One To Chew On...

"Forgiveness is a gift one gives to change the heart of the offender." Joy, survivor of the Rwandan genocide.

There is theological gold and philosophical dynamite in this phrase spoken, not by a rarefied academic or lionized prelate but, by a simple young girl who lived through the crucible of terror and discovered the power of forgiveness.

Monday Morning Message - The Strength of Hope

In my former days as a minister to students I had the privilege of working with two outstanding young men; one was built like a dump truck the other like a toy truck. They were an entertaining pair to observe as the smaller of the two was always pestering the larger. I vividly remember one particular day when the dump truck had endured more than any patient person should have been asked to endure and he simply grabbed the toy truck by his ever so slight shoulders, effortlessly picked him up and sat him down with the instructions not to move. Never a raised voice. Nary a show of anger. Nothing to outwardly indicate the inward boil that had peaked. He simply, gently, and directly dealt with the issue confronting him. It stands out as a picture of strength under control.

We, as believers, are called to exhibit this kind of strength as we communicate the message of hope to a desperate world. There is no need for shrill shouting matches or angered protests over the compelling issue of the day. I believe there is a clear and hope filled road map for us to follow in difficult days like these. Take a look at it with me as we continue this brief journey through 1 Peter.

Read 1 Peter 3:8-17

Notice first that this hope is a generous hope. It is a hope that gives. It is a hope that stands in contrast to the ways of the world. In verse 9 Peter gets specific as he speaks of the appropriate response of the believer to being "reviled." Rather than give as good as we get, believers are called to a higher standard. We are to give better than we receive. If spoken evil of we are to bless. If trashed in the media we should speak well of them. If despised we should return admiration. Granted, this strategy probably won't lead immediately to the top of the heap but it is the very strategy God employed in bringing hope to this world through Jesus.

This generous hope offers blessing to a blessing starved world. It offers living water to a people parched by the dessicated wilderness of sin. It is a hope we didn't earn in the first place and therefore, we are able to freely offer to others. Perhaps the greatest problem the church of God faces is our holding too tightly His blessings. God never intended for us to keep them for ourselves but to share them freely with others. We are blessed to be a blessing.

This hope is also a genuine hope. It is the real deal. It is not built on some lofty cloud that will burn off in the heat of the noonday sun. It is not a fantastical notion without any foundation in reality. Indeed, it is a reasonable hope which we communicate to this world. Many will ask how faith in Christ as Lord can be a reasonable proposition. I say, ask those who saw Jesus after his resurrection if it is reasonable to believe. Certainly they are dead and gone but we have their eyewitness accounts marvelously (dare I say miraculously?) preserved for us in the pages of the New Testament.

Some will, no doubt, raise questions about the reliability of the New Testament. Can it be trusted as a document? Note the following facts about this most remarkable ancient document.

• There are 5300 known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament
• There are an additional 10,000 copies of the Latin Vulgate (the Latin translation of the Greek)
• There are 9300 other early versions
• This give us roughly 24,000 copies of the New Testament
  
• The earliest of these dates to within 50 years of the writing of the originals.

Compare this to other ancient documents considered "authoritative"....

• The 2nd place finisher is Homer's Iliad with 643 copies available. It's earliest copy dates to +/- 500 years from the writing of the original.
• The 3rd place finisher is Ceasar's Gallic Wars with 10 copies available. Likewise it's earliest manuscript dates to +/- 500 years after the original.

Which of these documents, all considered authoritative by scholars, has the best textual evidence to insure that the document we have is as close as is possible to the original? Kind of a no-brainer don't you think? (For more see this paper.)

When Peter says "be prepared to make a defense...for a reason for the hope that is in you. (v.15)" he is talking about the logical, defensible nature of faith placed in Christ Jesus.

Furthermore, this hope is a grounded hope. It is built upon the solid, immovable, unchanging cornerstone of Jesus Christ. But this is not simply an affirmation of propositions about Jesus it is, first and last, a relationship with Jesus. Note what A.W. Tozer said about this.

"Tens of thousands of believers who pride themselves in their understanding of Romans and Ephesians cannot conceal the sharp spiritual contradiction that exists between their hearts and the heart of Paul.

That difference may be stated this way: Paul was a seeker and a finder and a seeker still. They seek and find and seek no more. After 'accepting' Christ they tend to substitute logic for life and doctrine for experience.

For them truth becomes a veil to hide the face of God: for Paul it was a door into His very presence...Many today stand by Paul's doctrine who will not follow him in his passionate yearning for divine reality."

It is a grounded hope that is based on much more than empty facts. It is built upon the very presence of Christ in the life of the believer.

This leads to an understanding of the strength of hope. Peter makes a most unusual statement in verse 16. He instructs his hearers to express this reason for the hope that is in them with "gentleness and respect." This hope is a gentle hope. But be careful not to confuse gentle with weak. It is a gentle hope born of the great strength of God Himself. Much like the exhibition of strength under control that I witnessed in the lives of those two young men this hope is to be communicated with gentleness and respect.

This should be revisited by many of our Christian brothers and sisters today. Far too many are trying to communicate this marvelous hope in less than marvelous ways. Let us follow the example of the one we claim to follow, divesting ourselves of all claims and rights. Let us simply serve and communicate the message of hope to a world in desperate need of hope.

Talking Out of Both Sides of Your Mouth

I found this story in the latest edition of The Alabama Baptist and confirmed it with a simple web search. It seems the king is talking out of both sides of his mouth. On one hand you have good King Abdullah calling for reconciliation among various religions and on the other is the desperate reality of those citizens in his nation that are not followers of Islam. I find it intriguing that a mere two weeks after the King's much ballyhooed leadership toward interfaith cooperation that his surrogates continue an unrelenting campaign of religious intolerance. It seems that dialogue in Spain is fine but arrest, interrogation, and imprisonment are better at home.

Claude Salhani praises the good King's efforts saying, "In addressing the issue of religion as a source and motivation for today's violence, the king is moving in the right direction." King Abdullah's Experiment, Claude Salhani, The International Herald Tribune, July 29, 2008 (emphasis added). With all due respect, Mr. Salhani, I disagree completely. It would seem by his actions that the King is simply perpetuating the religious source and motivation for today's religious violence rather than addressing it.

Maybe She Should Speak Instead of Him...

Mrs. Bush's Op-Ed piece in the WSJ is worth a read. This is the clear minded expression that is devastatingly missing from Mr. Bush. Maybe she should begin giving the speeches. Just a thought.

The "stand out" paragraph for me is this: "It is important – and smart – for the world to invest in Afghanistan. Americans learned on a clear September morning that misery and oppression half a world away can manifest themselves on the next block. That lesson has been retaught in the years since, in cities from Jakarta to London to Madrid."

You can read the first lady's comments here.

Looks As If Wright Is Wrong

I have followed the Jeremiah Wright story with some interest simply because I am a pastor who has more than a few politicians in his flock. At last count I shepherd a probate judge, a county commissioner, three school board members, and one city council member. Granted, none of these are running for he highest office in the land but they do bear heavy responsibility combined with unique exposure in a small, close knit community. I desire to challenge these leaders to impeccable integrity and want to encourage them to do their very best.

The first sound bite I heard from Wright's most recent public appearance gave me hope. He said something to the effect that while Obama was a politician he (Wright) was still a pastor. I like the tone of no compromise that set. Regardless of the political office with which a pastor is confronted, as an ambassador of Christ (2 Cor. 5:20) he is obligated to speak the truth and not to coddle the affections of those in power. I thought, "Here is a man with sound biblical principles he is willing to live with and is willing to share with others." But then the man kept on talking and the foolishness of his heart was revealed.

To seriously think that the US government engineered the HIV virus to exterminate the black community is asinine. To assert that the US provoked the attack on 9/11 is beyond any reasonable process of thought. And these are the two statements that attracted the most press. There were other statements that were equally ridiculous. Wright is apparently just another charlatan playing the religious game for profit (and apparently playing it well as his 10,000 sq. ft. new home on an exclusive golf course attests). There is no end of men like him who have the ability to whip a crowd into a frenzy over secondary issues and make them look like issues of primary importance all the while garnering wondrous sums of money for their talented twirling of plates.

Paul's words to Timothy could very well have been written about Rev. Wright,

"If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain."
1 Timothy 6:3-5

Paul also warned Titus about such men,

"As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned."
Titus 3:10-11

I am always amazed at the keen edge scripture holds. It certainly cuts quite fine. Looks like Rev. Wright is wrong, not only in his cultural assessments but more importantly in his spiritual responsibilities. Here end my dealings with the Wright who was wrong.

Involved in a bit of a tiff

From time to time I get involved in conversations over at Josiah Road. Currently involved in one that has ignited some pretty strong reaction. I'm wrestling with this one. I feel pretty strongly that the evangelical Christian community is largely going about "the culture war" in a way that simply doesn't square with scripture. However, I see my brother's POV. Below is a summary post I placed in the midst of the discussion (read the entire thread here). Would love some feedback here, and yes my rhino skin is firmly in place so fire away.

I in no way dispute that there is an enormous battle being waged for the hearts and minds of our children. I am simply raising the unpopular question of whether or not we are engaged in this battle in the right way.

The easy way is to beat the war drum, get the troops mobilized, create yet another stir that gets some results (albeit temporary) and pat each other on the back for “standing up to the evil empire” and all the while losing more ground. (Do you hear anybody talking about how much better it’s getting because of all these efforts? I don’t - just the opposite in fact.) The hard, but in my estimation, more effective way is to teach our children and our brethren to critically and biblically examine the culture in which they live and to respond to it in a biblical fashion. (See 1 Peter 3:15-16 for guidance).

It simply causes me to grind my teeth when we run around shouting about all we are “losing” when the understanding I have of our position in Christ is that we’ve already won.

There seems to be some expectation that a fallen culture is going to reflect and embrace God-honoring principles. I just don’t see it happening, no matter how many companies or movies we boycott. Without changing the hearts of the people we have little hope of changing the heart of the culture. “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” (John Adams, 2nd President of the United States)

Saying no to “The Golden Compass” may be a right decision to make. I’m just not sure creating another cultural firestorm is really productive

A View to a Kill

This isn't James Bond. It's a heart wrenching view on the war in Iraq. Sobering. Whether you or I agree with everything Omar says in this post it reminded me that behind all of the rhetoric there are people. Let's never forget that.

Read it here.

The Coventry Litany of Reconcilliation

In my on-going and ever growing pursuit of and appreciation for classic expressions of the best of our Christian heritage I sometimes discover gems of marvelous beauty and worth. This is one of those gems. The primary story follows...




"Following the bombing of the Mediaeval Cathedral of Coventry in 1940, Provost Dick Howard had the words 'Father Forgive' inscribed on the wall behind the Altar of the ruined building. These words are used as the response in the Coventry Litany of Reconciliation, which is prayed in the ruins every Friday at noon, and is used throughout the world by the Community of the Cross of Nails.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

The hatred which divides nation from nation, race from race, class from class,
Father Forgive.

The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own,
Father Forgive.

The greed which exploits the work of human hands and lays waste the earth,
Father Forgive.

Our envy of the welfare and happiness of others,
Father Forgive.

Our indifference to the plight of the imprisoned, the homeless, the refugee,
Father Forgive.

The lust which dishonors the bodies of men, women and children,
Father Forgive.

The pride which leads us to trust in ourselves and not in God,
Father Forgive.

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

© Coventry Cathedral, 2004. All rights reserved.

The back story (not verified by research) goes something like this...

Following the bombing of Coventry by the Germans, the British bombed Dresden in retaliation, and, in the process, destroyed that city's prized cathedral. Following the war, a delegation from Coventry traveled to Dresden to help rebuild the cathedral there. The people of Dresden responded in kind and from this terrible ordeal came the Litany that will be repeated this, and every, Friday in the ruins of the cathedral that still stand in Coventry.

Oh, to forgive as we have been forgiven.

What to do with a Titus 3:10-11 man?

"As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned." Titus 3:10-11 (ESV)

Let's call him Bob. Arrogant. Loud. Knows the lingo of spiritual matters. Is all too happy to apply one edge of the two-edged sword to the lives of others. Described by one as, "A bull in a china shop...what he doesn't break he craps all over." You've probably met Bob at some point in your life. Well, to make a real long story short, Bob was reprimanded by our church leadership (in love and with the objective of reconciliation) and left our church family with the fellowship broken. It remains un-restored to this day.

Fast forward. We received notice that Bob has joined a sister church in another community. I am truly glad that Bob found another fellowship to belong to but I am wondering about my responsibility. Do I call the pastor and let him know about the difficulties we experienced with Bob or do I simply let them find out on their own? This is not a personal vendetta, my desire remains to be reconciled to Bob, he's just unwilling.

I feel an obligation to call the pastor with a gentle warning, because based on Titus 3:10-11 Bob has given ample evidence of being a warped and sinful man. Sounds good and godly but carries spiritual death and disease with him. I certainly don't want that disease spreading. But then there is the "have nothing to do with him" part of this passage. Does that mean that I simply wash my hands of this and say good riddance?

Ah, this work of shepherding would be so much easier if the sheep would simply behave!

Leadership and Purity

What do the pastor of a "mega-minstry" and the leader of a ministry team in a rural church have in common? There may be many parallels but for today the common factor is personal moral failing co-terminus with great success in their ministry assignment. Does personal integrity really matter when the results are so good? I seem to recall that one of the many reasons the reformation found traction with so many was the moral corruption of much of the church's leadership. Could be a timely lesson for us in the here and now.

In newspapers all over Alabama the news of a prominent pastor's 25 year infidelity has created quite a stir. Do all of his good accomplishments now mean nothing? Churches planted. People led to a life-changing relationship with the Lord. Conferences taught (even marriage enrichment events! Go figure!). A very public man with a very private part of his life now exposed. It certainly casts a shadow over all of his accomplishments. What's next for him? I know he's canceled many speaking engagements and he had already moved from a pastoral role, but does he continue in ministry or is he disqualified? This is one which will necessitate some additional space and thought.

To the local front. A leader of a ministry team in our church family is apparently continuing to make poor decisions in their personal life. Decisions which are not consistent with a walk with the Lord. What to do? Turn the blind eye and hope it goes away? Confront in love knowing that this has produced friction in the past (yes - a repeat offender). Or simply remove with a note about getting their life straight first.

I know the correct answer is confront in love. Just needed to air this out. I would sure welcome any comments on this matter.