December 29, 2004
Are All Sins Equal? Theologian J.I. Packer Says No, And He's Right!
In the latest issue of Christianity Today, renowed theologian J.I. Packer addresses a question from a reader on whether or not all sins are equal. This is a question that I get pretty often from students in The Quest Ministry, to non-students, to Christians, to non-Christians. It's a tough question, and I have thought about it a lot, but you should see what Packer has to say.
I think there are a couple of things to keep in mind that I have thought of though when asking yourself this question:
1) All sins are equal in the sense that they are a violation of our relationship with God. When we sin, we violate the boundaries in our relationship with God. Read Romans 1.
2) All sins are not equal in relation to the violation and it's consequences. Packer will spell this out more detailed. But for example: To think a murderous thought towards someone is not the same as murdering that person.
3) Jesus in Matthew 5:27-30 speaks on the relational aspect of sin. Of tying a thought into actual sin. In this context he is speaking of a man lusting in his heart, and committing adultery. But this context does not so much relate to Packer's thoughts.
4) Sin must be looked at from a personal, initmate aspect, and not from an impersonal violation. When we think of cheating on a spouse, or having sex outside of marriage, we understand the intimate, personal relationship, and how sin violates it. But often, when we do something like dowload illegal music, we do it very impersonally. What we must realize, is that all sin, regardless of whether someone personal or intimate is involved, is a violation of our intimate relationship with God, breaking the fellowship we have with Him.
5) Saying that all sins are not equal, is also not a time for us to judge others, measuring their sin against ours. For example, saying something like, "I haven't had sex, or been drunk," even though you may be a hypocrite and religious zealot who Christ has some harsh words for as well.
6) As Christians, we have to quit measuring our sense of morality and sin against that of the world, those around us, or even our past lifestyle. I think we as Christians have a strong tendency to justify our own behavior because we may think that what we are doing is not as bad as what others are doing, or it's the same as what others are doing, or it's not as bad as how we used to live. Living this way does not in any way help us or encourage us to live a more Godly life, where we look at God's Holiness as something to be of great value. Just look at Isaiah 6:1-7.
So check out his article, and let me know what you think regarding his words on whether or not All Sins Are Equal and I would be interested to hear your feeback and dialogue on this issue.
I was having trouble linking the article: Here it is,
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/001/19.65.html
Posted by rhett at 03:10 PM | Comments (0)
December 27, 2004
Having God Down To A Formula?...Donald Miller: A Fresh Voice In The Wilderness!
"So if the difference between Christian faith and all other forms of spirituality is that Christian faith offers a relational dynamic with God, why are we cloaking this relational dynamic in formulas?" (Donald Miller in Searching For God Knows What)
Anytime a student comes and meets with me, and makes the statements, "I am having a hard time hearing God. It doesn't seem like God is speaking to me." My initial response is to run down the evangeiical checklist of spiritual disciplines that we equate to being able to hear the voice of God, which in turn equals a healthy spiritual life. So I ask the student a barrage of questions such as, "Do you have a quiet time? How long is your quiet time? What are you doing in your quiet time? Are you spending each day in prayer, and meditation upon God's Word, etc., etc., etc." Then I close the meeting by telling them, "Well, only if you did all these things, then God would speak to you, and you would fully understand everything. You will have all the answers just like I did my first couple of years in seminary." Well, if you sense the sarcasm, good, then you are sensing right. Because I think we have a bigger problem when it comes to hearing God speak in our lives than just readjusting, or changing, or "perfecting" our spiritual practices, which are all good things. The problem is not that God is not speaking, because He is always speaking, but rather we have got so accustomed to expecting what we want out of God, and how He should speak, and what He should say, that we leave no room for God to truly move through our lives. God is not some "cosmic vending" machine, that when we insert the proper change and push the right buttons He dispenses to us what we want and desire! God is not a formula to be worked out, but rather a relationship to be lived in.
Why is this on my mind? There are many things that I have been thinking about and processing for a while, not only alone, but with others. Yet it seems when you look around at our churches, our spiritual lives, our Christian books, and mainline evangelicalism as a whole, there is little dialogue and lesser listening going on. Sure, we are discussing things, and books are being written, yet most of it seems to be on the level of the status quo as we regurgitate the same old stuff, afraid to be challenged, out of fear that we might have to actually think through things, question our faith, and wrestle with God.
One of my favorite passages in all of Scripture is found in Genesis 32, when Jacob wrestles with a man until daybreak:
24 But Jacob stayed behind by himself, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he couldn't get the best of Jacob as they wrestled, he deliberately threw Jacob's hip out of joint.
26 The man said, "Let me go; it's daybreak."
Jacob said, "I'm not letting you go 'til you bless me."
27 The man said, "What's your name?"
He answered, "Jacob."
28 The man said, "But no longer. Your name is no longer Jacob. From now on it's Israel (God-Wrestler); you've wrestled with God and you've come through."
29 Jacob asked, "And what's your name?"
The man said, "Why do you want to know my name?" And then, right then and there, he blessed him.
30 Jacob named the place Peniel (God's Face) because, he said, "I saw God face-to-face and lived to tell the story!"
31 The sun came up as he left Peniel, limping because of his hip. 32 (This is why Israelites to this day don't eat the hip muscle; because Jacob's hip was thrown out of joint.)
This passage is so beautiful on so many levels, and the Hebrew play on words in this text makes the passage come even more alive. But what I am struck by is the relentless passion and pursuit of Jacob wrestling with this man, with God until daybreak. And when it is over, and Jacob is given a new name, Jacob too wants to know the man's name, but Jacob is given the response, "Why do you want to know my name?"
Or how about this passage in Exodus 3:12-14, when Moses encounters God in a burning bush.
12 "I'll be with you," God said. "And this will be the proof that I am the one who sent you: When you have brought my people out of Egypt, you will worship God right here at this very mountain."
13 Then Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the People of Israel and I tell them, "The God of your fathers sent me to you'; and they ask me, "What is his name?' What do I tell them?"
14 God said to Moses, "I-AM-WHO-I-AM. Tell the People of Israel, "I-AM sent me to you.'"
Another beautiful passage of God appearing to His faithful servant Moses in the desert wilderness, promising Moses He would be with Him, yet Moses wants more, and do we blame Him. When Moses approaches God with the question, "Suppose I go to the People of Israel and I tell them, 'The God of your fathers sent me to you; and they ask me, What is his name? What do I tell them?'" God only responds with, "I-AM-WHO-I-AM....I-AM sent me." Seems more of an answer to go on than Jacob received, but still not a lot to work with.
But here I am left with what I think is one of the fundamental problems with Christianity today, which is a very broad and sweeping generalization. But it seems to me that when we look at how we practice both our private and corporate faith, especially here in the United States, we are most concerned with comprehending God, than we are with apprehending Him. That may seem subtle, but what seems subtle I believe has huge ramifications for our spiritual lives.
Comprehension involves complete understanding. Apprehension involves mystery. Comprehension involves grabbing and securing control. Apprehension involves a grasping at, but never controlling. One is playing God, the other is allowing God to be God. Jacob wrestled with God, and was given a new name, but he never comprehended Him, only apprehended Him. God did not allow for comprehension, but only for apprehension when Jacob asked for His name, and it was not given to Him. Moses saw God in a burning bush, and tried to comprehend God by asking His name, but God did not allow for that, only stating, "I-AM-WHO-I-AM." Apprehension. To name something is to have knowledge of something, or understanding of something, or maybe even control of something. One of the first tasks that was given to Adam in the garden was the naming of animals. In Genesis 2:18 GOD said,
"It's not good for the Man to be alone; I'll make him a helper, a companion." 19 So GOD formed from the dirt of the ground all the animals of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the Man to see what he would name them. Whatever the Man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 The Man named the cattle, named the birds of the air, named the wild animals; but he didn't find a suitable companion."
By naming the animals, Adam had comprehension, had understanding, and control of them. But God can not be fully known, can not be controlled, and can not be comprehended. If you think so, you might want to see how God responded to Job . Rather, our understanding of who God is, is more like that of Jacob's, wrestling all night with God, but never able to fully gain control over the situation, and just when we think we are about to overtake the situation and figure God out, He eludes our grasp, not even giving His name, but instead naming us, knowing us, comprehending us, blessing us. But always faithful.
It seems to me that a lot of our Christian lives have boiled down to trying to comprehend God any way we can, especially through formulas. So we have three point sermons we preach, so that God can be comprehended in three easy steps on Sunday morning. We have cool footnotes in cool Bibles, with all the right answers in the margins so that you don't have to think about comprehending God, someone else can do all the hardwork for you. And some of us even go to seminary (me) and take systematic theology classes so that God can be categorized into very easy to follow steps, so that when I graduated I had completed comprehension of who God is. I mean, what kind of pastor would I be without complete comprehension and understanding of how God works, and who He is in every situation? I mean, where would the people in the pews be? And what would become of their spiritual lives?
This is what Christianity has become in many places, but a few are speaking out against this method, against this formula, and are providing fresh voices for a new generation of Christians who realize that God is much bigger than the boxes we have placed Him in.
There are voices out there like the writer Donald Miller whose two books, Blue Like Jazz and Searching for God Knows What have been very influential to not only me, but to countless others. He is a fresh voice in the wilderness that needs to be read, re-read, processed and heard. Unlike many vocational "theologians" who must wrap up everything in their books, putting all the good and right answers on every restless question that we have, Miller raises the questions we need to be asking, and instead of supplying us with the answers, he allows us think on, work out and process the answers in the midst of our relationships with God.
In "Searching for God Knows What" Miller tells of a conversation he had with a friend who was trying to understand the reductionist and formulaic statements he was given about God from a Christian organization and how that correlated with what God said in the Bible. The conversation goes something like this, (pp.152)
"Earlier that same year I had a conversation with my friend Omar, who is a student at a local college. For his humanities class, Omar was assigned to read the majority of the Bible. He asked to meet with me for coffee, and when we sat down he put a Bible on the table as well as a pamphlet containing the same five or six ideas Greg had mentioned. He opened the pamphlet, read the ideas, and asked if these concepts were important to the central message of Christianity. I told Omar they were critical; that, basically, this was the gospel of Jesus, the backbone of Christian faith. Omar then opened his Bible and asked, "If these ideas are so important, why aren't they in this book?"
"But the Scripture references are right here," I said curiously, showing Omar that the verses were printed next to each idea.
"I see that," he said. "But in the Bible they aren't concise like they are in the pamphlet. They are spread out all over the book."
"But this pamphlet is a summation of the ideas," I clarified.
"Right," Omar continued, "but it seems like, if these idas are that critical, God would have taken the time to make bullet points out of them. Instead, He put some of them here and some of them there. And half the time, when Jesus is talking, He is speaking entirely in parables. It is hard to believe that whatever it is He is talking about can be summed up this simply."
As Donald Miller shares that story, I can't help but wonder if we have made others, as well as ourselves think that God can be summed up so nice and neat, with a bow wrapped around the package so that there are no loose ends. That story that Miller tells, helps make his thesis, "So if the difference between Christian faith and all other forms of spirituality is that Christian faith offers a relational dynamic with God, why are we cloaking this relational dynamic in formulas?"
I am not saying that there are things we cannot not know about God, but rather, being a Christian is more about being in relationship with God, and living in the midst of this dynamic relationship of trying to apprehend God, rather than living a static Chritian life that is already all figured out because you have comprehended God through all your formulas.
Posted by rhett at 03:51 AM | Comments (0)
December 25, 2004
The Christmas Season As A Time To Shift Paradigms
Every year another Christmas passes, one celebration after another, with little change. After all, Christmas is a holiday, filled with tradition, hardly a time for things to change, or new thinking to take place. We go to church on Christmas Eve, we sing the same songs, we light the candles, to Silent Night of course, and walk out the door. That service would have been proceeded by a dinner, maybe the same dinner we have been eating for years. Then we would drive home from church, looking at some lights, open one gift before bed, and wait for Christmas day to arrive. And Christmas day would be much of the same things we have been doing for years. Get up, eat breakfast, open gifts, eat more, turn on a football game, fall asleep on the couch. Repeat. Repeat.
So it was hardly that I would have expected to walk away from the Christmas Eve service last night, in a church in Redmond, WA, that I would have begun to think about something new. The service was structured around five passages of scripture reading, all focusing on what they deemed, "Passages of Interruption." Five different readings, where people's everyday lives were interrupted, and taken out of their normal movements. Everyone from Mary and Joseph, to the shepherds, to the wisemen, to the disciples, and on and on and on.
That seems like a very fitting description of the arrival of Jesus Christ into this world. Interruption. People's lives would never be the same. They have never been the same since the creation of the world and as God spoke to His people for thousands of years. But something about the arrival of God, in flesh, lying in a manger is not quite what we had expected. And when something comes along that we do not expect, it seems like a major interruption, because it does not fit into our reality of life.
This Christmas season, I am more and more impressed with who God is, and how He chose to reveal Himself in the form of a baby. That does not seem that unusual I suppose until one has spent some time around babies. Being around my fiance's newborn newphew (which is my soon to be newphew) I am struck with just how helpless a baby child is. All they do is eat, and sleep, and other things, all day long. Repeat. Repeat. So helpless, dependent on others for every little thing. That is why I am so impressed with the fact that that is the way God entered into the world. As a little baby, dependent upon others for every little thing. A definitive portrait of a humble king (Phil. 2).
And this Christmas season, I am more and more impressed with those around Christ, whose lives seemed interrupted. For Mary, a young woman in her teens, who is found pregnant, even though she is a virgin. In a culture such as that, she could have been stoned to death for having a child outside of wedlock, or being found to have a child with another man. Surely Joseph had some questions. For Joseph, whose life as a carpenter seemed to be interrupted and uprooted, as he had to cope not only with his soon to be wife being found pregnant, though he had not had sex with her. A man who trusts God, as did Mary, and flees for their survival. For the shepherds, who seem highly unlikely to be the first to receive the good news.
Our God is an amazing God, and I am reminded about how to easy it is for me to get caught up in my routine, my reality of how life is supposed to be, that I hardly rely on God anymore, because He seems too much like an interruption, and I instead rely on myself.
So it is this Christmas season that God and others are challenging me to see Him with new eyes, in a new light. To break out of the sterile religious routine that we often find ourselves in, because basically, it's just easier that way.
Merry Christmas this year, and may God show reveal Himself to you in many ways that you had not expected, and may you be open for your religious and life routines to be interrupted.
Posted by rhett at 05:51 PM | Comments (0)
December 22, 2004
Living Within The Boundaries Of The New Year And The Christmas Season
It doesn't take one long to figure out that we are people that like to live within certain boundaries. And here I am speaking of the boundaries of a start and finish. We enjoy starting, heading out into something new, and we look forward to finishing the course or task that we have set out on. We start books, and feel unsettled if we don't finish them, though they might be terrible reads. We start movies, and finish those, whether they are good or bad. We start races in the blocks, and our goal is to cross the finish line bursting across the tape. And we are people who read a Bible with a beginning, Genesis, and with an ending in Revelation. Start. Finish.
As we approach the end of the year we are quickly approaching another finish that we started almost 12 months ago. Some of us started last January 1 with high hopes about the start we would have, and the accomplishments that the finish of 2004 would bring us. And we are looking forward to the fruit of that labor. Others started the 2004 year on January 1 with the same desires, but as we look back, we wonder went wrong, and are even having questions about whether or not we will finish this year out at all.
Luckily for you and I, we worship a God who is not only into starting something, but into finishing it as well. In the Epistle to the Philippians, Paul proclaims to the church in Philippi, "I think my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:3-6).
Did you catch that? Partnership. You and I as followers of Christ are in this journey, this race (I Cor. 9:24-27) together, in partnership, not only with each other, but with Christ. In fact, we have an advantage, as we come to realize that the One who began this work in us, who started us out on our journey, is also the One who will carry us through to the completion of the journey. From start to finish, we are in partnership with Christ, the Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8), the One who knows no beginning (John 1) or end.
Every year we are given a new chance to start over. To start the new year, with so many uknown things, and to finish it at the end. So why is it that every year we start off with such good intentions to do things different? Maybe spend more time with family. Maybe spend more time with friends. Maybe set better boundaries at work. Maybe volunteer your time. Or maybe we determine not to be so concerned with our looks and body image as we were the last year, but instead, we have made the resolution to spend more time with God, in His word (I Timothy 4:8).
We are all full with good intentions as we are about to close the chapter and finish up another year. And we are excited about starting a new year and the propsect of a new and exciting life that awaits us. But as this year winds down, take some time to reflect on this past year, and the things you succeeded in, and the things you failed in. Take some time to reflect on your relationship with God, and what part He did or didn't play this last year. Most of us will be able to look back if we are honest with ourselves, and see all the things that we took out of God's hands, and tried to do on our own. We had a willing partnership with the One who knows us more intimately than anyone else. With the One who started the things in our life we are passionate about, and the One who will bring those things to an end. But eventually, going too long without that partnership leaves all of us exhausted, tired and worn out in many, many ways. So in this New Year that is upon us, resolve to make God a bigger part of your life, realizing that He is your life, and your start to finish will only be as successful and rewarding as the partnership you carry on with Him.
And like the people in Philippi, remember too, that God has put people in your life, in your community to be in partnership with you. You are not to go this next year alone, but in partnership with the community that God has blessed you with.
The Scriptures seem to teach us about relationship, about being in partnership with each other, whether it's the relationship of David and Jonathan (I Samuel 20), to the fellowship of the disciples. And there is no more poignant moment than the relationship/partnership between God and Jesus (Col. 1), or the union of the Trinity (Mark 1:9-11) at the baptism of Jesus.
So head out this year in partnership and relationship with God and the community around you, so that the journey between the beginning and the end of 2005 will be more fulfilling.
Posted by rhett at 01:03 AM | Comments (0)
December 20, 2004
The Holiday Spirit:Consumerism and Christianity
Something quite doesn't seem right this year at Christmas. I mean, it's supposed to be the happiest time of the year, right. Well, everything doesn't seem right, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it, until I found myself sitting in traffic all day, as I drove around shopping for Christmas gifts. You would think that if I was in the car for hours at a time that I must have been driving all over California to purchase that perfect gift, when in reality, I must have driven only up and down Wilshire.
And as I was sitting in the car, I realized that I have totally lost what Christmas is all about. it's not about shopping, it's not about purchasing gifts, nor receiving them. Rather, it's about being with family and friends, and worshipping the event of God becoming man. And it's unfortunate that I need somone to remind me of this. This is a season where we set aside time to mark the event of dvinity dwelling in the flesh. How remarkable is that. (John 1: Phil. 2). Yet it seems like we would rather worship the all mighty dollar, and the conusmeristic attitude of the season.
My favorite song of the Christmas season is "The Little Drummer Boy." Every time I hear the song I am literally, and quite easily moved to tears. I thought I might be alone in this, until I mentioned this to a friend, who immediately responded in like, and we both found ourselves in tears as we discussed the deep meaning of the song. Yes, forget what you think as a simple song, simply because most of the lyrics are Ra pum pum pum. Rather, it is a song, about a young boy, who has nothing to offer this baby child, but the gift of playing the drum. This little boy, offerring up to Jesus, all that he could muster.
That is what the Christmas season is about. It's not about what we can give each other materially, but it's about relationship, it's about the giving of ourselves, and the gifts God has given us. It's about offerring up to God all that we have to give him, which isn't much, not about driving around in traffic, looking for that perfect gift.
It seems like this is something we should know as Christians, but sadly it is not that easy for us. Of anyone, we are the ones who are to point to the world around us of something greater, something transcendent, something more worth living for than the materials that we purchase and consume.
Though I still like to give gifts to those around me, and though I still have been running around crazily, trying to find that perfect gift for that special person, i think it's important that as Christians we really, and truly embrace what the Christmas season is about.
We have the chance to be a light to those around us (Matt. 5:13-16), but sometimes I wonder if we lost that light, or cover it up, when we spend most of our Christmas season running around purchasing gifts, all stressed out. God coming down as a baby child, to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders (Isaiah 9:6) seems to be the last thing on our minds. It is this event, God taking on flesh that has given us life, by becoming a child, living a perfect life, dying on the cross, and paying for our sins, so that we wouldn't have to.
This season we are doing something different in my house. It is probably for several reasons: 1) I have all that I want, and more thant I could possibly need; 2) There are no children in the house; 3) I'm spending my first Christmas away from my family. All those have contributed to us deciding that we would draw names, and purchase one gift for that person, under $20. And then whatever else we would spend, or would want to spend, we are contributing to some organization or foundation that we want to support. But this is this year, and that is not always how we have done it.
But I think it would be a great thing, no matter what you are doing this Christmas, to remember the real reason for the season as they say. Most of your Christmas shopping is probably over, so it's a little too late to slow down. But if you haven't, SLOW DOWN...SPEND TIME WITH THOSE AROUND YOU THAT CARE ABOUT YOU...REFLECT ON YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MEMORIES...AND REFLECT ON WHAT IT IS THAT GOD DID OVER 2000 YEARS BY COMING DOWN TO EARTH AS A CHILD.
For other thoughts on Consumerism and Christianity, check out these resources:
Rich Christians In An Age of Hunger
Suburban Spirituality
Posted by rhett at 06:08 PM | Comments (0)
December 17, 2004
Tony Campolo
So, if you didn't attend the 9am or 11am services at Bel Air yesterday (Oct. 24th), then you missed one of the great voices in evangelical Christianity. You may also not know that you also missed one of the most controversial voices in evangelical Christianity as well. Tony Campolo Tony Campolofor decades has been a force to be reckoned with. In 2003 Christianity Today dubbed him the "Positive Prophet" who before his heart attack used to speak anywhere between 400-500 times a year. Since then he has cut back into the 300's.
Christianity Today
Whether it's this infamous story at Wheaton decades ago where he swore from the pulpit to get student's attention regarding homelessness
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/150/story_15052_1.html or whether it's he or his wife's controversial views on
homosexuality
, there is no doubt that in the midst of all the controversy that Tony Campolo is doing great things for the poor and oppressed in the United States and around the world www.tonycampolo.org
Campolo follows in a long line of theologians who have proclaimed a message of the "social gospel" which found it's root in Walter Rauschenbusch in the late 1800's and early 1900's in New York's Hell's Kitchen. The main concern as Campolo stated on Sunday is to take care of another's basic needs first, and to keep the great commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31). When you keep this commandment, then you can proceed to go out and convert a person. But conversion can not come until one has taken care of the poor and oppressed basic needs.
This is a simple summary and does not even touch the complexities or theology of people such as Tony Campolo and the "social gospel movement." But I hope that Tony stirred your heart on Sunday to get more invovled in your community. And I also hope that your realize that both praise and controversy surrounds many of God's servants in this world.
By the way....did you know that if you have ever worn a WWJD bracelet, or used that phrase, that you are using a phrase that came from the famous social gospel writer Charles Sheldon in the book, "In His Steps." http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/8r3/8r3047.html
So take some time to read up on social gospel theology for yourself, and see what role, if any, it has in Christianity.
Posted by Admin at 08:11 PM
Sex, Christianity and Culture: Created Goodness, Sinful Distortion and Redeemed Potential
Deciding to write a blog on sex was purely a cheap and easy marketing ploy to get more readership. Selling sex seems to be working for everyone else, so why not try it to get more readers on The Quest website. In fact, before this blog was completed we had to go through an image/photo change regarding this topic...not wanting to offend, though wanting to bring attention to the subject at hand (thanks Jared for the help) Though I am being a bit tongue in cheek, the reality is that we are saturated in a culture obsessed with sex, and it's pervasiveness is non-ending, from the TV shows we watch, to the magazines we buy, to the clothes we wear, and even to the shampoo that sells.
And living in a sex saturated culture has seemed to force us into two moral or theological camps. There are those who are interested in the topic and want to dialogue on the pressing sexual issues and struggles of the day and how they affect who we are as Christians. And though Bryan's latest blog article is on dating and not sex, it is evident by the responses that we are a community of people hungry to discuss the relevant issues of our day that we find important, and these usually involve discussions about the opposite sex. Then there are those who want to have nothing of the dialogue, and would rather push it off to some obscure corner, hoping it goes away. Test in theory: Encouraging some young adults on the church staff to read an email I wrote regarding this topic, I titled my email with the subject, SEX, SEX, SEX. Of course, the email was never received because our computer system blocked out the receivers from my email due to the nature of the subject. I had to go downstairs and ask that the emails not be blocked. Apparently using the word sex in some workplaces will fire up all kinds of warning signals.
Though we can laugh at the situation with my email at work, it seems to be that this response is very much like our Christian culture, which upon hearing the word sex, would often rather run and hide than have an open talk on the issue, which in turn leaves us with nothing more than the influence of our surrounding culture which has little to say of value concerning sex and it's proper context within the marriage covenant. The late theologian and ethicist Lewis Smedes, wrote this about the issue of sex, and the two errors of idolatry we often fall into regarding this topic:
"It is simple to make an idol: slice one piece of created reality off the whole and expect miracles from it. The miracles may be positive or negative; they may heal or hurt. If the idol has the power to heal, you keep it around you; you touch it, kiss it, rub it, or manipuate it any way you can. If the idol threatens you, you place a taboo on it, which means that you do not touch it, do not even mention it, for fear that familiarity will have a hurtful backlash. Idols work both ways: we make an idol of something either by expecting too much good from it or by fearing evil from it. Making an idol of sex happens both ways. We make an idol of sex by first isolating one dimension of sexuality--the genital. Then we either expect everything from it that we need to be happy or we fear that it will hurt us. Either way, sex has become an idol."
Now I am not a naive college director, with my head in the sand not knowing what is happening in our community, and what everyone is up to in their time away from church on Wednesday nights. We are a community who has used sex outside of the marital covenant (I Cor. 7:1-16), and in the process have made an idol out of what God intended for marriage. And we are a community who would rather not even discuss the matter out of fear of some sort of contamination, or disgust, or embarrassment, or fear, or conviction. It is neither right for us to engage in sex outside of the marriage covenant, making an idol of it, nor is it right for us to not be frank on the matter, hoping that the topic will just go away, and that everyone would figure out things for themselves. That only does more damage to us in the long run. We have the option to leave ourselves in front of the TV and learn from the messages they preach on sex, or to listen to the word of God and the messages he preaches on sex.
If this is not already an issue, or struggle, or peer pressure point for you, then it will certainly be at one point in your life, and probably sooner than later. You will most likely face issues and frank talk regarding sex when you are single, dating, married, and at some point as a parent. Basically, always! And I would much rather look at what the Bible has to say about sex, than what the LA culture around me is screaming so loud.
That is why, from Jan. 26--Through Feb. 23 I will be teaching a four-part series on "Sex, Christianity and Culture: Created Goodness, Sinful Distortion and Redeemed Potential." In those four talks I want to take an honest and open look about what God's word has to say about sex, and how that compares and contrasts to what the culture around us is teaching.
January 26: Sex, Christianity and Culture
February 2: Sex: Created Goodness
February 9: Ash Wednesday Service
February 16: Sex: Sinful Distortion
February 23: Sex: Redeemed Potential
In this series I hope to do four things: 1) Give an overall view of comparison and contrast between what the world says about sex, and what the Bible says about sex. 2) I want to look at the "created goodness" that God intended sex to be, which is in a committed, monogamous, marriage covenant. 3) I want to look at the way we use sex and get into all kinds of "sinful distortion" when it is not in the proper context of the marriage covenant. And what are those distortions and how do they affect us? 4) I want to look at the "redeemed potential" of sex when we have fallen into sin and not expressed that gift from God in the proper marriage covenant. How does God heal and renew and transform us?
I know that we are a big and varied community, coming from all kinds of different backgrounds, with all kinds of different issues and baggage. I know that we are a community that struggles with many of the same things, and a community that feels isolated at times by the struggles we do face. I know that we are a community not only pressed upon with the overwhelming sexual temptations in the world around us, but at times can barely overcome the powerful influence of the Los Angeles culture and its degrading value upon sex. But the good news is, that wherever you have been, and whever you are, we serve a God who is faithful and just, and loving and merciful, and whose grace exceeds beyond what we can possibly fathom.
As I close this article I am reminded and touched by the moving scene in "The Passion of the Christ" where the woman who is cleaning up Jesus' blood (portrayed as Mary Magdalene in the movie) reflects upon the time when Jesus publicly redeemed her from those who wanted to stone her (John 8). It is a beautiful and moving scene of what it is like for a loving and gracious God to redeem what has been lost or distorted by the world around us and our sinful nature, and to make it new, transforming us into new people. In some way or another we have all been affected or will be affected by the Fall (Genesis 3) and the sinful nature in us, causing us to struggle, and fight against what we know to be truth (Romans 7:14-25).
As we head into the holidays, I would like us to carefully and respectfully reflect on this issue, and if you are so moved, please share you feelings, thoughts or ideas below, so that we can better move forward into understanding and truth regarding sex, and what the Bible has to say about it.
Posted by rhett at 02:46 PM | Comments (0)
To Blog, or Not To Blog.....Recommending Books as an Exercise in Blogging.
That is the question that I have been asking myself ever since I asked our web designer Jared if I could have a blog, and then was presented with the daunting task of writing what was supposed to be daily or weekly entries, but have instead settled for monthly. And now, months later, I have a total of about three blogs, with nothing to say at all. Though Brian Colmery has definitely become more proficient at the task than I have.
Let's begin with the basics, because a blog is not only something that you all should know about, but also because my primary intention with a blog was to begin to create community in a cyber savvy community such as yourselves.
What is a Blog? It is short for "weblog." And though there are many different defintions of a blog, and many different ways that a blog can be run, it is basically a daily journal, log or diary from somone. That someone could be a single individual, or a large organization, and the entries can be as mundane as what someone ate for breakfast, to what political or theological leanings one has.
Why a Blog? There are many reasons why people have blogs, but for the purpose of The Quest ministry, there are four that I think are important for the direction I would like to see it go.
1) Creating/Building Community: This is not something we would have been talking about a few years ago, but in an ever increasing technologically savvy culture, the internet has been one of the main avenues to not only create, but to also build community. This type of movement can been seen in the explosion of online chat rooms and groups. Creating and building community over the internet is not the same as doing it in person, nor should it take the place of it, but if we are all going to be on our computers for so many hours during the day, why not take advantage of the situation.
2) Exchanging of Ideas/Thoughts: A blog, or forum is a great avenue to share ideas and thoughts, and to reflect on them. It would be ideal on a Wednesday night if we could all go around and share, but with so many people and so little time, that would be impossible. So why not enter into a community, and help create and build community by the exchanging of ideas and thoughts.
3) Information: Fulfilling what seems to be the original intent of the internet, a blog (or forum) is a great way to get information out to you, to the people.
4) Resources: One of the great things about a blog, and one of the reasons that blogs were a major influence in politics this year, is because bloggers (those who write blogs) cite all their sources for you to check. You don't have to rely solely on someone's information, but can check the facts yourself.
So what does a blog look like? Well, a blog can take many different forms and shapes as I said earlier. But one hopes that in the future any blog I write would consist of the four characteristics that I listed above. That whatever I write would help create and build community within The Quest. That it would be a place for the exchanging and reflection upon various ideas and thoughts. That it would be a good source of information and resources.
The Blogging Exercise: So let's begin the December month with a trial run in blogging, and see if we can get this thing going.
It seems to me that one of the things that we all enjoy sharing with each other are the thoughts and ideas that we receive from reading books. If you read a really good book, or a really challenging book, etc., aren't you very likely to say to someone, "I read this awesome book! You need to read it!" Of course that sounds great, but then reality hits when you realize you already have five books that you want to read, outside of the ten others that someone said are the best ever.
But since the Holiday Season is among us, and you will have time to read more, and books may be a great gift for someone, let's discuss the books that you think we all should be reading.
The Criteria is simple: 1) Give us the title of the book 2) Give us the author's name 3) Tell us why we should read this book, whether it's theological, fiction or non-fictional literature, political, humorous, or just plain fun. What are the reasons? 4) Let's begin to dialogue with each other. Jump in on someone's thoughts. Concur or disagree with the comments? Etc. 5) Etiquette: Do this exercise in grace, love, encouragement. If someone recommends The Cat in the Hat as the best book ever, don't say, "You are so stupid, I can't believe you." Rather, "Wow! The Cat in the Hat is a great book, but I might have to put Dostoyevsky a little higher on the list."
So as I was thinking through my own list, a couple of thoughts popped up to me, mainly from what I saw on Hugh Hewitt's blog for Sunday and Monday, November 28 & 29 A good, or great book is something that you reread. So I began to think of the books that I have reread, and they number very few. But I think that is a good criteria, but maybe for someone who is a little older, and who is at the stage in life to begin to reread books, because they have already read everything.
So let me begin with my list for the Christmas Holidays, some of which I have reread, and others which I have not, but want to. These are a few books that I think everyone should read.
The Brother's Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: In my humble opinion, the greatest novel ever written, but I haven't read everything. But I have read no other novel that explores the great issues of freedom, grace, love, humility, etc, as does this book. Dostoyevsky is an author that should transform you, and this book does just that. Your ideas of what true love, sacrifice, grace and more will be challenged by this book. And Chapter 5, The Grand Inquisitor is a standard text in many theology and philosophy classes on the concept of freedom. A long read at about 800 plus, small print pages.
Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis: I am currently on my third reread of this series, and have learned and seen and understood new things everytime I read through them. I was so enamored with CS Lewis and his works that I even took a class on him at the seminary Regent College in Vancouver, BC. Don't be fooled by the fact that Lewis and others have called them children's books. That they are not! Though enjoyable for any aged audience, a child will enjoy the fairytale fantasy of it all, while an adult will not only do the same, but will grasp the deeper themes in Lewis's writings. Forever etched in my mind is the character of Aslan, that I can hardly think of God at times without imagining a lion. Lewis takes the ivory tower theories of theology, and inserts them into the practical everyday living of characters, where they should be.
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok: I have just finished the three of Potok's novels, and what is amazing about this author is that he has chosen to focus on a different form of Judaism in each of his novels, making this a wonderful learning experience. My Name is Asher Lev is one of the great novels. It is especially amazing for those of you who have an artistic bent, as the character Asher Lev explores the creative aspect of art, and creating something out of nothing. You will have a hard time putting this book down as this young Jewish prodigy tries to find his artistic place in a very legalistic upbringing, and reconcile his artistic gifts in a religious community that sees many forms of art as satanic.
The Church of England Series by Susan Howatch: Susan Howatch is my favorite living author, and no books have forced me to re-think through many things, and challenged me at the core of what I believe and who I am, as these have. Though these novels follow the lives of the clergy in England, I know that you do not need to be a pastor, or in the ministry to enjoy them. Howatch captures humanity in a very realistic portrayal, as we follow the characters through the story as they struggle to follow and serve God in the midst of all their temptations and sin. I'm sure many will be turned off by her very realistic portrayal of the struggles by way of sex, drinking, pride, etc, but that would be a shame, since I think they most accurately reflect our own sinful lives. Like Potok, Howatch explores the different strands of the Church of England in her series, and it becomes a great learning experience as well.
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller: A good read that will force you to think through your own beliefs on many issues in the Christian faith, such as love, community, sex, etc. Miller has a very comical narrative style, and I found myself laughing out loud as I worked my way through his book. Whether you agree or disagree with the ideas and thoughts in his book, this is a book that has definitely been a topic of conversation in many Christian circles.
So these are just a few of my thoughts and these are some of the books that have really challenged and shaped me, but I know that there are many others out there as well. So feel free to share your thoughts. And as I continue to learn how to blog, and put my energy from my personal diaries I keep, to this website blog, I hope that it will build community, and that you may learn a lot from it as we carry on a conversation via the internet. As the months progress expect to hear more about my interest in the growing Emergent Church Movement . sex (the sermon topics for late January and February), as well as some of my thoughts on dating and marriage as I am in the midst of helping my fiance plan our wedding.
Posted by rhett at 02:27 PM | Comments (0)
