14 Dec 06 Beneath The Cross of Jesus

Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ. 
Ephesians 4:32  (NCV)

We had a difficult meeting last night with some folks who love Jesus but struggle with certain aspects of biblical interpretation.

Here’s what I appreciate and respect about them:

1.  They love Jesus.

2.  They came to talk about their issues face to face.

3.  They want to honor God in the assembly of the saints.

I don’t agree with their method of interpretation or application.  

I do believe God loves them as much as he loves me and expects us to treat each other with kindness and compassion, mercy and grace, acceptance and forgiveness.

I also believe God expects us to assume and expect the very best intentions.

There was a time in my life when it was important to win the argument.  I was an arrogant, self-righteous idiot. 

Now it is of utmost importance to me for the relationship to win.  I know it may not be possible. 

Well meaning people who love Jesus have and will continue to disagree on many things.

It’s not about being right or wrong.  It’s about loving, listening and learning.

This is what life, together, looks like beneath the cross of Jesus.

13 Dec 06 Dress Rehearsal

The big Christmas play is tomorrow night.  The frenetic activity continues as final preparations are being made.  This morning we will have a dress rehearsal.  Fair citizens from various retirement communities will be bused in to be the dress rehearsal audience.

Madison speaks and sings.  Reese and I run the board.  Every student in the school is expected to participate in some way.  It’s actually part of their grade.

I’m a little worried about today’s audience.  With that many hearing aids in one place and with Reese on the soundboard the dogs in the neighborhood are in for difficult morning.

12 Dec 06 Decorations

I’ve never been much of a decorate the lawn and house type of person.  I think of weird things like all that stuff taking up coveted garage space 11 months out of the year.

My parents used to live on one of those streets that everyone decorated yards, houses, dogs and cats.  During the holidays a steady stream of traffic poured through the neighborhood to take it all in.

Certain streets gain reputations for decorating fervor.  Every town has one.  I’m just not wanting to live in that neighborhood. Burgundy lane in Alexandria, Virginia for instance is the home of every inflatable Christmas decoration ever made.   

One by one the houses in our new neighborhood began to decorate.  It started with our neighbor to the left us.  The pressure began to build as husband after husband armed himself with lighted electrical wire and climbed a tall ladder.

I told the kids if one more house gave in and decorated that they (the kids) would have to staff a 24 hour living nativity in our front yard.

And now our neighbor to the right of us has gone and decorated his house.

The kids are not going to be happy.

 

11 Dec 06 The Bachelor

Beth is traveling on business this week leaving the kids and I to fend for ourselves.

When my mom would be away, and my dad had cooking duties, we could always count on home cooked hamburgers and french fries. 

Along with french toast it was the only thing he would or could cook inside.

One night, perhaps tomorrow night, I’ll make hamburgers and french fries. 

Either that or we’ll just go to In-N-Out.

 

08 Dec 06 15 Years

A few things have changed in 15 years.

    I have less hair.

    I’m a different (better) person because of her.

A few things have not changed in 15 years.

    I’m still in love with her.

    She’s still the one who can make me laugh and make me care about others.

Yesterday we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. 

    Since I know this blog crowd, all to well, I will be the first to say "my sympathies to Beth."

We watched the tape of our wedding ceremony last night on this ancient technology called VHS tape.  Actually it was an 8mm tape dubbed onto a VHS tape.  My comment?  "Honey, if we would have been married this year our wedding tape would have been digital."

07 Dec 06 Drive By Prayer

I’ve heard people talk about drive through church services.  Yesterday I was the recipient of a drive by prayer.

I was targeted by a Stockton PD Police Chaplain and the associate minister of Quail Lakes Baptist Church (one of the big boys in town) for Drive by Prayer.  These two brothers make regular visits to all the churches in town seeking to pray for the church, the pastor and his family.

They actually have a door hanger they leave that declares:

You have been TARGETED by Drive By Prayer - May you experience God’s Provision, Protection & Blessing

Since ministers are always going to pray for others it was a nice change to have someone stop by and pray for me.

06 Dec 06 Numbers

I just don’t understand how we can codify such an entrenched position for a preferential way of singing based on 16.

Colossians 3:16  (NCV)  Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and instruct each other by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Neither do I understand how we can be so mean and spiteful to those who choose or prefer one style of singing over another; one type of song over another.  Whatever happened to 12-14?

Colossians 3:12-14  (NCV)  God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So always do these things: Show mercy to others, be kind, humble, gentle, and patient.  Get along with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you.  Do all these things; but most important, love each other. Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity.

Does it make sense to construct a doctrinal position from 16 and completely ignore 12-14?  What about 15?

Colossians 3:15  (NCV)  Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, because you were all called together in one body to have peace. Always be thankful.

Peace in the body of Christ is never achieved by everyone doing it my way.  Talk about faulty math!  To camp out in 16 and disregard 12-14 makes 15 impossible.  Not to mention 17!

Colossians 3:17  (NCV)  Everything you do or say should be done to obey Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.

Being true to the spirit (and letter) of 16 requires me to approach singing (with or without an instrument) firmly grounded in 12-14 to experience 15 and fulfill 17.  I’m not much of a math guy so my numbers may not add up. 

 

05 Dec 06 Reason v. Religion

Food for thought from Joshua Abraham Heschel:

The employment of reason is indispensable to the understanding and worship of God, and religion withers without it.  The insights of faith are general, vague, and stand in need of conceptualization in order to be communicated to the mind, integrated and brought to consistency.  Without reason faith becomes blind.  Without reason we would not know how to apply the insights of faith to the concrete issues of living.  The worship of reason is arrogance and betrays a lack of intelligence.  The rejection of reason is cowardice and betrays a lack of faith. 

04 Dec 06 Flag Football

We wanted to create a venue by which our church families could spend good, quality time with each other.  We tasked two families to begin a once-a-month eat together / play together ministry. 

We kicked off yesterday with great success.  Each family brought their own food, we ate together and played a couple of hours of flag football.

We had a 12 and under game and a big boy game.  It was really funny to see kids who had never played football before.  It was hilarious to just toss the ball to a "rookie" and see what would happen next.

For a few weeks the high school guys were talking smack.  They challenged everyone 21 and older to a game.  So, us old guys took the field and defended the honor of every geezer out there.  I won’t lie to you — I’m sore today and am currently typing with a jammed finger.  But we scored three touchdowns before they got one!  We, the geezers, went on to win by a landslide.  During the second half the young guns had 12 people on the field and us geezers only had 7.  We still took it to them. Organization and experience once again won the day.

It was great fun.  Some played, some visited.  Parents and teens "trash" talking each other.  Good stuff.

 

01 Dec 06 Life Imitates Art

Let me say upfront - this is not a stone throwing post - just some things rattling around in my brain.

It seems the sixteen year old actress that portrays Mary in the upcoming film Nativity is pregnant.  She, and her boyfriend, recently announced the news.  While being interviewed, the director of the film gushed and said "just a classic example of life imitating art."

Did I miss something?  I just don’t see this as an example of life imitating art.

Last night on CSI two "victims" met their demise via a chainsaw.  One of the investigators said it was an example of life imitating art.

Did I miss something?  I just don’t see this reference as an example of art.

When teenagers put on trench coats and open fire on classmates is that life imitating art?

Why do we blame the bizarre on art?

Can anyone give me a healthy example of life imitating art or art imitating life?