Archive for June, 2005

Birth and Belief

Published
by
Mike
on June 9, 2005
in Church of Christ and faith
. 36 Comments

Since my college days I’ve been plagued by this thought: I belong to the denomination known as Churches of Christ because I was born into a Church of Christ family. Now, “plagued” is too strong a word, for certainly I’m thankful for the heritage.

But out of all the world religions that I could have been born into, I was born into Christianity. Out of all the versions of Christianity, I was born into Western Protestantism. And out of all the tribes of Protestantism, I was born into Churches of Christ.

I didn’t sit down one day and figure out which was right. It’s an illusion to think that we can create a vacuum for such contemplation. We’ve all been deeply informed by our upbringing–in ways we are aware of and maybe more profoundly in ways we are oblivious to.

So the exclusivistic version of some churches — “we got it right” . . . “we’re the only Christians” — always seemed very unlikely to me.

FOR . . . if I was born into an Islamic family, wouldn’t I be pretty convinced about the Koran? If I was born into a Mormon family, wouldn’t I be sure about Joseph Smith, the tablets, and Salt Lake City? If I was born into a Lutheran family, wouldn’t their way of reading scripture make sense to me?

Was I really that lucky . . . to be born into the one small little group that happened to nail interpretation?

This doesn’t (most of the time) make me throw up my hands in complete agnosticism. I have found — more than ever before — the Way of Christ to be true. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. (Better: That’s our story and we’re sticking to it.)

But it does demand a bit of humility. Don’t you think?

Two Hours of Genius . . . Then Back to Braindead

Published
by
Mike
on June 8, 2005
in Baseball and General
. 29 Comments

I heard from some ACU grad students yesterday that they want me to post BEFORE 8:00 (which I usually do . . . but was a bit late yesterday) so they can check at the beginning of class.

Have you ever noticed the number of comments from ACU graduate students? Have you ever thought about the fact that many of them are reading and posting WHILE IN CLASS? It’s called laptops and wireless connection. Don’t you love the image of a student nodding knowingly, while surfing to ESPN.com for last night’s boxscores?

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I’ve been braindead recently. It happens every late spring, but seemed worse this year. I just ran out of creative ideas. I try not to worry about it, but sometimes irrationality overtakes me and I wonder, “Maybe I’ve said all I have to say?”

Yesterday morning at 6:00 a.m. the wind must have changed directions. The muse of creativity returned. Not for long. Maybe just for two hours. But for two hours insights and ideas came rushing faster than I could write them down. It was like switching from 14.4 dial-up to broadband.

Maybe in a week I’ll look back and think those “insights” were stupid. But for the moment, it’s nice to believe that my brain isn’t in permanent freeze.

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To think that as of June 8 the Yankees are under .500 — oh, baby. You’ve got to love that. $220,000,000 a year in payroll can buy you the best players. But it can’t guarantee that you’ll win. (I mention this now fully believing that the Yankees will be playing in the Series in October!)

Praying the Lord’s Prayer

Published
by
Mike
on June 7, 2005
in Books, General and prayer
. 14 Comments

Having now prayed the Lord’s Prayer almost every Sunday for a decade with the Highland Church, I’ve experienced the truth of these words from StormFront:

“As a celebration of the gift and call of the new life of trust, a community could not do better than to pray the Lord’s Prayer continually, thoughtfully, and with hearts willing to follow its lead. This prayer refocuses our attention from all efforts to secure our lives and well-being to the central issues of God’s kingdom. Rather than wealth and accomplishment, the Lord’s Prayer lifts up the basics of human life: daily bread, forgiveness, and deliverance from temptation. Prayer shapes a people humble in their habits, steadfast in their faith, modest in their words, just in their actions, merciful in their dealings, and disciplined in their conduct. Such a people trust only in the God made present in the life and death of Jesus, ‘for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’”

Sorrow: The Sign of a Healthy Soul

Published
by
Mike
on June 6, 2005
in Books, General and grief
. 5 Comments

Yesterday morning was a day of commissioning at Highland. Now (those of you from HCC), having been commissioned by your brothers and sisters, go out as ministers of reconciliation in a broken world!

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Jerry Sittser has the right to speak, having lost his wife, his daughter, and his mother in a tragic accident. These words really resonate with me:

“Recovery is a misleading and empty expectation. We recover from broken limbs, not amputations. Catastrophic loss by definition precludes recovery. It will transform us or destroy us, but it will never leave us the same. There is no going back to the past, which is gone forever, only going forward to the future, which has yet to be discovered. Whatever that future is, it will, and must, include the pain of the past with it. Sorrow never entirely leaves the soul of those who have suffered a severe loss. If anything, it may keep going deeper. But this depth of sorrow is the sign of a healthy soul, not a sick soul.”

Rick Warren’s Letter

Published
by
Mike
on June 4, 2005
in justice, missional and the wreck
. 15 Comments

My most recent article in the Christian Standard can be found here.

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Here’s a letter that’s gone out to faith leaders from Rick Warren. What an amazing plan. I’ve already signed! (I would encourage you to sign here.)

June 3, 2005

Dear co-worker in Christ,

I have a simple request — but it could determine whether millions live or die.

You’ve probably read in the papers about “The ONE Campaign: To Make Poverty History” that’s been endorsed by a wide coalition of folks from all across the faith and political spectrum. Helping the hurting is something we all want to do.

I’ve never been involved in partisan politics — and don’t intend to do so now — but global poverty is an issue that rises far above mere politics. It is a moral issue … a compassion issue … and because Jesus commanded us to help the poor, it is an obedience issue! He told us to do all we can to alleviate the pain of our brothers and sisters: “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40, NKJV)

That’s why John Stott, Billy Graham, and many other evangelical leaders are joining me in lending our names and prayers to this campaign. I deeply believe that if we as evangelicals remain silent and do not speak up in defense of the poor, we lose our credibility and our right to witness about God’s love for the world: “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” (1 John 3:17, NIV)

We are blessed to be a blessing to others, and certainly America, as the most blessed nation on our planet, has the greatest obligation to help those who are stuck in poverty around the world. Last month, I was in Kenya and Uganda, and then in Rwanda where the average income in that nation is 67 cents a day! Imagine trying to raise a family on that.

If you were hopelessly in debt, with no chance of ever getting out of debt — or even your children getting out of debt — you’d despair. But if someone cancelled all your debts — as the Bible commanded Israel to often do — you’d have the hope of a new future. The poor aren’t asking for a handout — they just need a hand up!

This summer, at the G8 conference, our nation has a historic opportunity to lead the world by showing a visible and significant commitment to the fight against global poverty, hunger, and disease. In early July, President Bush will gather together with leaders from the world’s eight wealthiest nations in Edinburgh, Scotland, to discuss these very issues — especially in Africa.

We all grieved when 250,000 lives were lost in the tsunami in Southeast Asia. But there is a health tsunami of that proportion in Africa every 12 days!

What can we do? For the past two years, I’ve had 4,500 of our Saddleback members quietly testing a prototype of our global P.E.A.C.E. Plan in 47 countries. It is a strategy for small groups in churches to show compassion. Once we have the template perfected, we’ll share it with every church that’s interested.

But there is something much simpler that you can do right now: Join me and other evangelical leaders in an open letter to President Bush that encourages him — with our support and prayers — to take specific, measurable actions to fight poverty, hunger, and disease at the G8 summit. Below is a copy of the text of this open letter we’re sending.

All I need you to do is e-mail me back at rick@peace.gs giving your name and title, and I’ll add your name to the list. Also you can visit www.one.org for more information.

If you can send a copy of your signature (preferably in a jpeg format) to add to the bottom of the letter, that would be great, but don’t let that delay your response. We’d rather hear from you now.

Thanks in advance for showing your compassion for those suffering from disease, hunger, and poverty.

May God bless your ministry,

Dr. Rick Warren
Pastor, Saddleback Church
Author, The Purpose Driven Life

———————-Original Message —————————

June 1, 2005

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Bush,

Because:

· ONE billion people around the world live on less than ONE dollar a day;
· The US government spends less than ONE percent of its budget on fighting global AIDS and poverty;
· Americans are uniting as ONE across political and religious divides to support action to overcome the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty.

At the G8 leaders meeting on July 6th we urge you to:

· Help the poorest people of the world fight poverty, disease, and hunger at a cost equal to just ONE percent more of the US budget on a clear timetable;
· Cancel 100% of the debts owed by the poorest countries;
· Reform trade rules so poor countries can earn sustainable incomes.

We urge you to lead an historic deal with other nations to help Africa and the poorest nations overcome global AIDS and extreme poverty. Together as ONE, we can Make Poverty History this July.

Sincerely, U.S. Faith Leaders

Debt

Published
by
Mike
on June 3, 2005
in family
. 21 Comments

I just read that since 1990, income in the United States is up 11%. But spending is up 30%, and debt has risen by 80%!

It’s frightening how easy it is to live above your means through credit cards. And more and more people are doing just that. It brings a shower of blessings to get the latest flat-screen television or the newest computer or a new wardrobe . . . but the shower very quickly turns into a drought when the credit card bills come due. As people pay the minimum amount, they grow further and further behind.

It takes discipline to say, “We’ll buy only what we can afford.” And it takes even more to decide to live beneath your means (see yesterday’s post) — opening up resources for tithing, for sharing, and for savings.

You don’t have to have the health club membership or the new shoes or the roomful of new furniture or the larger house or the MP3 player. You don’t have to take the exotic vacation. No purchase or vacation can ease the mind quite like living without debt.

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The newest Christianity Today has an excellent article on the future of Christian education by Michael Hamilton. Here is a taste:

“Today, schools connected to certain orthodox denominations–notably Southern Baptists, Missouri Synod Lutherans, and Churches of Christ–do face a real possibility of secularization. This is because these schools have always thought of their religious identity mainly in denominational terms, rather than thinking of themselves more broadly as Christian colleges. The hard truth is that the old denominational identity that has kept their schools Christian is dying.”

It’s deceptive, of course. The externals may remain healthy for a bit longer, with colleges pointing to attendance as proof that they’re on the right path. But a day of reckoning for sectarianism is coming.

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Wonderful words from my morning devotional reading:

We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord,
even as we put our hope in you. (Psalm 33:20-22)

Living Below Your Means — for Jesus

Published
by
Mike
on June 2, 2005
in missional
. 18 Comments

Last night at our elders’ meeting we said goodbye to and prayed for a young couple that is moving to the metroplex. As single university students and then as a young married couple, they had a huge impact on our church — especially through their leadership of the Neighborhood Walkers.

And now they have decided to live “below their means” in a low-rent apartment complex in the metroplex, believing that God will use them for his kingdom purposes.
As one of the elders said, they are choosing to live in a place where very few Christians would want to be–an area filled with poverty, broken homes, and chaos–because they believe Jesus loves the people of that apartment complex.

Church of Christ Signs

Published
by
Mike
on June 1, 2005
in Baseball, Church of Christ and General
. 21 Comments

Tonight I’m preaching in Oasis on “The Gospel According to George Lucas.” I promise not to make a series out of this. It will be brief and (relatively) painless. Bits of this story have lived inside me since 1977.

We got fairly good news today from the BONE GUY. He said Chris can quit wearing his back brace unless he’s tired or is lifting more than 15-20 pounds. Hurrah! He also said he can do some light activities: he can swim, but not around rough play; he can shoot hoops, but he can’t run or jump; he can play catch, but he can’t pitch hard. When he said the last part, I thought I was going to cry. I have missed playing catch with my kid in the front yard.

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Kenny Rogers and Roger Clemens. Two fortysomethings whose average ERA this year is about 1.40. On behalf of middle-aged men everywhere, I thank them both.

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Here is the exact quote of what I wrote a few days ago: “Just a question about our trip. Is there a rule that Churches of Christ in small towns HAVE to put signs just outside the city limits telling people where their building is located? I don’t see those signs for Lutherans, for Methodists, for Catholics, or for Baptists. But almost every town you enter has a sign saying ‘The Blah-Blah-Blah Church of Christ welcomes you’ followed by directions.”

From THAT, I was chastised by e-mail and comment for being condescending, unfair, and spiteful. Hmmmm. As Yoda would say, “A bit prickly we are.” Sorry. I’ve re-read it and nothing seems condescending, unfair, and spiteful. It’s just a funny thing about “us”: we have no headquarters, no one to make decisions, and yet it’s true of Churches of Christ all over. Please, I’m not anti-sign. (I am, however, anti-stupid-sign — signs with messages that are too trite and too cute. But that’s another blog. I’ll come back to that in an attempt to be condescending, unfair, and spiteful.)

We came back a different route and didn’t see as many Church of Christ welcoming signs. But my favorite was this one: “The Churches of Christ in Waxahatchie welcome you.” It had the name of three (maybe all three?) of the C of Cs in town. Much better message than three different signs!