Not Benedict.
Roger Goodell, the Almighty Supreme Anointed One of the national religion: The NFL.
HEAR YE HIM!
Category Archives: Culture
Changing Tastes
2 Why spend money for what isn’t food,
and your earnings for what doesn’t satisfy?
Listen carefully to me and eat what is good;
enjoy the richest of feasts. (Isa. 55:2, CEB)
We can get hooked on Twinkies and think they are just the finest dessert cake this side of heaven.
We can think we know God and find out we’ve been addicted to Twinkies.
My question is this: How do we change tastes?
How do we get a true taste for the Kingdom that truly takes us to a new level and we don’t want Twinkies anymore?
Isn’t It Time to Leave Egypt?
4 You saw what I did to the Egyptians, and how I lifted you up on eagles’ wings and brought you to me. (Ex. 19:4, CEB)
There are so many thoughts, discussion, articles, etc., on the angst of the American Church. There are some I agree with, and some I don’t. There are certainly those who are so politicized that the only way for the church to return to Jesus seems to be to vote Republican or Democrat. (Ironically, neither side on THAT issue seems to think they’re being political.)
As I read Exodus again, I see the trouble in the church as well. I see it in my own life. As believers, we are having trouble seeing what God has delivered us from and what he is calling us to.
We seem to forget that a loving God has called us to himself. He has delivered us from the power of sin. Yet… we seem bent on wanting to go back to Egypt. We want to justify how we live because we like how we live. We fear change.
We think the shackles of the old life are actually gold bracelets.
We fear God’s direction and God’s best. We just don’t see it. So, we insist on justifying our own lifestyles and say, “Well, the God I know wants me to be happy,” or some other jibberish.
I am good at the excuses. I am good at avoiding God’s best. I don’t even need an excuse. I just avoid God’s best. And the shackles stay on.
As the church in America, isn’t it time to leave Egypt? Isn’t it time to quit glamorizing the motives and operational standards of this world and just admit that God may actually have our best in mind? Isn’t it time to lay down our selfish ambitions and think, “Well… maybe God DOES know what he’s doing?”
He has called us to himself. He has done all that is necessary for that to happen in our lives. The call is to trust him. We trust who we know. It is time to KNOW the Lord.
And get out of Egypt.
Race and Reconciliation
I posted some initial thoughts on Pentecost and race here. Then I saw this video with Piper, Keller, and Anthony Bradley discussing race and reconciliation. Piper is okay on this stuff, but Keller really jolted me into paying attention with corporate racism thoughts. He gave a “white guy’s” perspective, and I could understand more clearly what I’ve thought of before. He communicated it so clearly.
It really opened up Joshua 7 and the sin of Achan to me. I found it to be an insightful video.
Taxes and Who We Owe
No better time than tax season to have a story on taxes from Mark 12. And it’s always a great question in our culture. Just bring up TAXES and see what kind of response we get!
13 They sent some of the Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap him in his words. 14They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you’re genuine and you don’t worry about what people think. You don’t show favoritism but teach God’s way as it really is. Does the Law allow people to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay taxes or not?”
15 Since Jesus recognized their deceit, he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a coin. Show it to me.” 16 And they brought one. He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” His reply left them overcome with wonder. (Mark 12:13-17, CEB)
So… who do we owe?
The key may be what Jesus says about “Whose image?”
Of course, his response on giving Caesar’s what is Caesar’s never sits well with those who like lower taxes.
But what in the world does he refer to when he says, “Give to God what is God’s?”
If we can see the use of “image” in Jesus’ question, it may be that Jesus is saying, “The coin has the image of Caesar, so give him his due. YOU have the image of God, so give him HIS due.”
Jesus turns the question from how little we can get away with to what we really need to do, which is live in the image of God. We are so concerned with what we can get away with we forget to live in full surrender to him.
Whatever is Caesar’s, well Caesar is going to take. We can yelp all we want, but that is life.
The question is more to our own walk with God. Are we giving to God what is HIS due?
Reconciliation and Pentecost
I am currently reading Forgiveness, Reconciliation, and Restoration: Multidisciplinary Studies from a Pentecostal Perspective. It was sent to me as a review copy.
Renea Brathwaite’s chapter is incredibly insightful and powerful. He gives a historical perspective about Azusa Street and does so as an African American Pentecostal scholar. He retells the story of the racist Charles Parham and the spiritually hungry William Seymour, who was African American. Parham wouldn’t allow Seymour into his school, but Seymour welcomed Parham into his church.
Brathwaite chronicles the painful road from Azusa Street. What God birthed as truly a movement that did not notice race was turned right back into race after Azusa Street was over. The road back to reconciliation is far from complete.
One sentence stops me cold: Racial interaction is not racial reconciliation.
Ouch.
Let’s put this in a hard perspective with the case of Trayvon Martin. Wearing a hoodie does not make us as white people “one” with African Americans. Ranting on a blog doesn’t do it, either. It’s far more work than that.
What gets it done is the cross of Jesus Christ and the power of the Spirit. We need Pentecost again. We need Azusa Street again. We need the mantle of William Seymour to rest on us one more time.
“Affordable Healthcare Act”
I make a feeble attempt to jump into the fray about healthcare. The Supreme Court heard arguments this week on the “Affordable Healthcare Act.”
My current thought is this: It’s like saying “Holy Roman Empire.” It’s a misnomer. The Holy Roman Empire wasn’t Roman, not really “holy”, and not much of an empire either.
The operative word that is deceptive is “affordable.” Even with everyone “in” as the government wants, premiums will still be out of reach for me AND what I could “afford” won’t really be “healthcare.” It will be “avoiding disaster and bankruptcy” insurance.
It’s a pathetic misnomer keeping us from really wanting to SOLVE anything. But the beat goes on.
So, What Happens When You Take the Excuses Out of the Way?
This column by Frank Bruni is typical of how people burned by “religion” want to think of religion. Just as someone in that category would accuse those in “religion” to have their nice, neat categories… Bruni demonstrates his nice, neat categories as well.
He isn’t a fan of Christianity. And he sets up the typical stereotypes.
“How can someone who is ‘pro-life’ also be for war, or not say anything when people are exploited all over the world?”
Set up the categories and knock down the straw man. Piece of cake.
What happens when those nice, neat categories cease to exist? Then, what is a liberal to do?
What happens when you have your categories against religion because of the straw man you’ve set up, and then you meet someone who doesn’t fit that picture?
All of a sudden you are face to face with someone who loves God (shudder), is pro-life (“Grow a brain, will you, pal?”)… and is also a pacifist?
Uh-oh.
What happens when that “pro-life” moron also gives to the poor and takes up the cause of minorities?
Uh-oh.
What happens is you have to look for other categories to set up so you can go on railing against “religion.”
Go ahead. Keep setting up the categories. It’s easy to do.
I’ve done it as a “mean-spirited conservative.” I’m just as good at that as you are.
But what happens when you quick looking at the categories, at the “mean” people who have set up the “religion” you hate… and you look straight at Jesus?
It is my belief that this is the place NONE of us really want to go. We like our categories far too much.
It is my contention, and experience, that when we will look fully at Jesus, all of a sudden categories melt away and we begin to see people again. What’s more, we’ll see Jesus… then ourselves… and realize we’re as hardened as the people we’ve set up in other categories. That is the examination we don’t want to take place in our lives. Which is why we go right back to setting up our hardened categories.
When Mr. Bruni truly meets “religious” people who are pro-life, anti-war, anti-capital punishment, etc., he will get his categories jolted. Then, he will have to set up new categories so he can go on hiding… or he can face this beautiful Jesus… and his ugly self… and find out what happens.
I’ve faced my ugly self. I am not disparaging Mr. Bruni. I just know where he doesn’t want to go.
A New Play on the Last Week of Christ
Kingdom Undone is a new production in the Twin Cities. It takes a look at the ministry of Christ and his purposes through the lens of Judas Iscariot and a young zealot named Isaac.
The play was well done and a fresh take. The first act added in some great humor, but the refreshing look was seeing how Judas might have thought of what was happening in the life of Jesus.
The great thing I came away with is we all think we have the great idea of the Kingdom in our minds. We think of our ideas of justice, liberation, who is “in”, etc. What we sometimes forget to do is actually listen to Jesus.
The acting is tremendous. The music blends in quite well. I honestly think they could develop the music a bit more. The songs were few, but powerful. Working on that piece would enhance the power of the moments the songs are done.
If you are in the Twin Cities, I would suggest seeing THIS play rather than the normal portrayals we will typically get this time of year. We all know the story… or so we think! Try this one for a fresh view.
Slavery Hasn’t Ended
There are so many organizations responding now, it is hopeful. I heard another presentation today in my Kiwanis club on human trafficking. The statistics are astounding. Minnesota is ranked 13th in the nation for human trafficking.
It’s not something overseas. It is something here.
I love the story of William Wilberforce and his lifelong efforts to end the slave trade in Great Britain.
The question I ask is, “Are we in another era for a new movement of Wilberforces?”
Millions around the world are subjected to sex trafficking and slave labor. It is an enormous problem. So, where do we start?
These are matters of prayer. Is there something we can do locally? Is there something our church can partner with on a local level, or start something new?
I love the passion of youth and how they respond to these needs. They can raise money in a hurry for projects that work with slave trafficking all over the world. It may be time to harness that power and turn it toward home. What can we do locally with the passion of our youth driving it? What is possible?
This is Lent, but let’s not keep Lent at arm’s length. Let’s not talk about what the United Nations could do or Congress could do. What do WE do?
6 Isn’t this the fast I choose:
releasing wicked restraints,
untying the ropes of a yoke,
setting free the mistreated,
and breaking every yoke? (Isa. 58:6, CEB)
