives to Christ we give away our right to complete autonomy. Finally, I’m not sure most churches have the spiritual maturity to give the proper grace and discipline needed in these types of situations. I do know this though, it is only when we are open and honest with others about our sin that God will fully heal us from our fallen nature. But hey, I may be wrong here and maybe this type of “bathroom talk” is no longer acceptable today.

Newness by Clint

You might laugh at me for this, but I am obsessed with the band, The Killers. I don't care what anybody says, they are the best band out right now, and I am confident in my musical tastes. Sidenote: I saw them live in Austin, and they were really good live, too. Anyways, because of my incessant listening, I had completely played out their last album, "Sam's Town," and it had found its way to the nether regions of my IPod. I was moving on to new horizons until I downloaded their album of B-Sides called "Sawdust." It's all I play in my car right now. I know, though, that in about five days, I'll start playing out this album, too, and I'll get sick of it. It's funny how that happens. It can be with food, music, books, even activities. When we latch on to something we tend to overuse it, and it gets old, quick. And it's kind of sad when that moment of realization hits when you know something you love has just lost some of its magic. Scripture tells us that eternal life is in no way like this. Eternal life and the glory of God never get old. A close reading of the book of Revelation speaks to the limitless glory and beauty of being in God's presence: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children (NASV Revelation 21:1-7)." The kicker of this passage for me is, "See, I am making all things new." 'Making' is in the present tense, telling us that dwelling with God is constant newness. He will continue to renew and continue to give life. Being in God's presence and dwelling with Him will never get old. We are so used to things getting old, though. We are so accustomed to relationships that turn sour, hobbies that lose their intrigue, and passions that fizzle out, that it is extremely hard to wrap our minds around the concept of constant newness. Trust that God can give that constant newness that is eternal life. Know that our worship now is to be a reflection of our hope for dwelling with our Creator. The challenge is to find newness in worship and let that integrate into all other aspects of your life. So, when you download that next song on iTunes and it gets old, be reminded that our songs and praises in God's presence never will.

Fearing the Unknown by Brady

Fear is one of the most powerful forces in the universe. I think it would be interesting to chart and graph how much of our daily activity is actually driven by our fears and worry. The funny thing is that most of us are too prideful to admit it when we are crippled by fear because we do not want to show any signs of weakness. So this is when we begin to say things like, “I am just a little anxious or concerned,” rather than confessing full blown fear.

In the last month or so, I have had two experiences where actual fear has come over me without a doubt. One instance was when I was driving back from my church in Waxahachie, and Clint called to tell me that there was a church shooting in Colorado. I asked him what happened and for more details, but he really couldn’t give me much more information. Because I work in a church environment, I had this sense of fear and sadness for the situation at this church. The fear sat with me for a couple of minutes until I had the thought, “when I get home I’ll check out the news and I will be able to make more sense of the situation.” Why is it that so often our fears are driven by the amount of information we know about whatever is terrifying us?

Another example from my personal life where I have experienced fear has come recently from moving to a new ministry at a different church. Most people recognize that changing jobs is one of the more stressful activities in life, but why is this? I believe the largest reason it is so nerve-racking is the fear of the unknown. We aren’t sure how things will turn out and are scared of making wrong choices that will affect our future. I believe this is one of the main reasons people fear death as much we do.

Death is seen by many people in our culture as the ultimate equalizer and as the absolute end of a person. It is also the one thing that no one can experience with a partner. In the movie The Notebook, the final seen gets so many people teary-eyed thinking about how romantic it would be to die in bed with the one and only love of your life. But the truth about that scene is that both Allie and Noah, the main characters in the film, entered into death on their own. There is no standing before God with your husband or wife, pastor, or best friend. To add to our fears, we have never met anyone who has died and come back to tell us about it (unless you buy into Bill Wiese’s book 23 Minutes in Hell).

With all of this fear, there is one thing most people generally do not fear today and that is God. I can’t tell you how many times my youth ask me, “Why does the Bible say we are to fear God?” This is because many Christian circles, especially the one I run in, only teach 1 John 4:8 and that God is love. While this is an accurate description of God, God’s scope is bigger than just this. Jesus addresses many of the fears I have discussed in the Gospel of Luke. In Luke 12:4-7 he says, “‘I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Jesus is saying that we should not fear people who take innocent lives, we should not fear new jobs or situations in life, and we should not even fear death because it is not the end of your story. He is saying that we should fear a God who has the power to control our eternal destiny. This fear is a respect for God, and the respect is shown primarily through how we spend our time on earth. We know that God cares for us because He created us and He is the embodiment of love. Jesus says He even knows the number of hairs on our head. But He is not blinded by this love so much that He can remove His holiness and allow us to have communion with Him when we are in sin. There should not fear the “unknown” things in our life, but we should be frightened by being fully known by the Living God. I know the Bible teaches perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18), and it also teaches that it is a terrible thing to be caught in the hands of the Living God when we are due His judgment (Hebrews 10:31). This is a tension as Christians we all must learn to deal with, but whatever we choose to fear, it should ultimately bring reverence to our hearts for the all-powerful, creator God.

Enligthened Idolatry by Clint

When I read in the Bible about people worshiping idols, I find it somewhat strange. The temptation to worship other gods and idols seemed so strong for the people of the biblical time, even those who had seen God’s work in their lives (Exodus 32). I read this and think, “I would never be tempted in such a way.” Or, “What’s up with them worshiping stuff like golden calves? Honestly, why worship a golden calf?” The whole idol thing sounds so unsophisticated and archaic. The scary thing is that I’m not so sure we are as far removed from all this as we might think; it’s just taken a different, more sophisticated form. I think there are just as many or probably more things in our lives now that distract us from God or tempt us away from Him. We allow ourselves to be so busy and plugged in to so many things that God can become distant to us very quickly.

I thought about this the other day: I went from my apartment, where the TV and computer were on, to my car where I quickly adjusted the air conditioning and radio, to a class I’m taking in which I was on my laptop most of the time (not to mention I was checking my cell-phone voicemail on the way down to my car). We are so digitized and electronified. It’s getting out of control. I’m thinking that this over-reliance and over-exposure can be like a sophisticated idolatry. Now, we can’t shun progress, and it’s not smart to be ignorant and avoidant of technological progress, but I feel confident in saying that we’re beyond the saturation point and most of us are guilty of this saturation. It becomes almost impossible to hear God’s voice when we are constantly tuned in to the voices and influence of media, music, blogs, television, emails, 24 hour news, youtube, and the list goes on and on. All of these things when overused or over-relied upon can become an enlightened idolatry. It doesn’t seem like idolatry because it’s sophisticated and new, but it might just be our biggest hurdle to healthier relationships with God. Again, these technologies can add to productivity and make communication easier. They offer a lot. But it is easy to let ourselves stay so bombarded with stimuli that we sacrifice our ability to hear God’s voice in our lives.

There’s a song by the group Incubus called “Talk Shows on Mute.” The point of the song is that we have become so plugged in to media that it is molding us in the image it desires. How often do we see destructive things on TV? At least in my case, I would say too often. How are those things impacting us? The song I just mentioned reflects sadly on how so many people’s realities are being molded and shaped by producers and media moguls looking for a “new shocking moment” to get rich by. God made us in His image. With all the un-godly images flashing into our brains, it is easy to forget that.

Secret Crowds by Brady

The word explosion carries with it an idea of something loud and boisterous. The actual definition of explosion is “a violent expansion or bursting with noise.” If something explodes and you are near it, you cannot help but be affected by it. If a Dr. Pepper explodes and you are near, you can bet that things are getting sticky quickly. Or like one of my favorite episodes on Lost, a character named Arzt is carrying nitro glycerin with a few of the other main characters and it explodes unexpectedly. As they walk on after losing another person on the island, one of the characters is told that he has “a piece of Arzt” on him. This is the idea that goes along with the word explosion.

Many sociologists would agree that Christianity exploded in its formative and early years faster than anything that can be described as “normal” by our modern standards. What started out as a small group of people who followed Jesus around grew into the dominant religion in the Roman Empire by 325 AD. Before this date, Christianity was a movement driven by an underground agenda with subversive elements going against the Roman Imperial culture. When Constantine became the “first Christian Roman Emperor,” the movement was already being transformed into dominant status as opposed to being the constant underdog. Think, for the majority of Christianity’s first 300 years, our forefathers and foremothers underwent persecution and faced opposition by culture at large. Even though Christianity was exploding during these first 300 years, it was a quiet explosion.

Today in our culture, there is no such thing as Christianity being quiet. I know most people wish some Christians would do that very thing: be quiet. And maybe we should take a hint from our culture and do what they are begging us to do, return to our roots. I am not attempting to romanticize the early church because I know things were extremely difficult for the first believers in Christ. We now have 2000 years of doctrine, tradition, history, and examples to follow, all which we should take advantage of. What I am suggesting is that the time is coming where Christians will be forced out of certain arenas we have become accustomed of dominating. Maybe this will not happen tomorrow, but the world at large is becoming progressively “Anti-Christian” as we speak. As this happens, it is not something to fear, but to embrace.

I believe the Good News of Jesus is exploding all over the globe as we speak. I believe it is exploding in people’s hearts as you read this. If your faith is dry and your passion is mild, I do not think it is because God is stale or that Christ is not alive. I would tend to feel that it may have more to do with your personal life or situation rather than God. God is living, active, and fully engaged in His world. His message, brought through Jesus, cannot help but explode on a daily basis. So, if you are waking up feeling dispassionate or dreading life, I would say you need to experience the explosion of Good News afresh once again in your life. I would personally move myself and do whatever it takes to be where God is moving. This does not mean life will always be easy, fun, or blessed. You will not always feel close to God. There is not one single aspect of life where we remain fully engaged 100% of the time. But, when you do have a moment that wakens you to the fact that you need to engage more, I suggest you do it.

There is a new song on Angels & Airwaves’ I-Empire CD called “Secret Crowds.” The lyrics to the song correspond beautifully with the message of the Gospel and where I believe God is taking His church in the coming years. This song uses a phrase that says “to spread love like violence.” It goes on to say we need to “watch our words spread hope like fire,” and then “secret crowds rise up and gather, hear your voices sing back louder.” The whole idea is that violence is naturally reactive. If someone hits you, you want to hit back. Love also demands a response. If you spread love violently, then people must react. Look at Jesus and his life. His whole life was marked with love, and he is actually the one that coined the idea of not hitting back, but returning love with hate (see Luke 6:29 or Matthew 5:39).

A new group of people who follow Jesus are rising up, and this movement is yet again a subversive one. It is rebelling against culture, violence, oversaturation of sexuality, poverty, oppression, and dead religion. Secret crowds are rising up and gathering and these voices are beginning to sing back louder. Do not be mistaken though, this singing can only be heard if you have the ears to hear it. This explosion is silent, but just like every other explosion in the world, people around it cannot help but be affected by it. Will you be the next one to spread love like violence?

Change Will Happen by Clint

Holy Cow, it’s 2008. When midnight rolled around and we moved into the New Year, I had trouble wrapping my mind around that. I always do, though. I remember when the year 2000 marched into our lives. It was weird to think that we were living in the 21st century. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love New Year’s. You can never cram too much college football into one day, and it is definitely exciting to think about the changes that might await in the coming year. However, I also cant help but think about that line from the old U2 song that says, “and nothing changes on New Year’s Day.” I don’t usually have Bono’s voice running through my head, so I’m not crazy, but I think the point is well taken. We are so quick to be optimistic on one day then pessimistic the next. We live in a rut all year, and we get so frustrated about so many things for 364 days, and then on one day, we act as if everything might arbitrarily change. I promise I’m not the Grinch who steals New Year’s, but do things change on New Year’s Day? Imagine living day to day in such a way that when New Year’s rolled around, the exciting thought was having another year in the blessings that you have. There is nothing wrong with resolutions, its just I don’t ever see them last past February. A different day will never bring about change itself. Change comes from a commitment to living one’s life in certain pattern day to day whether its January 5th or August 27th. In the movie Chariots of Fire, the main character says, “Where does the strength come to finish the race to its end? It comes from within.” So, where does the strength come from to change your life? It too comes from within. That inner strength is gained in spirituality, in walking and living in God’s presence. I’m tired of trying to convince myself I can eat healthy or work out every day on my own self-discipline. Even if I could, I’m wise enough to know that even if I kept my list of three or so resolutions, I might have new problems elsewhere in my life that would need changing. My thought is that starting with your faith relationship is the key. Like a row of dominoes, the best way to make them all fall is to start the first one in line. Start with your devotion to faith and see what else changes. That doesn’t mean everything will be easy or there will be no problems, but change will happen.

A Waste of Time by Brady

Everybody knows that children reach a stage in life where their parents are no longer “cool” to be around. Early on, your parents are the most important thing to your survival and well-being. There is not even a formulated idea of “cool” or “uncool” in your world, and even if there was, your parents would definitely be cool. But then the stage sets in where you are asking to be dropped off around the block from school. You also begin to hate normally fun activities such as family vacations. You are at the beach, but you wish you were there with your friends instead of your lame parents and siblings. It doesn’t help that your dad is wearing pink sun block on his nose which he, of course, pulled from his JanSport fanny pack.

When kids enter this stage, usually 1 of 2 outcomes eventually occurs. The kid can rebel completely and never recover, or they can rebel but later in life realize how important their parents are to them. It seems that America is in this stage right now in respect to Christianity. It is hard to get around the idea that America as we know it was founded at least with Christian principles. I am not trying to blend politics or religion, nor am I saying all of our founders were professing Christians. Yes, I am even aware that the Native American Indians were here before us, but I am talking about the United States of America as it stands today as a country, not North America. The truth is that America was founded by people who wanted to practice their religion their own way instead of being told how to worship.

Today there is still great freedom to do this very thing. In fact, Baptists were one of the leaders in the formative years in our country that fought for separation of church and state if you go back and study history closely. But the truth is, America is becoming increasingly anti-Christian. This attitude is growing at a steady rate with the current President being so vocal about his faith. America is acting like the middle school kid who is rebelling against their uncool parents. Whether or not we will completely rebel is something only time will tell.

If you think I am being over dramatic or I am flat out wrong, look at a recent bill our House of Representatives passed and how it played out. A Republican-sponsored resolution was up for vote which called for “recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.” This bill was a response to two resolutions which called for respect for Ramadan, the Muslim holiday, as well as Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Both of these bills passed with no negative votes, but the Christian “Christmas Bill” passed with a vote of 372-9. Nine representatives felt that their districts opposed Christianity more than Islam or Hinduism. On top of that, many talking heads on TV suggested that Congress passing this bill was a “waste of time.”

This bill was and was not a waste of time. In one sense, America is based on the principle of being able to worship how you wish. In light of this and how society is turning on Christianity, this bill did not waste time at all. This bill is necessary in America for the same reason Leonard Sweet reported in Soul Tsunami that a Jewish lawyer named Michael Horowitz represents Christians because he believes we could be the Jews of the 21st century (see Soul Tsunami, pg 62).

On the other hand, this bill was a waste of time because legislation will never solve the world’s problems. Passing a bill is not going to change the growing cynicism towards Christianity. Congress will not and should not be allowed to stop people from wearing “Jesus Save Me from Some of Your Followers” t-shirts. The rebellion is underway, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

As Christians, the most important thing to realize is that this wave is coming. We have been warned numerous times over the last decade or so, and when the full brunt of the wave hits there will still be many caught by surprise, sadly. A new era is underway in history, especially in American history, but this time can be met with an array of attitudes. You can meet it with fear, apprehension, denial, disgust, or excitement. I am choosing the latter. Christ has called you to be instrumental at one of the most exciting and challenging times in Christian history. He has called you to minister in a world that wants nothing to do with Christianity, but is thirsty for Jesus. As Leonard Sweet says in his book already mentioned, “You can be the last of a dying breed of ministers, those left standing on a burning platform. Or you can be the front-guard of a new breed of ministers.” (Soul Tsunami, pg. 55) Our message is essential to life, our culture is in need of Jesus, our society is hostile to Christianity, and our media is telling you how to think. Respond to the call, and please do not be surprised when the wave’s full force is felt.

Survival Mode by Clint

One of the hardest parts about faith is the times when you may feel distanced from God. Those times are difficult for many reasons, but much of the problem is that they seem to happen at random. For a few weeks, everything is seemingly fine, and then you realize one day that you feel far from God. And even more troubling, that feeling can creep up on you and become part of the everyday routine. It can happen to church-goers, seminary students, pastors, and faithful devotees. It certainly happens when you stop putting work into your discipleship, but it can also happen when it seems as though you are faithfully seeking after God.

A helpful way to look at these times is to see them as “wilderness times.” I know the imagery of wilderness is pretty broad, and it can bring thoughts of the Alaskan Tundra, the rain forests of South America, or the deserts of Africa. That’s one of the reasons I love the show “Man vs. Wild.” First off, the guy’s name is Bear Grylls (pronounced Grillz). To have that name, you have to either be a rapper with gold teeth or just hard-core in general. Bear is hard-core in general. He served around 20 years in the British Special Forces and knows just about everything regarding nature. But getting back to my point, he is dropped off by helicopter into wildernesses of all types. They drop him into jungles, mountain ranges, even Hawaii volcanic terrain. No matter where they drop off our friend, Bear, he knows how to stay alive. He uses his head, his skills, and his passion and heart to fight through all circumstances. The dude killed a rabbit from 20 yards away and drank water squeezed from elephant dung (almost as bad as Waco-water…you Baylor students/alumni know what I’m talking about). His whole focus is to get out of the wilderness he is in and get back to civilization. Something I’ve noticed about his survival mode is that he never panics. When they drop him off, he never goes sprinting off in a hurry. He gathers himself and starts to make his way in the right direction. A lot of times, he spends a night or two out where he is. He proceeds with his wits about him, not making his situation any worse.

When you find yourself in a wilderness time, recognize where you are and what your situation is. Don’t panic and have a faith crisis. Don’t start closing in on yourself, making survival less likely. Don’t fabricate a false spiritual health that tricks you into thinking everything is perfect. Work through the place you are in. Share your troubles with those that you trust. Take your time and use your head and heart to get back to a place where you feel like your discipleship is on track. And don’t feel guilty about being in a faith wilderness. Mother Theresa experienced wilderness. And guess what… Jesus experienced wilderness. Right after John the Baptist baptizes him, Jesus goes into the wilderness alone (Mtthw 4; Mk 1; Lk 4). During this time, Satan comes and tempts him away from God’s will. Jesus holds to teachings of Scripture and his devotion to God’s will.

When you are in wilderness, don’t use that as an excuse to slip into lifestyles and actions that further you from God. Don’t be bitter. Resist letting your heart harden. When Bear is dropped off into wilderness of all different sorts, he uses all of himself to get out of there. When Jesus was sent into a wilderness, he used all his strength to continue to honor God. God desires that we love him with all our heart, soul, and strength (Deut. 6:5, Mark 12:29). Let that be the case even when you find yourself with wilderness all around.

Silent Night? by Brady

By far and away the most popular Christmas carol of all-time is Silent Night. It is a song that has been translated into over 300 languages and dialects since being written originally in German. It was also actually the song sung in unification during World War I on the day known as the Christmas Truce of 1914. Both German and American troops sang the song because it was one of the few carols both sides knew by heart and in each other’s languages.

Why is this famous song so well known when the text actually never even speaks directly to the night of Jesus’ birth being “silent?” One of the reasons I believe it has made such a deep impact on humanity is the fact that we are all either consciously or subconsciously aware that God moves deep in us when the world is silent around us. There is the famous account of Elijah on the mountain and God speaking to him in a whisper, or literally silence, in 1 Kings 19. The deafening silence of Jesus as he bore our punishment on the cross also rings out. But perhaps the most important moment when God moved in silence was the night of the incarnation, or the coming of God in human form.

God could have chosen any way He wanted to reveal himself. He could have been born in a throne room on a plush pillow. He could have been born in front of a cheering crowd. He could have been born out of a cow if He wanted to. He even could have ridden a lightning bolt and appeared out of nowhere. But instead, he chose silence. And who were the first ones to see the babe? It happened to be shepherds sitting under stars in silence. And even the person who would clear the way for Christ, John the Baptist, through loud preaching was preceded by silence. Luke 1 talks about Zechariah, John’s father, being muted by an angel until the day John was born. There is a theme developing here in the birth narrative of Jesus.

What I think is ironic is that we have turned Christmas into the exact opposite of what the first Christmas was actually like. We have made the celebration of the birth of the most selfless man to ever live about consumption and greed. We have made the Good News of the season into the Bad News of the in-laws overstaying their welcome. And most importantly and rarely discussed, we have made the pristine and deafly silent night into crowded parking lots and busy malls.

Frederick Buechner wrote this about the noise in our lives: “What deadens us most to God’s presence within us, I think, is the inner dialogue that we are continuously engaged in with ourselves, the endless chatter of human thought. I suspect that there is nothing more crucial to true spiritual comfort, as the huge monk in cloth of gold put it, than being able from time to time to stop that chatter including the chatter of spoken prayer. If we choose to seek the silence of the holy place, or to open ourselves to its seeking, I think there is no surer way than by keeping silent.” (Listening to Your Life, pg. 332)

The other night I was attempting to talk about this very subject with my youth, and you would not believe how impossible it is to achieve complete silence. The most disturbing part was the fact that I was trying to retell the story of God coming to our rescue, not to mention the person they all claim to worship, and it was almost impossible to get the noise to cease. Before you jump on the “they’re just teenagers” copout, you need to know that this is the same generation of kids who cannot sleep unless music is playing or the TV is on. We are officially training ourselves to never have a moment of silence. The biggest problem with this growing trend is that we are never truly confronted by ourselves if we never escape the white noise.

God came on a silent, holy night. The first announcement of The King was not to a band, newscaster, or tabloid reporter, but some shepherds who happened to be available to listen. My prayer is that you push back. Push back against society. Push back against yourself. Jesus came to save us from sin, but He also came to save us from ourselves. Turn off the noise; sit with your complete self, no matter how bad it hurts, and then, and only then, will you possibly be available to hear the angels proclaim the Good News. May you push back, experience a silent night for yourself, and in turn finally be able to sleep in heavenly peace.

Neo-Leo by Clint

His name is Leo. Girls, you know you’ve always liked him. Ever since he played the world’s most romantic stow-away on a sinking ship, you’ve loved him. Guys, it’s ok, too. It’s safe to admit that you’re a Leo fan. No longer must you hide your fan-dom in fear. Ever since Leonardo DiCaprio starred in Gangs of New York and The Departed, suddenly it’s perfectly socially acceptable for guys to say, “Leo was awesome in that movie!” Saying that after Titanic would have resulted in male ostracism along the same lines as saying, “dude, turn the channel back to Lifetime!” Now that neo-Leo has arrived, though, I feel safe saying that I was actually ahead of the curve on this one. I became a Leo fan after the movie The Beach came out when I was a senior in high school. I remember a lot of people panned that movie, but I thought it was pretty good. I remember thinking that it was getting at something pretty deep, deeper than I think people gave it credit for. I’ll spare you the long run-down of the movie, but basically, Leo stumbles upon this secluded paradise island while on a vacation by himself. On this island, there are people there who have set up a standard of life and a quasi-civilization. The island is the most beautiful place you could imagine, the people are great, and it is just like what most people would imagine as paradise. Everyone is tan, there is little work to do, and much of the day is spent playing beach soccer while the evening is spent telling stories and relaxing. The movie pulls you in to this perfect paradise. As you watch the characters slip into this lull of island comfort, suddenly the rug is pulled out from under them. One of their friends, a man living on the island, is attacked by a shark and dies. No one knows how to respond. The dream is shattered, the paradise is lost, reality has returned. You see Leo flip out as people walk away from the tragedy, forcing it out of their minds and pretending it didn’t happen. They try and put it out of sight and out of mind in order to protect the paradise they had. In the whole-hearted pursuit of comfort and ease, they’ve lost touch with the pain of others and the delicate nature of life. In many ways, I think this aspect of the movie speaks to our culture.

I know that many live far from a paradise, and life is a daily struggle. However, many of us are living in a way in which the goal is to make this life as much of a paradise as possible. In a world in which the happiest people are assumed to be the ones on MTV Cribs that have escalators instead of stairs, we must be reminded that nothing created or bought can protect from the harsh reality of passing time and life’s mortality. Death is tragic, and my saddest days have been at funerals, but is it possible that we are losing touch with the fragile nature of life? In the movie, it is incredible how quickly they are willing to push the sad things out of their minds so they can try and recreate paradise. Our search for perfect comfort here in our everyday life has pushed us farther from recognizing how limited life can be, and that pushes us farther away from God our Creator. Our #1 goal in life should not be a comfortable retirement or the acquiring of all the best stuff. There’s more to our purpose and existence than that, especially when suffering is everywhere around us. And to be honest, I think it’s healthy to acknowledge how fragile life is. It’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling invincible. God designed birth and death, and He has offered true paradise after death for those accepting the grace of Christ. One may ask, “If we’re so close to paradise here, getting whatever we want when we want it, what’s the need for a paradise later?” I feel that this scripture answers the question perfectly.

“All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
But the word of the Lord endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:6-8; I Peter 1:24-25)

Defensive Faith by Brady

One of my favorite things about the Holiday Season is that there are some of the best movies are on TV. Many of them are movies I give little thought to during the other 11 months of the year, but I love watching around Christmas time. One of these movies is Elf starring Will Ferrell. I know this is not an old movie, but it is one that is hilarious to me and I don’t think about it until it comes on TV in lieu of the Christmas Season.

If you have not seen the movie, this is probably not going to make much sense to you. The whole movie surrounds the character named “Buddy the elf” played by Will Ferrell. He is a human being that was adopted by an elf in the North Pole, and is encouraged to go find his real father in New York City. He is one of the only humans to have ever seen Santa’s workshop and to have been involved in the toy-making process at the North Pole.

The comedy is mainly found in him being in a city like New York, dressed ridiculously, and interacting with cold New Yorkers. One part of the movie Buddy is told that Santa is coming to a department store the next day. He freaks out yelling “Santa is coming!” Buddy spends the entire night decorating the department store getting it up to shape for the coming of Santa. The next day, “Santa” comes out and is the normal mall Santa Claus. He smells like beef and is wearing a fake beard. Buddy keeps insisting in front of the kids that he is not the real Santa. This is because he has actually seen the real Santa. Buddy eventually freaks out and pulls his beard off screaming that he is a faker. All of the children are horrified seeing the elf and Santa fighting and knocking over store displays. On top of this, their faith in Santa could be ruined because Buddy has exposed this imposter.

At this point I think it can relate to many Christian’s faith. I have heard many times concerning my negative attitude for people preaching a watered-down gospel, “What harm are they doing?” You could ask the same of the Santa situation from Elf. What harm is it doing to the kids to see a “fake Santa” as opposed to the “real Santa”? What Buddy has done seems to destroy faith as opposed to building it up. The only thing is that Buddy has seen the real Santa, and this guy is not him. He doesn’t have to be convinced that Santa exists because he actually knows Santa.

I see folk-Christians (see Questions to All of Your Answers by Roger E. Olson) all of the time defending aspects of our faith in order to not destroy other people’s faith. Health and wealth is fine as long as it’s bringing people into the church. This style of worship is appropriate as long as it “works” and attracts outsiders. All of this is out of what I believe is a defensive faith that is not firm in the fact that we have the truth as Christians. After all, if you actually know there is a God and His Son is Jesus because you have met him, would this not change the way you worried about who believes and who does not?

At the end of Elf, Santa is forced to use an engine on his sleigh because it was formerly flown by belief. Belief in Santa had dwindled over the years, and so he was forced to use other means so he can do his good deeds on December 24th. His engine breaks down in Central Park and he is unable to fly unless the people begin to restore their belief in him. While this part of the movie is corny, it does provide some insight as well. One of the kids asks Santa why he doesn’t go out and show himself, and Santa responds that it is about belief, not visual proof. He says, “In fact, the paparazzi have been chasing me for years.” Maybe this is where God is today with us.
In the gospel of Mark, it is said that Jesus was unable to perform any miracles in his hometown because of the people’s unbelief. “And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.” (Mark 6:5-6 NRSV) There are additional accounts of this story in the other gospels, but this particular recounting of the story says the people had the power because of their unbelief.

These people knew Jesus better than anyone and did not believe in His authority. Perhaps they couldn’t see the forest for the trees, but nonetheless they missed the messiah completely and he grew up among them. In football there is a saying that goes: “The best offense is a good defense.” This is probably the case in Mark chapter 6, because verse 3 says “And they took offense at him.” The people of Nazareth were suffering from a defensive faith at the fully human (yes he was also fully God, but also fully human) nature of the present Messiah. While stopping short of psychoanalyzing these people, it is safe to say that Jesus was rarely what the crowds expected from a messiah. In defense of God they chose unbelief rather than the opposite.
Today it is still an option to try to bend over backwards to make our faith appealing and more acceptable to the masses. Let’s not talk about sin or becoming a disciple. Let’s not require church discipline or steps of accountability in order to be a member. Let’s not talk about certain issues because they divide Christians from popular society. All in all, a defensive faith is much easier than a reflective faith. I challenge you to examine the meaning of this and to begin to ask which group you fall into. I challenge you to live as you know the messiah, if you have truly met Him.

Fight, Flight, or Light by Brady

The other day, I read a very upsetting article in the Dallas Morning News. It was about how in the Mexican border town of Nuevo Laredo, business owners and citizens were leaving the city in large numbers. The problem for most of them is heavy taxes that are imposed. Now, you might be thinking, “I know all about taxes, and we all just have to deal with it.” The old saying goes: there are two guaranteed things in life, death and taxes. But, the taxes imposed on the Nuevo Laredo businessmen and women were not levied by the government. These taxes were put on by drug gangs that basically run the town. If you want to live and operate in Nuevo Laredo, you’re going to have to shell out the bucks to such gangs as the Zetas. Think Chicago in the era of mobsters but even worse. It might be hard to imagine, but these gangs are more ruthless and their drug industry is king. The citizens of Nuevo Laredo are fleeing because they see no hope. They are leaving because they do not want their families, or themselves, in danger. They are certainly tired of being bullied, but they look around and no one is coming to the rescue. It seems that everyone is scared and hoping if they can turn a blind eye to the problems, they might just go away.

Amongst many other feelings and thoughts, the article made me realize that goodness and righteousness just doesn’t happen by itself. The pursuit of goodness is just that, a pursuit. The problem in Nuevo Laredo started out small, and people certainly said, “this will go away.” They were afraid to do something, but nothing was yet out of hand. After a while, though, the problem became huge and people were really stuck and scared with no way out.

As a believer in Christ, I see certain problems and issues arising. I see people afraid to speak up in their faith. I see Christianity becoming almost a taboo idea in many ways. I see a shift in the understanding of things spiritual. Instead of spirituality and faith being intertwined with selflessness, truth, and ethics, it is becoming intertwined with self-gain and relativism.

I am not railing against things secular. I am not making a “we’re going to hell in a hand basket” kind of statement, either. I am stating that there is darkness in the world, and it seems that people are scared to speak up and claim truth. I see many people that are half-heartedly claiming a shallow faith based more on personal opinion and comfort rather than truth. Even the idea of “truth” itself is under question. (that’s a whole other blog topic)

Jesus Christ came as our hope in a world of darkness. He said He was the light (John 8:12), but He also said we are the light of the world, too (Matthew 5:14). I don’t blame the citizens of Nuevo Laredo for fleeing town. They are in a terribly difficult situation. In terms of faith, though, we cannot ignore the troubles around us. We cannot flee the world and hide out in a half-hearted personal faith. If WE are the light of the world, we must live that light in community in the community around us. People everywhere are desperate and hurting because they look around and see only darkness. May we be lights in the darkness, imitating the love and strength of Christ. When all the candles are taken out of a dark room, what’s left? But even if just one candle remains, the darkness cannot put out the light.