Wisdom Is Where You Find It

If you open your eyes, you can learn something just about anywhere. 

For example: A bus stop.

Or, in this case, two bus stops a couple hundred yards around the corner from each other.

I was driving down Thomas Road in Phoenix and passed the first bus stop.  The sign behind it said, “Some people are smarter than you.  Listen to them.” 

“Sage advice from a beer advertisement,” I mused, as I drove on down the road.

Then, as I turned the corner at 32^nd Street, I spied a second bus stop sign, also selling beer:

“The bulk of your life should be off the record,” this one touted.

More wise advice.  Beer advertisements have sure come up in the world in the past 20 years.  No Clydesdales playing football, no bikini clad women in the snow, and no vapid arguments over whether a beer tastes great or is less filling.  All things we can certainly do without.  Well, maybe not the bikini clad snow girls.  Definitely not without them.  Why would anyone drink beer if it weren't for the bikini clad snow girls.  But, I digress.

In this age of Googled answers and Facebook friends, when Snopes can’t keep track of the balderdash and Twitter can’t keep Weiners off the air; it’s refreshing to get some good old-fashioned wisdom from your friendly neighborhood brewery. 

There are people who are smarter than you.  Seek them out and listen to them.  Chances are they don’t live in Hollywood or Washington D.C.  Look for them in your neighborhood.  Most of them are over 70 and have lived long enough to learn a few hard lessons.  Get to know them.  Spend some time.  Learn from them.

And while you are at it, how about keeping most of your life off the record.  I still have to learn this one myself, but let me put it out there.  You don’t need to blather every inane thing in your day on Facebook.  No one cares.  They are too busy broadcasting their own frivolities.

Maybe it’s time to turn off the computer, tune in to the real people around us and drop out of the online world.

 Just for a while…

Wisdom is where you find it.

The Blacksmith

The Blacksmith

Hammer falls

to strike hot steel

gold-hot sparks fly

and red metal anneals

High heat and pressure

and fire and strain

hard metal shaped

blows rain again and again

Merciless hammer

of iron and oak

beat into new shape

on stroke after stroke

Sword and shovel

nail and screw

the same burning forge

shapes me and shapes you

Trials and losses

struggles and pain

mold us to much more

through striving and strain

Give thanks to the hammer

the anvil, the flame

we grow that much stronger

our beatings no shame

Each sharp blade or strong tool

proud of its purpose and role

began its new life

in the flames of the coal

When now you question

if troubles are vain

remember today’s hurt

will tomorrow be gain.

The blacksmith that forms us

seems cruel in his art

but his loving intention

sets him apart

For the steel stays weak

if no fire and no folding

and we are no better

without his careful molding.

Different Enough

I want to be different…  Just like everyone else. 

Our culture is one of conformity. 

Just check out the teen girl dressed in all black and listening to emo music, trying to be her own self, just like the dozen others that she hangs out with.

Look at the Republicans who, on cue, decry everything that president Obama does.  Look at the Democrats who did the same thing with George Bush.  Neither one can step outside of their group and actually give a little credit where it is due.

Look at the beatniks of the 50s, the hippies of the 60s, the feminists of the 70s, the yuppies of the 80s, and the grunge culture of the 90s. 

Look at the hundreds of guys with their pants belted below their butt, showing their chonies. (That’s a fad that can’t die soon enough)

Counter-cultural people tend to be just another culture. They’re different, just like everyone else.

Oh, we like to pretend that each of us is our own individual, but ultimately, society expects you to conform to an image.  My Human Development Professor in college, “We make too much of a big deal about cliques and conformity with teenagers.  I’m 65 years old and live in a retirement community and there is definitely a message of conformity, from the catalogues that tell me how I should dress, to the clubs that people my age join, to the expectations of my kids and grandkids.” 

This brings me to some recent conversations that I have had with my long-time friend, Rick.  Are we, as Christians, different enough?  Do we look so much like the world around us, that people just cannot tell the difference?  Or, do we just have a silly Christian sub-culture that has its own conformities?  Rick has been wrestling with these questions, and so have I.

A simple look at the statistics tells you that Christians give more money to charity, volunteer more to help others, adopt more children, and provide more day-to-day assistance to those around them than any other group of people.  But, is that enough? 

It is also easy to look out on the Christians that I meet and see that they are just as in debt up to their eyeballs as the rest of the world, far too many of their marriages are a wreck just like the rest of the world, they have just as many grudges and broken relationships as the rest of the world, there are racists, political radicals, and hypocrites – just like the rest of the world.  The umbrella of our name contains such people as the hateful Fred Phelps, the charlatans of televangelism, the smooth-talking salesmen like Joel Olsteen, and the senile and grumpy Pat Robertson. 

Is this who we are?  Are we just another club to join that’s just like everyone else in the world, or are we supposed to be something different?

It is easy to criticize other people, to look at the Christians around me and wonder, “Why aren’t you doing more?”  It’s quite popular for Christian book writers, bloggers, and others to disparage other Christian groups: ‘Megachurches are too worldly,’ ‘That group of churches are too judgmental,’ ‘your church isn’t holy if it doesn’t have such and such ministry,’ ‘you should teach this, but you don’t,’ ‘You’re not following Jesus if you…,’ or ‘__________ says (fill in the blank with Donald Miller, N.T. Wright, Rob Bell, John Piper, Bono, or any other name in the pantheon of minor Christian celebrities),’ etc. etc. etc.  But, (and here is a very big but), I have to start with myself. 

When I read Romans 12:1-2, it makes me wonder how transformed I am, or have I remained like the world.  Though Jesus tells me in Mathew 6:1-6 that I am not supposed to show off my good works, he also says in Matthew 5:13-16 that I am supposed to be a light to the world.  Now, I get the difference here: I am not to do good works, such as giving to charity in front of others so that others will see and congratulate me.  And, I’m not supposed to pray high and holy prayers in front of others so they will think that I am über-spiritual.  Ultimately, my personality, my life choices, my financial decisions, by choice of entertainment, the way I treat others, my ego/humility, my attitude, my very being should reflect that I am a changed man because of my relationship to the Messiah.

When you meet me, do you see love?  Am I a joyful person, content in all circumstance?  Am I a peacemaker, bringing others together and being humble enough to seek peace from those I’ve hurt and those who have hurt me?  Am I patient (I know I definitely need some work here).  Do I exude kindness, do I treat others as if they are better than me?  Am I good?  Do I consistently try to make the right choice daily, or do I make a lot of selfish choices?  Am I faithful, can my God, my wife, my family, and my friends count on my loyalty and support?  Am I gentle to those around me, not bullying, not being pushy, not ignoring those who need help?  Do I exhibit self-control, willing to accept delayed gratification, being temperate in what I eat, how I spend, what I own, and how I deal with people?

Do I exhibit generosity, even when I don’t have much?

Do I seek reconciliation, even when I am the one who was wronged?

Do I love people, even those who are difficult to love?

Do I care for others, not just those who look like me?

Do I treat people well, even those who persecute me?

Do I struggle with my faith, trying to put into practice, or do I just do religious service as a habit?

Am I actually relevant because I make a difference, or am I just trying to be relevant by acting a certain way?

When other’s look at me, is my life different enough from the materialistic, self-centered, values of the rest of the world that they are puzzled by it?

These questions and thoughts aren’t meant to be narcissistic, navel-gazing.  These are the questions and thoughts I would ask of any member of my congregation, any one that I mentor, any of my children, and anyone who claims to follow Jesus.  If we aren't struggling with this, perhaps we should be.  Our very message of hope is diminished if it looks to everyone else that it hasn't made a difference in our own lives.

These are questions that I struggle with and I’m not always very happy with the honest answers.  But, God help me, I’m trying.

It is my hope to be like an Easter egg sitting in the middle of a box of plain old white eggs.  I want to be gloriously different enough that people can tell the difference (not to glorify myself, but to point to the God that I serve).  I just hope that I’m not the cracked one. 

Am I different enough?

Are you?

Ten Things the Government Needs to Learn About Budgeting That I Learned From Running a Church

Here we are again. It’s crunch time and the politicians are making a big fuss about the budget. Democrats blame the Republicans, Republicans blame the Democrats, the sky is blue, grass is green… Such is life.



In the past two years, I have become the Senior Pastor at a small church here in Phoenix. As a youth pastor for years, I never had to worry much about the budget, the elders and Senior Pastor did that. Now, it’s my job and I’ve learned that it is harder than I ever realized. Running a church is really just running a small business from a financial point of view*. Running a Government is no different from running a small business, either, just a matter of scale.


I’m still trying to get my mind around all of the issues of the business side of church, but here are some lessons I’ve learned that might just help Congress.


1. It’s easy to nickel and dime your way to deficit spending.


Most of the issues I’ve encountered when it comes to going over budget aren’t about the big expenses. Yes, occasionally an AC compressor will give out in July or an irrigation accident will destroy a neighbor’s yard and require repair, but the truth is, it’s all the little expenses here and there that build up. Paper is $35 a case. Toner is $120 a cartridge. We chose to print a hundred of those posters and suddenly, we are over budget. Workday projects, repairs, and maintenance always cost twice what you expected and necessitate three trips to Home Depot. Whoops, we did it again. This is what makes budgeting so hard, because $28 here and $55 there doesn’t sound like much until you do it too many times.






2. It’s easier to spend when it’s someone else’s money


My family is all about debt-free living. We don’t use credit cards, we don’t get car loans, and we try very hard to consider our expenses so we don’t overspend. However, when it comes to making choices of what to buy or not to buy at work, it’s easier to think, “Oh, we’ll just move the money over from another area to cover it,” or, “This item is on sale and we’ll surely use it someday, so we’ll go ahead and buy it now and replenish the fund later.” The problem is: it’s much easier to be brutally realistic about finances when you are talking about paying the rent to keep the roof over your head and paying the electric bill to keep your own lights on.



3. You don’t reduce the deficit, cut it entirely and work on paying off debt.


My earliest recollection of politics comes from the budget fights of the early eighties. I remember the politicians saying, time and time again, “We must cut the deficit.” Even as a teenager, that sounded very weird. I wasn’t even good at math, but I knew that a negative is a negative whether it was $1000 or $1 billion dollars. That’s like trying to dig yourself out of a hole by using a trowel instead of a spade. Either way, you’re still digging a deeper hole. Nope, you gotta learn to live within your means and NEVER spend in the negative.






4. There’s always a bunch of good things to do with the money, but not always a bunch of money to do good things with.


Church is all about this. There’s always someone who has a ministry need. The homeless need fed. The orphans need shoes. People in Africa need medicine. People in Japan just had a natural disaster. Poor families need Christmas presents. Missionaries need sent. Tots need toys. Trees need angels. Drives need canned food. On and on and on and on. All of these are good things, and all cost money. The simple truth is we just cannot do them all. We have to say, “No,” to some of them. That hurts, that’s difficult, and that’s absolutely necessary.


5. Look at your priorities.


Yup, that’s what this comes down to. Prioritizing. Sounds easy, right? List all your bills in order of urgency. Begin dividing up your money to pay for those. Then, create a rainy day fund and put a good percentage of money into that account to cover unforeseen problems. Then, if (IF) there is money left over, begin adding those things you want to do in priority order. Parcel out any remaining funds for those items until you run out of money. Then, say, “I’m Sorry,” to the rest of the items.






6. Consider other options to pay for things.


So, there are good things leftover from your list (see items 4 & 5 above). Gosh, there is one of them that you really, really want to do. It’s such a good idea, but we just don’t have the money in the budget for it. Great. Let’s do it. Here’s how: go to the people and sell it to them. Tell them what a great idea it is and why we should do it. If they’re on board, then they’ll help pay for it. If not, then back to the drawing board. What other ways might we fundraise for this? Who else can we get behind this idea that might help? Where else can we cut or where else can we earn the money to make it happen? What if the church as a whole doesn’t provide for it, but individuals within the church who are passionate about it get creative and make it work?


This leads us to an especially important message for the American People and our Silly Politicians. Are you ready… Wait for it…


The Government is not the only one who can provide money for good things to happen! Whoa! Step Back! You mean that private investors can do charity? You mean that churches and community groups can be responsible for some of this stuff? You mean families can actually help each other? You mean communities can get together and make something work? All of this without our Mommy the Government doing it for us?


Abso-stinkin-lutely!



7. Good stewardship matters for good character.


I know you may not believe it, but church is not about money. Our message is one of hope and truth. We point people to a righteous God. But, our message gets awfully muddled when we misuse the money that is entrusted with us. Why would someone trust us to listen to our message if we aren’t open and transparent about something as basic as our finances? Why would someone believe that God wants us to care for the poor if the church community spends all its money on events for themselves? Where is our integrity when we say we care about the poor in third-world nations who live on less than a dollar a day, but we spend $50 million on a new building for our church to meet in? As a church, the message is simple: people see the way we spend our money and it reflects on their perception of the truth of our message.


Dear Congress, this applies to you. America was once a shining beacon in the world. Is it anymore? If we expect people in developing nations to believe that democracy works, we’d better be showing them that it does. Our message of the American Way is marred by our financial failures.


8. Someone has to pay the bills and it ain’t fair to leave it for someone else.


A house of cards is bound to come tumbling down someday. It’s funny, but there is a parable about building your house on sand versus building it on solid rock. Now, Jesus wasn’t talking about our budget there, but the lesson still rings true with our finances. We may be able to spend in a deficit for a few years (or generations if you are the government). We can get away with it for a little while, but eventually the bills are going to be called in. It will be time to pay up. It just isn’t right to spend freely now, knowing our children will one day face crushing austerity measures and crumbling economy, just so we selfishly can have everything we want now. For a household, this may mean bankruptcy. For a church, it could very well close us down. For a nation, the end results are almost unthinkable.






9. Brutal Realism is Required.


This is true of thousand dollar family budgets, hundreds of thousand dollar church budgets, multi-million dollar industry budgets, and trillion dollar governments. When it comes time to cut, EVERYBODY must give a little. Pet projects must go by the wayside. If they are good, then maybe they can return someday. This is probably the biggest problem we face as a nation. Everyone agrees that the budget must be cut, but nobody is willing to give away their pet project. The arts community wants the budget cut, just not the National Endowment for the Arts. Soldiers want the budget cut, just not a dime from the military. Teachers want the budget cut, but nothing from the schools. Seniors talk about how they lived through tight times in the depression, but the AARP isn’t about to discuss ANY changes to Social Security or Medicare. It doesn’t matter whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, you want everyone else to tighten their belt, just not you. It’s time to cut everywhere. It’s hard, but sometimes you have to go through EVERY line item on the budget and make adjustments. It hurts, but it is necessary.


10. Yes, budgeting is Hard – Quit Whining About It.


I hate numbers. I detest accounting. I loathe detail work. So what? It’s my job and I have to buckle down and do it. Every year, we have to look at the budget. We have to crunch numbers. We have to make hard decisions. We have to give up things. We have to say, ‘No.’ So, I get a cup of coffee, treat myself to a donut that I’m not allowed to have, I sigh a little; and then I get to work.


Dear Congress and Mr. President (of any administration and any party). Despite what you may have been led to believe, we did NOT send you there to enrich yourself. We sent you there to make hard decisions and to be leaders. Please listen clearly to the following Public Service Announcement: “Suck It Up!!!” Quit whining, work together, give till it hurts, and tell the lobbyists and your own constituents, “I know you want this, but we just can’t afford this, so the answer is No.”






There are some who would say all of this is naïve. Sure, this stuff applies to households and small businesses, but the government just doesn’t work that way. Well, they are right about that last part: it doesn’t work. What we are doing with our money doesn’t work; it is a house of cards that is past due for a collapse. We, the American people of any party, truly are naïve if we think this can continue much longer.


I don't have all the answers, and trust me, this is still a work in progress in my own life.  But, I do know that this lesson will be learned someday... The easy way or the hard way.



* Oddly enough, I wasn’t required to take a single class in Bible College or Seminary called How To Run A Small Business 101.

That Bad Word

Ralphie Gets His Mouth Washed Out
"A Christmas Story" 1983

Don’t use that word!!!  That word is so bad, I would say that any kid who uses it have their mouth washed out with soap.  Except, this word is not one that kids use, it’s one that adults use – and they just won’t hold still to have their mouths washed out with soap.

NO, I’m not talking about the ‘N’ word or the ‘F’ word, or even the ‘L’ word (thanks HBO).  At least these words get abbreviated in polite society, but not the one I’m talking about.  No, people come right out and say the ‘Ph’ word unapologetically.

There is a rise in the use of the ‘Ph’ word in the past couple of years, and it just needs to stop.  News media uses it frequently.  Special interests like to use it a lot too.  The most frequent abusers tend to be on one side of the political spectrum, but I predict we’ll see it on both sides more and more if we don’t stop it.

The word is ‘phobia’ along with all its permutations (phobe, phobic, etc).  It started to gain use with the word ‘Homophobia’ (a person who is ostensibly afraid of homosexuals)* and now it is being tagged onto the end of the word Islam as in Islamaphobe (a person who is ostensibly afraid of Muslims).  Who knows what it’s going to be tagged onto next?

By tagging the word ‘phobe’ onto the end of another word, you suggest that a person on the other side not only disagrees, but actually has mental issues as the basis for them not being on board with you.  This allows you to shut down all debate and intelligent discourse on the subject.  No one wants to be smeared with the suggestion that they have mental problems.  So, it’s easier not to say anything because you’ll be painted as the unreasonable one.  What a useful tool for those who don’t want to bother having logical arguments about their position or actually thinking through the other side’s reasons.

When you step back and look at it, it really is a silly idea: 

Are my Republican friends Democrataphobes? 

Are my gay friends Straightaphobes? 

Are my Atheist friends Religiophobes? 

My daughter likes vanilla ice cream, does that make her a Chocophobe?

I am attracted to long-haired brunettes (Love you, Honey).  Does that make me a Blondophobe?

As you see, this can get downright ridiculous.  Just because you have an opposing opinion or think differently on a matter doesn’t make you afraid of the other side.  It really is an adult version of name-calling.  We call that Ad-hominem for those of you who weren’t geeky enough to be in debate in High School.  The purpose is to demonize those who disagree with you in order to shut them up. 

It’s unfair, unkind, and unethical. 

So, let’s knock it off.

There are 310 million people in the United States, and so it’s pretty likely that we will all disagree once in awhile.  The childish way to deal with this is to use name-calling, threats, and low-blows.  The adult way to deal with this is to discuss and debate using fair argument, logic, and respectful dialog. 

Guess what, we still won’t all agree.  But, we can learn to live with each other, learn to win some and lose some, and learn to get along as adults.

Or, we can continue using bad words till we get our mouths washed out with soap.

Tank Abbott
could pound me into
the ground too making
me a tankaphobe

* I have to honestly admit that I have been a homophobe on one occasion.  I worked with a woman who was a lesbian, and her girlfriend was built like Tank Abbott and had an attitude to match (looked a little like him too). I am man enough to admit that I was afraid to disagree with her, because she could pound me into the ground.  But that’s the closest I’ve ever been to being a homophobe.

His Name Was Al - The Full Story

The flame that I lit
in Al's memory.

This past Sunday, our church held an All Saints Celebration to remember those friends and family that we knew who walked on our life Journey with us and have passed on.  I shared in my sermon about Pastor Al who shared Christ with me. 

Click Here to Visit the MVCC Monday Morning Bible Blog Where You Can Here the Sermon and the Whole Service for All Saint's Celebration.

Here is the full story:

I did not grow up with religion.  My parents had briefly gone to the Jehovah’s Witnesses around the time I was seven or eight years old, but that stopped quickly and I never really went to church after that.  I grew up with a bent towards debate and argument.  This was not the gentle sort of argument but an arrogant and self-assured idea that I was right about everything, and you’d better agree or I would pound you into submission with all the arguments I could muster.

This only got worse as I got out of High School and went into college for the first time.  I thoroughly enjoyed tweaking religious people's noses in arguments.  I pretty much always believed in a Creator, but never knew who he/she/it/they could be.  I did a lot of research, reading the major religious 'bibles' and reading about religions, but never believed any of them - generally because of major inconsistencies in their belief systems and the way I saw the believers act.

During college, I worked part time at a bank and ultimately ended up staying there as a department manager.  One of my employees was a Christian named Judy and was the wife of a pastor.  Judy good-naturedly began talking to me about Christ.  Though I usually got into knock-down/drag-out arguments with people who tried to evangelize me, I liked Judy and so I discussed it with her on several occasions.  Though I am sure that my outlook on religion was frustrating for her, she was honest and open about mistakes of the Church and that impressed me.  During one of our many conversations, I was frustrating Judy again and she suddenly stopped and said, "One day, God is gonna get you and when He does, He is going to use you for some great work.  He might even make you a pastor."  I laughed.  But I never forgot her saying that.

When my fiancé and I were looking to get married, Judy’s husband Al was the only pastor that I knew, so we asked him to perform the ceremony.  At the same time, we began visiting a local church to find out about renting the facility. 

Pastor Al said he would agree to perform the ceremony, only after we had pre-marital counseling.  We agreed to meet with him.  I had my doubts because I figured that he would use this opportunity to ‘cram religion down my throat’ (what a silly concept,  but that’s what I thought).  I was ready for him, I had all my arguments marshaled and was ready to fight.

On the first night of pre-marriage counselling, Pastor Al didn’t talk a lot about religion, but asked us many questions about ourselves and our relationship.  He ended the evening by telling us that he would not perform the ceremony because Becky and I had such disparate belief systems that would eventually tear us apart.  I left angry and my wife-to-be left in tears.  At her urging, called him back the next day to talk about it.  I asked if we could meet again and said I was willing to listen.  He agreed and we all went out to a restaurant for dinner and discussion.  My wife Becky and his wife Judy sat there all night saying almost nothing as Al and I talked it out.

I lead the conversation off by telling him that I didn’t want his religion because the Bible was full of errors and Christians were a bunch of hypocrites.  He smiled and picked up a Bible that he had on the seat and slid it across the table to me.  “Errors, huh?, show me one,” he said, looking right through me with a stern but amused stare.  I knew several off the top of my head, but didn’t know where to find them.  I never needed to in the past; all the other Christians I’d met crumbled when I started listing them. 

We closed down that restaurant that night.  We talked until they made us leave.  He answered every question I had, dealt with every argument logically, and challenged my thinking.  He admitted when he didn’t have all the answers and he too talked about the mistakes that the church has made in the past.  When we left that night, he agreed to meet again and reconsider the wedding.

Al ultimately did perform the ceremony for us, though I wasn’t a Christian.  It was several more years of study and questioning before I became a Christian.  Judy was right, though, once God got a hold on my, He hasn’t let go.  He has used me for many things, some great and some small, and I believe that He has more in store.   Judy was right about one other thing… I am a pastor now. 

Thank you Al and Judy. 

Postscript:  Pastor Al passed away in 2006 and I never got to tell him, “Thank You” in person.  Though it saddens me and fills me with regret, I live with the promise that one day I will see him again and be able to tell him then.

Rodger

Articles of Faith

Newly discovered species from partial jawbone and partial legbone!

Evolution shows that humans aren’t wired for monogamy, especially men!

God had no role in the creation of the universe!

In the past few weeks, I have read three articles by scientists, who manage to poo-poo faith and religion while simultaneously demonstrating that they, themselves, hold their own faith and religion.

The first article was about a potential new species that was discovered.  It seems some paleontologists located a part of a jawbone and a fragment of a leg bone that points to a new species of ocean going animal that may have been a predecessor of land animals.  They go on to tell the foods it ate, the way it hunted, and the unique ways it could walk on land and swim in the sea.  An artist’s sketch was given to help us picture it in its original environment.  Wait a moment!  Back up the train here.  The tiny piece of jawbone and the leg bone fragment were pictured.  The jawbone didn’t even have any teeth left in it.  These small pieces of bone told us all of that!?!?!?   The credulity required to believe these jumps-to-conclusion is beyond me.  While I am sure that we can learn something from these bones, can we really reconstruct an entire beast from these small pieces?  Can we really make assumptions on its ‘evolution,’ its hunting and mating habits, and its physique?  It sounds more like a fairy-tales about dragons coming from dinosaur fossils than real science.  

The second article explained that men aren’t wired for monogamy.  When it comes to cheating on our wives, we just can’t help ourselves: evolution is to blame.  "Men sport the longest and thickest penis of all primates", the author tells us.  Try not to picture this author in the Congo, chasing down a gorilla with a ruler and calipers.  He goes on to say that Homo-sapien women have “pendulous breasts” and “impossible-to-ignore cries of sexual delight.”  At this point, I'm definitely following this article.  How fun is that?  These characteristics, when compared to a few historic nomadic cultures and a species of monkey that likes group sex, proves that men are made for polyamorous relationships so that we spread our seed around.  The titillating text of this article made it a fun read, and I’m sure some dumb buffoon of a husband will use it as an excuse next time he gets caught with his wife’s best friend. (I’m pretty sure that my wife ain’t falling for it)  But, the simple truth here is that the article is ridiculous in the number of assumptions that it makes.  I can’t help but think that the author (a man of course) was building an alibi more than writing a serious book.  Perhaps he should try his hand at writing Penthouse Letters instead of scholarly texts.   

The final article was a snippet from the new book by Stephen Hawking, explaining that, because of the existence of gravity, the extremely large number of planets in the universe and the likelihood of multiple universes; chance alone explains the creation of something from nothing (the creation of our universe).  While Stephen Hawking is a brilliant scientist, far beyond my mental capacity, he begins with the premise that there is not God and therefore, all creation can be explained by chance.  Except that it can’t.  The logic flaw of ex nihilo creation still exists in a universe of physical laws.         

I am not a scientist.  I don’t even play one on television.  I am a man of faith.  That doesn’t mean that I am ignorant or that I throw logic out the window.  Quite the opposite, my belief system is based on logic and evidence… up to a point.  At that point, I have faith. 

I can be honest about that.  I’m not sure these guys are able to do that.

The scientific community and the fringe pseudo-science hangers-on would have us believe that all their work is based solely on rationality and demonstrable facts.  Yet the truth is, closer examination shows them to be men and women of faith too.  They begin with the premise that God does not exist.  They begin with the assumption that their idea of evolution is an undeniable fact.  They begin with the idea that they have all the necessary knowledge and cannot possibly be mistaken.  In their hubris, they miss their own faith, deny their own belief systems, and they presume to instruct us.

These articles, and many other like them, are articles of faith.

I don’t have any problem with science, or even the idea of evolution*, just the lack of intellectual honesty from those who would call themselves intellectuals. 

* I do NOT believe that science and religion are incompatible and I stand against those who say, “You just have to have faith,” or “God doesn’t want you to think about these things.”  I believe that God gave us our minds and the gift of rational thought.  We should use it.  I also do not believe that creation and evolution are mutually exclusive.  That, of course, is a much longer discussion, but ultimately, I believe that God created the universe, and it was well within His power to use any tools that He desired to make its creatures.

One Word

Broken.

That’s the only word I have for it.

Broken.

Broken pavement on the roads.

Broken windows in the houses.

Broken glass on the playground.

Broken hearts from the abuse, incest, and rape.

Broken families from the poverty and unemployment.

Broken lives from gang murder, drugs, and alcohol.

Broken.

Less than 2 hours from the jobs available in Phoenix, less than 50 miles from the affluent bounty of Superstition Springs Mall, is the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation.

Less than a day ago, I went with a ministry co-worker, Amber, for a tour of the reservation where we saw for ourselves the pain and desperation of this place. 

Stories.  We heard lots of stories.  A twelve year old boy murdered by gang members.  A pre-teen girl whose uncle got her drunk in an attempt to molest her.  A young teen boy who attempted suicide in a house full of his younger siblings and cousins.  Girls pregnant at the young age of 13-15.  Those same girls, grandmas at thirty, sobering up for the first time so they can take care of their grandchildren for their addicted daughters.  Corrupt politicians handing out free 40s of malt liquor in order to garner votes.  Husbands taking the $250 a month the family lives on to gamble at the casino only to lose it all.

We saw things too.  A mom, with her two children, whose only notable fact was she happened to be sober for once.  Graffiti and gang symbols everywhere.  Sheds, shanties, rusted out cars, and tarps where whole families live without electricity or running water.  A police officer’s home, with bars on the windows next to a drug dealer’s home.  Broken Colt 45 beer bottles on the kids playgrounds.

I have no words to describe the heartache that I felt from seeing and hearing all of this.

I do have another word, though.

Hope.

The ministry that gave us the tour builds homes for the homeless on the reservation.

They provide back-to-school backpacks and supplies for kids.

They provide Christmas stockings and presents to families.

They are working on a battered women’s shelter.

They have a bus ministry that we got to take part in.  The bus drives through the neighborhoods and stops periodically and toots its horn.  Kids come running from houses all around to get a chance to go on the bus.  It then pulls up in an empty field next to a basketball court and the kids sing, get a Bible lesson, eat a snack, and then take part in games and crafts.  I got to hand out otter-pops to 45 smiling children, teach a young boy named Jay how to roller skate, and play basketball with a couple of other boys.   As we were leaving, Jay came up and handed me a rock, saying, “I found this cool rock for you, thank you for helping me to skate.”

Children are the same everywhere.  In the midst of poverty and abuse, on a playground covered with shattered glass and trash, they are still able to play and smile.

All they need is a little hope.

It’s there, in the ministry of a few people who care enough to sacrifice lives of comfort and material comfort in order to minister to those who need.

Hope.

Hope for shelter and food.

Hope for a safe place to grow up.

Hope for an education that will someday provide for them.

Hope for healthy relationships and families.

Hope for freedom from addiction and abuse.

Hope for the future.

Hope.

If you would like to help out, visit www.azrez.org and donate your time and money.  Take a trip with them to build houses.  Donate school supplies and Christmas stockings stuffed with presents.  Donate Walmart gift cards or donate cash.

Lights

Love everyone… This includes people who think differently than you, difficult people, and those who have hurt you.

Feed the hungry and give water to the thirsty.

Visit the prisoner.

Provide for the widow

Care for the orphan.

Invite in the stranger and immigrant.

Be hospitable.

Clothe the naked.

Care for the sick.

Stand up for the marginalized and defenseless ones.

Be humble.  Treat others as better than yourself.

Speak carefully.

Be slow to anger.

Don’t show favoritism towards the rich, famous, or powerful.

Don’t love money and don't be a slave to it.  Be wise and generous with your finances.

Practice justice.

Give mercy.

Shelter the homeless.

Don’t envy.

Don’t be selfish.

Make peace whenever possible.

Be gentle, kind, and caring.

Don’t be arrogant and boastful.

Be patient.

Use your gifts to help others.

Be self-controlled.

Don’t be hypocrites.

Speak the truth but don’t be a jerk about it.

Be trustworthy.  People should believe what you say.

Don’t talk bad about others.  Gossip and slander are destructive.

Do good deeds.  Even when it’s hard.  Even when others don’t.

Be respectable.  Live so you have a good reputation with others.

Do what is right, even if you suffer for it.

Don’t drink, eat, party, or anything else to excess.

Be clear-minded and alert.

Serve others even when it means sacrificing your own comfort, especially if it means sacrifice.

Treat those older than you with respect and those younger as brothers and sisters.

If someone has screwed up in life, restore them gently.

Don’t listen to liars, idiots, or those who stir up trouble.

Respect and obey the government so.  Even the ones you didn’t vote for.

Don’t fight with one another and don’t be quarrelsome and divisive.

Don’t sleep around, treat your body and others with respect.

Be a good example.

Take care of your own family, whether you like them or not.

Live with joy and contentment even in tough times.

Be generous and willing to share.

Respect your parents and treat your kids well.

Treat your spouse well.

Forgive those who have hurt you.  Quickly.

Don’t take what doesn’t belong to you.

Be honest in your business dealings.

Don’t be a slave to pleasure and entertainment.

Study God’s word and teach them to others.

Don’t put up with false teaching.

Pray.

It’s not about gimmicky services.  It’s not about ‘relevant’ music.  It’s not about being seeker sensitive.  It’s not about bigger and better props.  It’s not about rock star preachers and self-help messages.  It’s not about growth at any price.  It’s not about hooks to get them in the door so we can spring the trap on them.  It’s not even about us versus them. 

We shouldn’t have to paint up the gospel like a $20 hooker in order to try to attract people.  P.T. Barnum showmanship and used-car-salesman trickery have no place in the body of Christ.  If you believe that ostentatious glitter and flashy extravaganzas are what is required to for people to come to belief, then that suggests to me that you don’t believe that the gospel is enough yourself.

Neither should we be the obnoxious and arrogant evangelists who beat people with a twisted gospel or try to trick them into hearing it with cartoon tracts and baited questions.  Protest signs, angry words, and megaphones have no place here either.

It’s about a radically gentle, life-changing love that affects us enough to become living evidence to others.  It’s about individual, personal change and the struggle of daily turning towards God and His way, as evidenced in the list above.  It’s about walking together through good times and hard times.  It’s about turning away from the world of self-aggrandizement, self-enrichment, and selfish pleasure.  That was the message at the beginning and that is the only relevant message in a world of distraction and dissipation that we live in today.

If our lives actually reflected change, people might actually see our deeds and realize the truth of God’s message.  It’s almost as if that’s in the Bible (Matthew 5:16, 1Peter 2:12)

The message of the cross is offensive only because it acknowledges the evil in all of us, even those who think they are good people.  And,it offers grace to everyone, even those we don’t like or we don’t feel deserve it.  If we offend people with the gospel for any other reason, we are not being faithful to the message. 

Read the above list* again.  This is what a follower of Jesus looks like.  I think that the rest of the world would have much less problems with ‘Christians’ if more of us looked like this.

Do your deeds reflect God’s message? 

Do your actions demonstrate your faith?

Does your life show that you believe in something that matters?  Does your growth and discipleship demonstrate a way that might help others?  Do your actions exhibit a faith that is a light to others?

If your friends, coworkers, family, and neighbors didn’t know you went to church services, would they still know you were a follower of Jesus?

Perhaps it is time for each individual in the church and the church as a whole to take Peter’s advice in 1Peter 3:3-4.

³Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. ⁴Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

Let us become lights to this world through our quiet but active devotion to our God and to the people around us.  Let each of us be like a simple, single candle burning in the darkness instead of trying to be garish neon facades like the Las Vegas strip.

* this list is a compilation of exhortations and admonitions taken from the Gospels and Epistles of the New Testament.

Translations

It’s not polite to talk about religion or politics.  You might offend someone.

Poppycock!

I don’t believe you can actually understand someone unless you discuss ideas and beliefs. 

I love discussion.  I enjoy bandying about ideas and considering the merits of various systems of thought.  Philosophy is fun.  Theology is entertaining.  Politics are engaging.   We don’t have to be rude; discussion can be gracious while still challenging.

OK.  I’ve probably already lost you.   “What a weirdo,” you are thinking. 

You just might be right.

Because I grew up without religion, I was an agnostic through high school and college.  I have a lot of respect for someone who admits they don’t know, and even more for the person who doesn’t give up at that point, but keeps on searching.  I have significantly less respect for someone who holds a belief system that they’ve never put any real thought into and won’t even discuss.  This goes for Christians too.  I have met many who grew up with Christianity but have never considered it deeply and have never put any thought into their own beliefs.   I truly believe that an unexamined life is not worth living and an untested faith is probably a weak one.  Truth can stand up to questions and it is OK to admit you don’t have all the answers.

Over the years, speaking with people about religion, I’ve noticed that there are some Conversation-Killers that people use when they don’t want to talk about the subject or, as is often the case, they want to talk about their ideas but don’t want any conflicting ideas.  These Conversation-Killers are short statements that are flippantly tossed out by the person in hopes that they’ll sound deep and intellectual without actually having to engage in any real dialogue.  Conversation-Killer statements sound like one thing, but they actually mean something else. 

I have taken the time to provide translate some of the most common that I have run into and, in some cases, actually said myself in the past (sigh).  Please know that some of this is tongue-in-cheek, but there are also deeper truths behind each of them.  My intention is not to be deliberately mocking if you say these things, but to challenge you to real thought and deeper discussion. 

TRANSLATIONS – When someone says the following statement, here is what they are really saying:

“I’m not religious, but I’m a spiritual person.”   Translation:  I want to feel like I am religious without ever actually sacrificing or committing to anything specific.

“I don’t believe in organized religion.”   Translation: I don’t want to wake up early on Sunday or actually have to connect with other people who might have questions that I can’t answer or might challenge me to growth.

“I believe all religions lead to heaven.”   Translation:  I don’t really know anything about the various religions, I’m just trying not to offend anyone.

“I don’t believe in two thousand year old superstitions.”   Translation: I believe in my own set of modern superstitions.

“I’m too rational for religion.”   Translation:  I’m so caught up in my own superior beliefs and personal egotism that I can’t conceive of anything I haven’t personally experienced.

“You can’t prove God scientifically.”   Translation: I don’t really understand how the scientific process works and so mistakenly believe that most things in the world are scientifically verifiable.

“There is no evidence that Jesus ever existed.”   Translation: I’ve never looked at the evidence, and I don’t understand how the evidentiary process works or how we know about historical figures.  Therefore, I can just choose who I choose to believe existed and who didn’t based on my comfort level.

“Religion is something that weak people need to get through life, but not me.”  Translation: I have my own unprovable rationalizations for things I can’t explain and that gets me through my weak times and don’t want to think too hard about it. 

“Religion is the cause of everything that is wrong in the world.” 
Translation:  Hey, I can explain away the shortcomings of mankind by blaming everything on human belief systems.  Wait a minute…That’s a belief system too.  Oh crap.

“I’m an atheist.”  Translation:  A religious person or people (probably Christian) hurt me, so I choose to accuse others of having unprovable belief systems while I stand firm on my own unprovable, belief system*.  I probably still live my life with mostly Judeo-Christian values, but don’t believe in God (except for that niggling feeling in the back of my brain).   *yes Atheism is a belief system.

“I just think love is the answer.”  Translation: I like touchy –feely emotional explanations that sound cool but require nothing from me personally.

“All religions say the same things.  It’s all about the Golden Rule.”  Translation:  I have never really read anything from the various religions and don’t know what the word ‘contradiction’ means. 

“Religion is society’s way of controlling people.”  Translation:  I don’t want someone or some book to suggest that I’m not already a perfect person and might need to change or grow.

“I believe that your religion is true for you and mine is true for me.”  Translation:  Contradiction, what’s a contradiction?  If everyone is right, then no one is wrong and nobody has to feel bad.  I just don’t want to consider that I might be wrong and don’t want to hurt you by suggesting that you might be wrong.  Except, I just did suggest that you are wrong.

“Christians are narrow-minded and judgmental.”  Translation: I am narrow-minded and judgmental because I can’t even consider the possibility that someone else might be right.  I also am unable to see the ironic narrow-minded judgment in my own statement.

“I prefer to be open-minded.”   Translation: I prefer to be empty-minded and can’t compare and analyze ideas that might require me to reject something.  If I actually thought about it, I might have to commit to something and that might be difficult.

“Christians are intolerant.”  Translation: I’m intolerant and can’t handle ideas that conflict with mine.

“There are too many religions in the world to know if one is right.”   Translation: Thinking is hard for me and I just don’t want to do it. 

OK, that was probably offensive for some people and I’ll probably get a few nasty messages about what Christians really mean.  The funny thing is, I’ll probably agree to some extent because, as I said earlier, I’ve met lots of people who grew up in church and have never really considered their beliefs on a deeper level.  I don't like bumper-sticker answers from Christians either, such as "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven" or "You just have to believe."  These are Conversation-Killers too. 

If someone is offended by an idea that differs from theirs that is politely shared, that is their problem.  No need to be a jerk to them, but let's be honest here: they aren't alone in this world.  This world has a rich tapestry of ideas, good and bad, and you just can't pretend that you live in a bubble where no one else's values, morals, ideas, or beliefs can touch you.  If you offend someone by polite sharing of an idea, that's their problem.  If you offend them by being an overbearing jerk about it, that's your problem.

Really, I just want to encourage you to discuss ideas.  Religion and politics are perfectly acceptable conversation topics, just keep it on a conversational level.  I think that is what scares most people, that the conversation will turn unfriendly.  I’ll be honest, there are some people that I don’t bother discussing these topics with, because they just can’t handle it without getting irrational and angry.  But, if you can handle it, I really want to know your story.  But don’t be surprised if I have questions for you.  I want to understand what you believe and why.  I also want you to understand what I believe and why.  This ultimately brings us closer to understanding each other.  Besides, discussing the weather is dull.

So, go ahead, ask me some questions.  I’ve got a few for you. 

Let’s talk.

P.S. – I’ve never actually used the word ‘Poppycock’ in conversation, but it’s kind of a fun word.