this...from a religion of peace

I post this link because of the scores of people who have come to my site looking for information on Isioma Daniel, the Nigerian journalist who had to flee for her life for writing that Mohammed might like to pick a bride from the beauty pageant planned there.

Remember, a house divided against itself cannot stand. Jesus said it, and Islam is proving it. They claim to be a religion of peace, but seek to kill those who say anything negative against its prophet, and furthermore riot and kill hundreds, burn down buildings, and create an atmosphere of violence under said conditions.

happy festivus!

not knowing what to call the day after thanksgiving, I give a small homage greeting to the classic Seinfeld episode. The family and I will later be gathering around the Festivus pole for the annual sharing of grievances.

We had a very happy Thanksgiving with my wife's folks. My first poignant moment was watching Kaylyn help her G'Mom cook supper. That was a little hard on my heart. I had an experience (the first of many, I'm sure) like from the (remake) of Father of the Bride where Steve Martin sees his daughter as a small girl telling him that she's getting married.

This afternoon we'll be heading to Craig to spend a couple of days with my folks. I'll actually be traveling during both football games of interest to me this week. For some reason, I tend to feel responsibility if *my teams* lose while I am not actively rooting for them. So, if the Colorado Buffaloes or Denver Broncos lose this week, I accept responsibility and blame inasmuch as whatever impact my not viewing the games on television will have on their respective outcomes.

mixing my metaphors for the glory of God

I have to thank my father-in-law for this, based on a conversation we had last night. But if you don't like what you read, gripe at me, not him, because this is my rant.

He said to me something like, "when re-inventing the wheel, every generation needs to look at the one before to learn important lessons."

This is wise, and I'm not just saying that because I want the drumstick on Thanksgiving.

I really struggle with the mentality that says previous generations have nothing of value to give to subsequent ones. Especially when God Himself has said, "there is nothing new under the sun (Ecc. 1:9)."

Lately, it seems like the Christian community is so consumed with talking about how to reinvent the wheels that define us (church, evangelism, discipleship, etc.), that we've not actually taken our wheels out for a test drive. We've fallen in love with the discussion ABOUT the main things, rather than being passionate about DOING the main things themselves. And I have yet to see anyone come to know Christ by a bunch of Christians disagreeing over whether or not a church foyer should have a cappucino maker or an open microphone. When will we learn that disagreeable discussions about worship are not in themselves worship?

People get upset when they think a strategy or program is ineffective. That's fine. I can appreciate that. But too many people want to blame the strategy or program rather than taking responsibility themselves as being the broken component. People who never go out on visitation or share Jesus with others want to instead spend all their time griping about how ineffective existing models are. How could they possibly know? So strategies and programs get abandoned, and in our pride we go back to the chalk board and conjure up something that looks eerily similar to that which preceded it, but we give it a different name (Sunday school --> cell groups -->small groups -->home bible study). This is why worship services have become worship celebrations, while hymns have given way to praise choruses, why discipleship Training has become Lifestyle teaching. For Kingdom's Sake, let's quit trying to come up with clever names for the things God has called us to do, and just do them! We have become so enthralled with names and why one name works and another doesn't that we've lost sight of the principles that make a difference:

Go: co-exist in the world with the lost. Don't spend all your time locked in theological closets.
make disciples: invest your lives in theirs, so that they see Christ alive in you.
Baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: tell others about Jesus -- contextualize the message, but don't compromise the truth.
And lo, I am with you, until the very end of the age: Uh, if you've been doing it on your own, that's the problem.

Jesus didn't focus on the issue that people couldn't agree on who He was. He knew who He was. He knew that those who had been ordained for salvation would figure it out. That's still taking place today -- despite the millions that recognize Him as Savior, many still label him simply as a teacher, an example, a prophet, or any number of other things that just miss the point.

Unfortunately, those of us who call Him Lord still struggle with the difference between talking about something and actually doing (or being) something. Maybe we need to quit trying to tell everyone else 'how to do it (whatever 'it' is). Instead, we should just do it (this sermonette has been sponsored by Nike). If you don't like that your church is too traditional, then go to one that's contemporary. If you think your pastor preaches too long, then find one who's more succinct. If you think that you have to have a web presence to reach your demographic for Christ, then start one up -- but quit telling everyone else that they're doing it wrong! Let people be convinced and convicted by your example rather than by your overt declaration that you've got it all figured out. Life is intended to be lived, not just discussed. Hmmm...'discussed' sounds like 'disgust.' Coincendence? Methinks not.

A while back, a bunch of guys were gathered in a room to share a meal and talk about how they'd reinvent 'the wheel' of their homeland government. They began arguing over who was the greatest, and who had the greatest ideas. And then the leader got sick of it and showed them the difference between talking and doing. That lesson was so profound that it resonates 2000 years later. Or at least it should.

God is graceful. It's a narrow path that leads to truth, but it's not a tight rope. We are called to be all things to all people so that some may be saved. And the reality is this: it is the good news of Jesus Christ that saves -- not my ingenious approach to delivering it. He can take my most imperfect presentation and use it perfectly. I believe God is just waiting us to quit bickering about 'how' to do it and to just do it. You can't reinvent this wheel called the gospel.

And by the way, if Christ is the vine and you are the branches, then He is the wheel and you are the tire. I've yet to see a tire turn the wheel. The fact that you have any tread at all or can go anywhere at all is because the wheel turns you. We should quit trying to reinvent the wheel and be content to travel the miles the wheel commissions for us. Some of us are high performance tread. Some are off road tread, and some have been designed for the highway. Great. Amen! Praise God for His creativity, and for making you to be someone that I myself am not. You reach who God has designed for you to reach, and I'll do the same, and He'll win 'em all!

say what?

From the Baptist Press: jury to decide whether abortion kills babies

giving thanks, part 1

I wrote this for a Pastors Weekly Bulletin Contest (trying to win a set of Dr. Dobson's Bringing Up Boys Video Series -- I'll let you know if it happens). They asked, "(sic)why should we give thanks in 2002).
My reply:

God:
Created verbally
Planned thoroughly
Sacrificed completely
Communicated relationally
Revealed sufficiently

Redeems faithfully
Forgives gracefully
Loves mercifully
Encourages diligently
Convicts compassionately
Appoints providentially
Intervenes continually
Endures patiently
Provides abundantly

And will
Return reliably
Judge Righteously
Reign supremely
Bless eternally

For this and so much more, I am filled with gratitude.

T.G.I.S.

Today's a great day! Not only do I get to preach the message I accidently posted yesterday (oh well), but I get to have fellowship with numerous friends, share in the Lord's Supper during worship, and join in on the church-wide Thanksgiving lunch afterward.

Deep thought: God's awesome.