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Courtesy, helpfulness, respect, support, camaraderie, and class.
These words are rarely used to describe anything associated with politics in America. Yet, last Tuesday night during the State of the Union Address in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives, these qualities were beautifully demonstrated by two Congressional colleagues, one a Democrat, the other a Republican.
Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ presence in the chamber was truly inspiring. On January 8 of last year, Giffords, a Democrat, was critically injured by a gunshot wound to the head during an attack near Tucson in which six people were killed and thirteen others wounded. While her recovery over the past year has been remarkable, she still faces some significant speech and mobility challenges.
Seated on Giffords’ right last Tuesday night was Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake, a Republican. There were several instances in which Giffords struggled to stand in agreement and applause with other members of her party. Each time, Flake helped her to her feet, stood beside her with a steadying hold on her arm, then helped her back into her seat. This often meant that he was the only Republican standing.
Shallow and superficial individuals may have been caused to question, “Isn’t Rep. Flake afraid that others might think he has changed his political ideology? Does he actually agree with statements that are in opposition to his own party’s platform?” Thankfully, Flake didn’t care about the perceptions of others. He did what was right, what was kind, what was needful, and what was compassionate, regardless of what anyone else thought about it. The following day, Flake held Giffords’ hand as her formal resignation from her Congressional seat was read. May Flake’s tribe increase!
Jesus didn’t worry about “guilt by association” when it came to doing good and extending love and mercy to others. He gladly received sinners and tax-collectors and ate with them, even though He knew that He would be accused of being a drunkard and a glutton and would have His own morality and standards questioned.
Neither did Jesus refuse a dinner invitation from Simon the Pharisee, despite the fact that hanging out with the religious elite might seriously damage His “street cred” with others. He challenged people at both ends of the spectrum (and everyone in between) to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. He was impervious to opinion polls, the whispering of skeptics, and the ranking systems of religious rivals.
We need no one’s permission or approval to do good. Compassion and mercy are self-authenticating and transcend all man-made barriers of party, sect, and creed.
Yesterday, after a lot of prayer and thought, I determined that I needed to suspend my graduate studies and formally withdraw from the M.Div. program that I began last fall. It was not an easy decision, but it was a necessary one. I had been overly optimistic in thinking that I could get back in the classroom without impacting my ministry and family responsibilities. My ability to juggle the additional work load is apparently not the same at age 49 as it was 25 years ago.
In the past, I ignored the signs and symptoms of being spread too thin, being far too proud at that time to admit that there was anything that I couldn’t do. So, I insisted on pressing on, and paid a dear price as a result. I was beginning to recognize the signs and to sense the familiar symptoms and stresses. Experience has convinced me that I cannot afford to travel down that road again. Graduate study was the variable in my life’s equation that could be altered.
There is a sense of disappointment, but it is a ”good” disappointment, knowing that it was for my greater overall good, along with that of my family and ministry. I have accepted the blessing of having had the opportunity to earn B.A. and M.A. degrees in theological studies, and can now be contentedly resigned to the fact that the pursuit of additional academic degrees does not fit within the framework of my life and the limitations of my circumstances. I have the satisfaction of having tried and failed, rather than a perpetual, nagging, unanswerable questioning of “I wonder if I could have.”
I take comfort in knowing that my foray back into the classroom, brief though it was, has rekindled some fires and re-whetted my appetite for ongoing learning, to which I will remain committed throughout the years ahead, though not in a formal graduate program. The level of instruction in Oklahoma Christian University’s Graduate School of Theology is outstanding, and I would highly recommend the program to those who are seeking to further their ministry training and theological studies. I am grateful for the knowledge gained, the new connections made, and the old relationships renewed.
Inspirational messages and anecdotes from great orators and motivators can convince us to defy boundaries, refuse the confines of limitations, and burst through barriers to achieve greatness beyond our imaginations. As you have already surmised, this is not one of those messages. For those people who can and who do, God bless you and strengthen you; I’ll stand with the rest to praise your achievements and victories.
However, my decision to discontinue my graduate studies serves as somewhat of a counterweight and a reality check that sometimes we have to recognize, accept, and live within our own limitations, and to do so with contentment and without regret.
That is a blessing in and of itself!
I will admit to knowing absolutely nothing about professional marketing, so I am completely open to having a Madison Avenue insider inform and enlighten me on this subject in the event that I am missing something here. But…
Have you seen the Dr. Pepper TEN commercial? It is a 30-second TV advertisement built around a cheesy action movie scenario, complete with a running gun battle through the jungle, a surprise attack by a snake, rolling boulders, a leap from a cliff, and a pursuit by three assailants on motorcycles. The spot promotes ”what guys want” in a soda, i.e., Dr. Pepper’s 23 flavors with “only 10 manly calories.” The commercial ends with the tagline, “Dr. Pepper TEN! It’s not for women!”
I understand that the spot is tongue-in-cheek, but still! “It’s not for women?” Seriously? Why would a company that is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars (perhaps millions) on advertising intentionally run the risk of alienating half of their potential market? It’s like saying, “Dr. Pepper TEN. It’s not for brown-haired people!” Some women will undoubtedly buy the product, drink it, and will probably like it. But, if I were a woman, my attitude would be, “Okay, fine! I’ll spend my money on something else. Let’s see if your marketing genius keeps his job.” I say “his” job because I can’t imagine that a woman dreamed up this ad campaign.
So, what has this got to do with anything other than soft drinks?
The commercial got me thinking about how we in our churches present ourselves to people in our communities; not as overtly as in the TV spot, but in much more subtle and, perhaps, unintentional ways.
When someone visits your congregation, is it possible that from attending the worship service, interacting with members (or not), and receiving information about the church’s ministries, that he or she could write a tagline? ”The Main Street Church! It’s not for singles!” ”It’s not for the divorced!” ”It’s not for anyone over (or under) 35!” “It’s not for the ethnically diverse!” “It’s not for the economically disadvantaged!” ”It’s not for the chronically ill!”
Something to think about!
Tim Tebow won his first NFL playoff game last Sunday night, leading his underdog Denver Broncos to a victory over the Pittsburg Steelers with an electrifying 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime. The home crowd erupted in jubilant celebration and a record-setting Twitter tsunami was unleashed: 9,420 tweets per second, the most ever for a sporting event. The Tebow faithful were more convicted and convinced than ever. Doubters were once again scratching their heads in amazement and begrudgingly expressing admiration for Tebow’s ability to lead his team to thrilling wins. Haters were left stewing in their own cynical juices.
In an article on Monday, Mark Kriegel praised Tim Tebow for what he believes is his most amazing trait of all, humility. In spite of all of the criticism and ridicule that he has received for his open expressions of faith and his sometimes erratic play on the field, Tebow has refrained from uttering a single ”I told you so” after a victory. He simply (and consistently) thanks God and his teammates for making him look better than he is.
Kriegel couldn’t resist a reference to Tebow 3:16, calling attention to the Denver quarterback’s intriguing stat of 316 passing yards against the Steelers. Soon after the game, I saw a few friends’ Facebook statuses that read, “316: Coincidence?” I didn’t want to rain on anyone’s faith parade or start any unnecessary debates, but, if I had chosen to comment, my answer would have been “Yes, just a coincidence.” Tebow’s passing yardage on 10 completions was owing to his scrambling and throwing skills, his receivers’ abilities, the protection of his offensive line, and the coverage (or lack thereof) of the defensive secondary. Does anyone really believe that God caused the other 11 of Tebow’s passes to be incomplete so that the divine math would work out to be exactly 316?
I thought Kriegel made an astute observation when he noted that many people seem “intent on demeaning religion by cross-pollinating it with sports.” If we profess to believe in a God who is so small and trivial that He fixes football games, no wonder so many people in our world are reluctant to believe in Him.
Colin Cowherd shared an excellent commentary about Tim Tebow and the Broncos’ victory on his ESPN Radio show on Monday morning. Though Cowherd is, by his own admission, not a religious person, he stated that he had absolutely no problem with Tebow’s faith because he sees him as being genuine and non-hypocritical. According to Cowherd, Tebow is not one of those athletes who says, “I love God,” and then hits on the flight attendant on the flight home.
What impressed Cowherd the most about Tim Tebow last Sunday was his apparent ability to forget his dismal performance in the previous three games and play as if it had never happened. In December, Tebow had been “the worst quarterback since they invented the facemask,” Cowherd said. Cowherd attributed Sunday’s extraordinary performance to Tebow’s faith, his “inner scoreboard” which allowed him to have “faith-based amnesia.” He could follow going “0 for December” with the best game of his career on Sunday. Cowherd stated, ”I’m not into religion, but to deny what his faith does for him is silly.” Well said!
It’s not that Tim Tebow can’t mentally recall past disappointments and failures on the field, he just isn’t owned by them, debilitated by them, or defined by them.
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).
Faith-based amnesia!
Welcome to 2012!
Regardless of what the Mayan calendar may or may not have predicted, and in spite of any new apocalyptic pronouncements that may be forthcoming from Harold Camping, here are three things about which I am quite certain concerning the year that lies ahead.
1. If the pages keep turning on this year’s calendar, it is because (and only because) God’s patience continues to be extended to mankind in delaying the return of His Son. That makes each and every day an intentional, purposeful gift from the Father. History does not keep marching forward by accident. Therefore, I am resolved to gratefully accept God’s gift of each day as a special, unique blessing. I will not allow any day to be a mere mechanical carbon copy of the one before, but will do my best to use each one for the purposes of His honor, glory, and will.
2. Events will transpire on a local, national, and global scale that are totally beyond my control. Illnesses will be diagnosed. Friends and loved ones will depart to be with the Lord. Flood waters will rise. Tornadoes will ravage the interior of the land, and hurricanes will batter the coast. Terrorists will strike. The stock market will plunge, then rise, then plunge again. Wars and conflicts will rage. Since I have absolutely no control over any of these events, I will not waste precious time living in fear, worry, or anxiety. However, I do realize that my reaction to events around me is definitely within my control, as are my attitudes, actions, and words. Experience has taught me that I have quite a handful just trying to manage those few things on a daily basis.
3. My relationship with Christ and depth of spirituality will not remain the same this year. There is no neutral position, hover mode, or pause button that will allow me to just stay where I am. I will either draw closer to God or move further away from Him. I will either be more devoted in prayer and study of His word, or I will lose ground by filling my heart and mind with more of this world’s transient and trivial pursuits. I will either come to know Jesus more intimately, or He will become more of a stranger to me.
God will allow me to decide daily whether I will follow more closely in the steps of Jesus or seek paths of my own making and choosing.
Thank you, Father, for the gift and challenge of a new year. May your Name be glorified, may your Son be praised, may your Spirit convict and comfort, and may your Kingdom advance and increase in all the earth.
Noted journalist and atheist Christopher Hitchens passed away on December 15 at the age of 62 from complications of esophageal cancer. Through his writing, lectures, and debates, Hitchens was neither timid nor tempered in expressing his views about God. Believing that the term “atheist” might erroneously suggest some room for ambivalence about the notion of Deity, he preferred a stronger and more definitive description of himself as an “antitheist.” Hitchens, who identified the monotheistic faiths of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam as being ”the real axis of evil,” offered a thorough presentation of his thoughts about religion in his 2007 book, God is Not Great.
As odd and counter-intuitive as it might seem, the fervor of Christopher Hitchens’ belief system and the tenacity with which he held to it offer a commendable model that Christians would do well to imitate in regard to their faith in Jesus Christ.
There was no mushy middle ground for Hitchens when it came to the existence of God and the deity of Jesus Christ. “Hoping so” or “wishing so” was completely irrelevant to the discussion, and there was no room for sappy sentimentalism. Either God is, or He isn’t. Either Jesus is the divine Son of God and the world’s only hope for salvation, or He was a complete fraud. Of course, for Hitchens, it was a certainty that God isn’t; he staked his life, his reputation, and his intellect on it. He was sold-out, all-in, and unyielding in his convictions. He would challenge anyone on the subject, no matter who it made uncomfortable, angry, or indignant.
Am I as committed in my Christian faith as Hitchens was in his antagonism against it?
As his cancer worsened and death grew more imminent, Hitchens preemptively ruled out any possibility of a death-bed conversion. He warned friends not to believe him if, under the influence of palliative pain medication, he seemed to waffle about his disbelief in God. It would just be the drugs talking, he insisted. A terminal disease would not be allowed to undermine the foundation of his belief system.
Would I allow it to alter mine?
One of the qualities that made Christopher Hitchens so fascinating and frustrating to people was his deftness at being an equal-opportunity offender. His opinions about issues and personalities were truly his own, defying established conventions and simplistic labels. He was both vilified as a socialist liberal and ostracized for neo-conservatism and support for the Iraq war. He not only offered scathing critiques of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, but also Bill and Hillary Clinton and Michael Moore. Even Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama could not escape his pointed pen and tongue.
It would have been far easier (and would have cost him fewer friends) if he had completely cast his lot with one “camp” or the other by clearly pledging his singular allegiance in partisan, “them” and “us” ideological conflicts. He would have known where the safe ground was and which targets were strictly off-limits. However, Hitchens would not allow himself to be confined within parameters and expectations that were determined by others.
Christians, also, should resist allowing their faith to be determined and their spiritual thinking limited by the imposition of the artificial boundaries of sectarian partyism, regardless of whether it is traditional or progressive, right or left, conservative or liberal. One should seek to be Biblical, no matter how untidily it may fit into the prefabricated theological boxes of others.
Though the basis and object of our belief could not be more different, Christians should seek a “Hitchens kind of faith”: bold, courageous, unwavering, unapologetic, and uncompromising.
What are the chances that a member of the British royal family would show up at your front door, just for the purpose of sharing some conversation and afternoon tea? What are the chances that your favorite rock group (or country band, for some of you) would park their tour bus in front of your house, set up in your backyard, and cater a barbecue dinner for you, your family, and a group of friends while you enjoyed an impromptu concert. Slim? None? Would never happen?
Multiply those remote odds by several billion exponents and you would arrive at a fraction of the chance that the Creator of the cosmos would come to earth in the form of human flesh. And yet, He did; not to gain anything, but to give everything.
Following are a couple of excerpts from an excellent article by Michael Horton, ”The Good God Who Came Down,” which appears in the current issue of Christianity Today.
“We prefer to climb up to God through argument, experience, and activity. But God has climbed down to us, meeting us not in the “high places” we erect, but in the lowest places; in a barn, in suffering our scorn, fellowshipping with sinners, and hanging on a cross. We don’t ascend from particulars to universals. Rather, the source of all universal truth has descended to us in the concrete particulars of human history.”
“There is no passable route from us to God. We cannot climb the ladder of mysticism, speculation, or merit. In pride, we try to rise to heaven through reason, but God descends to us in humility and self-sacrificial generosity. We seek the truth within ourselves or in universal laws derived from our moral intuition, but God surprises us – and his name is Jesus.”
“When the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4).
“The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
“Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:22-23).
“Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people: for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in a cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:10-12).
“For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9).
“Although He existed in form of God, He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8).
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (II Corinthians 9:15).
Merry Christmas, everyone!!!
On Christmas Day, the NBA is kicking off a shortened, 66-game regular season for 2011-12. With the expiration of the league’s collective bargaining agreement on June 30 and the ensuing lockout that lasted until December 8, this was almost “the season that wasn’t.” The work stoppage saw the cancellation of the original schedule of training camps, preseason games, and regular season match-ups through December 24.
I did not closely follow the labor dispute. I occasionally heard news coverage with quotes from NBA Commissioner David Stern, National Basketball Players Association executive director Billy Hunter, and Lakers guard Derek Fisher who serves as the president of the NBPA. While I was not well-versed on the specifics, I knew that the bottom line disagreement between the team owners and the players was about money. It’s always about money: “Who gets what number of slices of the multi-billion dollar NBA pie?”
The thought hit me during the lockout that I should organize a fan boycott that would keep fans away from the arenas for the same number of games that were lost during the labor dispute. Don’t attend any games. Don’t buy any jerseys, caps, sweatshirts, or other team merchandise. Where did the fans figure into the negotiations? Who represented the season ticket holders, the “family night” attenders, and those who never miss a game on TV. As the owners and players arm-wrestled over percentages of Basketball Related Income, did they stop to consider where BRI comes from? I thought it would be a good idea to remind them.
But, alas, I am no activist. I don’t even have a Twitter account, an absolute necessity these days if one is going to lead any kind of successful social revolution.
In reality, a fan boycott would have had a negligible impact on the “bigs” of the league. Only the little guys would have just continued to suffer, the vendors, concession workers, security personnel, and area restaurants that depend heavily on game day customers.
A boycott would have been an epic failure, primarily because of fans like me. Despite my disgust with the corporate greed of NBA executives and the incessant whining of obsenely compensated athletes, when the whistle blows on December 25, I’ll be sitting there like some Pavlovian dog in front of the television. My family and I will be faithfully tuned in at 1:30 CST on Christmas Day, watching the Mavericks raise their first championship banner and urging Nowitzki to “Dirk the Halls” on the Miami Heat.
If only I were an activist…
I am a Christian.
Many who read this blog would be willing to unapologetically and confidently make the same statement. The basic meaning of the name “Christian” is simply “a follower or partisan of Christ,” that is, someone who willingly identifies himself or herself with Jesus. Given our familiarity with the term and our frequent usage of it, many are surprised to learn that the name only appears three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:27; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16).
In our modern language and culture, the name “Christian” is used in a multitude of ways and has been infused with a wide spectrum of meanings. These range from “anyone who acknowledges any level of faith in Jesus Christ as opposed to following the tenets of Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, etc.” to “only those believers who precisely agree with every aspect of my own understanding and practice of faith in Christ.”
In re-examining the first occurrence of the name “Christian” in the book of Acts, I found it very instructive to note the timing and context of its inaugural use. It was not a name that was immediately claimed on Pentecost, when the Spirit-enabled apostles first proclaimed the message of the crucified and resurrected Christ and thousands were baptized (Acts 2). It wasn’t when the number of disciples grew to 5,000 men (not including women and children) in the Jerusalem church (Acts 4:4). It wasn’t when the Gospel spread beyond Judea and gained an overwhelming reception among the Samaritans (Acts 8:1-12). Nor was it when Peter first proclaimed the message of salvation to Cornelius and the rest of his Gentile household in Caesarea (Acts 9).
“Christian” was not used as a synonym for disciples of Jesus until after the conversion of many Gentiles in Antioch of Syria (Acts 11:19-26). It was not a distinctive name for Jewish believers or a separate name for Gentile believers. The name Christian was a “shared” name and an “inclusive” name that transcended all man-made barriers between Jews, Samaritans, Gentiles, men and women, young and old, slave and free, rich and poor, educated and uneducated (Galatians 3:27-28). It was a name that celebrated the oneness of all baptized believers in Jesus Christ.
I am a Christian.
A friend told me a joke several years ago, the punch line of which included the question, “Is that your final answer?” I didn’t laugh. My failure to respond prompted him to say, “You haven’t seen the show, have you?” I had not. The show that I hadn’t seen was Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? My friend was incredulous. Everyone had seen that show! How could I live in such a state of cultural depravity, and how dare I ruin his perfectly funny joke?
I eventually did see the show a time or two, but never became a regularl viewer. However, Regis Philbin’s question “Is that your final answer?” became deeply ingrained in our cultural consciousness. The question is reminiscent of a parable of Jesus in which a father asked something of his two sons. Each of the sons answered their father differently; and, in each case, it was not their final answer.
The parable is recorded in Matthew 21:28-32. The chief priests and elders in Jerusalem had just attempted to entrap Jesus with a trick question. As usual, Jesus quickly turned the rhetorical tables on them and silenced them with a question of his own. He then told them this parable which contrasted their rejection of the good news of God’s kingdom with the joyful reception that it was gaining among tax collectors and prostitutes whose hearts were being touched and led to repentance.
In Jesus’ story, a man approached the first of his two sons and directed him to go and work in the family’s vineyard. The son flatly refused. “No,” the insolent little cuss replied to his father; rude, brash, disrespectful, and disobedient. However, the young man later rethought his answer, regretted the shameful way in which he had spoken to his father, and went to work. “No” was not his final answer.
The father approached his second son with the same instruction to work in the vineyard. “Yes, sir!,” he replied. “Right away; I’m on it; no need to ask me twice; I’m always happy to do my part and carry my share of the load; it’s never a burden or a bother; I count it a real joy to do what you ask of me. Love ya, Dad!” Nice words; but only words. He didn’t go to the vineyard. “Yes” was not his final answer.
Jesus asked his critics which one of the two sons did the will of his father: the one who said he that wouldn’t and then did, or the one who said that he would and then didn’t. They answered His question correctly.
By outward appearances, the scribes and Pharisees were talking a good game by their ability to quote long sections of the Law and the Prophets and by sporting broad phylacteries and long tassels. But, by their traditions, double-standards, self-righteousness, and hypocrisy, they were ultimately saying “no” to God. On the other hand, the tax collectors and prostitutes who had been saying “no” through their dishonesty and sexual immorality were sincerely and penitently saying “yes” to Jesus, just as they had positively responded to the message of John the Baptist.
No matter how deeply we have fallen in sin or how far we have wandered away from God, “no” does not have to be our final answer. God graciously allows us time to rethink our response to His grace and mercy.
If you have said ”yes” to Jesus Christ, let that be your final answer!
