The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

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Category: Lectureships (Page 6 of 11)

To San Diego

February 22, 2012 / / 4 Comments

I’m leaving today for sunny San Diego (expected high temperature today: 73-degrees) and Point Loma Nazarene University for a conference. I’ll be among the listeners, in the audience, for Rethinking Arminius: Wesleyan and Reformed Theology for the Church Today. I’ll be interested to learn more about Arminius thought, to hear the history of the Arminius debates, to understand better the development of Arminian theology. With Calvinism and Calvinist thought on a bit of an upswing in God’s Church in America — I hear tons of this stuff even in our Churches of Christ! — I believe a clearer knowledge of practical Arminianism will be good for me and good for our congregation at Central.

So, that’s one reason I’m going.

I’m also going because I’m getting to spend almost five full days with the world’s foremost leading scholar on Arminian Theology: my little brother, Dr. Keith Stanglin.

As the planner and producer of this conference on the coast, and one of its featured speakers, Keith is sharing the stage this weekend with some of the brightest minds in theology from Yale and Duke and Princeton and the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. But they all defer to Keith when it comes to the subject and thinking of Jacob Arminius. He’s the big shot at this thing. He’s the guy. And his work is benefitting God’s Church and the Kingdom of Heaven in critical ways. I’ve written many times before in this space about how proud I am of Keith. So proud. He’s brilliant. And he uses every ounce of his genius and every bit of his energy on serving the Christ to our Father’s eternal glory and praise.

Keith and I will share the plane ride from Love Field to San Diego today. And we’ll laugh. That’s mainly what we do when we get together. We laugh. We talk theology and church work, we share opinions and insights about books and speakers, we reflect on God’s work in redeeming the world and our share in that ministry of reconciliation. We also talk a lot about family, we remember together our childhoods, we reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going. We poke fun at each other; we point out the other’s receding hairlines and middle-aged bellies; we quote from Airplane and Naked Gun. And we laugh.

Keith’s already planned a boat ride out into the ocean to go whale-watching. We’re riding bikes along some shoreline trails. And we’re going to make it to In-N-Out at least once. And that’s just tomorrow. Friday and Saturday we’ll be at the conference from morning to night. I’m looking forward to seeing Keith in yet another setting and context with which I’m not that familiar. Then we’ll worship together Sunday morning and board separate planes to go home.

In the middle of all this, I’m going to learn a lot. From Keith. He teaches me something every time we’re together. He teaches me something valuable, something I can use, something that makes my preaching and my ministry better, something that makes my congregation better. He sees it, he gets it, better than most anybody I know. And he knows how to talk about it so regular people can get it, too. He inspires. He’s good. Man, he’s good.

And he’s my brother.

The blogging will be sporadic for the rest of the week. No promises.

Peace,

Allan

On Earth As It Is In Heaven

May 26, 2011 / / 0 Comments

Jesus prays to our Father, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus preaches the Kingdom of God. Jesus declares the coming of the Kingdom of God. He proclaims, “It is at hand!” It’s here! The Kingdom! Look at it!

Jesus brings the Kingdom to earth. He does God’s will on earth just as it is in heaven.

Jesus casts out demons because there are no demons in heaven.
Jesus heals because there is no sickness in heaven.
Jesus feeds because there is no hunger in heaven.
Jesus raises the dead because there is no death in heaven.

“Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Are you praying this prayer? Jesus said it was a good idea to pray this prayer, to ask God to please do his will on earth just like it’s done in heaven. Are you bringing the Kingdom of God to your part of the earth? Are you obeying his will like the rocks and the trees and the oceans and the animals obey his will?

There is no revenge in heaven. There is no hate in heaven. There are no arguments in heaven. There are no disagreements in heaven. No suspicion. No politics. No war. No division of any kind. No violence, verbal or physical. No mistrust. No gossip. No complaining. You won’t find any of those things in heaven.

Is the will of God being obeyed in your church just like it is in heaven? In your elders’ meetings? In your congregational committees? In your marriage? In your family around your dinner table at night? Are you bringing the Kingdom of God to your workplace? To your school? To the Little League team you’re coaching or the civic club to which you belong?

If God has completely eradicated selfish behavior and gamesmanship and competition in heaven, if that is his holy will, why would you insist on bringing any of that into his Church? Or putting up with it?

The rivers and the trees and the squirrels and the fish all obey God’s will on earth just as it is in heaven. What’s wrong with us?

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Rodney Ashlock had just begun his Sermon Seminar session on the book of Esther Tuesday evening when the WeatherBug app on my laptop started chirping. I opened it up to learn that a tornado warning had been issued for parts of Tarrant County that included my home in North Richland Hills. A quick check of the radar revealed an ominous red and purple blob heading right for my neighborhood and a pretty impressive hook echo bearing down on my house.

I dashed outside the lecture hall there on the Austin Grad campus to check in by phone with Carrie-Anne and the girls. She answered her cell phone and her voice was almost drowned out by the sound of the sirens. Before I could get more than a couple of sentences out, I heard our house phone ring. She kept me on line as she answered it. It was the city, calling to warn residents of the coming tornado and to urge them to seek immediate shelter. I asked if she and our daughters were OK.

“Yeah, we’re hiding in the laundry room with the radio and the phone. We’ve got a couple of mattresses in here. The girls are a little nervous. And I’m putting clothes in the dryer.”

Now THAT is a wife of noble character! Protecting the children and doing the wash! Who can find a woman like that? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing.

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Too much Dirk last night for the Thunder. Too much Dirk. Here’s hoping Chicago can somehow force a couple of more games in the Eastern Conference series to wear out that unholy trio in Miami and buy the senior Mavs some much-needed down time.

Peace,

Allan

Just Like Us

March 31, 2011 / / 3 Comments

The apostle Paul tells us in Romans four that Abraham never wavered in his faith regarding the promise of a son and countless descendents. He never wavered. Yet, I seem to recall a situation or two with laughter. And Hagar. And Ishmael. Never wavered?

Scripture makes it clear that King David was a man after God’s own heart. Really? What about Bathsheba? Didn’t David go out of his way to premeditate and plan to break six or seven of the ten commandments in one weekend? Didn’t he lie and cheat and steal with his band of strong men in the wilderness? A man after God’s own heart?

We tell our little kids the story of Samson. We use flannelgraph and puppets and color sheets to tell them all about this hero of the faith. But when’s the last time you really read his whole story? You don’t tell the kids about the women and the sex and the lying and the breaking of his holy vows and his selfish pride and lust for violence and revenge.

Why not?

Because that’s the bad stuff.

Exactly.

The heroes in the Bible are more like us than we think. In a lot of ways, they are exactly like you. And me. A mixture of good and evil. A mess of noble intentions and horrible choices. A fluid cocktail of loyalty and rebellion. A patchwork of ultimate highs and miserable lows.

Our God has always chosen to do his greatest work through people exactly like you. And me. People just like the ones in your church. “Elijah was a man just like us…” Yeah, he was. So was Peter and Jacob and John and Joshua and Mary and Ruth.

Just like us.

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For Legacy members only!!!

It’s crazy — absolutely crazy — that Carrie-Anne and I are the only ones from our congregation who make the trip north of the border to the Tulsa Workshop. Crazy! Next year, if I must, I’m planning our Legacy church trip to Tulsa. I’ll handle the hotel reservations, plan the caravan, and pick out all the restaurants. You’ll be encouraged, uplifted, inspired, equipped, empowered, enlightened, and educated. You’ll sing at the top of your lungs, you’ll ‘amen’ some of the greatest preachers in the faith, and you’ll be transformed. You’ll grow. God will change you.

And you will thank me.

Hold me to it.

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Check out this blog post from a theology professor at SMU’s Perkins School of Theology. The man’s name is Ted Campbell. He’s a Methodist — a “heart-core Methodist, — who recently attended a Sunday worship assembly at Preston Road Church of Christ in Dallas. And in his review of the experience , Campbell concludes that “the Churches of Christ were right after all.” It’s a good read from an outsider’s perspective. And I only mean “outsider” as not an official member of our little stream of the Christian faith. Click here to read his article.

Peace,

Allan

Under Your Feet

February 22, 2011 / / 0 Comments

We were finishing up Romans in our men’s Bible study this morning when we came upon one of the most powerful verses in all of Scripture, Romans 16:20.

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”

Wow. How powerful. How empowering. I’m not sure any of the motivational speeches in the history of the silver screen, from Knute Rockne to Braveheart, ever inspired so much hope. From Washington to Bowie to Patton, no commander has ever spoken a more immortal truth to rally the troops. Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry combined could never touch the power of these motivational words.

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”

If these words of Holy Scripture are true — and they are — then there’s nothing that can ever stop us. There is nothing to fear. There is nothing to doubt. Nobody can stand in our way. Satan can’t stop us. Satan can’t slow us down. He can’t scare us or intimidate us or trick us. His fate is sealed. His destiny is already being delivered. He will soon be completely crushed by God under our feet.

So, what are we afraid of? Why are we so slow to act? What are we waiting for?

With Satan out of the picture, we are liberated to do bold things, courageous things, great things for God’s Kingdom in the name of our Risen Lord. With no fear. No doubts. No hesitation.

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”

Cool.

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I just finished making our hotel reservations for the Tulsa Workshop. Carrie-Anne and I are really, really looking foward to this latest installment of our annual treks to the home of the Drillers. There are 67 speakers scheduled to present at Tulsa this year. Thirty-one of them are rookies to the Workshop, first-timers. So, we get to hear new ideas, new motivations to evangelize, new energies and new interests as we are equipped and empowered to proclaim the eternal Lordship of Jesus to the world.

Again, for the first time ever, there will also be specific lectures and tracks for church elders, preachers, children’s ministers, worship leaders, and more. They’ve radically expanded the teen and children’s programs for the four days. If you’ve never been to the Tulsa Workshop, I highly recommend it. You’ll come away energized, revived, and equipped to be a more effective follower of Christ. The worship will inspire you, the speakers will provoke you, and the fellowship will remind you that we are part of a Kingdom without borders, a big picture realm of the rule of our God in which we are called to minister and serve in his name.

Can’t wait.

Allan

Super Bowl, Ben, and the Bone

February 11, 2011 / / 0 Comments

I must draw your attention to an excellent Washington Post column written by Fort Worth native Sally Jenkins. It’s about the Super Bowl in Arlington. She mentions the plans to set the attendance record and the fiasco with the seats and the obscene prices of parking spots and nachos. But it’s not just about that. Her article is so much bigger and better than that. She claims that this Super Bowl at Jerry’s Place was, for her, the tipping point. This was the last straw. This was absurdity beyond belief. Beginning with the stadium itself:

It’s the cleanest, safest, nicest stadium anyone has ever visited. It is also the most extravagant and economically stratified. It cost double what Jerry Jones said it would, and taxpayers financed about a quarter of it, yet its innermost marble interiors are totally inaccessible to the average fan.

Jenkins cites the four Navy F-18s that flew over the stadium at the end of the National Anthem — over the domed stadium. At a taxpayer cost of $450,000. She observes that the state of Texas spent $31-million to host the football game while, at the same time, desperately making historic cuts in public education. Five thousand fans paid $200 each to stand in the rain in the parking lot! It’s just too much:

In the end, this Super Bowl taught me a lesson: Luxury can be debasing.

I’m telling you, it’s an excellent article. You can read the whole thing by clicking here.

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I’m leaving Sunday afternoon for Searcy, Arkansas to spend a couple of nights with my brother and his family. The ocassion? A full day on Monday with New Testament scholar and theologican Ben Witherington III. (Carley claims that’s a made up name.)

Witherington has written more than 40 books, including an excellent commentary on Revelation that we used as a textbook at Austin Grad. I had the great pleasure two years ago of attending three of his lectures on Revelation at the Austin Grad Sermon Seminar. He paints beautiful pictures with his words. He speaks big. Very big. Grand. He’s an orator of the highest class. A brilliant  and complex man who might even break out into song in the middle of a speech to illustrate a point. And now Harding’s College of Bible and Religion is bringing him in to lecture on the topic of Christian ethics. Witherington’s just written an 1,800 page, two volume book, The Indelible Image, about the relationship between theology and ethics in the New Testament. Three seminars, a Q&A, and a roundtable discussion await us on Monday. I’m hoping Dr. Keith Stanglin is able to get me a seat at the private dinner with Ben before the final session.

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Texas Longhorns offensive coordinator Emory Bellard drew it up on a napkin while he and Darrell Royal were having breakfast in an Austin diner in the summer of 1968. A brand new formation that included three running backs, a running quarterback, and offered them up to four or five options on every play. He called it the Wishbone. And it revolutionized football.

Royal used the wishbone to win the national championship in 1969. Bellard used it as a head coach at Texas A&M and Mississippi State. He beat Bear Bryant’s Crimson Tide with it and won a few conference titles, too. Won three state championships coaching high school ball, too.

After football, Bellard retired with his wife to a life of golf and fishing in Marble Falls. I met him in 1992. He was our backup color analyst  for the Mustangs high school football games on KHLB Radio. I worked two games with him in the booth. He was also the backup PA guy. When Dick Barkley, the legendary feed store owner, couldn’t make it, they called Emory. I had Emory on my talk show in Marble Falls several times to talk Longhorns and Aggies. He knew everything. All the history. Shoot, he WAS the history! He knew everybody — not because he called people and kept up with them, but because everybody called him and kept up with him. Extremely gracious.

Many times I called him to get some insight into a news story. When Chan Gailey was hired as the Cowboys coach in ’98, it was Emory who gave me the scoop first and then hooked me up with one of Gailey’s old high school girlfriends from Americus, Georgia. She, in turn, faxed me several pictures of Gailey from their high school year book and articles he had written at that time for the high school paper.

Helpful. Humble. Very “aw, shucks” about his place in football legend and lore. Generous and giving. What a great guy.

He died yesterday at 83. A great man. I was always proud to say I knew him. God bless his sweet wife, Susan.

Peace,

Allan

Whereby Earth Imitates Heaven

January 18, 2011 / / 4 Comments

“The psalm blended all voices together, and caused one single fully harmonious chant to arise; young and old, rich and poor, women and men, slaves and free, all sang one single melody… All the inequalities of social life are here banished. Together we make up a single choir in perfect equality of rights and of expression whereby earth imitates heaven.” ~Ignatius, 110 AD

I had the most wonderful weekend singing with God’s children. You can’t believe all the singing.

Friday night and all day Saturday I was blessed to be able to sing praises to our Father with more than two thousand teenagers at WinterFest at the Arlington Convention Center. Over two thousand kids! Singing. Praising. Clapping. Stomping. Dancing. Twirling. Hand motions. Loud. Energetic. Enthusiastic. Singing of the very best kind. True offerings from the soul. Genuine praise and thanksgiving from the heart. The kind of singing that fosters Christian unity. The kind of singing that strengthens Christian bonds. The kind of singing that ushers one directly to the throne room of God.

I’ll bet we sang over a hundred different songs together at WinterFest Friday and Saturday. And not one of them — I promise — was written before 1980.

Sunday night, I was blessed to be able to sing praises to our Father with about two dozen of my Legacy brothers and sisters and another two dozen or so residents of the Sterling House Nursing Home in Richland Hills. As part of the NEXT challenge, our Small Group has teamed up with another to spend an hour with those sweet people at least once a month. About forty of us total Sunday evening. Singing. Praising. Toe tapping. Smiling. Head nodding. Amen-ing. Four part harmonies. Not too fast, not too slow. Just right. Singing of the very best kind. True offerings from the soul. Genuine praise and thanksgiving from the heart. The kind of singing that fosters Christian unity. The kind of singing that strengthens Christian bonds. The kind of singing that ushers one directly to the throne room of God.

I’ll bet we sang 25 different songs together at Sterling House Sunday night. And not one of them — I promise — was written after the Depression.

I want my children to take very seriously the words of Paul in Romans 12: In Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. That’s why our girls were right there with Carrie-Anne and me all weekend, with the crazy teenagers at WinterFest and with the sweet old people at Sterling House. I want my kids to see what I see, I want them to feel what I feel, to truly know what I know: that The Old Rugged Cross means as much to that older woman in the wheelchair as You Have Turned (my mourning into dancing, whoop! whoop!) means to that 12-year-old-girl clapping in the aisle. That it is critically important for the younger people to join in the congregational singing of Blessed Assurance and Anywhere with Jesus. And that it is just as important for the older people to join in the congregational singing of Days of Elijah and Lord, I Lift Your Name on High.

Why do the teens at WinterFest smile? Why do they sing? Because they’re expressing themselves to God — they’re declaring his praises and experiencing his grace — in their own style, in their own language, in their native tongue. They are free.

Why do the older people at Sterling House smile? Why do they sing? Same reason.

Now, does it give you joy to encourage a teenager in the faith? Does it bring you godly pleasure to tell a child he is important to you or that she is vital to your church family? Then why don’t you unfold your arms and wipe off that scowl and join them with gusto the next time your worship leader starts Blessed Be Your Name! Or is it only about you?

Teenaged brother or sister in Christ, does it make you feel good to encourage an older person? Does it lift your spirits to tell a senior citizen that she is vital to your church family? That he matters to you? Then why don’t you put down the iPhone and wipe the frown off your face and join them with gusto the next time your worship leader starts How Great Thou Art! Or is it only about you?

A gathering of God’s people all truly giving themselves to God in song really is incredible. But it only imitates heaven when the congregants are giving themselves to each other as well. The greatest joy I received and the greatest blessing I encountered over this wonderful weekend was in watching a couple of people almost twice my age shout out Couldn’t Keep It To Myself Friday night and watching the teens in our Small Groups sing A Wonderful Saviour Sunday night.

Earth really imitating heaven.

Peace,

Allan

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