In wake of another horrific massacre, this one in Carthage, North Carolina at a nursing home, I want to ask for some consistency regarding gun control.
Norman Jameson, the editor of the North Carolina Baptist Newspaper, The Biblical Recorder, took heat when he suggested that lawmakers who allowed Arkansas church-goers should receive the Darwin Award (for stupidity). Those who objected to Jameson's article suggested that civilian hand-gun possession actually deterred millions of crimes in comparison to 30,000 who were killed accidentally by hand-guns in one year. Therefore, gun control is not something that we should pursue.
Consider the "Liquor by the Drink" referendum in Taylorsville last summer. Of course I am thankful that alcohol is not readily available in the county. Having come from Birmingham and seeing the numerous amounts of damage done by alcohol, I am thankful to live in a county that limits sales and consumption of alcohol. I guess that since I don't drink, I don't feel deprived of anything significant either.
However, the logic of the opposition to the referendum argued that limiting alcohol availability might save lives. It was worth opposing, even if establishments able to serve alcohol could bring needed revenue to the county, if one life was saved.
Yet, the outrage over availability of fire arms is noticeably missing. What about: "If it could save one life, then it would be worth it?"
Today, I just talked to a family whose daughter was shot through the head as she was riding in a car on the interstate. This happened five years ago. After surgeries and years of rehab, she is doing better, but not fully recovered. The shooter was an unsupervised teenager who got a hold of a gun. How did he get a gun? How are so many available that people acquire them illegally? What about legal possession? What are the limits?
What if this Robert Stewart was unable to get his hand on the several firearms he carried into the Carthage nursing home? Or what if the man who shot Fred Winters, the pastor of FBC, Maryville, IL, had been screened prior to sales? What if we worked so hard to save just one life? What if we, like Jesus, laid down our rights to take up our responsibilities to our brothers and sisters?
What if we were consistent in the application of our moral logic?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Violence, Self-Defense and Matthew 5:38-48
Recent events in the news raises a question that I have struggled with for some time - violence in defense of justice.
First, a pastor, Fred Winter, was murdered in cold blood Sunday Morning during his church's 8 AM worship service in Maryville, Illinois. Second, a shooter went on a rampage in South Alabama towns, killing ten people, mostly family but some were random victims, before taking his own life. Third, general thoughts about inherent evil in the regimes of North Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Sudan have raised questions for me. Furthermore, fundamentalist Islam, along with various sects of Mormonism, white-supremiscist Christianity and many other religious organizations that promote domination and violence cannot be ignored. Evil is all around. Violence is the weapon of choice (a cowardly means of coercion). Death is the creator of fear.
However, in response to this, the Bible teaches these things:
1. God is in control and is all powerful.
2. God loves the whole world and has demonstrated his love in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection for the benefit of all who would trust in Him.
3. God is a God who defeats evil through death and resurrection. As Revelation 5 indicates, when John turned to see the Lion of Judah, instead of a magnificent figure, he saw a Lamb, having been slaughtered.
4. God has the power and capacity to raise the dead. He has done this in Jesus and will do this for all who believe.
5. Jesus taught his followers, trusting these things above, to turn the other cheek and to love their enemies.
However, does this preclude defense of the other who is in need? I raise this issue in response to an article in the Biblical Recorder in which the editor, Norman Jameson, wrote that it would be crazy to allow concealed weapons in churches. I symapthize with this position. What message are we communicating to allow concealed weapons in a house of worship in which we profess to believe in an all-powerful and all-loving God? However, can we stand idly by when another is attacked and endangered by an assailent?
Critics of Jameson's editorial called Jameson's article and position "idiotic." (Interestingly enough, that violates Matt. 5:21-26). We should be thankful that only 30,694 people died in the United States to gun-related accidents as opposed to the 4 million estimated crimes foiled by fire arms. But what is the Christian to do?
One extreme is the position of the pacifist. A pacificist says that there is no room in the teachings of Jesus for violence in defense of justice. Matthew 5:38-48 is the primary scripture for such a teaching. Because a follower of Jesus is commanded to turn the other cheak in the face of injustice and to love one's enemies, violence is automatically eliminated as an option of retaliation for the Christian. This includes violence for self-defense, defense of another, and participation in war.
Regarding war, most Christians have held to a theory of just war. For a war to be just, there must be just cause for the war and justice in strategy and practice of war. These practices include negotiating surrender, limiting civilian casualties, etc. While many wars could fit under the heading of just cause (World War II is a prime example), no war in the history of the world has ever been practiced under completely just means. (I do not make this statement to criticize military. I appreciate their sacrifice and would never dishonor their legacy.) However, reading the criteria of a just war is like reading the rules for a basketball game. Just get an open field, a couple of referees, and make sure that everyone is nice and respectful as they are killing one another. And, by the way, make sure none of the innocent bystanders are hit with a bullet or sword. It really has more of a "pie in the sky" outlook than pacificism. It is unrealistic not only in the modern world, but in the pre-modern eras as well.
Matthew 5:38-48 at the very least calls Christ-followers to expect opposition and embrace suffering. It discourages self-defense and the right to retaliate. However, does it discourage using force to come to the aid of one who is in danger? I am not so sure. How can a Christian say that refusing to defend the life of an innocent victim is an act of love? Yet, how can killing the enemy fulfill this passage of scripture?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who wrote The Cost of Discipleship as a convinced pacificist later became involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Hitler. As Hitler continued to incarcerate Christians and commit genocide against the Jews, and as he continued to invade neighboring nations in Europe, Bonhoeffer felt that the only thing that he could do as a Christian was to work for the eventual defeat of his country. Bonhoeffer's change of heart resulted in his arrest in 1943 and death two years later. His change of heart also demonstrated that pacificism as a rule is a difficult position to maintain in a world full of evil perpetraitors and innocent victims.
If life has taught me one thing, then it is the observation that it is easier to suffer than to watch someone else suffer and feel unable to help.
As a Christian, I believe at the very least:
1. Churches should use available means of security, including locking the doors during office hours, and silent alarms for after hours.
2. Churches should use security volunteers to patrol during services.
3. Churches should take whatever means of precaution necessary to ensure that potential criminals realize that the church is aware of potential threat.
As a Christian, I believe at our very best:
1. We should prepare ourselves to demonstrate love to our enemies, whoever they are and whatever their intentions might be. We must pray for them and be prepared to serve them.
2. We should not be so anxious to protect ourselves that we feel the need to bring concealed weapons into church. With the increasing technology for "stun" guns and tasers, we ought to consider these as alternatives to handguns.
3. Realize that we are at risk for violence. Violence happens. We can do things to deter it, to defend against it, but we will never eliminate it.
4. Pray for the end of war and work to reduce violence in the world.
5. Trust in the core values of our faith, that God's kingdom is imminent, and we will be a part of God's future regardless of the present.
6. Defend the innocent.
7. Pray for forgiveness for our inability to find the right answer to every situation. God loves us and knows whether or not we faced a moral dilemma, or that we were just trigger happy for our rights.
I would appreciate any feedback on any of these thoughts.
Tim
First, a pastor, Fred Winter, was murdered in cold blood Sunday Morning during his church's 8 AM worship service in Maryville, Illinois. Second, a shooter went on a rampage in South Alabama towns, killing ten people, mostly family but some were random victims, before taking his own life. Third, general thoughts about inherent evil in the regimes of North Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Sudan have raised questions for me. Furthermore, fundamentalist Islam, along with various sects of Mormonism, white-supremiscist Christianity and many other religious organizations that promote domination and violence cannot be ignored. Evil is all around. Violence is the weapon of choice (a cowardly means of coercion). Death is the creator of fear.
However, in response to this, the Bible teaches these things:
1. God is in control and is all powerful.
2. God loves the whole world and has demonstrated his love in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection for the benefit of all who would trust in Him.
3. God is a God who defeats evil through death and resurrection. As Revelation 5 indicates, when John turned to see the Lion of Judah, instead of a magnificent figure, he saw a Lamb, having been slaughtered.
4. God has the power and capacity to raise the dead. He has done this in Jesus and will do this for all who believe.
5. Jesus taught his followers, trusting these things above, to turn the other cheek and to love their enemies.
However, does this preclude defense of the other who is in need? I raise this issue in response to an article in the Biblical Recorder in which the editor, Norman Jameson, wrote that it would be crazy to allow concealed weapons in churches. I symapthize with this position. What message are we communicating to allow concealed weapons in a house of worship in which we profess to believe in an all-powerful and all-loving God? However, can we stand idly by when another is attacked and endangered by an assailent?
Critics of Jameson's editorial called Jameson's article and position "idiotic." (Interestingly enough, that violates Matt. 5:21-26). We should be thankful that only 30,694 people died in the United States to gun-related accidents as opposed to the 4 million estimated crimes foiled by fire arms. But what is the Christian to do?
One extreme is the position of the pacifist. A pacificist says that there is no room in the teachings of Jesus for violence in defense of justice. Matthew 5:38-48 is the primary scripture for such a teaching. Because a follower of Jesus is commanded to turn the other cheak in the face of injustice and to love one's enemies, violence is automatically eliminated as an option of retaliation for the Christian. This includes violence for self-defense, defense of another, and participation in war.
Regarding war, most Christians have held to a theory of just war. For a war to be just, there must be just cause for the war and justice in strategy and practice of war. These practices include negotiating surrender, limiting civilian casualties, etc. While many wars could fit under the heading of just cause (World War II is a prime example), no war in the history of the world has ever been practiced under completely just means. (I do not make this statement to criticize military. I appreciate their sacrifice and would never dishonor their legacy.) However, reading the criteria of a just war is like reading the rules for a basketball game. Just get an open field, a couple of referees, and make sure that everyone is nice and respectful as they are killing one another. And, by the way, make sure none of the innocent bystanders are hit with a bullet or sword. It really has more of a "pie in the sky" outlook than pacificism. It is unrealistic not only in the modern world, but in the pre-modern eras as well.
Matthew 5:38-48 at the very least calls Christ-followers to expect opposition and embrace suffering. It discourages self-defense and the right to retaliate. However, does it discourage using force to come to the aid of one who is in danger? I am not so sure. How can a Christian say that refusing to defend the life of an innocent victim is an act of love? Yet, how can killing the enemy fulfill this passage of scripture?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who wrote The Cost of Discipleship as a convinced pacificist later became involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Hitler. As Hitler continued to incarcerate Christians and commit genocide against the Jews, and as he continued to invade neighboring nations in Europe, Bonhoeffer felt that the only thing that he could do as a Christian was to work for the eventual defeat of his country. Bonhoeffer's change of heart resulted in his arrest in 1943 and death two years later. His change of heart also demonstrated that pacificism as a rule is a difficult position to maintain in a world full of evil perpetraitors and innocent victims.
If life has taught me one thing, then it is the observation that it is easier to suffer than to watch someone else suffer and feel unable to help.
As a Christian, I believe at the very least:
1. Churches should use available means of security, including locking the doors during office hours, and silent alarms for after hours.
2. Churches should use security volunteers to patrol during services.
3. Churches should take whatever means of precaution necessary to ensure that potential criminals realize that the church is aware of potential threat.
As a Christian, I believe at our very best:
1. We should prepare ourselves to demonstrate love to our enemies, whoever they are and whatever their intentions might be. We must pray for them and be prepared to serve them.
2. We should not be so anxious to protect ourselves that we feel the need to bring concealed weapons into church. With the increasing technology for "stun" guns and tasers, we ought to consider these as alternatives to handguns.
3. Realize that we are at risk for violence. Violence happens. We can do things to deter it, to defend against it, but we will never eliminate it.
4. Pray for the end of war and work to reduce violence in the world.
5. Trust in the core values of our faith, that God's kingdom is imminent, and we will be a part of God's future regardless of the present.
6. Defend the innocent.
7. Pray for forgiveness for our inability to find the right answer to every situation. God loves us and knows whether or not we faced a moral dilemma, or that we were just trigger happy for our rights.
I would appreciate any feedback on any of these thoughts.
Tim
Friday, February 27, 2009
What Should We Buy?
Last night I saw on TV that the NBA is borrowing millions of dollars to bail out 15 NBA teams that are suffering budget shortfalls. While I hold to John Wesley's admonition to "earn all you can" I believe that Christians, including me, have failed to consider Wesley's complete maxim on wealth. He also said to "save all you can and give all you can."
Consider with me extraordinary salaries of professional athletes, actors and entertainers. While I love to hear the voice of a professionally trained musician performing songs which I can relate, as opposed to karaoke, are we spending way more on their albums than they are actually worth? Though I prefer movies to children's theater, must we buy the DVD? Though I love the book, do I need to own it? Could I not enjoy a high school football game as much as a BCS college football game.
During this economic crisis the University of Alabama has pledged millions to add 9000 seats to Bryant-Denny Stadium, the NBA is borrowing money, someone at an unamed university is requesting $60,000 to go find Noah's Ark, companies continued to pay millions for 30 seconds of air time during the Super Bowl, and the children who starred in Slumdog Millionare have been returned to the slums.
Have you considered that the bulk of our economy is based upon extravagance?
Have we learned our lesson in the United States? We cannot expect the economy to be fixed overnight, yes. However, can we and should we expect our country to remain stable if we return to the same "keeping up with the Jones's" and "hear we are, now, entertain us" attitudes of the last 30 years?
As I reconsider my own habits, I wonder if the following has any bearing on how I, as a Christian, should manage the wealth God has given to me.
"All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need." (Acts 4:32-35, NIV)
Consider with me extraordinary salaries of professional athletes, actors and entertainers. While I love to hear the voice of a professionally trained musician performing songs which I can relate, as opposed to karaoke, are we spending way more on their albums than they are actually worth? Though I prefer movies to children's theater, must we buy the DVD? Though I love the book, do I need to own it? Could I not enjoy a high school football game as much as a BCS college football game.
During this economic crisis the University of Alabama has pledged millions to add 9000 seats to Bryant-Denny Stadium, the NBA is borrowing money, someone at an unamed university is requesting $60,000 to go find Noah's Ark, companies continued to pay millions for 30 seconds of air time during the Super Bowl, and the children who starred in Slumdog Millionare have been returned to the slums.
Have you considered that the bulk of our economy is based upon extravagance?
Have we learned our lesson in the United States? We cannot expect the economy to be fixed overnight, yes. However, can we and should we expect our country to remain stable if we return to the same "keeping up with the Jones's" and "hear we are, now, entertain us" attitudes of the last 30 years?
As I reconsider my own habits, I wonder if the following has any bearing on how I, as a Christian, should manage the wealth God has given to me.
"All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need." (Acts 4:32-35, NIV)
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"What is the Extraordinary? It is the love of Jesus Christ himself, who went patiently and obediently to the cross - it is in fact the cross itself...The Extraordinary - and this is the supreme scandal - is something which the followers of Jesus do." (From The Cost of Discipleship, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1995, p. 153)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a young Lutheran pastor whose life has left a lasting impression on many Christians, including mine. Born February 4, 1906 in Germany to wealthy parents, the son of a psychologist, Bonhoeffer received two doctorates before his 25th birthday. A talented scholar and teacher, Bonhoeffer aspired to study and teach theology. He came to the United States in 1930 to study and teach at NY's Union Theological Seminary. While in the United States, his life changed dramatically. He attended church in Harlem, learning many of the Negro Spirituals. Though a promising teaching career awaited him, Bonhoeffer returned to Germany, about the time of Hitler's rise to power. He served churches as a minister as Hitler's swastika and Nazi influence spread to the churches. Bonhoeffer was one of a minority group that declared itself to be the Confessing Church of Germany, and opposed Hitler through preaching, writing and teaching.
In 1937, Bonhoeffer's opposition to Hitler led him to the opportunity to lead an underground seminary, to train young Lutheran ministers in theology and practice of Christian spirituality and ministry, specifically in opposition to Hitler's state-run churches (The image of the swastika on the German church's paraments is haunting). It was at Finkenwalde that Bonhoeffer wrote perhaps his two most influential works, Discipleship and Life Together, at the young age of 31. Discipleship (or The Cost of Discipleship, as it is known in its English translation), is a call to the church to be the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world" through following the teachings of Jesus, rather than relying on the sacraments of baptism and communion, to guarantee salvation. Life Together was written to provide a pattern of devotion for his seminary student's as they lived as one in a nation that hated him.
Later on, after the Gestapo shut down the Finkenwalde Seminary, Bonhoeffer, a pacifist, came under the conviction that the only thing that a Christian could do in response to Hitler was to work for his defeat. Bonhoeffer, along with his brother-in-law, Hans Von Donnanyi, was arrested for conspiracy to kill Hitler. It is this conspiracy on which the movie Valkyrie is based, though Bonhoeffer was not written into the film. On April 9, 1945, Bonhoeffer was hanged as an enemy of Germany and Hitler, but as a true Martyr to the Christ he followed with his life. Two days later, the prison in which he died was liberated by Allied forces.
I first read Discipleship as a college student. It changed my life, and the way I understand Christianity. Thus, I no longer understand Christianity as a religion, but as a way of life. For those who dare to imagine what Christianity would look like if the words of Jesus were actually taught, practiced, and followed, I heartily recommend this masterpiece as a beginning.
On this day I pray to wish a Happy Birthday to Bonhoeffer, whose witness, whose martyrdom, left an impression on the life of many, including mine.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
A New Day
(Luke 12:29-34, NIV) 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.As a youth, the only poem that I memorized was this anonymous poem that Alabama's legendary coach Paul Bryant kept with him, and read daily:
This is the beginning of a new day.
God has given me this day to use as I will.
I can waste it or use it for good.
What I do today is very important because I am
Exchanging a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever.
Leaving something in its place I have traded for it.
I want it to be a gain, not loss - good, not evil.
Success, not failure in order that I shall not forget the price I paid for it.
Each year, I am challenged by the thought of New Year's resolutions. Each year I hope to develop good habits and get rid of the bad ones. I do hope to blog more, pray more, exercise more, spend more quality time with family and friends, and eat less (yeah, right). Somehow, I break these by the end of January, sometimes as early as January 2.
However, Jesus calls us not to worry about the needs of the day. Rather, prioritize the God's plan to bring the world back to himself and let the chips fall where they may. We may be surprised that we could not have planned things better ourselves.
I pray that according to God's plan for the world that you would make the most of 2009 and have a blessed New Year!
Tim
Friday, December 12, 2008
Is This Really the Gospel?
Like many of you, I have been intrigued by the seven day sex challenge offered by pastor Ed Young of the Fellowship Church in Grapevine, TX. More than that, I have been intrigued by the pragmatic preaching of many celebrity preachers designed to reach the religious consumer market in the United States.
I would venture a guess: The Thesis behind such preaching is that God's sole purpose is to make us happy and successful. God wants us to be great leaders (Jesus modeled servanthood), have great sex lives (taking care of one's spouse seems to be the norm in scripture), be successful (all Jesus' healing and teaching ministry got him was a cross), and have a hunky-doory life (suffering is the norm in this world for Christians).
First, regarding sex, one clear issue driving Jewish worship regulations was God's desire to separate sex from worship. If some of these ministers had any education worth speaking about, it would be clear that the polytheistic religions of the day used sex in worship. They worshipped fertility deities. Our word Easter comes from the goddess Ishtar, the fertility goddess of the Arabic world (that's why rabbits and eggs are symbols of Easter, and why I prefer to call it Resurrection Sunday.) Many religious cults of the ancient world incorporated sex into the service. Priests had intercourse with cult prostitutes on the altars to these gods and goddesses. Furthermore, it is interesting that polytheistic religions expressed their deities with male and female characteristics, as well as having the male deities have sex with human women, creating heroes such as Hercules, Perseus and Gilgamesh (Genesis 6:1-4 takes a jab at these).
In the book of Leviticus, worshippers could not worship (they were unclean, or common, rather than holy) if they had intercourse within 24 hours of worship, if the woman was in her monthly period, if a man had a nocturnal emision. Yes, you will remind me that we are free from the law. You are correct to do so. However, the purpose behind such regulations was to separate sex from the worship scene. I hear the "there is something spiritual about sex" in the preaching of these ministers. However, I think that it is worth pointing out that the ancient world was aware of this, and God was separating sex from worship.
Second, when I hear of such sermon emphases, I ask: "What about the teens in the audience, the single adults, the divorcees, and the widows. What about those who struggle with sexual issues?" Furthermore, what about the story that Scripture tells? I believe that there needs to be an arena to talk about sex in church. However, is the morning worship service the appropriate arena. What about a couples class? What about youth groups in which parents are aware of that content? Is this appropriate material for worship? (By the way, worship is celebrating the story of salvation in such a way that we really believe that what the Bible says is real. It is not a program.)
Finally, it is interesting that the New Testament says very little about sex. Paul encourages periods of abstinence in marriage for prayer. Fasting from sex. What a revolutionary idea? Jesus reminds men to be faithful to their spouses. In Genesis, we are reminded that sex is God's means of procreation. How quickly we forget that.
The concern for Christians is preparing for God to complete his work in the future and being about his mission in the present. While I understand that contemporary churches, post-modern emphases in churches, the emergent church are reacting to the mistakes and misunderstanding of the gospel found in many traditional churches, the implication that God's gospel is but another self-help guide book to make our lives more enjoyable is just as much missing the point as a traditional church's passion to preach the gospel without meeting the physical needs of the poor. I believe that we need help for our couples in our churches to learn how to relate to one another in healthy ways. But consider this...
Is the consumer mentality in religion just the result of the fact that we are bored? We are staring into the sky, like the disciples who watched Jesus disappear behind the veil that separates Heaven and earth. Rather, we should be about the gospel. Teach the lordship of Christ. Realize that we are blessed to be a blessing, not to enjoy being blessed. And, we are called to bear a cross. Life will not always be perfect. But perfection is participating in the narrow journey and completing that journey, rather than getting every step right along the way and enjoying that. Why are we self-centered? Because our life-application religion is teaching us to be.
I remember an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond when Robert and Amy had just been married and had Debra and Ray over for dinner, along with Frank and Marie, and Amy had just read a book on how to have a better relationship in marriage. She shared it with Debra and they began talking about all the theories that the book presented. Marie, whose personality gives me the heeby-jeebies, gave the greatest advice ever. Marriage is not always perfect. People are not perfect. You are going to have your fights, your ups and downs, and your struggles. That is life. However, in the end, there is something greater than sex, romance or affection. There is love.
But maybe I am just a fuddy duddy.
I would venture a guess: The Thesis behind such preaching is that God's sole purpose is to make us happy and successful. God wants us to be great leaders (Jesus modeled servanthood), have great sex lives (taking care of one's spouse seems to be the norm in scripture), be successful (all Jesus' healing and teaching ministry got him was a cross), and have a hunky-doory life (suffering is the norm in this world for Christians).
First, regarding sex, one clear issue driving Jewish worship regulations was God's desire to separate sex from worship. If some of these ministers had any education worth speaking about, it would be clear that the polytheistic religions of the day used sex in worship. They worshipped fertility deities. Our word Easter comes from the goddess Ishtar, the fertility goddess of the Arabic world (that's why rabbits and eggs are symbols of Easter, and why I prefer to call it Resurrection Sunday.) Many religious cults of the ancient world incorporated sex into the service. Priests had intercourse with cult prostitutes on the altars to these gods and goddesses. Furthermore, it is interesting that polytheistic religions expressed their deities with male and female characteristics, as well as having the male deities have sex with human women, creating heroes such as Hercules, Perseus and Gilgamesh (Genesis 6:1-4 takes a jab at these).
In the book of Leviticus, worshippers could not worship (they were unclean, or common, rather than holy) if they had intercourse within 24 hours of worship, if the woman was in her monthly period, if a man had a nocturnal emision. Yes, you will remind me that we are free from the law. You are correct to do so. However, the purpose behind such regulations was to separate sex from the worship scene. I hear the "there is something spiritual about sex" in the preaching of these ministers. However, I think that it is worth pointing out that the ancient world was aware of this, and God was separating sex from worship.
Second, when I hear of such sermon emphases, I ask: "What about the teens in the audience, the single adults, the divorcees, and the widows. What about those who struggle with sexual issues?" Furthermore, what about the story that Scripture tells? I believe that there needs to be an arena to talk about sex in church. However, is the morning worship service the appropriate arena. What about a couples class? What about youth groups in which parents are aware of that content? Is this appropriate material for worship? (By the way, worship is celebrating the story of salvation in such a way that we really believe that what the Bible says is real. It is not a program.)
Finally, it is interesting that the New Testament says very little about sex. Paul encourages periods of abstinence in marriage for prayer. Fasting from sex. What a revolutionary idea? Jesus reminds men to be faithful to their spouses. In Genesis, we are reminded that sex is God's means of procreation. How quickly we forget that.
The concern for Christians is preparing for God to complete his work in the future and being about his mission in the present. While I understand that contemporary churches, post-modern emphases in churches, the emergent church are reacting to the mistakes and misunderstanding of the gospel found in many traditional churches, the implication that God's gospel is but another self-help guide book to make our lives more enjoyable is just as much missing the point as a traditional church's passion to preach the gospel without meeting the physical needs of the poor. I believe that we need help for our couples in our churches to learn how to relate to one another in healthy ways. But consider this...
Is the consumer mentality in religion just the result of the fact that we are bored? We are staring into the sky, like the disciples who watched Jesus disappear behind the veil that separates Heaven and earth. Rather, we should be about the gospel. Teach the lordship of Christ. Realize that we are blessed to be a blessing, not to enjoy being blessed. And, we are called to bear a cross. Life will not always be perfect. But perfection is participating in the narrow journey and completing that journey, rather than getting every step right along the way and enjoying that. Why are we self-centered? Because our life-application religion is teaching us to be.
I remember an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond when Robert and Amy had just been married and had Debra and Ray over for dinner, along with Frank and Marie, and Amy had just read a book on how to have a better relationship in marriage. She shared it with Debra and they began talking about all the theories that the book presented. Marie, whose personality gives me the heeby-jeebies, gave the greatest advice ever. Marriage is not always perfect. People are not perfect. You are going to have your fights, your ups and downs, and your struggles. That is life. However, in the end, there is something greater than sex, romance or affection. There is love.
But maybe I am just a fuddy duddy.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
From Pearl Harbor to Calvary, The Story of Mitsuo Fuchida
33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals-- one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:33-34, NIV)
Being that today is the 67th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, I thought that the story of Mitsuo Fuchida, the Japanese leader of the raid, might be interesting to see how radical God's forgiveness and salvation really is. Here is the link. What do you think?
www.biblebelievers.com/fuchida1.html
Grace and peace,
Tim
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)