Author: Frank

Help for Haiti

Frank

Despite what Pat Robertson thinks, we shouldn’t see this tragedy as he did Katrina or the Indonesian tsunami as the objects of God’s wrath, but instead as opportunities to serve. There were already several ministries serving in Haiti when this hit and there are many more standing up to help in the recover from this tragedy. The first to come to mind is Audio Adrenaline’s Hands and Feet Project and my own church’s benevolence arm, HOPEworldwide. Please give. Please pray.

For other charities, click here.

***UPDATE: The American Red Cross’ text 90999, which automatically adds $10 to your cell phone bill has rasied over $8 Million (that’s a lot of Hamiltons!). Also, you can follow the progress of a group of missionaries from Lifechurch in Pennsylvania as they try to get into Haiti here.***

Lust or Love?

Frank

Is it lust, is it love?
Whatever it is, I can’t get enough
Is it lust, is it love?
When I look around tell me who can I trust
Is it love?
-Scorpions, Lust or Love

A while back, I speculated on the high divorce rate in this country especially amongst christians (intentional little-c). The primary reason, I figure, is the notion of “irreconcilable differences.” In other words, you’re in an argument and you just refuse to give in. I think sadly, one of the reasons divorce is so prevalent is that our society has confused lust and love. I don’t necessarily mean the desire to marry out of carnal passion, but more the contrast of lust and love and their root in our hearts.

Consider lust: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:15-17, NIV) Here, lust is counted as “lov[ing] the world” and is in opposition to loving God. In the NASB translation, verse 16 reads, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” So both the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh are contrary to the love of the Father. This scripture has always challenged me, because it is a harsh priority-check. Do I love God more than myself? And that’s what lust is- loving ourselves, aka selfishness.

It is obvious then that lust stands opposed to love, because love is sacrificial. And this is where society goes off on the wrong track. Often in marriages (and most other relationships) we have the attitude of “what’s in it for me?” In an argument? You want to win. Stressful day? You want to relax and be served. House a mess? You want someone else to clean. That’s what makes lust, both of the eyes and flesh, so dangerous. We become the center of our relationships. Wife not as attractive as she was when you got married? That’s ok, go look at pornography. Husband doesn’t listen? That’s ok, have an emotional affair with a coworker. Not satisfied sexually? That’s ok, have a physical affair. And it doesn’t take long before more than half of all marriages come to a sad, selfish, lustful end.

But it was never intended to be that way. Again, love is sacrificial. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13). Applied to marriages, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” (Ephesians 5:25, emphasis added) In an argument? Be the first to say I’m sorry. Stressful day? Do something for your spouse to brighten his/her day- you’d be surprised what you get in return. House a mess? Do something about it. Wife not as attractive as she was when you got married? “Rejoice in the wife of your youth” (Proverbs 5:18). Husband not listening? There’s probably something on his mind. Listen to him. Not satisfied sexually? Give like you’ve never given before and reap the benefits.

We cannot love if we are full of lust because “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and if we are lusting after the world, “the love of the Father is not in [us]”. Remember to love God first and foremost, to love ourselves last, and do not let lust rule in your heart.

Lord, Have Mercy!

Frank

So I was pulled over the other day on my way to work. No excuses, I was speeding. When the officer asked why I was going as fast as I was, I couldn’t think of any other response than to say, “habit.” I was on a stretch of road I figure I’ve driven at least 3000 times and I drive the same speed every time. In fact, I’ve had patrol cars pass by me at least a few dozen times without ever a second glance. The officer told me that he pulled me over because I didn’t even make an effort to slow down. I was thinking, “why should I have?” But he was right, and I was clearly wrong. Thankfully the officer extended mercy to me by only giving me a warning.

How much does this reflect our own sinful nature? We may openly confess the “serious” sins- those we feel an extra measure of guilt or are shamed into thinking are worse than others. But the habitual sins are what can separate us from God. Pride, envy, anger, lust. Habits. And how often are we reminded of these sins either by being caught in the act, or doing a measure of harm we regret? Yet, the character still remains because we’re spared consequence. In other words, we see the patrol car, but we don’t get pulled over.

How many times did I deserve a speeding ticket? A few thousand. So I have no reason to be upset for finally getting caught and receiving one. Just like our sinful nature, God lets us get away with a lot. But eventually we will have to face the consequences. We cannot take our habitual sins for granted, just like we cannot take God’s mercy and forgiveness for granted either. We need to see our sin as sin and measure it by the stripes on Jesus’ back instead of by the number of times we’ve gotten away with it. We need to remember the humility of the tax collector, who when praying, “stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'” (Luke 18:13)

R12

Frank

Today kicks off Living on the Edge’s R12-True Spirituality campaign. Maybe campaign is not the right word- they’re not asking for money, not pontificating any grand goals- they are only asking for churches and/or small groups to pick up their free curriculum based on Romans 12 and lead Christians into becoming disciples of Christ.

Personally, there are a few hills that I would die on with regards to my personal theology and doctrine. One, is that everyone is called to participate in the spiritual growth of the church by applying their unique spiritual gifts, not just leaders/pastors (Eph 4). Two, the ‘ones’ of Ephesians 4 are non-negotiable with respect to Church doctrine. Three, the Church Universal as known only by God, is called to be united and Jesus himself prayed for unity in the church (John 17). This unity cannot happen without numbers one and two above. And finally four, this unity is demonstrated by Christians living out their faith as disciples of Jesus Christ as defined by Romans 12.

I credit Romans 12 as the starting point of my conversion. I grew up religious. I was active in my church. My “spiritual resume” resembles Paul’s of Philippians 3. But I could not call myself a disciple of Jesus. It was one Sunday and I was sitting in Mass and the sermon was based on Romans 12. I had a Bible and I read it. I knew the popular stories and read the Gospels, Psalms, and Proverbs regularly. But I never dug into Romans; it was a hard read and the theology is hard to follow. So this was the first time I remember hearing these verses and my heart broke. This did not describe me. This did not describe my friends. This did not describe my church. And from there, I began a search for true discipleship of Jesus that culminated two years later as I was baptized into Christ in front of a new body of believers.

Since, I have used Romans 12 as the starting point of every Bible study with a non-believer or casual church-goer. And I had the pleasure of reading this passage to my congregation as the teen I mentor was baptized into Christ a month ago.

I was turned on to Living on the Edge a couple of years ago, catching a lesson on my commute to work. It was serendipitous timing- I was running late that day so heard a different program than I usually listened to. I was immediately turned on. I liked the preaching, I liked how sin was called out as sin and not excused, and I liked how the preaching was geared towards the expectation of Christians living Christ-like lives. I now turn to these lessons for most of my small group material. I read the books and apply what I learn. And when they first released this curriculum a year ago, I fervently prayed for this message to reach the ears and hearts of every believer.

I’m not one to regularly sing praises or endorse things so highly, but this is something I believe strongly in and I hope and pray it is something that can be of benefit to you. Ultimately, to God be the glory.

Tebow Cam

Frank

Yes, there really is one during this year’s Sugar Bowl. I guess it’s appropriate since Tim Tebow is the Second Coming. I saw on one website the idea to turn the Sugar Bowl into a drinking game by taking a drink every time Tebow’s name is mentioned apart from any play he makes. I don’t recommend that practice, even if you have a designated driver.

It’s clear how this game is going to turn out (44-10 at the start of the 4th quarter), so we know the winner between Tebow and Cincinnati’s QB, Tony Pike. But the game isn’t only played between the hash marks, but also in the hearts and souls of the men (and some women) glued to their HD TVs. Instead of competing football teams, let’s consider competing theologies.

Tim Tebow has Ephesians 2:8-10 on his eyeblack which reads, “for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” So either he is trying to save the soul of the defensive end trying to chase him out of the pocket, or he’s claiming that his unquestioned football gifted-ness was given by God “to do good works” that God “prepared in advance” for him to do. The former I don’t argue with, the second, I’m not so sure.

On the other side of the line of scrimmage, a Cincinnati player (I never caught his name) has 1 Tim 1:12 written on his bicep. This scripture reads, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.” Simple, humble, giving Jesus all the credit while presuming nothing.

Success in a New Year’s Day bowl game ensures a measure of immortality. Nothing compared to what our Lord and Savior offers. But these images will be replayed by the most dedicated sports fans and replayed in the minds of those who played. Which would you want to be remembered for? The Amazing Grace of salvation and a semi-self righteous boast of God’s plan, or a humble gratitude to be considered one of Christ’s servants?

I’m not saying that’s Tim Tebow’s intention. But for those sick of hearing about him nonstop this football season, that’s how it comes across. At the same time, I’m grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given him strength, that he considered him faithful, appointing him to his service. I pray he finds a way to humbly continue this service on Sundays.

***edit: Ok, I saw the Cincinnati player again. It was Ben Guiduli. And the scripture actually was 1 Tim 1:15-16 which reads, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” So different proselytic emphasis, but the same level of humility.”***

***update: Wow, a lot of Cincinnati’s players have scriptures written on their arms. I guess I didn’t notice it since they’ve been rolled so badly and there hasn’t been reason to zoom in on many of their players. The player who just caught their last touchdown had 2 Tim 1:7-10 on his arm. This reads, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” I think after watching this game I’m going to accept Jesus as my QB and savior. I’m pretty sure there’s a prayer for that.***

Top 10 Movies of the Decade

Frank
When I came out here to interview for my job, I met with the the-campus/singles minister. He asked if I liked movies, since that’s about all there is to do out here. I love movies, and I can’t count the number of movies I’ve seen in that time. My wife and I have practically worn out a DVD player, and I’m sure Netflix hates us for taking such advantage of unlimited movies.

Inspired by this compilation at Slate (with some help from these lists from Entertainment Weekly) here’s my stab at the top 10 movies of the decade:

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). Seldom have I finished a movie feeling so satisfied, like I just finished a good meal.

2. Moulin Rouge! (2001). An odd choice, but I loved this movie so much when I saw it in the theater. It was so original, so layered in its storytelling. And it doesn’t hurt that it was my future wife’s favorite movie. Yes, Come What May was sung at our wedding, what’s it to you?

3. Casino Royale/Star Trek (2006/2009). Two reboots of legacy franchises with high expectations. Both exceeded expectations and surprised die-hards by taking new directions with established characters. Absolutely loved both movies.

4. The Blair Witch Project (1999). Ok, this is a cheat, but October ’99 is close enough to 2000 to count. Plus it has to be noted how important this movie was for not only how it was made, but how it was hyped. It was the first “viral” marketing campaign. Lost wouldn’t be the same without it. So/so movie, but played to great effect.

5. American Beauty (1999). My second cheat but also included because of the trend it started: the hyper-realistic story telling without any true protagonists. ‘Reality TV’ without the c-list celebrities. This is what you’d see if you put a camera on an average American family in suburbia, and it’s not pretty. I’ve never spent so much time in the parking lot afterwards taking about the movie I just saw as I did with this one.

6. The Passion of the Christ (2004). Demonstrated that christians (intentional little c) are a viable niche market. Good or bad thing?

7. Gangs of New York (2002). A movie that completely overwhelms you. Between the stellar acting, the portrayal of the grittiness of the time period, and the brutal violence of it all, this movie makes me very grateful I didn’t live then. It also ushered in the trend of the ‘histo-drama’, released during the Oscar push that includes movies like There Will Be Blood, which top many lists, but wouldn’t even have been made if not for GoNY.

8. 25th Hour (2002). New York post 9/11 plus Spike Lee. Add a little Ed Norton and you get one of my favorite movies.

9. Gladiator (2000). Never has a movie inspired so many sermons. But revolutionary in it’s combination of the special effects of a summer popcorn flick and the depth of a period drama. Yeah, it’s still just a popcorn flick. But a darn good one.

10. Amelie (2001). Cute. Quirky. Foreign. A movie I loved even though it doesn’t fit in any of my usual favorite molds.

Honorable mentions (maybe not top 10 worthy, but worth a watch if you haven’t seen them):

–Requiem for a Dream (2000). I had a tough time leaving this off. Soderbergh–ish cut-editing. Realistic portrayal of addiction. Don’t watch on a date (ahem, Jim).

–Once/Bella (2007/2006). Little indies that could. Great feel-good movies.

–Friday Night Lights (2004). I needed to include a sports movie. Not sure if this was the best of the decade, but it’s close. Also the first that came to mind.

–Narc (2002). In my opinion better than Mystic River, The Departed, We Own the Night and every other police drama that came out in the last decade.

–WALL-E (2008). This needs to be in the list above, but there’s no room. Hardly any dialogue, but incredibly deep satire for an animated kids’ movie.

–The Prestige/The Illusionist (2006/2006). In the tradition of Armageddon/Deep Impact and other duo/copy-cats, come these two period pieces about magicians couldn’t be more different. And unlike Armageddon/Deep Impact, both were good. Very good.

I’m sure there are others. So help me out what makes your top 10?

12 Days

Frank

You may think Christmas is behind us, but we’re now in the traditional 12 Days of Christmas, marking the time between Christ’s birth and the theophany, when Jesus was later baptized. Advent, leading up to Christmas, is a tradition to prepare believers for the second-coming of Jesus. The Nativity is obviously the celebration of Jesus’ birth, the long-awaited Messiah. And the Theophany is when God audibly confirmed Jesus as his son.

One of the most profound tenants of Christianity is Jesus’ part in the Trinity. Not as the Son of God, but as the Word of God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1, 14)

So it is appropriate to celebrate these 12 days by reflecting on Jesus as the Word by studying in depth David’s celebration of God’s Word in Psalm 119. Anne Lang Bundy has been blogging on the 12 different Hebrew words translated as ‘word’ in Psalm 119. Start here on Day One and catch up here.

What Christmas Means to Me

Frank

Candles burnin’ low,
Lot’s of mistle toe.
Lot’sof snow and ice,
Eveywhere we go.
Choirs singin’ carols,
Right outside my door.

All these things and more
That’s what Christmas means to me my love
-Stevie Wonder, What Christmas Means to Me

One of the motivations for the “keeping Christ in Christmas” campaign is the increased secularization of this holiday. And that’s my common defense against the secular backlash against it. Most Christmas carols are about snowfall, reindeer, Santa, presents or family. A few classic carols are actually about the baby Jesus. If I were to walk up to you in the middle of summer and I mention Christmas, what would be the first thing to pop in your mind? For me it would likely be vacation, family, shopping, what I want, etc. I’m not sure if the birth of Jesus would come as quickly.

And I don’t think I’m alone. But the statistics prove otherwise. In a Rasmussen poll released a week ago, 66% of Americans claim to celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. The cynic in me thinks this means that most of those feel that way because it’s one of the two times a year they actually attend church. But the numbers suggest there’s more to it. 81% believe Jesus is the Son of God and died for our sins and 82% believe that Jesus Christ is an actual historic figure. These are interesting numbers and consistent with the roughly 80% of Americans who claim to be Christians. The flipside of these numbers show that 20% of Americans celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday (meaning 14% don’t celebrate it at all), and only 3% don’t believe that Jesus Christ is an historical figure.

So don’t be afraid to wish someone a Merry Christmas! The odds are good you’re not going to offend anyone.

The Power of a Word

Frank

You might think all the hullabaloo about the ‘War on Christmas’ is limited to the United States but you’d be wrong. It’s been reported that a principal in Australia was forced to apologize to atheist parents of a child for saying “Christmas” too many times in a school newsletter. Disclaimer: I heard this on the radio but have not seen any credible source online, even while googling the parties involved directly. While this is being widely reported across the blogosphere, the best news link I could find was from 2005. So I have a hunch this is a spam email going around. Even if this is four-year-old news, it still illustrates how sensitive we can be to a single word. The so-called War on Christmas isn’t about singing carols, putting up lights, or buying presents for your children. It is about the word Christmas implying the birth of Christ and therefore endorsing or even proselytizing the Christian faith.

Let’s pretend that the secularists have their way and the word Christmas is abolished because of its religious roots. What other offensive words should we eliminate from our vernacular?

Don’t use ‘Hail Mary’ when describing the last play of a football game. (Luke 1:28)

Don’t use ‘prayer’ when describing a last minute or clutch shot in any sport.

Speaking of sports, I noticed there’s no real “David versus Goliath” match up in any of the BCS bowls this year. (1 Samuel 17)

Don’t use ‘the writing on the wall’ to describe something ominous. (Daniel 5) Or “signs of the times” either. (Luke 12:56)

Don’t use the word excruciating to describe pain. That word was invented to describe the unique pain suffered from crucifixion and if a secularized/commercialized word like Christmas instantly implies Jesus, then any reference to crucifixion should as well.

Don’t say “inspired” or “enthused” which mean spirit-filled and god-filled respectively.

Don’t say ‘baptism by fire’ to describe going through trials. (Matthew 3:11) Actually, better not say ‘baptism’ at all since it’s a specific religious term that’s not derived from any translation (transliteration).

Don’t say ‘holy —‘ as a cuss word or otherwise.

Don’t say ‘damn’ as a curse or otherwise.

And you better not say “Jesus Christ” even if you’re using his name in vain.

I’m sure there are others you could think of, but you get the point. Most of these examples are common phrases used independent from religion but that doesn’t change their meaning or implication. Just like Christmas has become far removed from religion, that does not change its obviously offensive meaning.

What was Old is New Again

Frank

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

We’re at the heart of the Christmas season, which means we’re in the thick of the “War on Christmas” and are inundated by the overreaction to this “war”. For some reason we think our circumstances are unique. We look around and think our culture’s morals are worse than they have ever been. And we are hyper-sensitive to criticism or even just contrary opinions. And for some reason, the image we often portray is that of the 1950’s white picket fence America where ‘Christians were Christians, and non-Christians were too.” But not long after this utopia was the upheaval of the 1960’s. Darn hippies.

Tuesday night ABC aired A Charlie Brown Christmas, the second-longest running Christmas special on Network Television (beat out by only a year by Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer) which first aired in 1965. I’m not ashamed to admit we bought the box set of Charlie Brown holiday specials a year ago and we’ve already practically worn them out. My children are quick to run up and press play after any movie finishes, but sometime the menu screen isn’t the ‘top menu’ but is the menu for Special Features. These Charlie Brown DVDs are an example of this. So they come running in wanting me to fix it, because what 4 and 2 year old wants to watch a “making of…”?

The first time this happened I was surprised as they were talking about the negative backlash they received for having the nerve to quote scripture (Linus’ famous reading of Luke 2). Producer/director/and snoopy actor Bill Melendez tried to talk Peanuts creator Charles Schulz out of including the scripture. CBS executives were hesitant to air it. And the public response was as expected.

This was in 1965. It could be argued we have much greater freedom today when we televangelists can be found on multiple channels, political pundits on both sides of the aisle who aren’t afraid to reference their religion, and movies such as The Passion of the Christ being commercial successes. Yet we still feel this insecurity whenever anyone has a different opinion than what we consider “mainstream Christianity” which some of us believe should dominate our culture and every facet of society.

For those of you fighting in the latest go-around of the War on Christmas, hearken back to 1965 (or 1968) and remember than “nothing is new under the sun.”