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The World is in Pain

September 18, 2024 / / 0 Comments

We began this thread yesterday by posing three questions about our situation as followers of Jesus in this day and place in which we live: Where are we, what should we do, and how is it going to turn out? I suggest that Romans 8:18-28 contains the answers to all three questions.

Romans is a letter the apostle Paul wrote from Corinth to the Christians in the city of Rome. Most scholars hold that Romans was written in AD 57, give or take a year, near the end of Paul’s third missionary journey. Evidence within the Scriptures tells us that the church in the Roman Empire’s capital city was more Gentile than Jew. And there were conflicts. There were cultural and racial divisions within this church and there was dissension along theological and church practice lines. One of Paul’s purposes in writing this letter is to reconcile the arguing factions. He wants to bring about unity in belief and purpose. Our unity with Christ and in Christ, he says, needs to stem from the Gospel truth that all people and things are being brought together in Jesus Christ. This union with Christ and in Christ should characterize all of God’s people today and forever.

With that as our backdrop, let me suggest that the answer to our first question, “Where are we?” is made clear in Romans 8:18, but is implied throughout the passage.

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us…”

“The creation was subjected to frustration… the creation will be liberated from its bondage to decay  and brought into the glorious freedom…”

“The whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”

The world is in pain. That’s where we are. That’s what’s happening. The whole world is in pain. Creation is groaning out of frustration. The rocks and trees and animals and birds and rivers and people–it’s all subjected to frustration. All of creation is a slave to decay. The whole world is in bondage to corruption. And it’s groaning. Right up to the present time. Right now.

And it’s groaning because of sin. Everything got messed up when we decided we know better than God. We know what’s best for us better than the one who made us. So when the one man Adam went against the will of the Creator, all of creation was infected with his sin. Everything that exists now is somehow corrupted by sin. Everything we know is distorted, it’s twisted, it’s unable to realize or achieve its God-ordained purpose.

This goes back to the curse in Genesis 3. The groans and pains of childbirth, the hard work and frustration and sweat, women and men struggling against each other for power and control and the man always winning. This is the result of sin. And when sin entered the picture, so did death. Now, everything decays. Nothing is permanent. Everything dies. Everything you know, everything you experience, even all the really good things–all of it is subject to corruption and decay. Relationships, work, our bodies, our marriages, the people and things we love–it’s all contaminated by sin and death. Right up to the present time. This is what’s happening now. This is where we are.

Racism. The discrimination and injustice against minority peoples that part of our fallen nature and built right into the systems and structures of society. Poverty. Selfishness. Greed. Lust. Power. Control. War. Disease. Dictators. Thirty-nine kinds of sexual sin. The sins of our society and our own individual sins separate us from God, they divide us from each other, and they devour our bodies and souls.

So people are hurting. Suffering. People are dying. People are crying out in pain. That’s where we are today. The world is in pain.

What is the Church called to do? How are Christians supposed to respond? We’ll cover that in this space tomorrow.

Peace,

Allan

Where, What, and How?

September 17, 2024 / / 0 Comments

There’s a passage in the middle of Romans 8 that tells us where we are, what we are called to do, and how things are going to turn out. This feels very important to me. These eleven verses tell us what’s happening right now, where we are, what’s going on around us; what we’re called to do about it and with it and through it; and what’s going to happen because of it, where all this is heading, how it shakes out in the end.

Today, you might not know any of these things for sure. You may be confused or unsettled about all three of these things.

Where Are We?
Man, you tell me! Vaccine-preventable diseases are on a disturbing rise. The number of polio and measles cases makes it feel like we’re living in 1924. We keep hearing about this inevitable economic depression that’s going to feel like the 1930s. The racial violence and injustice and protests feel like the 1960s. And the extreme reactions to all of it–the judging and labeling and the division and hate–feels like we’re headed for a Civil War like the 1860s. We’re so divided in this country that Republicans would rather side with Russia than with Democrats and Democrats would rather side with Hamas than Republicans. And the lies from the people in charge and the willingness, and even eagerness, to believe all the lies, makes it feel like we’re in a George Orwell novel or a Mad Max movie. It feels like chaos, like everybody’s lost their ever-lovin’ minds.

What Are We Supposed To Do?
I have no idea! Should I post on Facebook or Instagram? Or re-tweet something? Are you kidding me? You’re taking your life into your own hands if you try to do or say anything at all! Whatever I do won’t be enough, it won’t be woke, or it will be woke, or it’ll be misunderstood or taken out of context. I don’t need that! Well, we’ve got to vote for the right guy and the right party. Really? Somebody once said that if voting could change anything, they’d make it illegal. Yes, somebody needs to do something, but I don’t know who and I don’t know what.

How Is This Going to Play Out?
Nobody knows! The experts change their minds every seven minutes. Nobody can agree on anything. There’s no conversation. No compromise. It feels like nothing is grounded in fact or truth or science or history anymore–it’s all made up. It’s all gut. It’s all emotional. So there’s no predicting any of it.

We need a word from God. We desperately need the truth of God’s Word to tell us where we are, what we’re called to do, and how it’s going to work out. We need that clarity and confidence.

I suggest Romans 8:18-28.

I’m going to write about this here for the next three days, using words from the very middle of this most important chapter that sits right at the center of the most theologically profound book in the Bible. And I will suggest we use these holy words inspired by the Spirit of God as our lens. We look through this to make our decisions, we use this to guide our choices and to guard our emotions and inform the way we feel. This is the base–the way we think and talk, the things we do, the ways we act–all of it needs to be grounded in this. I feel deeply convicted that these are God’s Words to his children today regarding where we are, what we’re called to do, and how it’s going to go.

Please read these eleven verses. Then check back tomorrow.

Peace,

Allan

Who Dak?

September 16, 2024 / / 0 Comments

I’m thinking Derek Carr should be the highest paid player in NFL history.

The Saints quarterback averaged 22.1 yards per completion yesterday in a deliciously mind-blowing beatdown of the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Per completion!!! Unheard of. Even in last year’s blowout playoff loss to the Packers, Jordan Love averaged 17 yards per completion. New Orleans scored six touchdowns on their first six possessions, which Mike McCarthy downplayed afterward by shrugging his shoulders and saying, “It happens,” and this game was over by halftime. Dallas gave up a franchise record 35 first half points and allowed Alvin Kamara to score four touchdowns, tying another franchise record for a Cowboys opponent.

The Dallas running game was non-existent; Elliot had six carries for 16 yards and Dak had the day’s longest run from scrimmage, gaining eight yards on a scramble.  Dak threw two interceptions and fumbled once. Dallas went 0-3 in the red zone. The offensive ineptitude prompted Kristi Scales to write, “You know it’s bad when the best Dak and Zeke play of the day was combining on a tackle of a Saints cornerback returning an interception.”

The Dallas defense was even worse. The Saints ran for 190 yards and faced a total of just three third downs in their first five drives of the day. Micah Parsons says they got outplayed. That might be the most disturbing thing a Cowboys player admitted last night.

I’ve learned over the years that the best time to make bets with Cowboys fans is right after the first win of the year. I made four different lunch bets yesterday morning with four big-talking Cowboys fans who jumped to take the over on my 8-9 prediction. I don’t know how they’re feeling today. It’s been quiet.

If you saw the way Kamara ran through the Cowboys yesterday, then you know Derrick Henry is licking his chops in Baltimore today.

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For the first time in 16 years, the Texas Longhorns are ranked number one in the country. The last time the ‘Horns held the top spot was for three weeks during the Colt McCoy era, ending with the MIchael Crabtree game, the high point of the history of Texas Tech Red Raiders football. The only concern now is that no football team ever wants to peak too early. Like against UTSA in week three.

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We held our seventh Christian Practices retreat over the weekend at The Way Retreat Center here in Midland. Fifteen of us spent intentional time together engaging our God in Word and Prayer, using some ancient Christian practices and experimenting with some newer exercises. The weather was perfect, the food was amazing, the chapel was a beautiful and inspirational setting for worship, and the spiritual conversations were transforming. The idea behind these retreats is to equip our church at GCR with more and varied ways to be present with God for his transforming work. We don’t want to just get into the Word, we want the Word of God to get into us, to become a part of us. So we pray the Scriptures, we dwell in the Word, we read imaginatively, we ponder ancient written prayers, and we share our stories. We listen to each other’s hearts, knowing that God’s Spirit is communicating with our spirits in the process. This retreat was another wonderfully intergenerational affair–older people and younger people, long time GCR members and some who just got here. It’s one of my favorite things we do at GCR. The last one of the year is set for November 15-16 at The Way. If you haven’t done one of these yet, I’d invite you to register now.

As you can see, we have digressed a bit in taking the team picture at the end. Not our best work. Almost half the folks are hidden in the shot. Jim Tuttle rightly expressed his disappointment in the younger people who didn’t step up to help out.

Peace,

Allan

Praying with New Partners

September 12, 2024 / / 1 Comment

Three years into our ministry in Midland and I am still meeting ministers and pastors who are just as concerned as I am with joining Jesus in breaking down the denominational and racial walls that divide his people. My new friend Elvie Brown, the pastor at Common Unity Church, organized a prayer meeting for a bunch of us on Tuesday and I was honored to kneel in prayer beside so many passionate men and women, crying out to the Lord together for unity, fellowship, partnership, and common Christian love.

We prayed for each other’s ministries. We prayed for each other’s families. We prayed for each other’s churches. We asked our mighty God to tear down the walls that divide us: economic walls, geographic walls, racial walls, denominational walls, political walls, gender walls. We reminded one another and acknowledged to God in prayer that we are one in Christ Jesus today and forever. And when we live into that reality the whole world will know that he is Lord and we are his.

We spent nearly an hour-and-a-half in prayer together inside the gym at the Teen Flow Center in the south part of Midland. I was at the same table with Jon Wymore. I met and prayed with Ken Johnson, the longtime pastor at Goodwill Missionary Baptist. I thanked Elvie for the privilege of joining such a wonderful group of Christian leaders in our city.

And I thank God for so many in this city who care more about his everlasting Kingdom than they do their own churches or denominations.

I experienced some of that Acts 4 homothumadon Tuesday night. God was there. Listening. Speaking. Encouraging. Inspiring. Transforming. We were there together in his presence. Focused. Intense. Committed. Open. It was a humbling thing for me, something I didn’t know how badly I needed.

My community of Gospel partners is a little bigger today. Walls are coming down in Midland and in my own heart. And I thank God.

Peace,

Allan

Two Evils

September 11, 2024 / / 0 Comments

“Of two evils, choose neither. Christians must turn from the endless cycle of voting for the lesser of two evils and expecting an unrighteous act to produce a righteous result. Choosing the lesser of two evils is still evil, and never should we do evil that good may come.”

~ Charles Spurgeon

On Dak, Deshaun, and D.P.

September 10, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to Bob Breunig…

With Dak Prescott as the highest paid player in NFL history at $60-million per year, Jerry Wayne is paying his quarterback $3.53-million per game. That’s $185,758 per completion on Sunday or $19,717 per passing yard. Or $3.53-million per touchdown pass.

The Cowboys defense was flying around on Sunday, getting up in Deshaun Watson’s grill on every dropback, stuffing backs at the line on every run, and breaking up passes all over the field. Congratulations to Mike Zimmer who knows how to disguise a rush and pass coverage. The Browns offensive line never knew what was coming. And most of it was done without blitzing. Some of the concern around Zimmer’s return to Dallas was his toughness and no-nonsense approach. Do NFL players respond to that kind of thing nowadays? Maybe Zimmer and McCarthy are working a good cop – bad cop thing. That would make Jerry the evil mayor.

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has plenty of issues. He was hit by Cowboys defenders a league-high 17 times on Sunday and sacked six times, throwing for only 169-yards and two interceptions. It was telling to me that Watson’s Cleveland teammates were not helping him get up after those knockdowns. Whenever they hit the turf, most quarterbacks are helped up by two or three hustling teammates. Watson was not. I also noticed in the second half that Watson extended his hand to help up a Browns offensive lineman who had recovered a Watson fumble. The lineman swatted Deshaun’s hand away, rolled over, and got up on his own. Not a great sign. How much of Watson’s putrid play on Sunday had to do with the death of his father earlier last week? How much of it had to do with a brand new lawsuit filed in Houston yesterday alleging sexual assault and battery charges in another weird massage situation? The Browns traded three number-one draft picks and two other picks to the Texans to sign Watson to a fully guaranteed $230-million contract after the first 24 lawsuits and charges of sexual assault had been filed. The Jameis Winston era is about to begin in Cleveland.

As much as I hate to admit it, that was a quality win for Dallas Sunday. It’s hard to win on the road in the NFL–all five of the Cowboys’ regular season losses last year were on the road–but the Cowboys made it look easy. CeeDee Lamb made a strong case for completely eliminating training camp and preseason games. Zeke Elliot looks strong and lean and able to handle ten to twelve carries per game. Kendricks might be a beast in the middle, which could make Parsons even more dangerous. And Cooks is still a legitimate deep threat for Dak. The Browns were a playoff team last season with the NFL’s number one ranked defense. Cleveland was favored to win Sunday. But the Cowboys had it put away by halftime. Next come the Saints in the Cowboys’ home opener, a team that almost hung half a hundred on Carolina Sunday. Dallas is favored by 6.5 points. This one won’t be nearly as easy.

Finally, you do realize that you’re going to have to listen to Tom Brady during half of the Cowboys games this year. In just two years, we’ve gone from Troy Aikman in the Fox Sports primetime booth to Brady. That’s a sea change, man. Wow. My favorite part of yesterday’s game, the whole game, from start to finish, my favorite thing that happened all day, was the first shot from the broadcast booth after the game had started when Fox rules analyst Mike Pereira left Brady hanging on an awkward fist bump. Thank you, Mike! You did that for all of us!

I am not writing a single word about the Longhorns’ dominant win against the defending champion Michigan Wolverines at the Big House on Saturday. You’ll get nothing here on the most impressive win by an SEC team last weekend. I’m not going to say a word about the Longhorns’ number two national ranking. All I will say is that Quinn Ewers’ line in the new Dr Pepper Fansville commercial–“I don’t do backup, even if he has great hair and famous relatives”–is the line of the year in that series so far.

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