Hip-hop to holy man

NEW YORK (AP) -- Five years after he stunned the hip-hop world by giving up a multiplatinum career for a religious career, Pastor Mason Betha is still talking about a resurrection -- this time, a musical one.

A huge hip-hop star known to the world as Ma$e, Betha all but declared his alter ego dead when he traded in his hedonistic rap life in 1999.

He went to school, became a minister, married, got his own church and disavowed his former life, complaining that the rap world he once belonged to was corrupting the youth with sexual and violent lyrics.

Now he has returned to the hip-hop community that he only recently held in disdain. He's recorded a new album, titled "Welcome Back," reunited with former mentor P. Diddy and his Bad Boy record label, and has even collaborated with some of today's more raucous rappers on their hits -- though all his raps are now squeaky clean.

His sudden comeback seems as inexplicable as his now-ended retirement, an incongruous step in a life that had been steeped in the word of God. But ask Ma$e if he's veered away from God's path, and he simply smiles and explains that it's all part of the same plan.

"I'm already in my field. This is just another part of my entrepreneurship," he says in his typical slow drawl, sitting in the offices of his record label, wearing a lime-green striped shirt with matching multicolored jewels draping his neck and wrist. "I've got a purpose for being here this time. I've got a reason behind my voice now."

In Betha's view, he didn't have any reason behind his voice when he gave it all up at age 20. A charismatic figure with a baby face and dimples, he had become a rap superstar with his laid-back rhymes and party lyrics that referred to sex, drugs and more sex, and sold about 4 million albums with just two releases -- 1997's "Harlem World" and 1999's "Double Up."

His voice was on hit after hit, from his own ("Feels So Good") to the numerous verses he dropped on other people's songs as a coveted guest (Mariah Carey's "Honey" and the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Mo Money, Mo Problems").

'Empty on the inside'

But he wasn't happy with the person he was -- he describes that Ma$e as "arrogant" and a "womanizer" who lacked spiritual character.

"Here I am a young man who has seen a great amount of success, and I already have the money and the fame and all of those things, but I felt like I wanted to be rich on the inside. I didn't like the fact that I had all of those things but I was empty on the inside," he says.

"I wanted a fulfilling life, what every person wants. And then I just made a decision to leave music to venture out and go after what it is I always wanted, and that was total life prosperity. I just didn't want a musical side of me being prosperous but I'm dying on the inside."

So he left New York for Atlanta, and plunged into religion and tried to shed all traces of his former self. He created the nondenominational Mason Betha Ministries Inc., started his own church in suburban Atlanta and says he gave friends the fancy cars and jewels he had attained while a star.

He even stopped listening to rap. "I think the first person I've heard since I've came back, I listened to some dude, I think his name is Chingy," he says.

According to friends, he didn't appear to be restless to return to his previous life. Cudda "Country" Love, Ma$e's former and present manager, recalls the casual conversations the two would have; rap never came up.

"My mind-set was Ma$e was not never coming back; I never talked to him about music," says Love, who founded Fo' Reel Entertainment and discovered Nelly. "The first time I talked to Ma$e since he retired, he needed a church van."

Betha says he didn't miss rap, although he adds: "My biggest fear was, who would I be without music? I had to prove it to myself that I could live out there and once I proved it to myself, then I think that's how this all came about."

It also came about because Nelly had been wanting Love to ask Ma$e to collaborate on a song.

"I was like, 'Nelly wanna talk with you,"' Country recalls. "(Betha) was like, 'What kind of business Nelly want with me other than Jesus?"'

Yet Ma$e, who turns 27 Friday, agreed to go to Los Angeles to listen to Nelly record some songs. The first song he heard from the St. Louis rapper -- known for sometimes raunchy lyrics and videos -- wasn't appropriate for him.

"(But) the next day I came back he was playing a more clean song, a song that had some substance to it, and I was listening to the music and I was like, 'Yo, I'm going to get on this song with you,' and he was like, 'Go ahead, go ahead!"'

New themes, same hip-hop sound

Soon after that, Love got a call from Betha that he was ready to return to hip-hop -- but not just for his own sake.

"I really didn't have no reason to really come back and do music, but then when I thought about all of the people, and especially young ladies who knew a different Ma$e, I thought it would be robbery not to come back and at least allow them to see the new person that I've become," he says. "It wasn't per se I wanted it, but I just thought it would be robbery for them not to know it."

The new music from Ma$e certainly shows a different side -- instead of talking about smoking weed and scoring women, as he did with his previous albums, this time around he talks about not taking clothes off and tithing. But it still has the same hip-hop sound appropriate for clubbing.

"It's pretty much just an extra clean album, but if you listen to it, it don't sound poppish, it don't sound corny," says Love.

Whether his congregation approves is unclear. An Associated Press reporter's attempt to talk to members of his congregation about his comeback was rebuffed by church leaders who surrounded him and demanded that he leave.

When asked how his new music jibed with his religious message, Betha retorted: "People have it misconstrued. I mean, I'm not religious. That's the biggest folly right there. I'm not religious. I hate religion. Religion kills people. What I have is a personal relationship with God. Religion is a book that tells you, 'Don't do this, don't do that, and don't dress like this."'

Betha concedes his stance is relatively new, and evolved after his 2001 book, "Revelations: There is Light After the Lime," in which he rejected just about everything in his old hip-hop life.

"When I wrote a book, I was in the midst of seeking that truth, but now I know that truth, and then once I know the truth, I didn't have to throw away my talent. See, religion said throw away everything -- just live butt-naked and God would be pleased with you, but that's not realistic," he says. "I didn't have to do that."

Besides, he believes he can bring more people to his world by being in their world -- and showing them how to live in it.

"The song I wrote, like 'You don't have to take your clothes off' ("Keep it On"), the women, they're going to jump behind that," he declares. "And what's that gonna do to the guys who are saying, 'Take it off, take it off, drop it, do that' -- they're going to be shut down. So you're not going to have to tell them stop doing that music, it's not gonna work no more."

from ~ CNN.com

The blog, a voice for the voiceless?

A recent post by The Living Room has gotten me thinking about the nature of a blog as a voice. Recently, my thought for the day was something like, "The greatest and worst thing about the internet is that anyone can say anything they want."

You see one of the remarkable things about blogging is that it gives ordinary people a voice that they might not have had previously. On a personal level this is true - when I started blogging my network was very local and quite limited in number. Blogging has opened this up considerably - I've 'met' people world wide who are doing and thinking about very similar things to me. It has given me opportunity not only to learn from them but also to contribute - to have my say in the emerging conversation. -The Living Room

My blog is rather small. If you are reading this and you didn't meet me before you visited my blog, I am very surprised. But, this blog is a part of my voice. The conversations that I have with my friends, and with other people at church; these things are a part of my voice. As a Christian, I am called to use my voice to speak for those without a voice, to speak for "the least of these."

The point is this: you don't need a blog to have a voice. Your voice is heard by all of the people you meet on a daily basis. Use your voice to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.
(You know, Jenni is right, sometimes these posts really do sound like sermons.)

Responding to criticism . . .

Welcome to the planet has posted an interesting article on dealing with criticism:

It seems like these days everyone is a critic. People are critical of other poeples theology, performance, looks, status, etc...

I recently recieved a bit of criticism about the program I run. My critic left a written evaluation about my performance(I won't go into details, but lets just say this person was less than helpful). At first I was put off by the comments, even a bit indignant. Then I began thinking about how should I handle criticism? Should I listen to some or all of the critics that come my way? I know that you wont please everyone, and you shouldn't even try. So who do I listen to? I guess for me this is where the value of community comes in. I am more apt to listen to those who I trust and know where they are coming from. Criticism that comes off the cuff like a cheap sucker punch only makes me want to fight back. My old boss had a great bit of wisdom, he used to say, "I don't listen to the random praise and I don't listen to the random criticism." I think that there is a bit of wisdom in there. I guess that in this critical time, that gets hard to do sometimes, especially when everyone is a critic. I know that I need to be careful that I am not one of those people who lob critcal bombs at others.

To all the critics out there, I leave you with a story my pastor tells of a time when he did youth ministry. Bryan had just done a sucessful youth event, one that he thought went well. He showed up at the next board meeting to find himself the object of much criticism from the other board members. Bryan also tells that his Sr Pastor remained quite silent throughout the meeting, never coming to Bryan's defense. When the reaming had settled down a bit, the Sr Pastor looked around the room and said. "you know any jackass can kick down the barn from the inside, but it takes real skill to pick up a hammer and build. I know which ones of you in this room are the jackasses and which ones are the carpenters."

Which one are you?

Sweet Jesus

Ok, those of you that know me know that I love puns. With that in mind and considering that there is lightning in the area, this post is going to be breif:

I wonder if they gave out chocolate buddy Christ?

Church woos reluctant worshippers with chocolate

A Church of England bishop has adopted a non-traditional approach to tempt his disappearing flock to return to the fold: chocolate.

Some consider it a sin to indulge but the Church of England is holding up chocolate as a potential saviour for its diocese in Manchester, which has been threatened by falling attendances.

There are so few regular churchgoers that Reverend Nigel McCulloch fears the church itself is in danger of disappearing within two generations.

His "Back to Church Sunday" initiative will target the over-50s who used to attend but no longer do so.

They will be wooed with slick invitations and the promise of chocolate at the end of their first service.

The church is also considering a number of other incentives, with one involving the showing of comedy videos at next month's service to celebrate the Autumn harvest.

from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200408/s1187129.htm

He is talking about my church . . .

Have we become so enchanted with our own survival as a church that we have neglected the true message of the Gospel? It seems to me, as I read this article, that McLaren was writing specifically about my church, in my homwtown.

Bless This House?
Why efforts to renew the church are often misguided.
by Brian McLaren, Leadership columnist

I often hear someone say, "We're exploring new ways of doing church." Or "We're seeking church renewal." Or even "We're developing a postmodern church service. It's very cool. We're very innovative." In all these ways, my colleagues and I, for all our good intentions, show that we may not be likely to succeed.

These efforts overlook one small detail. Whatever we change (style of music, style of preaching, use of art, candles, incense, etc.), we're not changing the thing that needs changing most.

Which is? One might recall Jesus' words about saving our lives and in the process losing them. Could it be that the church is as it is in so many places not because of a lack of effort or a lack of sincerity or a lack of spirituality (or even a lack of money, commitment, or prayer), but rather because our sincere efforts, passionate prayers, and material resources are all aimed in the wrong direction—the direction of self-preservation, self-aggrandizement, self-improvement?

What if saving the church is a self-defeating mission?

Lesslie Newbigin often spoke of the greatest heresy of monotheism (in its Jewish, Christian, and Islamic forms): cherishing Clause A of the Abrahamic call while conveniently suppressing, forgetting, or ignoring Clause B. So, we want to be blessed (big, exciting, vibrant, wealthy, healthy, wise). We want to be great (a great nation, a great denomination, a great congregation). To this end we pray and pay and read and plead and strive and strain and yearn and learn and groan and labor. And we give birth to wind.

Meanwhile, might God be otherwise occupied, scanning the earth for people who will also cherish Clause B: to be made into a great blessing, so that all people on earth can be blessed through us? Are we seeking blessing so as to be a blessing to the world God loves?

Do you see the difference between renewing the church as our mission, and blessing the world?

Our persistent "bless-me" bug, like a nasty flu into which we keep relapsing, creates what some of my friends have called "the great commotion," a close approximation of the Great Commission, but a miss nonetheless. Seminar junkies accumulate plastic-covered notebooks that could fill an oil tanker. Authors like myself write books whose combined gross weight may exceed the weight of our congregations after a pot-luck dinner. But not much changes.

Our efforts are all bent to renew or strengthen the current systems, which are perfectly designed (as Dallas Willard has said) to deliver the results we are now getting.

So if we are a self-centered church in America, it is because our systems—including our theological systems—are perfectly designed to produce such a church. It has been said that the greatest obstacle to the coming of the kingdom of God is the church, preoccupied with her own existence. Could our preoccupation with making better churches rather than better blessing the world be the heart disease that plagues us? And could our Clause-A theological systems be the high-fat cause of that heart disease?

This is what's really going on beneath all the superficial talk of "emerging church." Far more than cosmetics are under consideration: the very purpose of the church, the gospel, and the pastorate are being re-thought. If that doesn't disturb, surprise, or excite you, you don't understand what is being said.

Everywhere I go, on the fringes and in unexpected places (including in all the wrong denominations where this sort of things shouldn't happen), I discover churches and leaders who are grappling with these deep questions. They want to be blessed in order to be a blessing to the world. Their dream does not stop with the church. They're thinking about God's kingdom coming on earth as in heaven.

These are good signs. Hopefully, the early signs of even better signs yet to come. How ironic if the church were to find life by losing it, by giving it away.

From ~ http://www.christianitytoday.com/leaders/newsletter/2004/cln40629.html

Our Citizenship

Thus far in my (admittedly short) blogging career, I have attempted to steer clear of politics, and stick with religion. However, one trend that I am noticing bothers me so much that I cannot remain quiet any longer.

Even though both candidates outwardly profess to be followers of Jesus, it seems that many religious organizations are going to great lengths to tell us which candidate to support. While both sides are guilty, I think that the right is guilty of particularly egregious transgressions. It seems that many conservative Christian organizations are more interested in seeing Bush get elected, than they are interested in seeing their message get across.

I know that I have recently written a lot about the present Kingdom of God, and of our individual and corporate responsibility in that kingdom. However, there is more to bringing about the Kingdom than campaigning for some man. Need I remind you that we are citizens of another country? Writing to the church in Ephesus, St. Paul said:

So, then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; ²² in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. ~Ephesians 2:19-22

It is about time that we, as Christians, claimed our place in the house the apostles built. This house will stand regardless of who wins the election in November. It will stand. Let’s focus on filling God’s house, not the White House.

Christianity in Culture

What facinates a Christian sociologist more than places where faith and culture intersect? Not much, here's another story:

What Would Jesus Wear?

What does it mean to sacrifice?

One Hand Clapping has posted a very thoughtful, very well written piece about sacrifice. It is a little long but it is definately worth a read:


What would you sacrifice your child for?
The Sunday sermon

One evening during the Democratic National Convention, talk show host Bill O'Reilly interviewed far-left-wing film maker Michael Moore, whose latest movie, Fahrenheit 9/11, is two hours of anti-Bush venom. Heavily criticizing the Iraq war, Moore pointedly asked O'Reilly whether he would sacrifice his son to take Fallujah. The question took O'Reilly off guard, but he replied, reasonably enough, no. But, he said, he would sacrifice himself.

Moore and O'Reilly thrashed back and forth about the topic for a little while longer, and that was that.

The question was of more than casual interest to me, since my son had just left for active duty in the Marine Corps, and Ken and Patricia's grandson, Marine Sergeant Nicholas Waller, was then in Iraq.

I remember thinking at the time that Moore's question was pretty stupid, since the obvious answer to the question is what O'Reilly said: No. Remembering my own years of service, I discovered when Stephen went off to boot camp that it is much easier to go yourself than to watch your child go.

This week in the Washington Post, Jeff Bergner, former staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, addressed Moore's question. "The question," he wrote, "caught my attention because our youngest son had just returned from discussing post-college options with a Marine recruiter." I tell you, the Marines are everywhere!
Anyway, Bergner said, Moore's question was...

... a rhetorical device and not a substantial question at all. This is true in four aspects.

First, it has the high standard of "sacrifice." No normal parent is prepared to sacrifice his child for any reason or objective, including military objectives. The same could be said of any desirable objective. Would you, for example, sacrifice your child to expand health care to the uninsured? Or even ... to save the life of another of [your] children? It is hard to imagine any objective for which one would sacrifice one's child. ...

Second, the question is addressed to the wrong person. All [members of the armed forces] are adult men and women in their own right. And it is they, not their parents, who choose to serve in the armed forces. ...

Third, the objective of Fallujah's pacification is too narrowly stated. Would anyone [even] enlist for the specific purpose of keeping supply convoys moving into Baghdad? Or to open a road to a dusty town? Or to pacify a town or the occupants of a house? Or to be killed by friendly fire? Many young Americans have lost their lives in just such ways. But these are tasks incidental to the larger purpose of military service: protecting the interests of the United States. ...

Finally, the question ignores the issue of consequences. We all know that the full consequences of our decisions are impossible to predict. So are the consequences of our indecisions. If there are risks and sacrifices entailed by action, there are also risks and sacrifices entailed by inaction.

All of these things are true, but after reflecting on the issue for a little more than two weeks, I am nagged by a thought that Moore was on to something, he just didn't know it. Bergner says correctly that the free will and adult status of service members means that however supportive of their service a parent may be, no parent is sacrificing a child in Fallujah or anywhere else. And while not one of us sitting here today would make a positive decision to sacrifice, or even endanger, one of our children, the question and its answer probes more deeply than what any individual would commit or accept.

During America's four great wars of the twentieth century - world wars one and two, Korea and Vietnam - the United States enforced a draft, which coercively took young men, someone's sons every one, from their homes and sent them into combat, where many died.

As a nation, we have indeed decided on more than one occasion to sacrifice our children. The lives of our children are of ultimate value, yet we have offered them up over and over in war, always, however, for the preservation of ultimate worth, that, as Lincoln put it, government by, of and for the people should not vanish from the earth, or today even more basically, for the preservation of American lives against terrorist attack.

The lives of our children are so precious that it is impossible to imagine offering them up for anything except something of ultimate value, and even for ultimate value we accept only a possibility of sacrifice rather than certainty. Combat does not mean certain death: even at Iwo Jima most Marines survived.

But I have a heretical question: is this inability or unwillingness to sacrifice our children with certainty mean that we are morally deficient? Is there anything we treasure so absolutely that we would with certainty part with even our most beloved ones to preserve it?

That is, I think, the dilemma that confronted Abraham so many centuries ago.

Gen. 22:1-2: Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

It's impossible to imagine what must have gone through Abraham's mind when he understood what God was requiring of him, to say nothing of what this command tells us about the mind of God. Religious child sacrifice was done in the eastern Mediterranean lands in Abraham's day and before. There was a place outside Jerusalem called Gehenna, where pagan Canaanites had once burned their children in sacrifice to their god Molech. The Jews were so repulsed by this place and practice that when Jesus wanted to describe what hell was like, he simply called it Gehenna.

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.

10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

By the time we reach this point of the story, if we have any moral sensibility at all we are ready to curse both Abraham and God alike. The deed God requires of Abraham is more than merely brutal, it is also senseless. There is no reason God offers Abraham for the killing of his son, Isaac. He simply tells him to do it. God promised Abraham no reward. There is no hint that some great danger to Abraham's community will be staved off by Isaac's death. God's orders nothing but a religious execution of innocent Isaac, who is undeserving even of a bare-hand spanking.

For two years, until not long ago, the intifada of the Palestinians against Israelis was going full bore. One of its main weapons was the suicide bomber. Suicide bombing hasn't disappeared from the Middle East - it remains one of the favorite tactics of foreign terrorists fighting the Iraqi government - but the Palestinian twist was that many of the suicide bombers were still children, and most of them blew themselves up not merely with their parents' knowledge but their approval. One such bomber was a teenager named Sayeed Hotari, who strapped a belt of dynamite to his waist. He walked into a crowded Tel Aviv disco and blew himself up. Twenty-one Israelis, most of them teenagers, were killed."I feel no regret for my son's death," his father said. "I hope all Palestinian men will do the same."

I have the same question for Sayeed's father and for Abraham: Why did you not offer yourself to save your son? If Sayeed the elder says that all Palestinian men should do the same, why did he not put his life where his mouth was? If Abraham loved Isaac as God said he did, why did he not try to make a deal with God, even offer himself to save his son? He had bargained God out of destroying the righteous along with the unrighteous in Sodom and Gomorrah, so where were his negotiation skills when it came to saving his son? Perhaps God would have struck him dead for his impertinence, but would not Abraham have thought it was worth it? We would offer ourselves to save our children - think of mothers and fathers throwing themselves over their children in Florida last week when the roof started to rip away. But Abraham does nothing to save Isaac.

11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

There was a death on the mountain that day, but it turned out to be the lamb of God, not the son of Abraham. "Without the shedding of blood," says the book of Hebrews, "there is no forgiveness" of sins (9.23). Theologically, there seems to be a grim symmetry to salvation: to gain the perfect and ultimate value of eternal life with God requires the sacrifice of the most valuable thing of all, life itself.

What is it that you most desire in all the world, the one thing that if accomplished you would find fullest contentment possible? What would you sacrifice to make it happen? We actually face this question all the time, for good or ill. I had two friends who craved success in business so much that they knowingly sacrificed their marriages to achieve it. My wife desired my call to ministry to succeed so much that for several years she gave up new clothes, nice things, vacations, leisure time and quite a bit of my companionship in order to make it possible for me to attain my M.Div. degree.

But for what would you take a life, or give it? This question is asked of few of us, thankfully, but is dreaded by police officers and soldiers, for whom the question is not academic. And it was no academic question for God, faced with how to accomplish the salvation of creation.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" (John 3:16-17).

I knew a man a few years ago who lost his son, eight, to cancer. The man said that at first he knelt by his son's bed and prayed to God to heal his son. As his son worsened, the man said he finally started offering himself in prayer to God, asking God to take the cancer from his son and put it inside himself. I am sure that each mother or father here would pray the same thing.

We tend to think of sin judicially and see it dealt with in a kind of theological court, where we are found not guilty based on the pleading of Christ. But I think it is helpful also to see sin as a deep illness in the human being that we cannot cure ourselves. In the mind of God, healing this illness must be the accomplishment of ultimate value, the capstone of creation and indeed, the perfection of creation. So out of love for his children, God became born of woman and took upon himself all the spiritual deficiencies of the human race. The prophet Isaiah put it this way:

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isa 53:4-6).

The apostle Paul wrote in Second Corinthians,

... God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting human sins against them. ... God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor5:19, 21).

And the book of Hebrews offers this insight:

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death ... (Heb 2:14).

The tragedy of the human condition is that our salvation cost God the life of his Son, but the deep mystery of the divine nature is that in Christ's death, God sacrificed himself, for the Son and the Father are the one and the same.

So the questions, what would you sacrifice your child for, and what would you sacrifice yourself for, are questions that ask the same thing of God. And the answer is for you and me and all humanity.

Graffiti for God?

I was thinking recently, what if we could find a way to blend graffiti art with Icons? What if someone decided to use thier artistic gifts for God?

Below, I have selected some examples that come close to what I mean.






There were other images that I liked more, but they changed the dimentions of my blog too much, so, they are out. See the link below to find more.

Images have a power in storytelling that words simply do not posess. Wouldn't it be powerful to present Gospel stories in graffiti art from in the cities? (legally, and in approved places, of course!)



To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews; to those under the law I became as one under the law--though not being myself under the law--that I might win those under the law. - I Corinthians 9:20

All of these images are taken from: Gospel Graffiti





Blessing the people with gas?

Church Earns Mileage With a Gas Subsidy

A Tustin service station sells gas at $1.67 a gallon for a day, underwritten by a congregation with a message for motorists. By Kevin Pang, Times Staff Writer

Hear 1 Corinthians, get 87 octane.

In an effort to get people — figuratively and literally — pumped for Christ, the Main Place Christian Fellowship offered $1.67-a-gallon gasoline at a Tustin service station Saturday, 40 cents off the regular price.

The catch? There really wasn't one. Church members in matching yellow shirts handed out bottled water, wiped windows and passed out literature as motorists waited at the Shell station at Red Hill Avenue and El Camino Real.

They said the subsidized gas campaign is a way to spread the word while promoting their 500-plus-member church.

"Galatians 6:10 says 'Do good to all men,' " volunteer Wendy Perlin said, a stack of Gospel of John booklets in her hands. "And all men and women go to the gas station. It's just a way to bless the community."

Senior Pastor Rich Mathisrud had read about a Kansas City church that tried the idea and thought it would work well in Southern California.

Mathisrud contacted Vahe Hovnanian, a Christian and manager of Sam's Shell next to the church. Hovnanian was taken with the idea.

"It's a win-win situation for God, for our customers and for us," Hovnanian said. "And in that order."

Over the last five weeks, church members raised $5,000 for the event. On Friday, the church handed over a check, enough to cover the 40-cent difference for more than 12,000 gallons of gas.

About 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Hovnanian changed the plastic $2.07-a-gallon sign for low-grade gas to $1.67.

And vehicles began lining up.

Mike Raphael drove from Corona — 50 miles round trip — after hearing about the promotion. He was greeted by a smiling Perlin.

"So you're getting blessed today with cheap gas," she told Raphael.

"And I'm getting blessed every day," he replied.

Over at Pump 3, Shay Jefferson's reaction to her $14.92 bill was met with two "wows."

Leonard Coleman was also in high spirits after topping off. He had received a tip from his son earlier in the morning.

Church youth director Leanne Grant said the No. 1 question was why they were doing this. Her answer: "This is a practical way to show Jesus' love and meet the needs of the community."

Organizers estimated more than 600 vehicles filled up Saturday. But the church spent only half of the $5,000, so they plan to do the promotion again in September.

At the Mobil station across the street, where prices remained above $2, clerk Nicole Beck had a clear view of the scene — mainly because there were few vehicles blocking the view. "It's been a little slow," she said. "It's hurt our business just a bit."

Marlena Black pulled her car into the Mobil, but did not notice the price across the street until the display at her pump had toggled past $15.

"Although I'm kind of in a hurry, I probably wish I had gone over there," she said.

Her pump eventually came to a rest at $32.95.

from ~ http://www.latimes.com/la-me-churchgas22aug22.story

Stinging Criticism . . .

Paradoxology has posted a quotation from "The Present Future" that has some harsh words for the Church,

We have a church in North American that is more secular than the culture. Just when the church adopted a business model, the culture went looking for God. Just when the church embraced strategic planning (linear and Newtonian), the universe shifted to preparedness (loopy and quantum). Just when the church began building recreation centers, the culture began a search for sacred space. Church people still think that secularism holds sway and that people outside the church have trouble connecting to God. The problem is that when people come to church, expecting to find God, they often encounter a religious club holding a meeting where God is conspicuously absent. It may feel like a self-help seminar or even a political rally. But if pre-Christians came expecting to find God -- sorry! They may experience more spiritual energy at a U2 concert or listening to a Creed CD.

We should spend some serious time seeking God's plan for the Church. It may be that in an effort to be hip or relevant, we have cut ourselves off from those who are seeking God.

Cheating the Children

I was talking with my pastor today after the service. He expressed to me his disappointment that there were no children present in church today, so he could not give a childrens' message. Initially, I was happy to hear that he was looking forward to delivering a childrens' message. There are many things that go on as a part of liturgical worship that have little, if any meaning for children.

It is what he said next that was so troubling to me, "I like to use the childrens' message as a 'cliff's notes' version of the full message." I was shocked. Apparently, the one part of the service that I thought was for the children, was actually another angle on the adults. He used those children.

As older believers, we have a responsibility to younger believers. They deserve to the Gospel message just the same as the adults. I pray to God that this is not a common practice among pastors.

We have a lot to learn from children. I personally wish that I could recapture some of that wonder that I see in a child's eye. As much as I love the study of theology, and delving into all that there is to know, I would love even more to see God simply, as I did when I was a child.

Everyone loves a list

So, I'll start by saying that I do not frequent churchexecutive.com. I came to this list via fark.com. I should also note that this list is from 2003. After reading the list, I am dealing with some disapointment:

• I am disapointed in myself for not being more familiar with many names on this list.
• I am disapointed that some people scored as highly as they did (Lahaye and Jenkins).
• I am disapointed that so few catholics were on the list (although this could be because there may not be many catholics who are a part of churchexecutive.com).
• I am disapointed that nobody made the list for thier work with or activism on behalf of the poor (once again, this is taken from churchexecutive.com).
  

Anyway . . . comment and let me know who should be higher, lower, off the list completely.

The 50 most influential Christians in America
The readers have spoken! Here's a look at who you voted as the most influential Christians in America in 2002.

[1] George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States
Formerly the Governor of Texas, this compassionate conservative has grown in popularity since 9/11. His decision to go after terrorists at all costs has recently caused an uproar, but he has also proposed bold initiatives to ensure churches can play a role in the betterment of this country. His establishment of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives had a rough start, but President Bush is working to ensure its success.He is always willing to share his testimony after being saved at age 40. He is also very open with his faith, unlike his many predecessors.

[2] John Ashcroft, Attorney General of the United States
Attorney General Ashcroft has been the center of controversy since his appointment in 2001. This son of an Assemblies of God minister has not been bashful about discussing his religious beliefs. However, he has not allowed those beliefs to dictate his enforcement of the nation's laws, much like his opponents thought they would.He leads an area and department that typically has been predominated by secular individuals. For many years God was purposely left out of decisions at the Justice Department.

[3] Tim Lahaye and [4] Jerry Jenkins, Authors, Left Behind Series
Dr. Tim LaHaye was the man who dreamt of fictionalizing an account of the Rapture and the Tribulation, which lead to the wildly popular Left Behind Series. This author, minister, counselor, television commentator, and speaker is the founder and president of Tim LaHaye Ministries and the founder of PreTrib Research Center.Thanks to the smashing success of the Left Behind Series, Jerry Jenkins is no longer the "most famous writer no one's ever heard of." Instead, he has become a leading contemporary evangelical writer with six books on the New York Times best seller's list.This popular fictional account of Revelation has caused many non-believers to search for answers. Some may think this ranking is too high, but the influence of their work during the last two years has been extraordinary.

[5] Sandra Day O'Connor, U.S. Supreme Court Justice
O'Connor made headlines when she shattered the glass ceiling by being named the first woman to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1981. She is considered to be a thoughtful jurist - one who thinks through cases thoroughly, letting her mind, rather than her heart, lead her decisions.She is the deciding vote in many Supreme Court cases. She will not strike down Roe v. Wade, but she was key to upholding government aid to religious organizations in the Cleveland school voucher case.

[6] Wilton Gregory, Catholic Bishop
The Most Reverend Wilton D. Gregory was elected as the first African-American President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2001. His role on the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse has brought him much attention in the past year, causing many to believe that Gregory still has so much more to accomplish.He is a telegenic African-American who has put a 21st century face on the Catholic Church in America. His profile was raised by his handling of the sexual abuse cases. Some look to him as the future leader of the Catholic Church in the U.S.

[7] Billy Graham, Evangelist
Considered one of the greatest pastors of our time, Billy Graham has been leading revivals and crusades since the 1930s, successfully packing huge event halls even to this day. He is scaling back his own duties, but his two children have become a leading force in the American Christian arena.While his age and health are limiting his work, he is still a powerful force in American Christianity.

[8] Rick Warren, Pastor, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA
Rick Warren, who started Saddleback Church in his home, now leads the fastest growing Baptist church in history, with more than 16,000 people in attendance each weekend. While he is best known for his Purpose-Driven model for church health and Pastors.com, Warren made waves in 2002 with his case against the IRS regarding the clergy housing allowance.He has been the most influential person in advancing church growth during the past 10 years. His controversial housing allowance challenge only increased his impact on the American church.

[9] Bill Hybels, Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington, IL
Bill Hybels has developed his own standards for church growth, taking into account the reasons people were unchurched - they did not want to make time, or they felt "guilty" when they left services - and appealing to them in a different, edgier way. His model for church growth has taken on a new resurgence, making this Chicago-based pastor an extremely busy man.He is still competing with Rick Warren for the title of "father of the megachurch in America." As a pastor of a growing church, you either learn from Saddleback or Willow Creek.

[10] Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, 2002
In the years since he served as president, Jimmy Carter has devoted his time and resources to sharing with the world the work that is most important to him. Rather than spending time analyzing the current political climate on a regular basis, Carter volunteers with such organizations as Habitat for Humanity, lending a famous face to not-so-popular causes. It is his desire to help those less fortunate that resulted in his winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.He is always willing to share his faith with others, which shows in the strides he has made through humanitarian work.

[11] Jim Towey, Director, White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
As an appointee of President Bush, he wields much influence as leader of the president's plan to fund community-based programs in churches.

[12] Lisa Beamer, Author
She used the tragedy of 9/11 to share her faith and that of her family. God's message is prominent in all of her appearances.

[13] Kurt Warner, NFL Football Player
His public faith is tested when team losses and injuries mount. He takes some hits from the secular media, but he is a great role model in professional sports.

[14] Cal Thomas, Syndicated Columnist
As a "token" Christian columnist, he is still able to get his point (and faith) across each day in the mainstream press.

[15] Ralph Reed, Political Consultant
The stunning wins by the Georgia GOP in the November elections prove him to be a political force for the future.

[16] James Dobson, Founder and President, Focus on the Family
His media empire continues to keep him on the front pages.

[17] Charles (Chuck) Colson, Founder, Prison Fellowship Ministries
This Watergate figure has become a beacon of strength, and he shows that life-changing events can happen through Christ.

[18] J.C. Watts, Congressman
While his influence remains to be seen as he leaves Congress, he has been a great role model for the African-American community.

[19] Ed Cole, Deceased, Evangelist
He was the true father of the Promise Keepers movement. While he passed away in September 2002, his legacy lives on. However, it remains to be seen whether or not Promise Keepers canre-establish itself.

[20] John Maxwell, Pastor and Motivational Speaker
While most megachurch pastors have great motivational speaking skills, he has been successful in taking his principles to the secular world, as well.

[21] Marvin Olasky, Editor, World Magazine
It won't ever be Newsweek or Time, but he keeps advancing World as a Christian complement to those publications.

[22] Paul Crouch, Televangelist
The TBN empire is facing some new challenges, but he continues to forge ahead. Cable networksand low-power TV stations nationwide hum withthe sound of TBN broadcasts.

[23] Thomas Kincaid, Artist
This Painter of Light spreads the Gospel through his pop-art paintings. Disdained by the critics, his works are accepted by the masses.

[24] & [25] Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer, Missionaries
Thanks to them, missionaries are finally receiving positive press in the mainstream media. It took a lot of guts to work in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

[26] & [27] Tommy and Matthew Barnett, Pastors, Phoenix First Assembly of God and Dream Center, Los Angeles
Father Tommy continues to lead one of the largest Assemblies of God churches. Rather than staying home in comfort in Arizona, son Matthew has helped develop a significant inner-city ministry in Los Angeles.

[28] T.D. Jakes, Pastor, The Potter's House, Dallas
He moved his church to Dallas, and it immediately became a church to be reckoned with. He's another strong figure in the African-American community.

[29] C. Truett Cathy, Founder, Chick-Fil-A
His decision to close his restaurants on Sundays is a surprise to the business world at large, but it's one way he can show his faith. The chain continues to be run on Christian principles and succeeds.

[30] Anne Graham Lotz, Author and President, AnGel Ministries
While issues of women in the pulpit continue to surround her, she is arguably the heir to the Graham legacy. She may be more influential than her brother.

[31] Franklin Graham, President and CEO, Samaritan's Purse and The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
While he is successor to his father, he is still developing his own voice.

[32] Bill Bright, Founder, Campus Crusade for Christ
He established one of the most successful evangelistic movements in the world, which resulted in more than 4 billion exposures to the Gospel.

[33] Richard Hammar. Attorney
Most Americans will not recognize this name. However, his "Tax Law and Clergy Guide" is required reading for members of all faiths. Most churches in America operate based on Hammar's interpretation of the law.

[34] Jack HayfordPastor, Church on the WayEven in semi-retirement, his influence is felt in church leadership and worship.

[35 & 36] Chuck Smith and Don McClure, Founder, Calvary Chapel Movement
McClure is considered Smith's heir-apparent. The ministry is strong, but transition lies ahead.

[37] John Hagee, Pastor, Cornerstone Church and Founder, John Hagee Ministries, San Antonio, TX
He's a Texas preacher with a national following and good relationships with politicians. He is also a strong supporter of Israel. His end-times prophecy takes on greater meaning with the current conflicts in the Middle East.

[38] Alan Keyes, Presidential Candidate
Keyes' influence has diminished since his failed presidential bid and cancelled talk show. Still, he has set the groundwork for national recognition in the future. He could significantly move up this list in coming years or fall from it entirely.

[39] Bishop Charles E. Blake, Pastor, West Angeles Church of God in Christ
He is one of the leading African-American preachers in the United States, and he has also developed power in the political and entertainment arenas.

[40] Lyle Schaller, Church Growth Specialist, Naperville, IL
Twenty years ago he would have made the top 10. His research into church growth is still cited and used frequently today.

[41] Max Lucado, Author, Radio Host and Pastor, Oak Hills Church of Christ, San Antonio
This self-described "Texas tough-guy," who offers psychological self-help from the Christian perspective, has become a leader in helping people overcome the doubts, insecurities and burdens they bear everyday.

[42] Bruce Wilkinson. Author, Prayer of Jabez
His writings have become a best-seller and have had an influence on secular society. You may disagree with the specifics, but the influence on America is there.

[43] Pat Robertson, Evangelist
He's not as influential as he was when he was advancing the Christian Coalition on a regular basis. Will that change with the GOP in control the Senate?

[44] Chuck Swindoll, Pastor, Stonebriar Community Church, Frisco, TX, and Host, "Insight for Living"
He was successful in starting a Texas megachurch from scratch three years ago. He is one of many who have succeeded with a new venture at an age when most Americans have already retired.

[45] Kirbyjon Caldwell, Pastor, Windsor Village UMC, Houston
He is a leader in demonstrating the economic power of the African-American Church. His model in Houston has set the benchmark for a number of community-based church-business initiatives.

[46] & [47] Larry Stockstill and Ted Haggard, Pastors, Bethany World Prayer Center in Baker, LA, and New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO
Stockstill and Haggard both were pioneers in the "cell" church movement, whereby today's modern megachurch exists as a support base for a variety of smaller churches or "cells" within it. Haggard also was one of the leading founders of the World Prayer Institute in Colorado Springs.

[48] George Barna, Pastor and Pollster
He would have ranked higher on this list a few years ago - his polls used to be required reading for every pastor in America. However, questions have arisen lately regarding the methodology of his polling and the results obtained.

[49] Ron Blue, Financial Consultant, Ron Blue and Company, Atlanta, GA
He has made a significant mark as an investment manager for Christians, using Christian-based principles in his advising.

[50] Willie George, Pastor, Church on the Move, Tulsa, OK
He is not in the media like his more visible counter-parts listed above, but his ministry models for children and teens have made perhaps a greater impact on the American church than many of the more well-known televangelists.

God is calling my cell phone . . .

As much as I dislike cell phones, it seems that some people are drawing closer to God with the assitance of thier phone. I just love it when culture and religion mix.


"Cell Phone Users are Finding God"
by, Elizabeth Biddlecombe

Once merely a useful tool for keeping in touch on the go, the mobile phone is fast finding a new niche as an instrument of spiritual enlightenment.
From Muslims who use their phones to point them toward Mecca, to Roman Catholics who collect text messages from the Vatican, religious observers across the globe are turning to their cell phones for aid and inspiration in practicing their faith.
In response, service providers and religious institutions are rolling out a host of services to attract the growing ranks of spiritually oriented phone users.
For followers of Islam, companies such as LG Electronics and Dubai-based Ilkone Mobile Telecommunications make phones that aid Muslims in their daily practice by indicating the direction of Mecca, providing the call to prayer or even incorporating the Quran within the phone. Even those with a regular phone can augment it with a religious ring tone or download a lunar calendar.
The text message, a dominant method of communication in many parts of the world, has also become a valuable religious tool. Indian operator BPMobile lets customers send prayers by SMS to a Bombay temple where they are offered to the Hindu god Ganesh.
In a similar vein, subscribers in the United States and several European countries can receive a daily text message from the pope.
The Pope's Thought of the Day is so popular that the Vatican is testing a more advanced multimedia messaging, or MMS, service that provides text, audio, images and video of the pope's weekly service from St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.
Multimedia spiritual guidance can also be had in the United States by people who subscribe to a daily service called The Seven Spiritual Laws, which features the holistic teachings of Deepak Chopra. Currently available from two U.S. mobile operators, the service provides daily aphorisms as well as diet tips and an inspiring image.
"It's amazing that people can find solace in something so short. People just need a little nudge so that they can have a reflective experience," observes Chopra.
Chopra is not the only spiritual leader to see the value of the mobile phone as a tool for enlightenment.
"I think it is excellent," enthuses Rabbi Emanuel Carlebach of the House of Israel Congregation in Ste Agathe, Quebec. Carlebach himself downloads "Psalms in his Palm" and excerpts from scripture through PilotYid.com, a Judaism-oriented service for users of Palm OS devices that seeks to cover costs with voluntary donations.
"There is a principle that the Torah teaches us: We are supposed to utilize everything in the world to serve God," he says.
Carlebach also sees no ethical conflict in the fact that many of these religious services are for profit.
"One is entitled to make an honest living," he says, characterizing the payment as a means of thanking the provider for the convenient service.
But even the for-profit services are treated carefully. Andy Nulman, president of Airborne Entertainment, the company behind Chopra's service, says the price it charges subscribers, $3.25 a month, is about midrange for a mobile-entertainment subscription service.
Neither Acotel, the company that handles the technical side of the Pope's Thought of the Day service, nor the Vatican makes a profit from the daily messages. However, subscribers do pay a fee to read the messages. Acotel is not allowed to promote the service -- you'll find no mention of it on the company's website -- but works with local Christian organizations to promote it.
A British service has taken a third route. MS Wireless Marketing sends the money raised from daily Islamic text messages to humanitarian charities in the United Kingdom. Saadi Hussain, managing director, says it has raised 17,000 pounds ($31,000) in 17 months.
"The mobile phone is a perfect solution," Hussain says, "because it allows you to do micropayments. Over the year people are spending 70 pounds ($128), but they don’t realize it because they are spending 25 pence (46 cents) a day." Not only do his customers receive holy verses and prayer times on a daily basis but they are fulfilling their Muslim duty for charitable donation, Hussain says.
However, there are times when spiritual leaders work to keep religion and mobile technology separate. The Catholic Church in the Philippines, for example, has forbidden confession and absolution via text messaging.
In other instances, people are incorporating cell phones into spiritual practices as they see fit, often in surprising ways.
In China, people burn paper effigies of material goods, including mobile phones, to ensure their dead relatives are fairing well in their parallel lives. While last year one might have burned a basic phone, this year's offering will be a camera phone with color screen.
On a recent field trip around Asia, Genevieve Bell, senior researcher at Intel, saw people getting their mobile phones blessed by a Buddhist monk.
"Because they are wearing them on their bodies, they didn't want them to be bad for them," she says.

from ~ http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,64624,00.html

Reflections from church hell

Ok, by this point I have spent a fair amount of time talking about what "church" should and shouldn't be. Follow me on a journey, a journey to a place that I hope nobody else ever visits: church hell.

As a seminarian, I am required to have the endorsement of my home congregation in order to attend seminary. (Theoretically,) these are the people who know me best. These people know the David that exists outside of an interview. That's fair. I don't mind. The unfortunate byproduct of this arrangement is that I am stuck at my church, and to make matters worse, I am in some ways subject to "the powers that be."

Let's take a moment to look at the leadership of my church. The president of the congregation recently had a serious illness in the family. She informed the pastor that she saw no reason for him to visit because he couldn't possibly have anything to say to her. She also supports ending our Sunday night service. This is because this service doesn't, "put much money in the plate." Pay no attention to the fact that this service is one of the few genuine outreaches of the congregation. This service draws many people from the community that are battling with substance abuse.

As to other members of the council which runs the congregation, they are quite a group too. The treasurer often lets bills go past due, even though sufficient funds are available to pay the bills. At one budgetary meeting, after more than 90 minutes of debate concerning the budget for the coming year, one member of the council asked, "Wait, this is money that we already have, right? Why not just spend it as we need to?" Many members of the council fail to attend worship on a regular basis. The director of Christian education ended Sunday school for the summer a full two weeks before it usually ends so that she and her family could go camping.

For the last 15 years the congregation as not been able to take in enough in offering in order to meet expenses. The congregants seem to have no understanding of tithing. This might be because the church itself doesn't pass on even 5% of its budget to other mission projects. Intelligent management of the church's reserve fund yielded enough money to cover the shortfall for most of the 90s. This, however, is no longer the case.

For at least the last 20 years there has been no ministry targeted toward post-conformation age congregants. This has caused an entire generation to leave the church. This generation gap means that many of the people in the congregation who were once active are retiring and there is nobody there to fill in the gap that is left.

In the 4 years that I taught Sunday school and the 3 years that I served on council, I never once heard the question asked, "What does the Bible have to say about ______?"

Perhaps the thing that is most frustrating about this entire situation is that I must stay and watch in silence. On those occasions where I have attempted to speak my mind I have been dismissed out of hand. I cannot leave, or else I will lose my endorsement. I find myself wishing ill for the congregation so that I can escape this spiritual prison.

I know that many of my friends read this blog. Please pray for me.

Spencer Burke

I just found an MP3 message by Spencer Burke. It is definately worth a listen

Getting to the root

Today I pretended to be a landscaper. I cleaned some leaves out of the downspout. Next, I trimmed back the evergreen trees outside the house. Then I lifted up some of the concrete slabs that form the walkway from the sidewalk to my front door to try to remove some of the roots that were pushing them up an making them uneven.

I don't know what I thought that tree roots were made of, but I was surprised to find that they were made of wood (biology isn't exactly my strong suit). The offending root was about as big around as a softball, and its location made it very difficult to deal with.

As I was trying to get the root out, a sermon that my grandfather gave many years ago came to mind. He said that sin in our lives is like a dandelion on your front lawn. It is a fairly simple task to eliminate the visible signs of the weed by walking over and pulling off the leaves and the flower. However, this will not get rid of the weed. The only sure way to eliminate the weed is to get it by the roots. The same thing applies to sin, we must go after the root of the problem, not just the outward manifestations.

With those thoughts in mind, I was determined to displace this root. So, armed with a ballpine hammer and a wood chisel I attacked. What I quickly discovered was that I was not going to be able to remove this massive root with one large blow. The only way to remove it was to slowly scrape away a little bit at a time. It was difficult work, and it didn't happen quickly, but little by little the root gave way.

Returning to the sin as a root metaphor, part of what made this root so difficult to unseat was the way in which it had been left to grow for so long. As each year passed without action to remove the root it grew larger and larger.

We may not be able to change damaging patterns in our lives with one large or simple change. It often requires that we make small steps toward eliminating sin.

Horray for USA Fencing

Olympics-Fencing-U.S. and Swiss End Gold Drought
Tue Aug 17, 2004 03:55 PM ET
By Mitch Phillips

ATHENS (Reuters) - Mariel Zagunis won the first fencing gold for the United States for 100 years when she beat Xue Tan of China 15-9 in the inaugural Olympic women's sabre final on Tuesday.

Marcel Fischer also made history -- and completed a disappointing night for China -- when he claimed Switzerland's first-ever win in the sport by beating Lei Wang 15-9 to take the men's epee title.

The 19-year-old Zagunis, who only made it to the Games as the third-ranked American when the Nigerian Olympic Committee declined to send Jacqueline Esimaye, raced to an 8-2 lead with an aggressive approach.

In spite of a spirited comeback that briefly took Tan to within three points, she held on to win comfortably.

The last U.S. fencing gold was won in the single sticks in St Louis in 1904 by Albertson van der Post -- the only time that that event has been held at the Olympics -- and the joy was obvious when Zagunis's team mates hoisted her aloft wrapped in a Stars and Stripes flag.

FEELS GREAT

"There is no better feeling than being thrown up in the air by your team mates as Olympic champion, it feels great. I'm so happy right now," she said.

When leading 14-7 she twice spun and ripped her helmet off, but twice had to kill the squeal in her throat as the point went to Tan.

"It's all excitement and emotion and you never know exactly what the referee is going to call."

Fellow American Sada Jacobson collected the bronze with a 15-7 win over Romanian Catalina Gheorgitoaia.

Fischer, who finished fourth in Sydney four years ago, was always in control of the epee final, the tall Swiss's exceptional reach catching out the burly Wang again and again.

"Every match was so hard, it was so hot. I wasn't sure of it until the 14th hit," said the current world number one.

Russian Pavel Kolobkov, who took gold in 2000, had to settle for bronze this time, beating Eric Boisse of France 15-8.

© Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved.
from ~ here

Chaplains Ordered to Behave at Olympics

Chaplains Ordered to Behave at Olympics

The Olympic Village of Athens houses around 15,000 athletes and a fair number of chaplains who are there to minister on behalf of the various religions represented. They are, however, under some restrictions because Greece doesn't allow proselytizing.

World Wide Religious News reports:

Canon Malcolm Bradshaw, senior Anglican chaplain in Athens, described last week how he suddenly found himself in discussion with the Athens Olympic Committee (ATHOC) over the chaplaincy work. "The authorities were only prepared to deal with established Christian Churches within the country with whom they had good relations. The idea of sports ministries from abroad coming in and doing their own thing was out of the question." Canon Bradshaw said that what was at stake was a place in the Olympic village. "We are living with the constant threat of moving the Religious Services Centre outside the Olympic village."

A key component in discussions with ATHOC was the code of practice drawn up by Canon Bradshaw... The document contains more than a page on proselytisation: "Here in Greece, where nearly all the population are Orthodox, attempts to win anyone away from Orthodoxy could endanger the delicate and friendly relationships which the minority churches have built up with the Orthodox and the government, and it is the local churches who will have to live with the consequences. There is no need to mention the situation worldwide between Islam and Christianity."

Greece doesn’t do very well when it comes to religious freedom. Greek Orthodoxy is so much a part of Greece’s national identity that other religious faiths labor under laws which don’t accord them the same rights and privileges. This is simply one example of a much larger problem — a problem which, I am sorry to say, most reporters will probably never mention.

from ~ http://atheism.about.com/b/a/105686.htm

The Church as a Tree

I have to admit, one large question has been floating in the back of my mind for several months, "If we accept the challenges of postmodernism, what happens to all that we have come to know and love in the mainline denominations?" I have come across an image that I really like which attempts to answer this question. I found it in Brian McLaren's "The Story We Pursue."

This approach attempts to honor the church in all its forms. It respects the vintage, traditional forms, while also respecting the small, grass-roots, innovative approaches to church. This approach envisions the Church as a large tree. This tree is rooted in God. The trunk (old mainline denominations) stands firm and strong. It is not moved by the wind or shaken by the rain. At the other end of the spectrum are the afore-mentioned grass-roots, innovative (read liberal) churches. They are like the leaves and small branches of the tree. They bend in the wind and change color in the seasons, they are also frequently replaced. On occasion the small branch will grow into a (longer lasting) large limb.

The tree cannot live without each of its parts. The leaves are as necessary as the trunk in order for the tree to stay healthy. So it is with the Church. We have much to teach each other.

Spiritual Abuse . . .

Tall Skinny Kiwi has posted a confession that really hits home. It deals with a topic that doesn't get discussed much, spiritual abuse. Spiritual abuse is what happens when pastors and missionaries put thier own interests ahead of the spiritual health of thier flock. You can read it here.

Asking the right question

In sociology classes I was taught to question the institutions around me. What I am beginning to learn is that there is an art to asking the right questions. The right question can actually somewhat obscured sometimes. I think that The Dying Church has posted some interesting ones:

Wrong question: How do we do church better?
Right question: How do we deconvert from Churchianity to Christianity?

Wrong question: How do we grow the church?
Right question: How do we transform our community (hit the streets with the Gospel)?

Wrong question: How do we turn members into ministers?
Right question: How do we turn members into missionaries?

Wrong question: How do we develop church members?
Right question: How do we develop followers of Jesus?

Wrong question: How do we plan for the future?
Right question: How do we prepare for the future?

Wrong question: How do we develop leaders for church work?
Right question: How do we develop leaders for the Christian movement?

The Dying Church seems to be working to an underlying theme: your church and its health are not as important as God's kingdom.

Bible Study Where?

Christian youth group meets in unconventional place: at Hooters

LOUISE CHU

Associated Press

KENNESAW, Ga. - Voices hush around the patio table as Rick Lamborn poses his first discussion question during a Christian youth group meeting at a popular restaurant.

The topic this night is consistent relationships, and Lamborn begins by asking the college-age group, "How does inconsistency negatively affect your relationships with others?"

As responses sprinkle in, a blonde in a tight white tank top and orange hot pants quietly scoots up to the table. She joins the discussion for a few minutes then has to scurry back to her boisterous customers inside.

Interactions like these, that bring faith to the uninitiated, are one of the reasons why Single Focus Atlanta has chosen to meet at a Hooters restaurant every week for the past four years.

"We've seen a few of the waitresses become Christians. One of the former managers here became a Christian. So it's worked. The whole object, in reality, is that this is just to get inside the door," said Lamborn, whose nondenominational group invites all those who are curious to join their Hooters sessions.

Some Bible study members initially resisted holding meetings at the restaurant known for its scantily clad waitresses.

"Somebody comes up to me and says, come to a Bible study at Hooters. And my first reaction was ... I can see McDonald's or another restaurant, but why Hooters?," said 21-year-old Charles Bailer III.

But Bailer, who joined Single Focus two years ago, said he quickly began to appreciate the casual, nonjudgmental atmosphere at the meetings.

On a recent night, rock music blared from the restaurant's speakers, as the group of about a dozen - more than half of them women - sipped sodas, smoked cigarettes and snacked on chicken wings and burgers while Lamborn read passages from the Bible and provoked a discussion about how to weather social and spiritual turmoil.

Some took the opportunity for personal reflection, while others joked around, but the topic never strayed too far from God.

Single Focus, which has about 90 members, also holds a more traditional Bible study at a house each week, as well as mission trips and ski retreats, but Lamborn said the Hooters gatherings provide an option for people who wouldn't necessarily accept an invitation to a church.

Lamborn left his job as a computer software technician two years ago to take over as full-time executive director of the group after its founder, Nelson Foster, who was a youth minister at several local churches, died in a car accident. Lamborn attends a Methodist church but is not a minister.

"We're about reaching the lost, and I think we're called to do that," he said. "Our attitude is to go where the un-churched and the de-churched are."

Still, some say Single Focus' presence at a Hooters sends a mixed message, since the overt sexuality of the restaurant doesn't fit with Christian ethics.

Mike McNeil, spokesman for Atlanta-based Hooters of America, said the company's restaurants aren't usually host to Christian meetings, but "it's not our job to be judgmental of any group that comes in there. Our job is to wait on them and provide food, fun and great service."

Despite Hooters' recent attempts to reposition itself as more family friendly, it has been a frequent subject of protests. Social conservatives say the restaurant corrupts young children and attracts sexual predators, and feminists say it objectifies women.

"Everyone thinks it's hypocritical," said Victoria B. Pierce, president of the National Organization for Women's Cobb County chapter. "Why would any church group go there?"

Some criticism has also come from conservative Christians.

Terry Erickson, director of evangelism for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a national campus ministry organization, questioned whether a Hooters Bible study could be effective.

"The whole idea is wanting to go where people are at, but the question is, can the place where you're meeting, can it enhance what you're trying to accomplish or does it distract?" he said. "I think someone who comes to Hooters is looking for something else."

Kristin Brooks, a 20-year-old Kennesaw State University student, said she values the weekly sessions at Hooters for their "practical life lessons" and opportunities for evangelism.

The Rev. Dennis Rogers, a Southern Baptist and member of Single Focus' board of directors, added that the spirit of the group is to go where conventional ministries do not.

Said Rogers: "It's something Jesus would've done because he looked past what people may think and looked at what people's needs are."

taken from: http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/local/9388324.htm

Daddy, what will heaven be like?

As I sit here watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, I can't help but think of Revelation 7:9,

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb!"

I know that I likely sound like a flake in this post, but it is SO cool to see the nations of the world gathered for one event. How I look forward to the day when that event is worship of our God.

MTV has Rock the Vote . . .

Remember a few posts ago I was complaining that there seems to be some overwhelming desire to make a Christian version of EVERYTHING? Well, now Christians have their answer to MTV's Rock the Vote, it is called Redeem the Vote. I so wish that I were kidding. According to their website, Redeem the Vote,

has a simple message: As a non-profit, non-partisan organization, Redeem the Vote aims to reach America’s young people of faith and engage them into the 2004 election where voters will determine the direction of cultural issues that impact their lives. Redeem the Vote has a simple goal: Increase voter registration and voter turnout by young people of faith all across the nation.

I just don't get it. Do we have to imitate everything that appears in the secular world? I think that we risk doing serious danger to our mission if we, as Christians, insist on segregating ourselves every chance we get. It isn't a sin to associate with a secure organization or movement. Please understand that I love the cause. I think that everyone should vote. I think it is a shame that less than 50% of 18-25 year olds are even registered to vote. As of this posting there are 81 days until the election. I don't want to make this into a political discussion on my blog, but let me say this: I would rather someone vote against me than not vote at all.

New look for the blog

As you have no doubt observed, the blog looks a little different. I have made some rather subtantial changes recently. For one reason or another I have not been able to get the comments to appear on the blog. Please keep checking back, I am sure that I will have it figured out shortly. Let me know what you think of the new look!

Leonard Sweet answers seven questions

For those of you that do not know, Leonard Sweet is widely regarded as one of the leading voices in postmodernism. He has authored at least 10 books on the subject, and he is widely respected across denominational lines. (It sounds like I am introducing him for a speech or something, doesn't it?) Anyway, he was recently featured in an article at ginkworld. You should definitely check it out.

PS - he is also a professor at my alma matter.

The strength of words

I am becoming more and more aware that words have power. A recent post by liquid thinking
has made that even more clear.

Words Are Confusing
Church...I mean believers, you mean a building or an organization
Worship...I mean a life lived sacrificially, you mean singing songs
Faith...I mean trusting God, you mean a set of agreed upon beliefs
Tithing...I mean giving to those with no inheritance, you mean supporting your version of church
Post-Modern...I mean a jumbled set of philosophical world views, you mean techniques and styles
Discipleship...I mean shared lives, you mean instructional classes

Should I start using different words?

It isn't just postmoderns who challenge the use and meaning of words, we all do. Many churches have chased gendered language from the way that they refer to other people and they way they refer to God. (For example, the Lutheran hymnal changed a line in "Holy, Holy, Holy" from "though the eye of sinful man" to "though the eye made blind by sin") Political correctness has brought us a whole new set of words: special needs, physically challenged, and alternative lifestyle.

All this talk about words has gotten me thinking about some of the words that the church frequently uses which do not get used in other contexts. I have compiled a short list:

• prodigal
• sanctification
• exegesis
• parable
• sacrament
• testament

I know that this isn't a complete or representative list. Most people who are not graduates or alumni of a seminary or teachers of catechism (ooh, that's another one) could get very far in an attempt to explain these words to a biblically illiterate person. I think that we really need to spend some time considering what words we use to talk about God and about the Gospel. It may be that we need an interpreter.

The Kingdom, right here, right now

I have to admit to one of my guilty pleasures. I love reading ultra-conservative Christian websites. One of the ones that I check regularly is called Rapture Ready. One this site some guy attempts to construct a "prophetic speedometer of end-time activity." (For the record, as of today we are officially in "fasten your seatbelt" mode, which is the highest we have been all year)

I think that sometimes we miss the point when we talk about salvation. Usually, when I hear salvation spoken of, it is spoken of in reference to salvation from damnation. While this is important, even critical, I think that there is still something more to salvation.

In the three synoptic gospels, Jesus speaks of his mission on earth, to declare the establishment of God's kingdom. This Kingdom is on this side of eternity. It is a part of human history. To talk about God's kingdom being established here on earth, is to make some pretty radical claims. Look at what scripture tells us of the Kingdom of God:

"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. ¹⁸ But be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. ¹⁹ I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. ²⁰ No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. ²¹ They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. ²² They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. ²³ They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD, and their children with them. ²⁴ Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear.
Isaiah 65:17-24

Look at the kinds of things that are promised:

• an abolition of suffering
• an end to infant mortality
• the elderly will live in health
• everyone will have suitable housing
• workers will be paid a fair wage
• mothers will not have to be concerned with the welfare of their children

It sounds like a tall order doesn't it? In fact, the order is so tall that some people have gone so far as to say that it is unattainable. These people are known as dispensationalists. They believe that the conditions on earth will get worse and worse until some point at which they can deteriorate no further, and only then will Christ return. The problem I find with that is that it encourages Christians to delight in bad news. Every war should be a cause for celebration. Each report of moral decay should be met with a hearty, "praise Jesus."

Dispensationalism just will not do. Jesus said, "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17) Salvation means that we are set free to overcome the pestilence of this world. It sounds like youthful idealism, but I really believe that we, as believers, have a role in establishing God's Kingdom on earth. This is our call to social action in the world.

A rough treatment of liberation theology

I have long been fascinated by liberation theology. In a recent post, I made a passing reference to it. This caused one of my readers to ask exactly what liberation theology is. Since then I have done a little research, and I think that I can shed some light on the subject.

Firstly, liberation theology is actually a family of related theologies. These include, feminist, womanist, muheristaist, gay and lesbian, and black theologies, just to name a few. It can be used by any group which feels a need for liberation.

Liberation theology was born in Latin America in the 60s and 70s. In this time and place there were many populist governments which treated their citizens very poorly. As pastors and theologians searched for an appropriate Christian response, they began to formulate liberation theology. Freed by the second Vatican council to work with protestants, catholic theologians began centering their attention on the Christian's responsibility to the poor and the oppressed.

At its most basic level, liberation theology states that Christians are to be the advocates for the poor and the oppressed. This is based in a belief that the kingdom of God is (at least partially) already realized. It is also based in Jesus' teachings concerning responsibilities to the poor (whatever you have done for the least of these . . .)

The place in which liberation theology encounters the most difficulty is in "doing" it. Many people have taken an "ends justify the means" approach to liberating the oppressed. Much blood has been spilled in the name of helping the poor for Jesus. It doesn't have to be this way, and it isn't always, but most of what people know of liberation theology pertains to its violent history.

On a personal level, the thing that I find most interesting about liberation theology is the way in which it approaches eschatology ( a view of the end times). Liberation theology asserts that the kingdom of God is already here (realized eschatology.) I have not been able to find what justification they use for that claim. The Lutheran Church (ELCA) teaches that we are living in the midst of the coming of the kingdom, that God's kingdom on Earth is both "already" and "not yet." Sounds a little like the postmodern understanding of creation, doesn't it? Ongoing creation will have to wait for another posting.

Until then my friends,
Shalom

Church fined for loud worship

Police ticket church after noise gripes

August 4, 2004

BY DAN ROZEK Staff Reporter

A small Elgin church that uses electric guitars, drums and a piano during its Sunday services to make a joyful noise for the Lord is in legal trouble after neighbors complained the church was making too much noise.

Elgin police ticketed a pastor at the Mision Apostolica Church for violating the city's noise ordinance during Sunday afternoon services.

Citing a church for a noise violation is unusual and not something officers did lightly, a police spokesman said.

"You hate to do something like that,'' said Lt. Cecil Smith. "But we just couldn't overlook the fact that people were calling and complaining about the noise.''

The ticket, though, isn't sitting well with church leaders, who insisted they weren't trying to disturb neighbors.

"It was church music. It was nothing crazy,'' said Arturo Recendes, the church's assistant pastor who was conducting Sunday services when police arrived. "We don't want any problems, we just want to worship the Lord,'' he said.

The music and singing may have been louder than normal, he said, although that was mostly because of the warm weather and mechanical problems at the church.

"The air conditioning was out and we had the windows open. We never do that,'' Recendes, 46, said, adding the air conditioning has since been repaired.

The Christian church is headquartered in the first floor of a two-flat on Villa Street on Elgin's near east side. There are homes behind and around the church.

Smith said police received ''at least a couple of calls'' on Sunday complaining about the noise. Elgin officials have moved aggressively in recent years to keep the city quiet, including passing a controversial ordinance that allows police to ticket drivers -- or even impound their cars -- for blasting loud music.

The church faces a possible $150 fine, but Recendes said he expects church leaders to contest the ticket.

taken from http://www.suntimes.com/output/religion/cst-nws-noisy04.html 8-7-04

I really like this picture. We could learn something from these children. I really admire the wonder with which they approach God. 

Is Postmodernism Ethnocentric?

In a recent conversation with a friend of mine, Keemin. We were discussing postmodernism and he happened across an interesting point. Many in the postmodern/emerging church movement (Brian McLaren in particular) have advocated a return to "vintage faith." By this they seem to mean that we should reclaim many of the traditions and understandings that have been lost over the years. However, I have never seen anyone, McLaren included, apply cultural or geographic qualifiers to their arguments. Does this mean that the parts of the world in which Christianity is present, yet does not have significant ties to the modern church, should also attempt to "reclaim vintage faith?"

I think that it is important to remember that not all of our brothers and sisters in the faith share the same intellectual traditions that "western" churches have. I think that this is where Ray Aldred has is right. When we begin to think of missions to six continents, and put to rest the idea of mission-sending and mission-receiving nations, we can hear the Gospel spoken back to us. As Aldred said at Urbana '03

As you begin to reach out beyond your own boundaries, as you choose to love the other people, as you chose to make yourself vulnerable, as you begin to try and communicate the gospel in the heart language of other people, you realize that your world, your construct of reality is too small. You realize that to communicate in another heart language you must speak from your heart and live out your spirituality on the level of human suffering. You realize that your presentation and your words are not enough. They are limited. You begin to understand that you are out there trying to convert the lost but you are still in need of conversion and re-creation. And you begin to hear the gospel story again

One of the things that we need to keep in mind is that North America and Western Europe do not have a monopoly on Christianity. The faith is global.