Hot Topic #3: Spring Break Behavior & the Christ-follower

We are all well acquainted with the phrase, "Whatever happens in Vegas - stays in Vegas." Ah! If only that were true. Unfortunately what happens in Vegas (and anywhere else for that matter) stays with you for the rest of your life.

This week's Hot Topic comes the week before Spring Break for our students. To talk about how this works I chose to ignore the overused story of the life of David. I think we have - in the past - seen David as an almost-mystical worst case scenario of the effects of sin. Our present cultural landscape says otherwise. David is everyman. David is not the anomaly we would like him to be.

So what do we learn from David's spring break behavior?

As it happens in 2 Samuel 11 we find David on a spring fling of his own (v.1). He sees a woman bathing on a nearby rooftop, sends for her and commits adultery with her (vv.2-4). Bathsheba (the woman) becomes pregnant (v.5). Then David sends for Uriah to come home assuming that he will sleep with his wife and cover David's sin... only it does not go as planned and Uriah refuses to go home while his comrades are engaged in battle (vv. 6-13). Next David goes even further down the path and puts Uriah intentionally in the line of fire (vv. 14-17). And in chapter 12 the baby dies as a direct result of the sin.

If the story ended there it would be tragic, but the downward spiral continues. In chapter 13 David's sins seem to be rubbing off as his daughter Tamar is raped by his stepson Amnon (vv. 1-19). Then Absalom has Amnon murdered because of the rape (vv. 23-29). And the final retribution in the form of Absalom's murder in chapter 18. What tangled webs we weave!

Sin never happens in a vacuum. It always has long lasting consequences. Those consequences certainly affect us, but seldom only us because sin has tentacles. The bad choices we make extend beyond us to others. Spring break is about choices... make good ones.

Week #12: Raising a Modern-Day Knight by Robert Lewis

This book came highly recommended by one of my former middle school leaders. After reading the book I think I understand some of why. Lewis touches on the things that all of us, as Christian fathers, desire to pass on to our sons. It goes beyond chivalry to the very nature of what it means to be a man.

The positive takeaways far outweigh the difficult imagery one must wade through to get to the valuable parts. There are some very good, practical ideas here. One that caught my attention was the emphasis on ceremony. It helped me to compare it to the emphasis we already give to other societal rights of passage and more importantly what they represent... graduation, baptisms, and weddings.

I particularly identified with the thrust of chapter 11 as he deals with the dangers of individualism and how we communicate this (largely through modeling) to our sons. Someone once wisely said that, "A lone ranger dies alone."

Do not get hung up on the old school metaphors. The wisdom of this book should lead us back to teaching our sons what it really means to be a man. It's not about how many times a week you go to the gym or how many rungs you've climbed on the success ladder. Being a man is all about having a transparent relationship with God that reaches for honesty (even when it's ugly) and believes in passing on the things he has learned.

I am thankful for a father that modeled this for me. May I be half the dad that he was and still is to me!

Hot Topic #2: Euthanasia... A Christian Perspective

This was a difficult (and personal) discussion. I have experienced firsthand the complexities of this topic. Three times in the last several years I have had to deal with this issue on a personal level. First, with my best friend from college who was hit by a truck and remains to this day in a near persistent vegetative state. Then one of my students developed a rare blood disease that almost took his life and led to some of these same questions; and finally, with my grandmother's debilitating battle with Alzheimer's disease for the last 6 or so years of her life. I know that this is a tough one!

In many ways - certainly in specific terms - the Scripture remains silent on this issue. I concede that. I also want to make it clear that I think it is OK for people to wrestle with the issue and not have guilty feelings about wishing that someone who is suffering could leave this life for the next. All of those kinds of emotions are what make us human. But ultimately that is part of the main point... we are human. As certainly as we cannot definitively decide when a life should begin, as difficult as it may be for us to admit, neither do we have the right to decide when a life should end. Intuitively we know this. It makes sense. But those passionate feelings in us decry our good sense and render it inoperable.

What of the Scripture? Can we find any direction... even in principle? Certainly the Bible does make mention of suicide - even that done for seemingly "noble purposes". The Bible consistently casts these actions in a negative light. There are at least 6 such times when suicide is spoken of...

Abimelech in Judges 9
Samson in Judges 16
Saul in 1 Samuel 31
Ahithophel in 2 Samuel 17
Zimri in 1 Kings 16
Judas in Matthew 27

The takeaway here is admittedly an argument mostly from silence, but God never casts these actions in any type of positive light. But the point can be made better in examining the originator and sustainer of life. Again, that's why last week's discussion about creation is so crucial. If you don't have the beginning right, you certainly will struggle with the end.

While there are no easy answers, and each case is different in its scope, the same God who creates and sustains life must be the one to control the destiny of man. To do any other is to question God's authority at least and purloin it at worst.

God's control is only frightening to those who resist it. Though none of us enjoy seeing someone we love in pain, God knows all of that. He knows what that person is able to endure. He knows what things that person may need to make right before their time is up. He knows the effect that individual's life may have on others as they journey through this difficulty with them. He knows. He cares. We must do the hardest thing that we can be asked to do in difficult situations like this... trust Him.

Even When I Don't See... I Still Believe

Occasionally - although not that often - an artist comes along who defies categorization. They are generally eclectic and have a song or two that hits the charts and then they are gone as quick as they appeared...

And then there is Jeremy Camp.

Before I knew anything about him I loved his music. It had feeling and emotion. One of my beefs with some music is that the sound doesn't match the lyrics. This happens on both "sides" of the coin... powerful lyrics with wimpy sounds and great tunes with nothing to say. Jeremy Camp seemed to get them both right... and at the same time.

At first I heard him on Christian radio. Then (early in his career) a local youth group was hosting an intimate invitation-only acoustic concert with Jeremy. My wife and I were invited and felt some obligation to go... even though we still didn't really know much about this guy.

After hearing his story of loss and the trials God has carried him through, it helped me understand that the reason his music was so powerful was because of these events that God had helped him through.

I bought that first CD. I was into every song (and that is not usual for me) almost immediately. They were not lyrics of a poet. They were not lyrics of a bitter man. They were written with honesty and sung with passion. My favorite is a song he wrote around the time of his first wife's death. It's called I Still Believe.

Scattered words and empty thoughts
Seem to pour from my heart
I've never felt so torn before
Seems I don't know where to start
But it's now that I feel Your grace fall like rain
From every fingertip washing away my pain

I still believe in Your faithfulness
I still believe in Your truth
I still believe in Your Holy Word
Even when I don't see, I still believe

Though the questions still fog up my mind
With promises I still seem to bear
Even when answers slowly unwind
It's my heart I see You prepare
But it's now, that I feel, Your grace fall like rain
From every fingertip washing away my pain

I still believe in Your faithfulness
I still believe in Your truth
I still believe in Your Holy Word
Even when I don't see, I still believe

Well the only place I can go is into Your arms
Where I throw to You my feeble prayers; well in brokenness
I can see that this was Your will for me
Help me to know that You are near

I still believe in Your faithfulness
I still believe in Your truth
I still believe in Your Holy Word
Even when I don't see, I still believe

Lessons from Lent

At the almost half-way point of the Lenten season I would like to chronicle a bit of my journey with the experience thus far. Without a doubt I am thankful for this expedition. From the start I thought that participating by fasting would not be nearly enough to gain the full benefit of what Lent is to be. My goal was to replace that which I am fasting with something that would point my heart and mind back to my initial reason for participating... realizing anew the sacrifice of Christ on my behalf.

I decided to fill the void with -- prayer. But I didn't want it just to be a scripted, bow my head and thank God for all the great stuff He has done for me kind of prayer. I wanted it to be different. Meaningful. Outside the box. I did a little digging and decided that I would venture in to some new waters. I came upon the concept of fixed-hour praying. Right away my mind went to the story of Daniel. Obviously this was not a new concept... just new to me.

So my 20-day journey has led me to pray more intentionally and if the second half is anything like the first it will continue to deepen my realization of what Christ means to me.

Week #11: How to Have Real Joy by Charles Spurgeon

When I first started reading this book I will admit that it was out of obligation. The book was a gift (given twice I might add) from my in-laws... apparently I come across as a not-happy guy. I actually thought it was going to be depressing on many levels. I mean, really... this is Spurgeon... the artist formerly known as Prince (of preachers). I'm sure he had much to be joyful about. A fruitful ministry, preaching to thousands in the famed Metropolitan Tabernacle, and a life message that is still revered to this day... what's not to be happy about?

Another reason I was not in a huge hurry to read this volume was its title. I am no fan of "how-to" books. I find them to be largely prescriptive and usually formulaic. Not this one. The more I read the better it became!

So, how does one have real joy? Focus on Christ. The premise of the book is that knowing Christ means knowing and having real joy. This definition truly runs contrary to much of the thinking of this age. Joy is not found in a better way of life. No joy in getting a promotion (at least not lasting). Though there is fleeting happiness associated with the accumulating of things, there can never be permanent joy in any other than Christ.

Spurgeon is quick to point out that joy will not mean the absence of pain. In fact, it will most likely mean that suffering will come as an opportunity for us to turn away from our external circumstances and to the eternal solutions that only Christ can offer. What a wonderful reminder that joy is not found in feeling or situation. Joy is found in Jesus.

March Madness Indeed

There is a famous American tradition that we refer to simply as March Madness. This year 65 teams will go head to head in the fast-paced game that is college basketball. Even if you are not a fan of the sport, you cannot help but be drawn in by the packed field houses and the spectacle of things like seeing guys who still play defense.

Last year my team almost went all the way. The Fighting Illini finished as the runner-up to the National Champion Tarheels from North Carolina. This year the pressure is off. They didn't even win the Big Ten title. But they are playing strong and should at least string together some good performances. Could they be the second Illinois champion in the last 5 months?

But March has other special attractions for me. Two of my three favorite ladies on the planet claim March as their birth month... my bride of almost 13 years has a birthday tomorrow (and, no, I'm not saying how old she is - do you think I've learned nothing in our time together?) and our second daughter Erica turned 9 on the fourth day of this month.

Those events (in reverse order actually) are a huge part of what makes March special to me. But there's one other reason I like March and it is for this reason that I chose to write about March from a theological perspective. March reminds me of God. Spring. The end of winter's cold. The beginning of all things beautiful.

March reminds me that even in my coldest season when I feel far from God that re-birth, new life is only a seedling away. With the return of March comes a freshness that reminds me of how God views my sin when I confess it to Him and turn from it. Truly I am undeserving of such kindness... March madness indeed!

Hot Topic #1: Creation... Can I Defend What I Believe?

It's a 16th century painting called The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo for crying out loud!

This first topic is one that I will not be covering "live" with the students... this is the passion of one of my very capable leaders and he will present tomorrow night. But I've been thinking about it all week too and thought I would at least put my two cents in here.

Honestly I was all-too-eager to pass on this subject. I'm not a very technical person. Math was not my thing (my wife does the checkbook). I only did ok in the sciences because I had a good teacher who tried to make things interesting. My leader who is speaking Sunday will look at the title and masterfully focus on the "defend" aspect... I would hit the "believe" part... and probably will do that here to some degree. So if you're more the scientific-type, you may want to avoid my juvenile musings and visit an intellectual website like Answers In Genesis.

Please don't misunderstand my approach. First, for me, my personality is very trusting. This can be a very helpful resource. It can also get me into a great deal of trouble. Second and I already alluded to this earlier, I'm an English-type guy and usually those who do well in English don't excel in the sciences and vice-versa. So I couldn't give you a firsthand well-reasoned defense for why I believe the creationist hypothesis above all others.

All of that said, I think it does matter how we think about this issue. It is after all the beginning deal. Biblically speaking there is no recorded human event that precedes this one! If you don't have the beginning straight it has a much more significant impact than if you may have disagreement about the end of things (which ironically we will touch on in coming weeks).

If God was not the author, then it calls into serious question His ability to act as sustainer. Truthfully it calls everything into question. Genesis means beginnings. So it really is a pretty good place to start when you're talking about origins.

But what if I don't believe the Bible? Well I told you that I would definitely not be representing the scientific community in my opinion. So here it goes. At the end of the day when all of the hypotheses are on the table and every arguable theory has been proposed every one of them boils down to the same thing... faith.

You may not like that. You may not be a religious person at all. But I'm not speaking of religious faith. I speak of simple trust. There was no human present at the beginning - on that point I think most of us would agree. Therefore, no scientific theory can be plausible at the end of the day because one of the first tests of something's veracity is that it must be verifiable. And since no one was around to verify any theory... it must come down to which idea I am willing to trust.

For me that's it. It really is that simple. And I feel much more comfortable relying on the God of the universe who is the same yesterday, today and forever than any of the other options available.

Week #10: An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus

Wow! I could probably begin and end with that one-word summary. This book says everything I have been thinking and saying conversationally with friends for some time. McManus understands the problems with the modern church. He doesn't hide from them. Nor does he abandon the baby because of the bath water.

In many ways McManus' work could be an answer to Barna's recent book... only this one came almost 5 years earlier. McManus comes to some of the same conclusions about the current state of the church. McManus also feels the heartbeat of the Emergent Conversation that there is a need to go back to the past before we can go forward to the future. He contends that emergents are simply not looking back far enough. The Church God had in mind was the first century church. It was prototypical, yet typical of what God wants us to be still.

McManus calls us to adopt what he calls a theology of change. What a comprehensive perception! In talking about this reality he goes to the very nature and character of God to make his point. Though God is immutable in every sense of the word, He has always delivered His message (and will continue to) through different means at different times.

The term he uses that will stay with me for a long time is the concept of a radical minimum standard. I won't explain it as well as he does, but the idea is that we see Scriptural principles often as credal mandates - he gives the example of the 10 commandments. McManus argues that they were not to be the high end of moral behavior... they were meant as a minimum standard. And on and on he goes from tithing to church membership. His accusation that hit me hardest is that we have lowered the bar! We have asked less of our people and required more out of our pastoral types and lost the vision of what God had in mind for his church in the process.

I cannot even begin to express the blessing and challenge this book has been to me personally. I'm going to recommend that we read this one as an Elder Board at the church where I serve. It's rich!

Hot Topics

Perhaps the picture above is more fitting than I originally intended. My initial thought was to use an illustration that played on the word "hot" by overstating the obvious. Upon further review this image also demonstrates the fury that some of these topics generate.

In the next few weeks I will be teaching a series entitled Hot Topics. Our high school students have assembled quite a list of issues that don't frankly come up all that often in an expositional approach to study - which we favor at our church - but come up often in their world.

My goal in this series is to deal fairly and biblically with each subject. Where Scripture is clear I will try to be; and when it is silent, I will endeavor to echo its stillness. Above all my prayer is that I would speak with compassion at all times and with extra doses of grace when there are known differences of opinion within the Christian community.

I will chronicle our journey here. May these thoughts give us the proper impression of Christ.

The Rock Gospel of Jesus Christ

Christian music is constantly evolving and finding new ways to express the message of Jesus. For the most part this is a good thing. Occasionally there will be a group that is difficult to categorize so we usually give them a multi-genre labeling (the music world's equivalent to receiving an Oscar). Even rarer is a group who pulls off a ministry "first". That is precisely what we have in the group Strive.

Derick Thompson, Chris Powers and Will Puth have put together an auditory feast. The music is all original. That by itself is a miracle these days. The music is good. But the music is NOT the story... Jesus is.

Without a spoken word Strive tells the life story of Jesus in musical format. No acting. No cheezy props. They have chosen the medium of music flavored with classic art which provides the visual stimulus to accentuate the powerful message flooding your ears. Visit their website to learn more about The Rock Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Chapel Student Ministry (where I serve) is bringing The Rock Gospel to St. Joseph this coming Palm Sunday, April 9. This is a FREE event!

All you need to do to participate is click the RSVP below sending an email that will reserve your FREE ticket. Type ROCK GOSPEL in the subject line. Space is limited and tickets are going fast. Take advantage of this incredible time of worship for some and investigation for others.

RSVP

Week #9: The Prayer of Jabez for Teens by Bruce Wilkinson

A few years ago there was an astonishingly popular book that attracted national attention and helped thousands of people to return to or expand a life of prayer. That's a good thing. This book is almost identical text in its theme, but uses teenaged illustrations and stories to make its point.

At one level I see the prayer of Jabez - the actual words found in Scripture - to be helpful and even powerful. Certainly the words of James agree with some of the sentiment expanded by Wilkinson that sometimes we don't believe God for big things.

However, I find the spiritual and even theological implications of Wilkinson's writing to be troublesome... at best. To make the Jabez prayer a starting and ending place for the ways we interact with God is at best... shortsighted and at worst... tending toward selfishness.

Did Jabez really pray these things? Do they really mean that basically I need to ask God to give me more of everything so that I can serve him more effectively? Yes and no.

Jabez is an obscure OT figure who is only mentioned by name in this one verse (1 Chronicles 4:9). Hardly a wise idea for building one's understanding of prayer around! We don't know enough about Jabez to draw the conclusions that Wilkinson does. It is unfair (and even dishonest) to say definitively that Jabez' blessing came as a direct result of his carefully-worded prayer. I think it is that single fact that frustrated me so as I heard good people become so enamored with the Jabez phenomenon.

Does God answer prayer? Absolutely. Does God desire to bless us? Absolutely. Should we be wrapped up in praying prescripted self-focused prayers as a starting and/or ending point for our communion with God? Absolutely not. And that is my problem with the Jabez focus... it seems that we are attributing some magical element to the speaking of these words. That God will bless us if we pray these words.

Perhaps praying in this way will lead us to accomplish great things in God's name. Maybe He will even open doors for us... say... in Africa. But what then if He calls us home? Did we stop praying? Did the prayer lose its power? Understand the true nature of prayer. It is not human prescription... rather, it is Divine intervention.

Knee Reconstruction

This is the EDITED VERSION. The original picture did look very much like my leg, but my kids told me it was gross. So here's the uncool realistic look of what life is like for a few days.

It happened... after years of beseeching the God of heaven in prayer... one of my knees finally gave out.

OK I am praying right now asking forgiveness for the lie I just told. There was no praying involved at all. Just a 200 pound freshman football player. Sorry for the theological diversion, but I couldn't pass on recording this personal milestone...

One of the hazards of working with people 20 years younger than you is playing with them and forgetting that fact. Thankfully my ego was able to escape only slightly bruised. There are many more embarrassing ways to be injured. I distinctly remember one of my profs showing up for class one day and having to tell all of us that he smacked into the door jam unprovoked.

We were playing Capture the Flag back in November. It was cold - as you might expect in Michigan - and the night was almost finished. We had played several games already and this was to be the last one. The team I was playing on was sure that we knew where the flag was, but we were outnumbered and the other team was aware that we thought we had the right location. We came up with a plan still not knowing exactly where the flag was tied, but our earlier reconnaissance team said it was on the boat that was "docked" behind the storage shed. As we approached the boat different ones of my teammates were being tagged and we were all simultaneously looking for the flag. I saw it tied to the mast and immediately began trying to untie the multitudinous knots. As I finished the last knot, with the flag free and in my hand, I was hit from my blindside and had my knee driven backwards. Ouch! Of course I must mention that as I was hit I threw the flag to my fastest teammate who then ran it across the line and we did win the last game.

I won't lead you through the next few minutes of boring details except to say that I was in pain and knew something was severely wrong.

I babied it for several weeks after that and eventually (just before Christmas) scheduled an appointment with a specialist. He looked at it and scheduled an MRI for January 5. The results were not conclusive, but he was pretty sure I had torn my ACL. He recommended some therapy to see if it would begin to heal on its own. In that six week time period I was sick for part of 2 different weeks, out of town and dealing with several ministry crises that required my full attention. I did not do the therapy.

I went back for my follow up this Wednesday. Scheduled surgery for March 30 and said that I would love to be considered earlier if there were any cancellations. I received a phone call Wednesday afternoon asking if I could do it the next day. I said yes. Now I'm done. In recovery Dr. Edwards noted that I had completely severed my ACL (or ACLU as my wife likes to call it). So apparently surgery was the right option. I have already started rehab and hope to be ready for softball season. We'll see.

Lent: A Protestant Perspective

I am a Protestant. I am an Evangelical Protestant. I am an Evangelical Protestant participating in Lent for the first time.

To be frank I think the first time I even heard of Lent was in the late 1990's. One of my students had a mainline denominational background and told me that he was going to fast (I don't remember what he gave up) for the entire month leading up to Easter. I don't remember what I said to him. Please forgive me Vic if I was anything less than supportive. I was ignorant.

After that exchange I thought about Lent exactly zero more times before 2005. Last year I began to explore some of the historical roots and significance of the practice. So why did I and how have I decided to participate?

I should be clear that the formally-named practice of Lent is a manmade creation. There is no Scriptural imperative to do Lent. Nor is there any special dispensation of grace given for participating... I know that last statement may be debated. But neither of the above mentioned realities means that there cannot be significance to the spiritual disciplines found in Lent... and it is that certainty that helped me decide to involve myself.

The answer to the question of "How will I participate?" was equally important to me - maybe even primarily important. Not just "What would I give up?... but a bit more of the "Why was I doing this again?" question. I understood that I was not doing this to score points (with God or with others down here). This was not some sort of religious weight loss system (though God knows I could stand to lose a few pounds). This was not a test of my will to see if I could give up something important for an entire month. This was not to be some sort of badge I could wear to have one-upped the majority of my Protestant friends. This had to be about God. This had to be a reflection on the sacrifice of Christ given on my behalf.

So I engage. I will not here even mention what I am giving up for lent because that is really not the point. The point is that I am sacrificing something important to me so that I can reflect on the sacrifice of God in giving His Son for me.

Early Ash Wednesday morning I found myself worshipping in a very new way. Not because of the building that I was in, but because of a renewed realization of the sacrifice of Christ on my behalf. Most of the time I am VERY grateful that at an early age I invited Jesus to be the Lord of my life. Occasionally I will have a few regrets about the timing, but not for the typical reasons... not so I may have a better-sounding testimony. I'm reminded of the words of Jesus in Luke when He says that... he who is forgiven little, loves little. I think sometimes because I came to Jesus so young that I felt (though mistakenly) that I had only been forgiven little. Ugly! The only reality is that I need to understand more deeply that the price for my sin was the same as that of the career blasphemer. Then I will begin to understand that I have been forgiven much.