The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

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Author: Allan (Page 464 of 493)

You Knew This Was Coming

January 29, 2008 / / 11 Comments

Super Bowl parties at church. Church-sponsored Super Bowl parties. You knew this was coming. Let’s go ahead and throw it all out there.

Let’s not avoid this. Let’s actually embrace this discussion and see where it leads us.

The larger issue I see is with a Christian church celebrating and glorifying the sex, violence, and greed symbolized by this American free-enterprise entertainment extravaganza in the same room where we glorify and worship our God and on the same screen where we post the holy words of Scripture and sacred songs of praise. I see a tremendous disconnect and mixed-message. If you watch NFL football — and I do — you know a lot of what those broadcasts stand for, including but not limited to the PG-13 pregame, postgame, and halftime shows, directly opposes our Christian message. It contradicts the very things for which the Church of God stands. At the very least I believe it’s questionable to invite our family and friends and little kids to the church building and project those images on a huge screen in our worship center.

I don’t see a difference between doing that and holding American Idol or Dancing With The Stars or Survivor parties at church. Fans of those TV shows are just as passionate and follow it just as closely as fans of the football TV shows.

I know the building is just a building. I’m fully aware that the church is the people, not the space. But what the church does together as a collected community of God’s people in the space that community has designated for Christian activities such as worshiping our Father and encouraging each other is important. It does matter. At the very least, it demands careful thought.

And it’s not easy. I do struggle with my thoughts and my feelings and my convictions on this. (Please see the three-day blog from August: The Question of Sacred Space, Sacred Space Part Two, and Sacred Space Last Part.) Again, God is no more present with me in a beautiful cathedral with a thousand other disciples than he is with me alone in my closet. I get that. And I believe that.

Also, I don’t think it’s hypocritical to object to the idea that if watching the Super Bowl at home in my living room is OK, then it’s OK to watch the Super Bowl in the worship center at church. I would answer that we would probably all agree that there’s nothing wrong or sinful with you drinking a glass of wine  in your kitchen. But we wouldn’t want to wheel in a dozen barrels of it for a Fifth Sunday Fellowship at the building. For many reasons.

I understand a lot of this makes me look and sound like a prude. And I generally try to avoid that as much as possible.

I’m curious as to your reflections and thoughts on this matter.

Peace,

Allan

P.S. Please don’t cancel your Small Groups Church meetings this Sunday. Schedule your dinner and times of worship and application of the Word around the TV show if you must. Watch the TV show together. Bond around the TV show. But please don’t cancel.

Chutzpa as Faith

January 28, 2008 / / 2 Comments

Jesus tells the Phoenician woman in Mark 7 “No.” Flat out. Right to her face. “No.” She’s coming to Jesus for healing. Her daughter is demon-possessed. She’s desperate. She begs. And Jesus says, “No.”

But she keeps coming.

Her gender as a woman in this male-dominated society with very little, if any, rights is pressing against her. But she won’t give up. Her nationality as a pagan, idol-worshipping Gentile from the very center of the Ba’al cult works against her in this situation. But she doesn’t quit. Satan is battling her. His demons have taken over her daughter. But she persists. Her timing is awful. Jesus walked 40 miles from Capernaum to be left alone. He didn’t come here to teach or heal. He came here to chill out. But she keeps coming. In an effort to protect their rabbi from the crowds the apostles oppose her. “Shoo! Scram! Beat it!” But she begs even more loudly. Jesus tells her, “It’s not your turn. Get back in line.” But this woman will not stop.

In preaching this story here at Legacy yesterday, I compared this woman coming to Jesus with Earl Campbell running to the end zone. Remember Earl Campbell? Nothing ever stopped him. It always took six or seven guys to bring him down. For those of you who don’t remember him, he ran like Marion Barber. Only Campbell was much bigger, must stronger, much faster, and without all the attitude.

This woman is not the Tyler Rose. She’s the Tyre-and-Sidon Rose. And she will not be stopped.

The Hebrews call that “chutzpa.” Intense persistence. Determination. Gust. I will not quit. I will not give up. I will not let go. There’s more of a negative connotation linked to the word now. We hear ‘chutzpa’ and we might think assertive, pushy, or bossy. But when a Jew sees ‘chutzpa,’ he thinks tenacity. Singleness of mind and purpose. It’s a synonym for Biblical faith.

See, faith in the Bible is never, “Oh, I understand that so I can believe it.” Biblical faith is never, “Yes, that makes sense to me so I’m going to trust it.” No. Faith in the Bible is, “I’m gonna latch onto this thing with everything I have and I’m not going to let go no matter what.” The way Abraham grabbed the promises of God and was forever reminding God of those promises. The way Moses and Joshua hold on with God through thick and thin, victory and defeat.

God honors that kind of faith. God loves that kind of faith.

No matter the sin that’s opposing me. No matter the guilt in my life that’s dragging me down. The broken marriage. The terminal illness. Satan’s grip on somebody in my family. Job status. Financial woes. Peer pressure. Other brothers and sisters in Christ who prevent me from getting closer to Jesus. Even God himself telling me “No!”

I. Will. Not. Let. Go. Of. God. No. Matter. What.

I. Will. Not. Quit.

I. Will. Not. Let. Go.

I. Will. Not. Stop. Coming.

I. Will. Hang. Onto. God. With. Every. Single. Fiber. Of. My. Being. No. Matter. What. Happens. To. Me.

Faith is trusting our God to provide and protect, to heal and forgive, and to carry us into his eternal Kingdom. And not letting go.

Peace,

Allan

Trust Me

January 25, 2008 / / 0 Comments

I’m ashamed to admit, more than a couple of times in my life I’ve been suckered into the “Buy 14 CDs for a penny and never have to buy anything else ever again!” It took a few times, but I don’t trust those offers anymore. I don’t trust Joe Isuzu. I have a hard time trusting politicians, lawyers, used-car salesmen, and college football coaches.

Jesus is no used-car salesman. He doesn’t hold out his hand and call me friend so he can take what’s mine and make it his. He seeks me out to save me and to enjoin me in an eternal relationship.

The apostles trusted him. They left homes and families and jobs and security in exchange for ridicule and rejection and suffering and instability. They followed him all the way to Jerusalem knowing they were heading straight into the teeth of big trouble.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.”

Is Jesus trustworthy?

Look back over your own life and your own experiences with Jesus. Every single time he’s warned me, by calling it sin, that some action will be harmful he’s been exactly right. Every time his teachings tell me to make the tougher and better choice, he’s been right. When he promises to take care of me, he’s always right. He’s never been wrong. He’s never failed me or forsaken me. Sometimes it takes a while — sometimes years — for me to see it and understand it. But his track record with me is spotless. It’s perfect because his motivation is perfect.

“Trust me.” The apostles did. I do. And you can, too.

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Pal&CookieValerie didn’t get a lizard yesterday. It was a gerbil. She named it Cookie.

I just don’t want to see a bunch of little chocolate chips all over her bedroom carpet.

Peace,

Allan

The Little Middle

January 24, 2008 / / 2 Comments

ValValerie Nicole is 11 years old today. And she wants a lizard.

When Valerie was born to us early in the afternoon of January 24, 1997 the first thing that caught our attention was how huge she was. No exaggeration. I mean huge. She weighed nine pounds, five ounces. Huge. All that evening and the next two days doctors and nurses and other patients and visitors would knock on Carrie-Anne’s hospital room door wanting to know if they could come in and see that baby that weighed 9,5. (It’s funny because today she’s so skinny I call her ‘Twig.”)

ValW/FishIt was like Valerie was already a couple of weeks old when she came out. The very first moment I held her in my arms and talked to her and told her how beautiful she was, her eyes met mine and locked in. It was like she was truly paying attention to me, maybe even contemplating me. Possibly, even then, considering how she would manipulate me into giving her everything she ever wanted. She looked around the room as I held her in that first couple of minutes, taking it all in. It was really quite remarkable. She didn’t cry. She didn’t thrash around. I half-expected her to begin talking to me. It was strange.

And since that moment, Valerie’s always been the child who wants to see everything, do everything, and know everything. She’s always sat sideways in the car. Always. Still does. Staring out at the world as it goes by, taking it all in. She was four years old when I drove her to day school at the Mesquite Church when, totally out of the blue, she asked me, “If the world is round, why is that line straight?” She was talking about the distant horizon. I had no answer.

Val&Dog ColonialPal CottonCandy 

Valerie is our adventurer. She’s our explorer. Whitney wants to go to ballgames. Carley wants to visit the zoo. Valerie Valwants to spend the day at a cave in Central Texas or out in the woods. She wants to go where nobody else goes and do things she’s never done before. Except for vegetables and casseroles, she’s open to trying anything once.

She’s beautiful. She’s funny. She’s smart. She has a gorgeous voice and I love to hear her sing. She memorizes words to songs she’s only heard once. She dances in front of her mirror to “High School Musical” and “Hannah Montana” and throws the football with the boy across the street. She makes friends with everybody. She’s considerate and kind to others. She never stops reading.

And she wants a lizard.

We’re so proud of Val-Pal. Our God has blessed us with this big-eyed gal who laughs at everything and pretends to know Swingingkarate. There’s no limit to her potential. By the grace of our Father she truly can do anything she wants, she really can have anything she wants. I know our Lord has huge plans for her. I can’t wait to see how he’s going to use her to bless his Kingdom.

I love you, Val. Happy Birthday, sweetie.

I don’t know about that lizard.

Dad

Where Your Heart Is…..

January 22, 2008 / / 1 Comment

Religion, to a lot of us, is usually about accepting something intellectually — “That makes sense” or “I understand that.” But there’s a huge difference between information about God and a relationship with God. Do you know about God or do you know God?

We think emotion is suspect. We think religion should not be emotional. Emotion lets you down. It’s not real. It doesn’t last. You have to keep your wits about you. Use your brains. Be calm and collected. Use your intellect. Faith is not emotional.

We in the Church have usually said, “If I can get your head, your heart will follow.” If I can prove it to you with logical arguments, you’re there. And, praise God, sometimes that works.

But my real experience tells me it’s just the opposite. Your head will always be where your heart is. If I can get your heart, your head will always follow. Where your heart is, that’s where I’m going to find your time, your money, your energy, your body, your head, every bit of you.

Think about it: nobody ever loves God with all their heart and not their head. But we have plenty of people in the Church who have God in their heads but their hearts are stone.

The Word of God captures our hearts. What the Lord has done for us grabs our hearts. The starting point is in our emotions. He wants our hearts. I look at the women in Mark 5 and Mark 7 who did not have a full understanding of who Jesus was or what he was all about. They had no clue about his mission to suffer and die and be raised again for the salvation of the world. But they reached out to him. And Jesus praised them for their faith. Faith in what? Faith in him. An imperfect faith. An incomplete faith. But a faith, nontheless, that God honored by bringing physical and spiritual healing to them.

When you were baptized, could the devil have given all the same answers to the questions you were asked? Satan knows that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. When you were studying before your baptism, could the devil have answered all the questions about God’s plan of salvation and God’s commands and the Lord’s Supper the same way you did?

Even the devil knows all the right answers up in his head.

What makes your relationship with God different than his?

Where’s your heart?

Peace,

Allan

Straining At The Oars

January 21, 2008 / / 6 Comments

“Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat…After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars because the wind was against them.” ~Mark 6:45-48

The disciples are in the deep water. Right where Jesus pushed them. He’s on the mountain. Praying. And he’s watching them.

He’s watching them as they strain at the oars because the wind is against them. They’re struggling. They’re troubled. They’re working, toiling, laboring against the wind. They’re disturbed inside, upset, as they battle the wind that’s keeping them from fulfilling Jesus’ command. Despite their best efforts, they’re actually being blown off course.

I feel that way all the time. Do you?

In my intense desire to follow Jesus’ will for my life, in my best and greatest efforts to obey my God, I feel like sometimes I’m beating my brains out against the wind. I’m rowing and rowing and rowing and not going anywhere. Or worse, I’m being blown off course.

And you feel it. I know you do, because there are so many things that fight against us, so many things that oppose us. Just living in the chaos of life in this godless culture. In this place, this world, where Jesus has set us, in the middle of crime and cancer and illness and death. We fight failure and rejection and ridicule and judgment. We’re distressed by division in the Church. We’re in turmoil over circumstances with our children or our grandchildren. We’re struggling with our jobs. We’re battling with our marriages. Temptation and sin and dishonesty and abuse. Vengeance and greed. Selfishness and lust.

And we strain at the oars.

Please take comfort today in the fact that Jesus is watching you strain at the oars. He sees you. And he’s so very proud of you. You’re in the middle of the lake. You’re four miles out. But it’s Jesus who sent you there. And he’s watching you. He knows. He’s aware of every struggle. He’s aware of every battle. He knows the things that are causing you distress and heartache. Be comforted in knowing that Jesus, the Christ, the Savior of the World, is interceding for you right now as he reigns at the right hand of our Father in Heaven. Hebrews 7 says he lives to intercede for those who come to God. It’s what he does.

He watches the apostles and he prays.

He’s watching you. And he’s praying.

Be encouraged by that today.

It’s Jesus’ mission. It’s his deal. And he’s going to make sure nothing stops it. Paul tells us in Philippians 1, “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” Take joy in that.

Have no fear. We do live in a very windy world. But, by the grace of God in Christ, we will reach the shore.

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The thing I like most about sports is the unpredictability. I like the surprises. I like the out-of-nowhere shockers. I enjoy the unexpected. Eli Manning and the Giants going into sub-zero conditions at Lambeau, kicking a field goal in overtime to reach the Super Bowl was not even a possibility three days ago, certainly not three weeks ago. That’s what I love about sports.

And that’s why I’m rooting hard against the Patriots.

I don’t like something to be universally predicted and expected and then for it to happen exactly the way everyone thought. I hate that. Where’s the thrill in that? Where’s the excitement? Why watch?

The national media and most every football fan in the country has been predicting 19-0 for Belichick’s boys since early September. The Patriots were dubbed perfect and the greatest team in the history of the NFL before the season was half over. And now they’re one win away from fulfilling all the predictions and robbing us of any sense of mystery or wonder about this 2007 season.

Admit it. You loved it when the Chargers beat the Colts last week because you didn’t see it coming. It’s why we love the NCAA basketball tournament, because you-didn’t-see-it-coming happens every day.

I understand, I suppose, wanting to see history being made. I get it, I guess, wanting to watch a flawless machine of a team execute at the highest level. That’s all OK. Whatever.

Give me an upset instead. I’ll take a shocker over the favorite winning every time.

I don’t know if the Giants can beat New England. It doesn’t seem likely. I like New York’s run game. Manning’s playing with tons of confidence. And the Giants defense may be capable of pressuring Tom Brady and covering his receivers. Maybe. I’m more concerned with Tom Coughlin’s face. He’s going to need about a jar and a half of Vaseline to take care of that freezer burn.

Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you.

Peace,

Allan

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