Who 'Created" Evolution?
If we accept evolution as fact; do we not accept that we are becoming better (more evolved) as time goes on?

This of course creates the first conflict: How can we determine 'better' or higher without some standard outside ourselves.

But for the moment let's accept evolution.

It is only recently in the evolutionary travel of what is now (hu)mankind that there has been a 'religious' awareness in life.

We see no amoeba cathedrals in the fossil record, for example.

So if life is E-volving as opposed to DE-volving (it is of course, not the therory of DE-volution); would not the appearance of religion in the near distant path of evolutionary travel need to be viewed as an E-volution?

Could we not make the case then, that believing in evolution, we MUST accept that the (in evolutionary terms) recent appearance of religious thought is a POSITIVE evolutionary ADVANCE?

And since this advance brings with it a 'creation myth' with each religion; is it not logical then to point out that people who DENY religion and CREATION are in fact less evolved life forms trying to stop the advancement of the natural selection process?

By refusing to believe in creation, are these people not, in fact, refusing to allow for evolution?  ¶ 7:11 AM 3 comments

  Broken Compassionate and Deperate
##### 9/27
Here are some words God is impressing upon me:

HOPE
COMPASSION
HARVEST
VISION
DESPERATION

I don't have it all worked out yet; but in foggy rough tems:

Compassion brings power
When we care, God will move

Vision brings compassion.
When we can see, we will care

Hope brings Harvest
When we can stand in faith and hope with and for the hopeless, God can harvest souls. We BECOME the hope (through Christ) for the ones with no hope.

When we get deperate for God to move in our lives, God breaks our heart. But He doesn't leave it broken. He gives us hope to give to the hopeless.

I can't stop the inconvenient presence of God in my life making me desperate for the souls of the forgotten.

I think I'm ruined.

I've been praying that God would pour me out like a drink offering. I don't even know what it means. I just find myself praying it. I'm a little frightened to study it out. It doesn't sound pleasant.

##### 9/29
A few more thoughts (starting to congeal a little)

Luke 20: 17-18
Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."


This story is related in Matthew also. I chose the version in Luke, because some manuscripts of Matthew don't have the 'broken/crushed' verse in them. Luke doesn't bear such a footnote.

Brokeness before God. Broken on the stone that is Jesus.

I have been impressed to pray for brokeness. I ask God to break me. Break me. Empty me of myself (I think that's the context of the drink offering).

I sense that being broken before God is the key to compassion. Compassion is the key to desperation (not desperate in the sense of hopeless, but depserate in the sense of having no higher priority, desperate in the sense of contending without thought of consequence; desperate in the sense of not being refused).

Depseration is the key to miracles.

Miracles bring harvest.

Broken Compassionate and Deperate. In context, that's the bumper sticker I want to sum up my life.

Break me on the Rock of Christ. Break me.

Let me be a harvester of souls.

Between broken or crushed I choose broken
Between power and compassion I choose compassion
Between comfortable and effective I choose effective
Between my will and God's will I choose God's will
Between my heart and God's heart I choose God's heart

Break me on the Rock of Christ. Break me.

I fall on the stone of Christ.  ¶ 5:11 PM 0 comments

  There's a Story Being Written
I read a book recently, and I was impressed by how the author had just happened to live at a variety of places that later became newsworthy. In the course of his life he had met people before they were on the national radar screen, and was able to go back to them after their '15 minutes of fame'.

I wonder sometimes if that's what's happening to me. I blogged earlier about how God seems to gather a pool of people together in preparation of doing something new; and I can't help but notice that I seem to get the opportunity to work with some over-qualified people for the positions they hold in the kingdom of God at present.

Whether that be the middle aged woman who has started open air services in the middle of a drug infested neighborhood, or the school teacher who has singing talent that is far greater than how it is being used, or the former educator who now works in the Pentagon, or the pastor in the middle of nowhere who has developed a very successful youth sports program, or the drummer that no one knew could play drums, or the middle aged guy who felt God calling him to learn to play the guitar, and is now our bass player, or one of the many still evolving stories of talent beyond its current use level; I am stunned by how many people I know who are equipped to play the game at a much higher level than they are currently being used.

When I read a book where the author seems to have lived a custom-fitted life to be able to tell a particular story, I wonder whether the author ever got a glimpse, ahead of time, that his life was on such a path.

I wonder, as I live my life, surrounded by people who have the abilities to impact eternity, if maybe I have the privilege of a front row seat to the next great story of revival and renewal of God's Kingdom here on Earth.  ¶ 7:55 PM 0 comments

  I Have a Friend
I have a friend. That statement alone resonates with the grace of God. But that's not the point of my story.

I have a friend. We couldn't be less alike. He is tall and I am short. He is thoughtful and measured in personality, I am moody and quick to respond. He tends toward peaceful solutions, I tend toward expedient victory. He is a teacher, I am a proclaimer. He is educated, I am not.

It took a while for the two of us to become friends. The catalyst was a Friday morning breakfast group that started with around ten members and has evolved over a couple of years to a very trusting group of five men. We meet every Friday at 6:00 for breakfast. No reminder cards are sent out, no one tries to make anyone feel guilty if they miss a meeting; but most weeks, all five men are there.

These men are my external conscience. With them I can be honest, and from them I can expect honest constructive input. We don't always agree, but we trust each others' hearts. We don't pretend to be happy when we're not and we don't try to become cookie-cutter impressions of each other.

Simply, we are middle aged guys who meet together one a week because it has become important to us.

Some weeks very little is said. (Those are the weeks I'm not there). Some weeks wounds are opened and some weeks healing takes place. Some weeks we talk about our kids; some weeks we talk about our wives; but every week we talk about and work toward being transformed into the image of Christ.

Once, when I was having a particularly difficult time in church, one of these men called me and asked me out to lunch. It was nothing special in the scheme of things, but it reinforced to me my value to him even though I know he didn't agree with a decision I had made.

And so, this is the incubator from which the friendship I mentioned earlier was birthed.

Today my friend, the one not so much like me, preached at our church. He taught the gospel without compromise and declared the Lordship of Christ with understated style. He presented the gospel in a way that was inviting without being weakened. He spoke directly about shortcomings without inciting defensiveness.

Today, he made me feel priveleged to be able to say, "I have a friend."

But it goes further than that. Today, he reminded me how priveleged I am to be able to say, "I have four friends".  ¶ 6:59 PM 0 comments

  The Gathering
I have watched a phenomena take place in various ways at various times.

On one occasion I watched as singers, musicians, sound people and creative minds were all drawn to a small church in the middle of nowhere, just as God began to impress the need for a change in worship styles on the leadership of the church.

On another occasion I watched as a disparate group of people came together to launch a variety of ministries ranging from chapel services for residents of a state hospital to a coffee house for the youth of a community.

In each case, looking back, what I find interesting is how God, at a particular time, through seemingly unrelated circumstances, drew a number of individuals to a single place to assemble a team.

One of the things about the first eexample I mentioned above is how God drew together a group of people, some of whom had left a trail of debris from their life experiences that was either long, or at least spectacular in its intensity if of shorter duration.

In some respects many of us might as well have come from the island of misfit toys from the 'Rudolph' Christmas show. But the beauty of God, the wonder of grace, the reasonable expectation of mercy and forgiveness is that our theme song need not be about misfits; our theme song can be an honest grateful praise to God that a peg that fits no hole (as I could farily be described) can nonetheless have the precious opportunity to advance the kingdom of God.  ¶ 1:58 PM 0 comments

  I Am a Traditionalist (But Not in the Traditional Sense)
I am a traditionalist. I like afternoon baseball games on grass with no designated hitter. I like 4th of July fireworks.

I like traditional doctrine and teaching.

I hate liturgy; creeds, stained glass and brass crosses. I hate ‘thees’ and ‘thous’ ,‘eths’ and ‘essts’. I say ‘blessed’ with only one syllable.

So why is it that a traditionalist like me hates what many religious people refer to as tradition.

There are several reasons.

•The Bible specifically states that the traditions of men can make even the word of God without effect. So an argument could be made that even if I liked tradition (of the religious nature- in the common understanding of the word) we are cautioned against it in Scripture.

•Much of what’s referred to as traditional worship, or known as an element of traditional worship, is nothing of the sort.

Tradition in its good sense captures the unchanging message of Christ. At its best, it anchors us to the unchanging doctrine and principles taught by the writers of the New Testament.

In its normal usage, it is adherence to a set of methods that were at some point new and (hopefully) effective tools to convey the message of Christ to people.

Let’s face it. Traditional worship service elements would, if we were really to apply our Christian Tradition, include such things as –
- Rowing a boat away from shore to address a crowd with a sermon.
- Causing people to think you were drunk while speaking in foreign languages as a method to create church growth.
- Standing in the temple of an unknown god, and identifying the Great I Am as the known revelation of that unknown deity.

Nowhere in the New Testament do we read of religious icons such as brass crosses, stained glass windows, steeples or cathedrals as being either integral or acceptable parts of the Christian worship experience.

Just the opposite is true. Silversmiths opposed Christians in the first century because it was clear to the silversmiths that this new religion would destroy their profitable business creating idols. One might wonder why they didn’t just start to make crosses, candleholders and baptismal fonts.

Tradition, if viewed in truth shows a completely different picture. Throughout the New Testament era, new and exciting (dare I say contemporary) elements replaced older worn out, no longer effective methods of presenting the gospel.

So, in the current use of the term, tradition seems to be conflicted. In truth, tradition, correctly defined as maintaining a steadfast doctrine while choosing whatever method is effective to present the message of Christ, offers no conflict whatsoever.

So- I am a traditionalist. I embrace the tradition (and for it to be truly our tradition it must reach back to our roots) of the first century church to use any method available to present the unchanging truth of the doctrine of Christ.

I embrace the tradition of using contemporary secular music with lyrics changed to honor Christ (as Wesley did with ‘O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing’- sung to the tune of a bar song) to reach people who are more familiar with the secular than with the spiritual.

I embrace nearing heresy (as did Paul when he identified the God of the Bible as the unknown pagan god to whom a temple had been built) if it is effective in reaching a lost and dying generation.

I embrace whatever method is effective at proclaiming the unchanging doctrine of Christ. I embrace the tradition of changing methods to effectively proclaim the unchanging truths of Christianity.

I embrace tradition. It’s just that the definition of tradition has been misrepresented.  ¶ 10:00 PM 0 comments

  Redress is Demanded
Every once in a while, circumstances coincide in such a way to draw attention to how much things have changed.

Today, for example, I got a lot of comments about the way I was dressed for church. Since my normal appearance, deliberately unshaven, blue jeans, tennis shoes and a golf shirt are not exactly cutting edge fashion, you may well wonder what I wwas wearing that drew so many comments.

Funny enough, it was a suit. I had a funeral to attend shortly after church and chose to wear a suit to church. Enough people commented to me about wearing a suit, that it soon becomae obvious to me that there is no longer any shock value in my casual attire. That's a good thing in a church that's trying to reach out to an unsaved community.  ¶ 5:55 PM 0 comments

  Militant and Christianity- They Don’t Go Together
So now we come to an even more controversial subject; Christian Political Activism.

I’m not talking about individuals, who happen to be Christians involving themselves in the political arena. I'm referring here to Christians who involve themselves in politics, because they are Christians, identifying themselves as Christians AND identifying their politics as being those of Christ.

For the record, I can find no scripture that would identify Jesus as a Republican or a Democrat. In fact, reviewing Christ’s life on earth, I think that just about the time that either of the party’s faithful became comfortable with Jesus’ politics that he would identify a position contrary to that party’s platform.

So to begin this section let’s discuss a subject about which every reader is sure to hold a view.
Abortion

The church has seldom shown more hate and un-Christ-like behavior than it has over the issue of abortion. There are a multitude of mistakes that have allowed these attitudes and behaviors to grow in churches.

The church has once again attempted to get unredeemed hearts to behave as if they were redeemed. We must to stop trying to change the behavior of sinners and start offering them hope for change in their hearts.

If Jesus were walking the Earth today, he no doubt would have lunch at the house of an abortionist. Unfortunately, he would be unable to get booking on most Christian talk radio shows afterward.

If you want to stop abortions in this country there are two basic choices.

-Change the hearts of the millions of women who consider an abortion each year.
-Change the hearts of the hundreds of abortionists who perform them each year.

Which do you think sounds more mathematically practical?

By the way- notice if you will that I did not list changing the law a way to stop abortion. Changing the law will just make abortion an underground behavior. If we are truly interested in stopping abortion, we must concentrate on changing hearts.

Instead of picketing abortion clinics, we should be befriending abortionists. We should be showing them the same unconditional love that we needed, no more than them, and which we found through the sacrifice of Christ.

If every pregnant woman in America wanted an abortion and there were no abortionists, how many abortions would be performed?

Sadly, this logic, combined with a hate-filled heart and carried to an extreme has resulted in the murder of several abortionists in our country.

Seeds of hate will never produce a crop of love. Seeds of vengeance will never produce a harvest of tolerance. We can never replace turning the tables for turning the other cheek and expect the sanction of God.

At any point where Christianity reduces itself to the tactics of its opponents, the opponents have already won the day.

I was walking through a parking lot some time ago and saw a license plate frame that read, "Saturday is the Sabbath." As I watched people walk by, no one read the message, fell on their knees and repented, saved from a fiery eternity. It amazes me what insignificant practices the body of Christ will elevate and debate with ferocity while, every second, billions of people slip closer to the brink of an eternity without God.

When we attempt to replace the love that is the basis of Christianity with bumper sticker theology; when we forfeit being moved with compassion, (as scripture so often records just prior to miraculous ministry of Jesus), when we politicize what has been offered freely to Greek Jew, Republican, Democrat, homophobe and homosexual, we quench the ability of the Holy Spirit to move in the lives of those who need Christ so desperately, for we have removed liberty.

Speak the truth in love we are told. But, goes the argument, it is love to point out sin to sinner. Tough love you say is speaking the unpopular boldly. Tough love, I say, is turning the other cheek. Tough love is showing compassion to one who is in the middle of turmoil, no matter who has caused the turmoil.

We need to understand some basic things about political zealotry and Christianity. It is not a new phenomenon. Even while Jesus walked the shores of Galilee, religious zealots with a political agenda of overthrowing Rome were present. The title of Christianity has been co-opted for political and social causes ranging from the Holy Roman Empire to the Ku Klux Klan to the Civil Rights Movement to Pro-Life organizations to Third-World Hungry-Children Programs. It is not my intent to take sides on these issues in this writing, rather I intend to discuss some principles and guidelines that we need to employ if we are even considering a venture into these arenas.

In many discussions concerning Christian Activism in political and social causes, I have yet to hear some of the following fundamentals addressed. I don’t think it is because they are viewed as "givens" and therefore unnecessary to bring up. I believe it is because these ideas are rejected by many religious zealots who advance political causes in the name of Christ.

-To invoke the name of Jesus in any political cause, we must first be certain that the position we take is exactly the position our savior would take if He were present in the flesh. To do otherwise is moral hypocrisy at best.

-To invoke the name of Jesus in any political cause, we must first be certain that the actions associated with our position are completely consistent with the actions our savior would take if He were present in the flesh. To do otherwise is moral hypocrisy at best.

-To invoke the name of Jesus in any political cause, we must first accept that this cause is important enough to risk alienating persons of the opposite view from an eternity with Jesus. It is after all a very real possibility.

-We must recognize that having a political or constitutional right is not the same as having a spiritual right.

-We must recognize that having a spiritual right is not the same as having a spiritual mandate. (We see an example of this concerning divorce. Under the Mosaic law, men had the right to divorce their wives for infidelity; it was a concession allowed by God, not a mandate required by Him.)

-Any cause for which we find ourselves demonstrating with zeal will by definition minimize the amount of energy and attention we can give to other areas in our lives. We must choose well what we will allow to consume our energies.

-We are not as Christians required to advance the kingdoms of this world, but rather the kingdom of God.

-We are told that people will know us as Christians by our love for one another.

Having accepted all of the above, and having then decided that you are going to make a political stand in the name of Christianity, only those methods which are acceptable both in the political arena and in the teachings of Jesus are acceptable. This would mean that though burning your opposition in effigy may be politically acceptable (for the sake of argument) it would not be consistent with the love we are required to show as Christians and therefore be a behavior excluded from the arsenal of the true Christian zealot.

There is a song we sing sometimes, based on scripture; "The zeal of God has consumed me; it burns in my soul; a driving force that cannot be stopped; a fire that cannot be quenched." It is my personal opinion that while many people possess the zeal of God; few have let it consume them. Few have let the zeal of God consume their own personal agendas and desires; few have let the zeal of God consume their own political motivations; few have let the zeal of God consume their old way of doing things when they want to get something done.

What we are left with are spiritually loaded cannons with little discernment over where to aim themselves and what charge they should be carrying.

I contend that the political process we should be most involved in is not picketing and protesting; lobbying and bully-pulpit sermonizing; it is extending love to those who have made bad choices and welcoming them to the kingdom of God with open arms and open hearts. There are few (I might well argue no) causes so urgent that we as Christians need to substitute intolerance, impatience, ridicule and harshness for the love extended by our head, Jesus.  ¶ 10:45 AM 0 comments

  I Am A Conservative
Written in the December 2000

I am a conservative.

Much has been said about me (as a conservative) overthe past few years. I have read where I am a racist homophobic woman hating Neanderthal bigot marching in lockstep with the "leaders" of conservatismand the Republican party.

I want to poison the water, destroy the environment, favor the rich and disfavor the poor. I want to starve children, deprive the elderly and balance the budget on the backs of the disenfranchised in our country.

These things are not true.

One of the disadvantages of being conservativeis that you often need more room than can be found on a bumper sticker toexpress your arguments. Conservative arguments are often burdened with things such as truth, justice and empathy; where liberal positions often substitute the cheaper lighter weight imitations of populism, "fairness" and pity. Often the ability of liberal leaders to effectively practice rabble-rousing and divisiveness drowns out, for a time, the steady, balanced positions that are conservatism. Cries of "Keep Hope Alive" often mask the fact that the blood trail left by many liberal programs is steeped in hopelessness. Pleas to allow a woman to do as she pleases with her body ignore the fact that half of aborted babies would have grown up to be women if they had had the opportunity do what they wanted to do with their bodies-simply be born.

As a conservative, I believe in personal responsibility for actions. This is the underlying tenet of conservatism in my opinion. From this point hang many of conservatism's positions.

- Healthy able bodied individuals should work when able.

- With few exceptions, power is better denied to a centralized federalgovernment and left to the states. There are several reasons for this but the two most important are these:

1. The US Constitution says so
2. State and local officials are more directly responsible (and recallable) than are federal officials, and therefore more likely to do the will of thepeople.

- Ending a life is not a valid form of birth control, or lifestyle management.

- Ending a life is a valid form of punishment for crimes that strike at thevery fabric of society.

As a conservative, I believe some things are black and white. Not everything is a closet gray area crying out to be discovered by the next great liberal rationalist.

- There is such a thing as truth; and it will always be the truth whether you choose to believe it or not.

- There is such a thing as right and wrong and no amount of trial attorneys can change that.

- A person's inability to always live up to a standard is not an excuse to quit trying. It is better to fail at trying to do something right than to succeed at achieving a lower standard.

- Self esteem is a poor substitute for self respect. Self esteem, if not based on reality is nothing more than self-delusion.

- Everyone won't be good at everything. This is not a valid reason to believe that you are being unfairly singled out to fail at things your are not good at. It is also not a valid reason to believe the achievements of others must have come at the expense of someone else.

- The economy is not a zero sum game. If one person makes a dollar, it does not mean he took it from someone else. Money can be "made", otherwise we would still be trading the original amount of money our forefathers used when they started this economy.

- Even if the economy was a zero sum game, it is unlikely that people who wanted to get rich would do so by trying to take money from the poor. That's like looking for water in the desert.

- "Populism" and "Wisdom" rarely come near each other, and never stay together long.

Many will say that conservatives are heartless and mean spirited. This is not true. The underlying assumption of conservatism is that there is absolute good, and man will never be successful in achieving it. We understand that anyone who tries things will eventually fail at least once. We recognize that there must be a safety net to under gird people during these times. But we also understand that in practice, far too many people have confused a safety net with a hammock. The purpose of a safety net isto provide a safe landing, not a place to sleep. I realize my statements don't share the rhyme and alliteration of a Jesse Jackson sound byte. I understand that these positions will not likely bequoted by a high priced defense attorney on Court TV. I am aware that my assertions do not have the novelty of asking for a definition of "is". I recognize that I do believe in an ultimate controlling legal authority. I know I leave myself open to charges of hypocrisy because I cannot achieve that to which I aspire. But I take comfort in this; these positions are wise, these positions are just, these positions are true. I am a conservative, but not the one described on TV.  ¶ 7:13 PM 0 comments

  Nuggets of Truth From the Trenches of Church Leadership
As soon as it is feasible start attacking tradition.

If you’ve read number one and decided it’s not yet feasible; it’s feasible.

Everybody hates change; change anyway.

If someone’s been in a position over 5 years, change the person in that position at the next available time.

Tell people what the general vision is. Lead them in the general direction and flesh out the details along the way.

The Good shepherd went back for the sheep that got lost along the way, but not until he got the other 99 safely in the pen.

Not everyone is coming along.

The more you wait for people to come along the longer they will wait to do so.

Jesus NEVER appeased

Jesus NEVER appeased

If people quit following Jesus, they’ll probably leave your church as well.

Given a choice between moving slowly and cautiously, and fast; (almost) always choose fast.

The kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force.

Until you’ve called some religious person a “son of their father the devil”, you have not done greater works than Christ.

You can’t leap a wide chasm in two short jumps.

When people say, “it’s not about the money”, it’s about the money.

Unless you’ve been transformed into the image of Christ, resisting change is sin.

Legalism restricts the move of the Spirit.

Jesus said, “Come and follow me”, not “Come and follow my rules”.

Things don’t have to make sense, they just need to make God happy.

There is no substitute for vision.

Vision only comes from God

Seek God; Find Vision; Seek Vision, Find a program

In the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation, Jesus never told any of the churches to follow the instructions he had given to another church.

Jesus NEVER appeased

There is no substitute for blood, sweat and tears; as long as they come from Christ and not you.

Be careful who is whispering in your ear.

The Biblical model for growing a church quickly is to make people think you’re drunk and quote from a minor prophet. Don’t try anybody else’s plan until this one has failed.

There is no substitute for love when dealing with the unsaved.

There is no substitute for indignation when dealing with religious nay-sayers.

Jesus NEVER appeased

Find one positive reference in the Bible for compromising. Go ahead, find it.

No matter what happens, God is not likely to say, “Gee I didn’t see that coming!”

Vision never looks good in an accounting ledger.

Vision is not birthed from the accounting ledger.

Jesus NEVER appeased  ¶ 7:06 PM 0 comments

  A Psalm
My heart is overwhelmed with grief and sorrow
Did not the word of the Lord come to us?
Did He not speak plain?
Why then have we satisfied ourselves
with the thin broth of convenience when
we have the meat of obedience to feast on?

Has there not been a cry to the Lord,
"Move among us!", "Move among us!"
And has not the Lord answered the cry?

But now we say let us linger
in the comfort of having heard
but failing to commit.

Let us rest in the valley
of unfulfilled expectations

Have we not been excited at
the potential God has revealed?
Is that not enough?
Must we also fulfill it?

Come, it seems good to rest.
Come, let us compare ourselves
to others instead of doing
the command of God

Shall we not use grace as
occasion to embrace comfort?
Is not obedience hard on our ears?

We desire vision-
without responsibility

We crave happiness
as opposed to the favor of God.

We want convenience
instead of confrontation

We desire peace
without the completion of war.

Come, God.
Stir in us a heart of obedience.
Impress on us the urgency of the task.
Ignite us with the fire of your Spirit
Move us forward
Let us fulfillt he purpose you
gathered us for.  ¶ 9:03 PM 0 comments

  WHERE IS THE LOVE?
In order to influence policy in today's world, we must, as Christians lay down several ground rules.

First, our actions should differ from rather than mimic those of our adversaries.

Second, our actions cannot be chosen from the vast arena of politically acceptable choices, but must be limited to those choices which are both politically viable as well as acceptable within the realm of Christianity.

Third, since Christianity has accepted so many of our adversaries' actions and merely repackaged them with a new message, we must further limit ourselves to choices which are not only acceptable within the church community, but which are carefully screened to allow only those remaining few which show love. We must never forget that Jesus said that people would know we were his disciples by our love, not by our political activism or zeal.


II Chronicles 7:14 states:
If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will heal their land.

It does not say;
If my people, which are called by my name shall paint picket signs and march, and seek media time, and turn others from their wicked ways. . .

The second verse is intended to contrast today's behavior in the name of God with His commands to His people who wish to see revival. When I see people screaming epithets like "Baby Killer" and "Murderer" to those entering an abortion clinic I ask myself, "Where is the love?" Can there really be such a thing as "Militant Christianity?" I think not. We don't have the luxury of Jesus standing near to correct our mistakes of zeal as He did when He replaced the ear of the soldier that Peter cut off. Where is the love? If love is not evident- not just the love for the unborn, but love for the killers of the unborn- if love is not evident- not just given lip service, but evident- if love is not evident, the cause of Christianity is not advanced. And if the cause of Christianity is not advanced, the cause of God's enemies is.

There is no such thing as "Militant Christianity." There is, for me at least, far too much similarity between the angry abortion protester marching in self-righteousness outside a clinic and the Pharisee praying on the corner "God, I thank you that I am not like that man, a poor sinner."

Whenever Jesus ministered to someone, he was first moved with compassion. Before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, he wept with his family. Before we impact abortion as a church, we must have compassion for those involved in the industry. If Jesus were alive (in bodily form) today, I think the abortionist would stand a better chance of His company than many who think they are His soldiers. Think of the outcry- Jesus dining with an abortionist. After that, He probably couldn't get a guest spot on most Christian talk-radio shows.

So what do we do? How do we handle ourselves to impact this horror? First, we pray. Well, actually we pray second. First, and here's where many a battle's been lost, we humble ourselves. I see very little humility in most "Christian" protests, I also see very little impact from them. We seek God's face and turn from OUR wicked ways. Then, GOD heals the land.

Let me be a little more specific. There's an old saying, "win a friend to win a soul." How many of you are too proud to befriend the abortionist or the nurse who works in the clinic? If you felt your life was in jeopardy (as many abortionists do, with seemingly more and more justification) would you listen to the arguments of those by whom you felt threatened? Think of the mental image you have in your mind of an abortionist. That is probably the same negative image they have of you. Actually their image of you is probably worse considering the constant reinforcement it receives from willing media.

So then, is protesting wrong? Possibly not, if the signs and method are strictly watched. But, is it effective? No, not if your goal is to end abortion or to help reconcile sinners to God. However careful and prudent many pro-life demonstrations have been, it can hardly be argued that ultimately some protests were born in self-righteous arrogance that allowed the gestation of anger and frustration that eventually led to the killings at several clinics. Zealots looked for a political messiah in Jesus' time, and they miss His message today. I fear they may well cry out, "Lord, Lord look at the things I have done in your name" only to be told to depart because He never knew them.

Is violence in the name of Christ ever justified? It grieves me that this question even has to be addressed. Jesus said "a house divided against itself cannot stand" and "Beelzebub cannot drive out Beelzebub." Sin cannot drive out sin. There must be no equivocation, no hesitation or hint of tolerance on this issue, no rejection of violence with a stated understanding for the reasoning that "drove" the offender to his crime, no winking as we condemn the act, violence is never an acceptable way to represent Jesus on Earth.

Show people the love that God has shown you by loving you when you were still in your sin. Go then into the world and preach the gospel. Make friends, make disciples, make peace.  ¶ 9:28 PM 0 comments

  Will. . .of God?
Not often enough, but every once in a while and never by accident, we come to a place in our lives where our abilities mesh almost seamlessly with the vision of God. We find ourselves in circumstances where we say to ourselves, "I was brought into the Kingdom for such a time as this."

The great tragedy that befalls many is that since this combination feels so natural, seems so effortless, we fail to recognize the preciousness of it.

What makes something precious? A supply that doesn't keep up with demand, rarity.

A few times in my life, I have been in churches where God decided to move in a special way. Without fail, something seems to take the place of the move of God. In some cases it is simply rebellion; knowing what God wants but refusing to do it. In other cases it is routine; repeating the things (service elements, songs, environment) that were present when God moved in the hopes of maintaining the move of God. In all cases, though it is fleshed out in different ways, it is a failure to continually seek God.

One of the reasons the ultimate result of this failure to seek God goes unnoticed is that the secondary items that we focus on will by themselves promote some result; masking the underlying problem.

For example; suppose a church, having sought God to move; is visited by just such a move. Tired dusty traditions are removed, and a fresh energy, ushered in by the Spirit of God permeates the worship services. New music with lyrics that draw people into the presence of God is introduced; preaching that is anointed flows from the pulpit. Growth is measured not only in the numbers of people attending but by their energetic desire to be transformed into the image of Christ.

People (normally a smallish core) step up and fill positions that are needed and the move of God continues.

Now suppose outside forces begin to be exerted (or exerted more forcefully). Some members of the congregation miss the old church where they knew everyone. Some people, having lived in the relative comfort of not being challenged by the Holy Spirit find this new dynamic unnerving. Others are okay with the move of God, but just dislike the new music and elements introduced in the worship services.

Now up to this point, those who wanted a move of God, although they may not have expected it to look like this, are okay. But a subtle change begins to take place, almost imperceptible at first. People are so busy 'administering' that we begin to pray less and less for the vision and plan of God. Some people, ranging from passively to actively hostile to elements of the Move of God, stop praying because they're not sure they really want any more of it.

Weaknesses in infrastructure begin to become evident and in an effort to patch them up, popular writings from other successful churches are read and gleaned for tips to help. Focus on an overriding vision begins to be supplanted by daily decisions that must be made just to keep operating.

Six months, a year passes and suddenly someone realizes that leadership hasn't spent any significant time in prayer for a long long time. But even then, schedules are such that no one dares suggest yet another meeting for leadership. We become so busy executing God's will that we no longer take the time to seek it.

But momentum, and results of preaching the Word and serving God faithfully mask the underlying loss; the fresh vision of God and an all encompassing vision to execute it.

And so, by the time we realize our error; a great deal of time has passed. Old traditions, long removed have either crept back in or have been replaced with new ones. Religious tradition is really nothing more than using some method of bringing people into the presence of God long after it has ceased to be effective. It doesn't matter whether that method is a creed, a brass cross, stained glass windows or a multimedia projector; once it ceases in its ability to effectively draw the congregation to a place where their hearts can be impacted by God, it is an empty tradition that can, according to scripture, make even the Word of God of no effect.

And so we have come nearly full circle. And before long, if we do not change; surrounded by elements that no longer speak to them, a generation will rise up and seek the Move of God. And God in His faithfulness will move.

*****
We are not so much heading in the wrong direction as failing to ask in what direction we should head. We are not so much missing the will of God, as we are missing the opportunity for God to refine His will for us. We are not so much in rebellion as we are on auto-pilot. We have not so much missed God as God misses us.  ¶ 9:20 PM 0 comments

  A Waiting Period for News
Some years ago I proposed making a change to ‘freedom of the press’ as it is understood.

At the time, I was being sarcastic and illustrative. My purpose was to take popular arguments for gun-control and apply them to the press. You know- turn the tables.

Unfortunately, the proposals actually don’t sound much like satire anymore.

My proposal-

I propose that we create a seven day waiting period before news can be published. Understand, I don’t want to censor anything; I don’t want to undermine the founding father’s inclusion of a free press in our bill of rights; I simply want to create a ‘cooling off’ period before the trigger is pulled in the emotionally charged atmospheere of developing news.

Let’s face it. When our founding fathers allowed for a free press, they didn’t foresee today’s rapid fire assualt of 24 hour news channels being able to affect world politics instantaneously. No, indeed, they were thinking of single copy, manually reloaded presses, that editors used primarily to provide their families with food.

Let’s face facts. We’ve all heard of situations where a producer, under the gun from a deadline (doesn’t the jargon alone demonstrate what a violent institution we’re talking about here), pulls the trigger on a ‘news’ story only later to find out they had an innocent bystander in their sights.

All I’m saying is this. Institute a waiting period. The producer woud still pull the trigger at the same time, but the bullet wouldn’t leave the barrel for 7 days. That’s it. Certainly the Brady Bill has demonstrated that a cooling off period for comparative child’s toys of handguns has saved billions of lives daily. I’ve read it in the news.

So, as soon as the story is ready to go, the waiting period begins. During that time, obscure, quaint processes from journalistic antiquity could be brought to bear. Peer review, fact checking, editorial review.

Any corrections could be made during this ‘failsafe’ period, and the final story either released or killed.

Oh, I know the knee-jerk reaction of journalists will be “When news is outlawed, only outlaws will have news”; and ‘News doesn’t kill people, bad reporting does” and “they can have my notebook and rolodex when they pry it from my cold dead fingers”. But can we really allow a bunch of self-interested irresponsible people put everyone at risk just because of some ill-conceived ‘constitutional right’? Join the cause. End drive-by journalism. Let’s keep reporter’s notebooks out of the hands of children.  ¶ 8:03 PM 2 comments

  Fast Food- Never was Food and Now it's not Fast
Everybody complains about the weather, but nobody ever does anything about it.

Likewise, everybody has a tale of horrible customer service at a fast food restaurant.

Yesterday I was in a Chick Fil A to pick up lunch. They were swamped. A lady near me was waiting for a 12 piece nugget lunch and had been since before I ordered. It was just one of those things where an order got lost, probably deleted off the computer before it was filled.

The line moved steadily forward and I ordered. This lady got the attention of a counter person, told them what she was waiting for and immediately things happened.

First, the counter person immediatley apologized.
Second, the order was immediatley filled.
Third, reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a businss card holder and presented the customer with a coupon for a free sandwich.

The customer's response? "Don't worry about it. Things happen."

I've taken note of Chick Fil A over the years. Whenever I go on there I get prompt courteous service. Even when the place is packed, it always 'feels' clean. Supplies are always filled and the trash is never overflowing. I've never watched 10 people behind the counter stand by and do nothing while I was waiting for my order. In short I'm impressed by the effort they make. And because I'm impressed, I too would be more than willing to say "Don't worry about it. Things happen." in a similar situation.

Now let's compare. I walked into a Burger King a week before. It was 1:30. There was no other customer at the counter. I was driving across town to an appointment and so I ordered 3 hamburgers. (I wanted food I could hold while driving.)

I think it was the counter girl's first day. I may have been her first customer. In fact, based on her reaction, I may have been the first human she had interacted with since landing on our planet.

But what impressed me- in a very negative light was this. Scores of (I'll use the word loosely here) 'workers' stood by watching what I now call the 'hamburger fiasco' and did nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Let me recap:

I ordered 3 hamburgers.
The girl looked at me as if I had requested sauteed dinosaur brains.
The order was placed (at least the part where I pay was completed)
I waited
I waited
I waited.
The girl, now holding an empty bag, standing next to the stainless steel slide where my hamburgers will magically appear after being microwaved looks at me and asks, "Do you want cheese on those hamburgers?"
I said, "No, that would make them cheeseburgers. All I want is 3 hamburgers"
She looks back in the direction of the chef de boeuf and announces, "I need 3 plain hamburgers"
I said, "NO, don't say that! This is Burger King and a plain hamburger will be a patty of meat between 2 bun halves. I want all the regular junk on the hamburger. I just don't want cheese as that would make them cheeseburgers."
After a total experience of 'having it my way' for about ten minutes, I took my bag off the worn formica counter, walked past the empty napkin holder, avoided the ketchup smear on the door as I opened it to leave.

There are three case studies on fast food that I often mention.

1. McDonalds- had all the market share, had brand recognition, had a consistent experience no matter which store you entered - LOST IT ALL.

Of McDonalds I often say, "First they took the 'food' out of fast food, now they've removed the 'fast'. There's not much left.

2. Hardees- When everyone else was doing burgers right, Hardees competed by selling garbage and just staying open later than their competitors. Their motto may well have been "Eventually you'll get hungry enough"

They completely revamped their menu, but more importantly they've made major inroads in providing a clean restaurant experience with good customer service.

They were awful- faced reality- and changed.

3. Chick Fil A- They just kept doing things the way they had always done them. They don't have a 99 cent menu, because it costs a little more to keep the ketchup smears off the door. The payoff is satisfied customers.  ¶ 6:18 AM 0 comments

  The Body of Christ
The Bible talks about each of us having a particular purpose in the body of Christ. I'll paraphrase here (because I'm too lazy to search for the reference); the hand doesn't say to the eye that because you're not a hand you're without value.

And so I've often wondered what part of the body of Christ am I?

In speaking about local congregations the New Testament talks about different people having different gifts, and the body is heathly because each person brings their uniqueness to the corporate body.

In identifying what body part I am, I found an interesting juxtaposition of metaphors. Jesus said, If your right eye offends you, pluck it out. Of course the context was completely different, but I've often mused at how successful I might be if I offered for sale T-Shirts with the 'scriptural message':


Someone will certainly be offended by my pun, but sadly they will likely be less offended when this exact sentiment is lived out in the local church.

So- back to the body of Christ. Health in the early church was facilitated by having a variety of body parts to make a healthy body. In today's church, we have more of a warehousing model. We store all the elbows over here, all the knees over there, and of course we all know what body part that church is filled with (if you get my meaning).

So what part of the body of Christ am I. Well it's simple. I'm the right butt. The right butt of the body of Christ. How do I know. Because, everytime I get into a discussion or argument that might cause another Christian to be forced to move outside their comfort zone, they always look me in the eye and say....."You're right, but."  ¶ 9:21 PM 3 comments

  40 Days of Purpose - Not my cup of tea
The church I attend just finished '40 Days of Purpose'. The program is based on a book written by Rick Warren. I'm not a fan of 40 days. I find it legalistic, confining and inconsistent with my understanding of the nature of God.

I say this because it is a very popular program and I'm a little concerned that people who find themselves NOT liking it, may feel somewhat inferior to folks who have an affinity for it.

Please understand, I'm not suggesting that people would intentionally try to make others feel inferior because of 40 days, but it can happen accidentally. If hundreds of people keep repeating what a wonderful experience something is, it may make the few that dislike it feel ostricized.

People told me how great beer was. Then I tasted it. If the truth were told, I forced myself to develop a taste for beer even though I didn't like it initially. People tell me all the time how great coffee is. I hate it. Yes, even your favorite designer flavored coffee with whipped cream and nutmeg.

I'm 44 now. I've been kicked out of a school that teaches forgiveness (Bible College), and spent my entire adult life never quite fitting in to any church I've belonged to. I've learned to be content if not comfortable with not being one of the crowd.

Don't get me wrong, I have great and wonderful friends at church. I typically feel welcomed (and generally know why I don't feel welcomed when I don't feel welcomed). It's just that I've never really fit any label; other than Will Wallace. I'm actually the best Will Wallace I know. I'm not a very good Methodist; I'd never make a Baptist (hence some of my Warren problems); and I hate legalism in every shape and form I find it (even the precious special legalism that you're sure helps move people toward God).

But the fact remains- that even though I'm a great Will Wallace (the best, I really believe) that's not my goal. My goal is to be transformed into the image of Christ. And though wildly popular, I fear programs such as 40 days of purpose have a tendency to try to transform me into the image of Christ as seen by Rick Warren, or to try to transform me into the image of Rick Warren as he transforms into the image of Christ.

This is not a criticism of 40 Days of Purpose. It is intended to be a comfort to those, like me, who find themselves on the outside looking in whenever the latest hottest fad of Christianity blows through town. Be true to who God has made you to be. That's your purpose.  ¶ 8:25 PM 0 comments