Norm Langston

Relationship or Religion?

2012-02-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

Henry Blackaby may be the most spiritually sensitive person I have ever known. I met him long before he became well-known as the author of Experiencing God. He spoke at some of our regional college retreats when he was a pastor in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

I love reading the devotional thoughts that he and his son, Richard, wrote for Experiencing God Day by Day. They are short but pithy.

Here is what they said in a recent devotional: "Christianity is an intimate, growing relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. It is not a set of doctrines to believe, habits to practice, or sins to avoid. Every activity God commands is intended to enhance His love relationship with His people . . . Religious activity apart from fellowship with God is empty ritual . . . Don't settle for a religious life that lacks a vital relationship to Jesus Christ. When God is present, the difference will be obvious."

If that made you think, maybe you should get a copy of the book. Or, you could access it online at http://www.blackaby.net/.

A Prayer for Today

2012-01-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

Soren Kierkegaard's prayer is my prayer for today:

"And now, Lord, with your help I shall become myself."

Indeed, come quickly, Lord Jesus. Let Christ be formed in me.

After Christmas

2012-01-14T12:46:00.000-08:00

Katharine Lee Bates was a 19th Century professor of English literature at Wellesley College. She authored many volumes of poetry and children's books but is best known for the lyrics of "America the Beautiful."

Four of her lines from another poem describe how we should know and experience Jesus Christ today:

Not the Christ in the manger,
          Not the Christ on the Cross;
          But the Christ in the soul,
          When all but love is lost.

Isn't this what Jesus meant when he said, "I am with you always..." (Matt. 28:20)? Isn't this what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote, "I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20)?

Or as Charles Allen has said: "the Christmas message should bring home to each of us not that we must still seek a Babe in a crib He outgrew, not a Teacher who has now moved from the classrooms of Galilee, nor an exhausted Savior stretched upon a cross, nor a Leader wrapped in the soft linens of death, but rather "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27).

Thoughts for a New Year

2012-01-06T16:02:00.000-08:00

We often become discouraged because we measure our Kingdom efforts by the enormous needs that we see all around us. Jesus' Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mt. 13:31-32) reminds us that "the smallest of seeds" grows up to become a tree.

Lord, help me to stop complaining about my "lack of resources" -- inadequate time, money, or energy -- and to utilize the resources you already have placed at my disposal. Then, when you do a "mustard seed miracle," I will know that it was not because I was so smart, spiritual, or resourceful, but because You are the God who gives abundantly and disproportionately.

Josh Garrels

2011-12-31T10:16:00.000-08:00

I wonder how many of you are familiar with Josh Garrels, a Portland-based indie singer/songwriter. I wasn't, but I ran across his new album this week. Here is a cut from it.

"White Owl" is the first song on "Love & War & the Sea In Between." It is CT's album of the year and can be downloaded for free ( http://joshgarrels.bandcamp.com/ )! If you like his music, you also might be interested in the article about him @ http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/music/interviews/2011/fartheralong-december20.html.

Have a great 2012!

There Is No Rose

2011-12-30T15:27:00.000-08:00

One last Christmas "note" before turning to the New Year . . .

I have heard the carol, "There Is No Rose of Virtue" several times before, but I never paid much attention because I couldn't understand the lyrics. However, after listening/seeing this piece performed as a part of "Christmas at Belmont," I decided to check the words for myself. I discovered that this simple 15th Century song has tremendous theological depth. See what you think:

There is no rose of such virtue

as is the rose that bare Jesu;

Alleluia.

For in this rose contained was

heaven and earth in little space.

Res miranda [Wondrous thing!]

By that rose we may well see

that He is God in persons three,

Pari forma [Of the same form!]

The angels sung the shepherds to

"Gloria in excelsis Deo!"

Gaudeamus. [Let us rejoice!]

Leave we all this worldly mirth,

and follow we this joyful birth,

Transeamus. [Let us go!]

I love the wondrous last lines of the song: "Follow we this joyful birth. Transeamus. [Let us go!]" Isn't that what we need to do -- for after we have "wondered" and "rejoiced" isn't it time for us to get up and go, to follow Him?

A Christmas Favorite

2011-12-24T10:50:00.000-08:00

After Annunciation

This is the irrational season

when love blooms bright and wild.

Had Mary been filled with reason

there'd have been no room for the child.

Madeleine L'Engle

A Foretaste of Glory

2011-10-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

The philosopher, Peter Kreeft, says that touching eternity in this life is like hearing an echo. The old hymn, "Blessed Assurance," calls this "a foretaste of glory divine."

We smell the salt air of the sea, even here, far upstream in the river of time. Whenever we touch wisdom or love, we swim in salt water. Earth is God's beach and when we are wise and loving, we are infants splashing happily in the wavelets of 'that immortal sea.' But when we are spiritually full grown, we will buoyantly plow its breakers of wisdom and be borne up by is bottomless depths of love. Boredom, like pain, will be remembered only as a joke when we are drenched in joy.

(Kreeft, Heaven, 1989; p. 96)

Do You Believe in Aliens?

2011-10-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

The Apostle Peter describes "God's elect" as being "strangers in the world" (I P. 1:1). The Apostle Paul says this is because our "citizenship is in heaven" (Phil. 3:20).

Have you had the experience of "earthly alienation," a sense that this earth is not your final home? A Puritan prayer describes it this way:

O Lord,
I live here as a fish in a vessel of water,
only enough to keep me alive,
but in heaven I shall swim in the ocean.
Here I have a little air in me to keep me breathing,
but there I shall have sweet and fresh gales;
Here I have a beam of sun to lighten my darkness,
a warm ray to keep me from freezing;
yonder I shall live in light and warmth forever.

(From Arthur Bennet's The Valley of Vision as quoted in Joni Eareckson Tada's Heaven: Your Real Home, 99).

How Close Is Heaven?

2011-10-14T15:33:00.000-07:00

I think most of us think of heaven as something that's "out there," i.e. both from the standpoint of distance and time, it is far off. But I can't help wondering if that's an illusion. Maybe heaven is much closer than we realize.

Several years ago I read a book by Karen Mains called The Fragile Curtain. In it she told of her extended visit to a refugee camp in southeast Asia. Several times while she was there, she felt she could almost see through "the fragile curtain" that separates this life from the next. She talked about those times when the curtain fluttered.

In a similar way, Celtic Christians used to speak of "thin places," those locations where the distance between heaven and earth had been "thinned out" and where a person could simply sense that God was near. These usually became pilgrimage destinations.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning once wrote:

    Earth's crammed with heaven,
    And every common bush afire with God;
    But only he who sees takes off his shoes . . .

How close is heaven for you?

Higher Ground

2011-09-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

Here is an excellent review of the new film "Higher Ground." It's a movie I plan to see. I have copied Frederica Mathewes-Green's review in its entirety from the August 26 edition of CT Entertainment:

When evangelicals hear that there's a new movie about their brand of Christianity, they get nervous. All too often they are presented as idiots or villains. Stereotypes about narrow-mindedness, intolerance, cultish mind-control, and harsh subjugation of women abound.

Carolyn Briggs' 2002 memoir, This Dark World: A Memoir of Salvation Found and Lost, hit a number of those notes. When their church leaders counsel her not to get a college degree; when they counsel her husband to forgo a plum job opportunity because they instead need the headship of the church leaders; when she refused medication during a complicated pregnancy and scoffed at taking shelter during a tornado—well, it sounds to many evangelicals like a pretty kooky church, if not a cult. But don't expect the general public to make that distinction. CT's review of the book said it was "likely to win plaudits for its savaging of evangelical Christianity as the source of one woman's oppression, and her abandonment of that faith as a fount of liberation."

Vera Farmiga as Corinne

News that This Dark World, retitled Higher Ground, was coming to movie screens did not cause Christians to throw out the red carpet. And yet—what a surprise. This movie presents a church that is really endearing. It's a small community, and we meet them first in the 1970s as a gang of Jesus Freak hippies, gathered for a joyous, noisy river baptism. The guys are long-haired and bearded and have amiable, sweet expressions. The women wear prairie dresses and have personalities.

Corinne—the lead character played by Vera Farmiga, who also directed the film—is extra-bright but subdued, an observer. When, in an early scene, her boyfriend makes love to her in a meadow, he has an ecstatic experience while she waits it out, occasionally furrowing her brow.

The character in the film who lights up the sky is Annika. She is funny, creative, shapely, sensuous, and mischievous. Her husband describes her as loving "drama, art, and nature." She counsels Corinne not to let the sexual fires in marriage die, and imparts that she likes to draw pictures of her husband's penis. (We see Annika's bedroom later on and yes, she certainly does.) When a cop pulls the two over and tells Corinne she was exceeding the speed limit, Annika puts on a foreign accent and explains to the cop that she was having an underwear emergency and that Corinne was trying to help her.

Annika (Dagmara Dominczyk) brings much joy to Corinne's life

When the two are relaxing in a boat on a river, Annika begins to pray aloud in tongues. Whatever your opinion of that gift may be, it certainly sounds beautiful here. This is a Hollywood movie, and a woman is praying in tongues, and it is beautiful, and she is beautiful. Wonders never cease.

In fact, prayer and worship are consistently shown as inviting, peaceful, and joyous. A small group sits in a living room singing "The Sweetest Name I Know," and they're practically floating away. Any viewer would get the impression that those who don't love Jesus and pray with others are missing one of life's great joys.

Realistically enough, there are a couple of negative figures: an overbearing pastoral counselor who announces "I consider myself a prophet," and the pastor's wife, who corrects Corinne a couple of times about proper feminine behavior. But even she is well-meaning, not vile. The tension here is not between Corinne and an oppressive church, not at all. The tension is within Corinne.

Corinne often turns away from Ethan (Joshua Leonard)

She can't make her faith work the way she thinks it should. She can't pray with relaxed whole-heartedness, like Annika does. She can't grab hold of the gift of tongues, though she stands in the bathroom coaching the Holy Spirit as you would a little league batter: "Come on Holy Spirit. Come on Holy Spirit," followed by a stuttering, but self-extinguishing, blast of consonants.

She can't hold still when her husband wants to kiss her—she can't keep herself from turning her lips away at the last moment. And, when tragedy strikes, she has a hard time fighting her way through to a survivor's faith.

Bill Irwin as Pastor Bud

This is, to some extent, a movie about doubt, and that's a topic most Christians already know about. It's a commonplace around churches that "everybody has doubts," and knowing that it's common actually helps. So we support each other when we're struggling. We pray for each other. We just keep on showing up for prayer and worship, even it seems God doesn't. Sometimes, we just have to wait it out.

So Christians will empathize with Corinne's struggle. When she pours out her heart to the church she says, "I need all this to be real but I don't know how to make it real," and the camera cuts away to show us the pastor nodding. It's a blessing to see that—to have permission to admit that.

Some reviewers have compared Higher Ground to Robert Duvall's The Apostle (1997), and it is a similarly positive portrayal of Southern evangelical faith. But before you organize a congregational outing with the church bus, note that R rating. Among the tools employed by this clever and sometimes very funny movie are flashes of raunchy humor that are definitely not for children, and probably not for every adult at your church either. Apart from that, this is a movie that will be touching for anyone who ever asked Jesus into his heart, and years later felt, as Corinne confesses, "I'm still waiting for him to make himself at home." Yet, she concludes, "I won't let go until he blesses me."

What Kind of Questions?

2011-07-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

This article appeared in the Beaverton Valley-Times' "Faith Forum" on June 30, 2011.

Educator H. Lynn Erickson says there are three kinds of questions: factual, conceptual, and provocative. Factual questions have short, definitive answers. The questions on Jeopardy are always factual.

    Conceptual questions require us to consider the relationship of various facts. This is what you get in a lot of essay tests: “Reflecting over the entirety of ‘Hamlet’, what were the main reasons Ophelia went mad?”

    Factual and conceptual questions are useful, but I especially like provocative questions. They can be used to motivate or to frame content or to provoke a different level of conversation.

    In the movie, “City Slickers,” three New York friends confront their mid-life issues by going on a cattle drive together. Around the campfire after a day on the range, one of them asks, “What was the best day of your life?”

    The first friend, Mitch, says his best day was when his father took him to Yankee stadium for the first time. The second man, Phil, says it was when, during his wedding ceremony, his dad winked at him. The third friend, Ed, said that his best day was when he was fourteen, and he realized that his adulterous father wasn’t just cheating on his mother; he was cheating on all of them. So he said to his dad, “You're bad to us. We don't love you. I'll take care of my mother and my sister. We don't need you any more." When Phil asked Ed about his worst day, Ed simply replied: “Same day.”

    A question I’ve asked people for several years is, “When have you felt closest to God?”

    Although not surprising, many of the answers have been meaningful: “It was when I was hiking in the Olympic Range...” “When I held my daughter in my hands for the first time. It was an awesome, holy moment!” “The day I got baptized was when I felt closest to God.”

    Some answers, though, were unexpected. One friend got a 30-day jail sentence for his third DUI. “I opened myself up to God during those thirty days. I finally stopped pretending that I had everything together -- that I had everything I needed to be a good husband and father and provider. I had to admit that I had a problem.” Would you believe that he eventually wrote his judge to thank him for holding him accountable?

    Of course, after someone answers my question--when did you feel closest to God?--they usually want me to respond to the same question. My answer also is surprising: “I felt closest to God on the day of my daughter’s funeral. When she was 21, Tish was killed in a car accident on Roy Rogers Road. For a variety of reasons, my wife, son, and I agreed that I should lead her memorial service. However, just before the service I was a complete mess; I couldn’t think straight, much less speak coherently. However, just before going to the church building,Tish’s boyfriend and his mother came into the family room where I was alone and still working on my message. They asked if it would be alright for them to lay hands on me and pray for me. I gratefully acquiesced. As they prayed, a calming peace enveloped me, and I had a deep sense of God’s Presence throughout the rest of the afternoon. Interestingly, this was not unique to me. Several people told me they experienced God’s Presence in a deeper way during that service than at any other time in their lives.”

    So, I agree with Ed. In some ways, my best day and my worst day were the same day.

    How about you? When have you felt closest to God?

The Tree of Life

2011-07-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I went to see Terrence Malick's new film, "The Tree of Life." Malick is one of America's most influential and creative moviemakers. Although this is only the fourth commercial film he has directed, Malick has produced and written screenplays for a number of important movies. The three movies he has directed since 1995 -- "The Thin Red Line," "The New World," and "The Tree of Life" -- are noteworthy because of their beautiful cinematography and because they deal with larger philosophical issues. Malick's films are visually poetic. The stories are told less through the plot than through the films' imagery. That particularly is true of "The Tree of Life," and likely explains why it received the Cannes' film festival's top award, the Palme d'Or.

In the last twenty years, no movie intended for a "general audience" has had a more explicitly Christian viewpoint. Notice, however, the caveat "for a general audience." Many "Christian movies" are now being released through theaters. "Fireproof," "Soul Surfer," and even, to some extent, "The Chronicles of Narnia" movies fit this niche. If they are commercially successful, it is because Christians go to see them. I like these movies, but "The Tree of Life" should not be thought of in the same category. Instead, most people will view it as an "art film." Why then, do I say it is explicitly Christian? To completely understand that, you need to see the movie. However, when is the last time you saw a movie that began with a biblical quote? And when did any movie explicitly portray two alternative approaches to life -- "the way of nature" and "the way of grace"?

"The Tree of Life" is a controversial movie. Most people love it or hate it. Those who dislike it do so for one of three reasons:

They just don't get it. After all, they came to see a movie starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn. Where's the action?
They are offended by the film's overarching emphasis on God and grace.
They hate the fact that the film is slow; at times, painfully slow.

If you decide to go see the film for yourself, I would offer the following two suggestions: 1. Do not go with your typical movie-going mindset. Instead, approach it as you would a visit to the art museum. 2. Go with a friend and allow time after the movie to discuss what you've experienced.

"The Tree of Life" is the antithesis of celluloid junk food. It needs to be slowly digested.

If you want to know more about "The Tree of Life" and its symbolism, I suggest you view the PBS interview with Calvin College professor Roy Anker (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/july-8-2011/the-tree-of-life/9110/).

Father's Day Songs

2011-06-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

A couple of songs by secular artists have been on my mind the last few days. The first song, Harry Chapin's "Cat in a Cradle," is a haunting message for fathers of all ages. The second is a song dialogue between a father and a daughter, Tori Amos' "Winter." Pay close attention to the words. The imagery is beautiful.

WINTER

Snow can wait

I forgot my mittens

Wipe my nose

Get my new boots on

I get a little warm in my heart

When I think of winter

I put my hand in my father's glove

I run off

Where the drifts get deeper

Sleeping beauty trips me with a frown

I hear a voice

"You must learn to stand up for yourself

Cause I can't always be around"

He says

When you gonna make up your mind

When you gonna love you as much as I do

When you gonna make up your mind

Cause things are gonna change so fast

All the white horses are still in bed

I tell you that I'll always want you near

You say that things change my dear

Boys get discovered as winter melts

Flowers competing for the sun

Years go by and I'm here still waiting

Withering where some snowman was

Mirror mirror where's the crystal palace

But I only can see the myself

Skating around the truth who I am

But I know dad the ice is getting thin

When you gonna make up your mind

When you gonna love you as much as I do

When you gonna make up your mind

Cause things are gonna change so fast

All the white horses are still in bed

I tell you that I'll always want you near

You say that things change my dear

Hair is grey

And the fires are burning

So many dreams

On the shelf

You say I wanted you to be proud of me

I always wanted that myself

He says

When you gonna make up your mind

When you gonna love you as much as I do

When you gonna make up your mind

Cause things are gonna change so fast

All the white horses have gone ahead

I tell you that I'll always want you near

You say that things change

My dear

The Shadows of a Cave or the Reality of Home?

2011-06-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

One of the most famous illustrations in the philosophical world is Plato's allegory of the cave. At the beginning of Book VII of The Republic, he describes a group of prisoners who for their entire lives have been chained to the blank wall of a cave. These people watch shadows projected on the wall by people and things that pass in front of fire that is behind them, near the entrance of the cave.

In this dialogue, Plato suggests that these shadows are the closest these prisoners ever get to reality. However, he goes on to explain that a philosopher is like a prisoner who is freed from the cave and who comes to understand that the wall shadows do not make up reality at all. According to Plato, the philosopher can see what is really real!

The Bible comes close to making some of the same points. For instance, Hebrews 10:1 says, "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves." That is why Christ "has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself" (9:26). Doesn't the Apostle Paul talk about how we can be freed from the illusion and delusion of sin? And when the prodigal son "came to himself"--when he quit being fooled by the shadows and saw life and especially his father as they really were--he humbly returned home.

The singing group, Switchfoot, evokes this same imagery in their song, "Home."

It's a long way from the shadows in my cave
Up to Your reality
To watch the sunlight taking over, over
Taking over
Take me over

I've been poison, I've been rain
I've been fooled again
I've seen ashes shine like chrome
Someday I'll see home

Helpful Perspective on Harold Camping's Prediction Concerning Judgment Day

2011-05-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

Palm Sunday's Unexpected King

2011-04-19T00:38:00.000-07:00

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the Sunday before his death, people laid down their cloaks on the road in front of him. They cried out: "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the coming Kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!" (Mark 11:9-10).

This type of public procession was common in the ancient world. A king or conquering general would ride into town on a powerful steed and be hailed by the cheering crowds.

However, Jesus departed from this script in one very significant way. Instead of entering Jerusalem on a magnificent horse, he rode on a polos, a colt or small donkey. So here was Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, the authoritative and majestic King of King, riding on a mount fit for a hobbit or child. Why would he do that? He was laying claim to a prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9 . . .

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

So, at the outset of Holy Week, we are reminded that Jesus is a King, but he is unlike any king the world has ever known. His Kingdom is coming, but it is not like the kingdoms of this world. He will conquer, but his conquest does not come through military or political violence. Rather, his victory comes only as he willingly endures that kind of violence.

Surprises in Jesus' "Sermon" at Nazareth

2011-03-29T17:08:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I began a new message series entitled "The Unexpected Kingdom." Through Easter I will focus on Jesus' understanding of the Kingdom of God, and we distributed a booklet of daily devotions all based on Kingdom of God passages in Luke.

Much of Sunday's message, "Unexpected Announcements," focused on Jesus' visit to his hometown synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30). When given the opportunity, he read a portion of Isaiah 61:1-2, stopped, rolled up the scroll, and gave it back to the attendant. None of this was surprising. But, after he sat down, he began his teaching on the passage by saying, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

That was unexpected! To hear someone claim that a centuries-old messianic prophecy was being fulfilled TODAY . . . I'm not sure we can fathom how shocking that announcement was. Jesus implicitly was saying, "I am the one God has anointed to do these things (preaching good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, recovery sight for the blind, release the oppressed, and the inauguration of the Messianic Age)!

Joachim Jeremias, the great German scholar, says there was something else in this "announcement" that Jesus' listeners did not expect. Jesus stopped the reading in the middle of a sentence. He read, "to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor," but he excluded "and the day of vengeance of our God" (as well as all of Isaiah 61:3-7).

This probably upset the congregation because they wanted to hear that last part. Israel had lived in subjection to a series of world powers--Egypt, Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and now Rome. Given that, it is not surprising that the people longed to hear how God was going to take retribution on their enemies. They looked forward to the part about vengeance the way many people revel in the descriptions of judgment found in Left Behind novels. Read any of the apocalyptic writings that were popular among the Jews in Jesus' time and this will be obvious. But Jesus omitted "the day of vengeance." Why?

Although he talks about God's judgment on numerous occasions, the point Jesus seems to be making here is that God's Kingdom is not a Kingdom of vengeance, but a hope-filled Kingdom, a realm in which the poor, the blind, and the oppressed get to see their deepest hopes fulfilled!

This was a completely new insight for me, but it helps make sense of the entire story. I always have been bothered by the sudden plot twists in this account. Why did the people all speak well of him following his announcment (vs. 22), but six verses later are so furious that they want to toss their hometown hero off a cliff?

Jeremias says that the Greek used in verse 22 is ambiguous and contextual. In other words, Luke tells us that the people were "astonished at what he said," which is not surprising given his announcement that the prophecy was fulfilled in their hearing. However, Jeremias says that the language here could indicate "good" astonishment or "bad" astonishment -- it just depends on the context. Therefore, he says it should be translated: "They were all astonished at him because of the words of grace that came from his lips." Notice "words of grace" rather than "gracious words."

So, according to Jeremias' interpretation, Jesus intentionally stopped reading in the middle of Isa. 61:2 as a way of explaining the nature of God's Kingdom and that the Kingdom was open to Gentiles. This astonished the people because they always had believed that the Kingdom of God was for His chosen people, i.e. the Jews! Jesus' "words of grace" were offensive to them. This is why he then cites the stories of the Sidonian widow (4:25-26) and of Naaman, the Syrian (4:27).

From start to finish, then, Jesus used Isaiah 61:1-2 to say that:

the Kingdom of God has arrived;
that he is the herald and exemplar of the Kingdom;
that he has been anointed to bring good news to the least and the last; and
that the Kingdom is going to be much more inclusive than any of them had imagined.

That made them mad. It was a message that challenged their deepest prejudices.

Do you think any of my sermons will ever start a riot?!

Desperately Seeking Solace

2011-03-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of the release of Tom Shadyac's new film, 'I Am', Mark Moring wrote about and conducted a thought-provoking interview with this successful movie director . . .

When budding film director Tom Shadyac hired a relatively unknown Jim Carrey in 1994 to make a silly movie called Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, the careers of both men exploded—and so did their bank accounts. Shadyac, who went on to direct The Nutty Professor, Liar Liar, Patch Adams, Bruce Almighty and Evan Almighty—several of them morality tales that reflected Shadyac's spiritual beliefs—dove right into the lifestyles of the rich and famous with huge Hollywood homes and expensive cars.

Tom Shadyac

As often happens, it wasn't long before Shadyac discovered that wealth and the accumulation of stuff didn't buy happiness. It hit him especially hard on his last mansion upgrade when, after the movers left and he was standing in the foyer all alone, he had what he calls a spiritual epiphany: Materialism isn't working.

Shadyac heard but ignored that small voice inside for a few more years until a 2007 bike accident left him with a concussion and then post-concussion syndrome, where he suffered migraine headaches, a constant ringing in his head, and severe mood swings. When he was depressed, he even wanted to die: "I was done," he said. He wondered, "If I were to die, what did I want to say to the world before I left?"

Eventually, Shadyac turned a corner in his recovery, and in doing so, re-evaluated his life and priorities. He embarking on a quest for the answers to two questions: "What's wrong with the world?" And, "What can I do about it?" He grabbed a small film crew and traveled the world in search of the answers, then turned all that footage into a new documentary called I Am, now showing in limited theaters.

(To read Moring's interview with Shadyac as well as a review of the documentary, go to http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/movies/interviews/2011/seekingsolace.html?start=1)

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Most Famous Poem

2011-03-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a well-known German theologian and a leader of the German "Confessing Church" which refused to be co-opted by Hitler and the National Socialists. He eventually was jailed and--ultimately executed--not long before the Allies successfully liberated Germany.

Bonhoeffer's best known books were The Cost of Discipleship and Life Together. Although both of these have lots of food for though, it is his poem, "Who Am I?", that haunts me. It was published posthumously in his Letters and Papers from Prison. Here is the best-known English translation of the poem:

Who am I? They often tell me I would step from my cell's confinement calmly, cheerfully, firmly, like a squire from his country-house.

Who am I? They often tell me I would talk to my warden freely and friendly and clearly, as though it were mine to command.

Who am I? They also tell me I would bear the days of misfortune equably, smilingly, proudly, like one accustomed to win.

Am I then really all that which other men tell of, or am I only what I know of myself, restless and longing and sick, like a bird in a cage, struggling for breath, as though hands were compressing my throat, yearning for colors, for flowers, for the voices of birds, thirsting for words of kindness, for neighborliness, trembling with anger at despotisms and petty humiliation, tossing in expectation of great events, powerlessly trembling for friends at an infinite distance, weary and empty at praying, at thinking, at making, faint and ready to say farewell to it all.

Who am I? This or the other? Am I one person today, and tomorrow another? Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others, and before myself a contemptibly woebegone weakling? Or is something within me still like a beaten army, fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved?

Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine.

Whoever I am, Thou knowest, O God, I am thine.

Your Brokenness Does Not Define You

2011-03-04T13:18:00.000-08:00

John of Kronstadt, a 19th century Russian Orthodox priest, is credited with saying, "Your brokenness does not define you." It's the newest of my favorite sayings.

At a time when his fellow-priests waited for the people to come to them, John actively searched in the streets for the alcoholics and other broken folk. People said he would cradle foul-smelling gutter-dwellers in his arms and say to them, "This is beneath your dignity. You were meant to house the fullness of God."

The singing group, Tenth Avenue North, has a song that says almost the same thing. See what you think.

Thin-Slicing the Life of Faith

2011-02-24T17:31:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's been almost two months since my last post. Oh well, a breather every so often is probably a good thing, a "blog sabbatical," in this case. However, I wanted to share some intriguing insights from Walter B. Shurden's journal. Dr. Shurden was one of my church history professors and a life-long friend. . .

In his national bestseller, Blink, (at last count on the NYT best list for 146 weeks) Malcolm Gladwell spoke of “thin-slicing.” “Thin-slicing,” he said, is “sifting through the information in front of us, throwing out all that is irrelevant while we zero in on what really matters” (pp. 34-35).

One day long ago in Jerusalem Jesus of Nazareth “thin sliced” two thousand years and 613 laws of his revered Jewish faith (Mk 12:28-31). He cut through the density of theological history, the thickness of valued ritualism, the mass of doctrinal formulations and he went for essence. And he did not plead for more time “to think about it.”

“Love God,” he said. “Love neighbor,” he said. In the blink of an eye, he thin-sliced Judaism and all genuine faith movements, including Christianity.

In response to Jesus’ theological thin-slicing, the Pharisees, then and now, scream, “Theological reductionism! Doctrinal minimalism! Theology Lite! But what about the Sabbath and the hand washing?”

And the Sadducees, then and now, retort, “But what about the work of the Temple? What about the liturgy? And the sacrifices?”

And the Zealots, then and now: “Yeah, sure! Love neighbor! Tell that to the cross-building Romans!”

What do you think? Was Jesus impractical? Can we really follow him?

The Real Work of Christmas

2010-12-28T17:16:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite "post-Christmas" poem ...

When the song of the angel is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the Kings and Princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks, The real work of Christmas begins.

To find the lost
To heal the broken
To feed the hungry
To release the prisoners
To rebuild the nations
To bring peace among brothers
To make music in the heart.

The author, Howard Thurman (1899-1981), was an ordained Baptist minister and influential author, philosopher, and educator. He was Dean of Theology and of the chapels at Howard University and Boston University for more than two decades, and he wrote 20 books. The best-known of these, Jesus and the Disinherited (1949), deeply influenced Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders, both black and white. In 1944, Thurman and a white pastor, Alfred Fisk, were the founding co-pastors of the first racially integrated, multicultural church in the United States, the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples.

O Christmas Tree (and other trees, as well)

2010-12-22T14:52:00.000-08:00

THE TREE
by Madeleine L'Engle

The children say the tree must reach the ceiling,
And so it does, angel on topmost branch,
Candy canes and golden globes and silver chains,
Trumpets that toot, and birds with feathered tails.
Each year we say, each year we fully mean:
"This is the loveliest tree of all." This tree
Bedecked with love and tinsel reaches heaven.
A pagan throwback may have brought it here
Into our room, and yet these decked-out boughs
Can represent those other trees, the one
Through which we fell in pride, when Eve forgot
That freedom is man's freedom to obey
And to adore, not to replace the light
With disobedient darkness and self-will.
On Twelfth Night when we strip the tree
And see its branches bare and winter cold
Outside the comfortable room, the tree
Is then the tree on which all darkness hanged,
Completing the betrayal that began
With that first stolen fruit. And then, O God,
This is the tree that Simon bore uphill,
This is the tree that held all love and life.
Forgive us, Lord, forgive us for that tree.
But now, still decked, adorned, in joy arrayed
For these gread days of Christmas thanks and song,
This is the tree that lights our faltering way,
For when man's first and proud rebellious act
Had reached its nadir on that hill of skulls
These shining, glimmering boughs remind us that
The knowledge that we stole was freely given
And we were sent the Spirit's radiant strength
That we might know all things. We grasp for truth
And lose it till it comes to us by love.
The glory of Lebanon shines on this Christmas tree,
The tree of life that opens wide the gates.
The children say the tree must reach the ceiling,
And so it does: for me the tree has grown so high
It pierces through the vast and star-filled sky.

from "A Widening Light: Poems of the Incarnation"
Luci Shaw, editor

"Breath of Heaven" with video from "The Nativity Story"

2010-12-22T12:46:00.000-08:00

A Prayer for "Joy"

2010-12-18T12:08:00.000-08:00

The key word for the third week of Advent is joy. But whenever I hear the word "joy," I think immediately of my daughter, Tish, whose name means "joy" or "delight." And because she was killed in an accident in 2002 and and her birthday coincides with this week of Advent, for me it is a week filled with emotional conflict.

This year was no different. On the one hand, I am deeply grateful for the 21 years we shared with her here on this earth. She taught me more than any other person what it meant to be full of joy and to bless others with your laughter. On the other hand, I still miss her terribly and can't help but wonder what she would have been doing as she turned 30.

Jesus said, "I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete" (John 15:11). What things? About how he is the vine, and we are the branches (15:1-8). About how if we obey his commands, we will learn how to abide in his love (15:10) and to have our joy completed.

And I'm still learning how to do that.

Father, help me to learn the "lessons of Jesus" so that I may become a joy-filled person who brings joy to others. Remind me of Jesus' promise, 'Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy' (16:22), and help me to apply that to both Jesus and Tish. For surely in this life, none of us gets exactly what we want, but we receive a taste of the "life to come" where your glory radiates unending joy. Thank you for the Joy you have given to me -- in Jesus . . . and in Tish. Amen.

Peace in a Storm

2010-12-10T11:47:00.000-08:00

When are lives are roiled by circumstances beyond our control, how can we find peace?

Robert Louis Stevenson once told about an experience his grandfather had on a sailing ship in the midst of a terrible storm. When the storm was at its fiercest and the danger was greatest, his grandfather carefully walked out on deck to see how bad things really were.

What he saw brought him comfort. There was the captain of the ship lashed with ropes to the wheel, holding the vessel off the rocks. The captain looked up and smiled, and his smile completely reassured the frightened passenger. Going back to his cabin, he said to himself: "We shall come through; I saw the pilot smile!"

When we sail troublesome seas, we need to remember who the Captain is. Christmas reminds us that our Captain is at the wheel and is smiling. Isn't that what Immanuel means -- "God is with us"?

Sara McLachlan's "O Little Town of Bethlehem"

2010-12-07T15:02:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyPMDD8fGeA

A Prayer for a Quiet and Listening Spirit

2010-12-07T14:42:00.000-08:00

François Fénelon said: "How rare it is to find a soul quiet enough to hear God speak." Things haven't changed much, have they? The beloved carol is profound in its wisdom . . .

How quietly, how quietly the wondrous gift is giv'n! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heav'n. No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive Him, still, the dear Christ enters in.

"Father God, during this busy week and month, help me to be patient enough -- and to pause long enough -- to hear your voice. Help me to turn off the TV and to tune Your Spirit. Help me to receive anew Your best gift of all, Your Son, Jesus, in my heart and in my soul. To You be all glory and praise! Amen."

Another Prayer for Advent (Or a Prayer as We Grow Older)

2010-12-01T09:31:00.000-08:00

An antidote for being circumstantially directed (see my previous post) can be found in a prayer from the diary of Samuel Logan Brengle. Brengle was a well-known Salvation Army preacher, but, as an adult, he continually battled depression which began with a head injury when a homeless man hit him with a brick.

Keep me, O Lord, from waxing mentally and spiritually dull and stupid. Help me to keep the physical, mental, and spiritual fiber of the athlete, of the man who denies himself daily and takes up his cross and follows Thee. Give me good success in my work, but hide pride from me. Save me from the self-complacency that so frequently accompanies success and prosperity. Save me from the spirit of sloth, of self-indulgence, as physical infirmities and decay creep upon me.

(Clarence Hall, Portrait of a Prophet: The Biography of Samuel Logan Brengle, 1933)

His biographer commented, "Thus praying daily and hourly, the prophet kept his passions hot and his eye single, even as he came down the decline."

Lord Jesus Christ, save me from self-complacency and free me from the spirit of sloth and self-indulgence. Help me to be pure in heart and single-eyed in my commitment to your purpose. "Your Kingdom come, and your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Amen.

An Advent Prayer

2010-11-29T09:27:00.000-08:00

On this second day of Advent, I am pondering E. Stanley Jones' description of "generic Man":

Man needs nothing so much as he needs something to bring life together into total meaning and total goal. . . . He is being pushed and pulled and beckoned to, enticed and bludgeoned from all directions. He is being pushed from relativism to relativism. He is confused--the most confused and yet the most intelligent person that ever existed. He knows everything about life, except how to live it. (The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person, 11)

To what extent does that describe me and my life? How often do I go through life like a ball in a pinball machine which is flipped into motion through the efforts of others and which then bounces off bump cushions at random angles?

Lord Jesus, during this season of Advent, help me to me more purposeful and more thoughtful. When I am interrupted, help me to realize that you are the Master of my days and hours just as you were the Lord of Water and Wave. Help me not to fribble away my time but to invest it for your Kingdom and Glory. Amen.

The Talmud and The Bible

2010-11-22T12:51:00.000-08:00

This morning I read in The Oregonian about an Israeli rabbi, Adin Steinsaltz, who, after 45 years, has completed his 45-volume translation and commentary of the Babylonian Talmud. The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism, in the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history.

I was amazed by this Rabbi's devotion to his task. It illustrates well what Eugene Peterson calls "a long obedience in the same direction."

A little later this morning, I was doing some devotional reading and came across the following story of a learned Jewish man who went to visit a "rebbe" (a Yiddish word for "rabbi" or a very wise leader).

The scholar was no longer a young man--he was close to 30--but he had never before visited a rebbe.
"What have done all your life?" the master asked him.
"I have gone through the whole of the Talmud three times," answered the learned man.
"Yes, but how much of the Talmud has gone through you?" the rebbe inquired.

(Gordon MacDonald, The Life God Blesses, 70)

So what is God saying to me today? As a follower of Jesus, what am I supposed to "get" out of the convergence of these stories about the Talmud and the rabbis? Maybe that it's not enough for me to read the Bible. If my reading and devotional activities don't change me, then I've missed the point. Isn't that why the Apostle Paul said "Christ in you is the hope of glory"? We all need to be changed from the inside out.

On Being Influenced and Being Influencers

2010-11-16T08:16:00.001-08:00

Those people who influence us most are not those who buttonhole us and talk to us, but those who lived their lives like the stars of heaven and the lilies in the field, perfect, simply, and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mold us.

Oswald Chambers

On Reading the Bible

2010-11-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

I am convinced that how we read scripture is as important as what we read. Do we read quickly or slowly? Sporadically or regularly? With reluctance or eagerness?

Do we read only for inspiration or for confirmation of what we already believe? Or do we read to be challenged and to expose our own weaknesses and flaws?

This morning I read from Psalm 28. Portions of it--the verses that previously encouraged or spoke to me--already were highlighted. Verse 3 was not marked because it's pretty negative . . . but it's the verse that spoke to me this morning.

"Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts."

I wondered, "How often do I do that?" Pastors are taught to maintain their cool and to always speak--and act--cordially, even when they may be seething inside. Given that training, then, it is especially tempting to speak cordially with a neighbor but to harbor malice in my heart. And even when I'm not harboring malice, surely a hidden, condescending attitude toward someone is not what God would want.

So I praise you today, O God, for the "unhighlighted" parts of my Bible, the parts that I don't always like and the parts that still search my heart for hidden sin.

Forgiveness Video

2010-10-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

A few people asked me where they could view the "Forgiveness" video I showed Sunday as part of my message. Here it is. . .

Hawaii Favorite

2010-10-22T16:48:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me what I most enjoyed about our trip to Hawaii this summer. There were so many things -- lollygagging beside the pool, the Wakiki sunsets, the Baptist World Congress, Pearl Harbor, spending time with friends,
hiking to the top of Diamondhead -- this was a tough question!

However, as I mentally reviewed our fantastic trip, one thing emerged as my favorite: our lunch at Bubba Gump's with Lyn, Glenn, Lucas, and Asher Arakawa.

Lyn was an active member of our church as a college student. After she finished her degree, she attended Golden Gate Seminary and assisted Kelly Nelson in our college ministry. She moved to Mill Valley, CA to work on her intercultural studies degree in preparation for service as a missionary. That's where she met Glenn, and it wasn't that long before 20 members of our church headed to Mill Valley for their wedding!

After graduation, they were appointed as missionaries to east Asia and served for a term alongside Otey & Cheryl Enoch. However, it had been years since Susie and I had talked with them, and we had not met either of their sons. Glenn is from Hawaii, so they decided to spend their stateside assignment (furlough) in Honolulu. They had only been there a couple of weeks, and Glenn had been sick almost up to the time we got together. Since all four of them had "cabin fever," they were delighted to see us!

We had a wonderful time catching up on each others' lives. One of their challenges has been raising Asher in a foreign country. He is four years old now and "developmentally delayed." They have not had a lot of the specialized support they might have gotten in the U.S. Since our time with them, Asher has been diagnosed as autistic, and the school system's special ed people are preparing a plan to work with him and their whole family.

However, they don't know what this means for the long-term. Will they be able to return to their ministry in Asia? Or will Asher's special needs require that they resign as missionaries?

Here is what Glenn wrote me recently: "It's fine to put our pictures on your blog. We would appreciate as much prayer for our situation as possible. It has been quite an emotional roller coaster ride for us. We try as much as possible to keep our eyes on Father. It is a bit scary to wonder what will be next for our family but at the same time exciting to see what God brings about through this situation. Please pray that we will draw closer and closer to Him."

Seeing Glenn, Lyn, Lucas, and Asher is my favorite memory from Hawaii! Will you join me in praying for them?

Robert Duvall

2010-09-28T04:20:00.000-07:00

Robert Duvall received the Best Actor Academy Award in 1983 for his work in one of my favorite films, "Tender Mercies." His co-star, Tess Harper, said Duvall inhabited the character so fully that she only got to know Mac Sledge, the man he played, and not Duvall himself.

And that's what I love about Duvall. He brings to life characters who are deeply flawed and marvelously interesting. Like Sonny Dewey in "The Apostle" (another favorite film), Bull Meechum in "The Great Santini," or Boss Spearman in "Open Range." And that doesn't even count his better known work in "Mash" and the first two Godfather films.

If you like Duvall, you will want to see his newest film, "Get Low." He portrays another eccentric personality, Felix Bush, a 1930s Tennessee hermit who throws his own "funeral party." Given that plotline and the fact that Bill Murray plays the funeral home director, you might expect this to be a comedy. But, although there is a lot of humor, the film deals with serious themes such as regret, loss, confession, and forgiveness.

Currently, "Get Low" is showing at four theaters in the Portland/Vancouver area, including the Bridgeport Regal. If you go, let me know how you like it.

A Church Or A Church Building?

2010-09-08T15:25:00.000-07:00

The words we use do make a difference.

People often ask me where our "church" is located. I know they're asking me about where we meet for worship, but sometimes I respond, "Our church is all over the westside of Portland, and we have some on the eastside as well." They then ask what I mean. "Well," I say, "our church is a group of people who are trying to be the Body of Christ. Our church is people, not a building or a location." From there, the conversation can go in a lot of different directions.

The members of the church in this Soriano village received us warmly. This picture was taken as we were getting acquainted with them. The tarps covered their "worship center" as well as their parsonage. Despite their poverty--their village didn't even have electricity--this congregation was generous. They served us drinks and later asked us to stay for lunch. And they are mission-minded. Twice a week they travel several miles to hold a Bible study in another village .

Church is not about a building. Church is about sharing Jesus with others. It's about being the Body of Christ.

A Serious Way of Wondering

2010-08-31T14:45:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, Reynolds Price wrote a book with the intriguing title, A Serious Way of Wondering, and I finished reading it a couple of weeks ago. At the heart of the book is conversations Price imagines Jesus having concerning three different topics that he never addressed. I liked the idea, but, for me at least, none of the discussions had "the ring of truth" (to use J. B. Phillips' description of the N.T. documents).

Despite this, I appreciated much of the rest of the book, and I am in love with the title. After all, wouldn't life be better if we adopted "a serious way of wondering"? I love this picture of my wife, Susie, and our new granddaughter, Grace, because of the wonder in Susie's eyes. All of life would be immeasurably richer if we could learn to see with eyes of love and grace.

A Perfect Day

2010-08-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

How could our last day in Wakiki have been any better?

Alan Williams and I visited Pearl Harbor, experienced the Arizona memorial, and walked around the mighty "Mo" (the battleship Missouri). While we were doing that, the girls--Susie and Melanie Williams--went to Hilo Hatties. Then we rendevoused at Aloha Stadium (where the Pro Bowl is played) for the flee market (the best bargains in the area).

After we cleaned up at the hotel, we walked to the Outrigger, where we fixed our own steaks and seafood, and watched the sunset.

A perfect day to culminate a wonderful ten days of renewal! Thank you, Lord!

More Variety -- Baptist Style

2010-08-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

The main reason Susie and I came to Hawaii was to attend the Baptist World Congress in Honolulu. Most people are not aware that Baptists are the largest Protestant Christian group in the world with well over 100,000,000 adherents.

Every five years Baptists who are affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance congregate. The BWA is the only organization that effectively networks Baptists from all over the world. It is composed of more than 200,000 churches affiliated through 214 conventions and unions in 119 countries. This year Baptist unions from Zambia and Viet Nam were formally accepted as part of the BWA family. However, with this many Baptists, comes enormous diversity. (You know the old joke, don't you, that says whenever "two or three" Baptists are gathered together in Christ's name, you have four opinions!)

Many people struggle with this diversity. They think there must be a right way to think, organize, or worship. One of the clear lessons of the Congresses I have attended is that there are numerous ways to honor God. Indeed, nature reveals that God loves diversity, so we need to deeply appreciate other believers -- otherwise, how will we be able to enjoy a heaven in which people from every nation, tribe, and language will kneel before God's throne in deep worship (Rev. 7:9-10)? For me, then, the World Congress is a rehearsal for heaven.

Where else would you experience congregational singing in English, the opening prayer in Norwegian, listen to special music from a Congolese Canadian, have the scripture reading in "Gha" (a west African language), view a dramatic interpretation by a group of Texans, and then hear God's Word proclaimed by an Australian?! The diversity is glorious, and the diversity is challenging . . . because it forces us out of our comfort zones.

In the pictures, you can see a small portion of the 200+ Korean Childrens' Choir and a group of women from India. I just wish I had time to introduce you to the gospel choir from Norway--who knew?--and the men's choir from Nagaland. What diversity! What joy!

"Oh, what a foretaste of heaven divine!"

God Loves Variety!

2010-07-29T01:36:00.000-07:00

God must love variety! That's what I keep thinking as I revel in the stunning colors and shades that are rampant in Hawaii. Today we took a bus tour of Oahu.

God is good, and God loves beauty and variety!

What Does It Mean to Be a "Christian"?

2010-07-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

Does Elton Trueblood's definition of "a Christian" ring true for you?

A Christian is a person who confesses that, amidst the manifold and confusing voices heard in the world, there is one Voice which supremely wins his full assent, uniting all his powers, intellectual and emotional, into a single pattern of self-giving. That Voice is Jesus Christ. A Christian not only believes that He was; he believes in Him with all his heart and strength and mind. Christ appears to the Christian as the one stable point or fulcrum in all the relativities of history (The Company of the Committed, 23).

You Can't Tell a Book by Its Cover

2010-06-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

We have a number of sayings that largely mean the same thing: “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” “Things aren’t always as they seem to be.” “Appearances can be deceiving.” They all came to mind this week.

On Monday Paul and I decided to hike the waterfalls along the Gorge’s scenic highway. That’s how I found myself driving east on I-84 while listening to “Death Cab for Cutie” tunes. Perhaps you’ve never heard of them. I hadn’t until a few years ago when my wife and I were enjoying a couple of days in Seattle. They were playing at a theater adjacent to our hotel, but we couldn’t tell if “Death Cab for Cutie” was the name of a weird play, a rock band, or something else completely unfamiliar to us. Once I learned they were a group, I assumed they were a punk or grunge band, in other words, a group in which I would have no interest. As it turns out, though, they are an alternative “indie” band, and I like many of their songs. You can’t judge a book by its cover or a band by its name.

It was a beautiful day for hiking and taking pictures, but just before we got to Bridal Veil Falls, some emergency vehicles passed us. We eventually talked to a couple of the EMTs and learned that an 18-year old hiker was killed when he fell 150 feet from near the Angels Rest trail. No one seemed to know whether he had slipped or whether a gust of wind might have knocked him off balance. What was certain was that he ventured too close to the cliff’s edge. But it's understandable. Enjoying the glorious day, he must have felt safe in the company of his friends, and I’m sure he felt he wasn’t taking any unnecessary risks, but things aren’t always as they seem.

I can't get that young man and his family out of my mind, but, in truth, isn’t that the way life is? We can be teetering on the edge of disaster without even knowing it. When my sister-in-law turned forty, she was in great physical condition. Or at least she thought so—we all thought so—until she was diagnosed with a life-threatening form of colon cancer. How could she feel that good and be that ill? Appearances can be deceiving, can’t they?

That’s one of the problems I have with “do-it-yourself” religion. It’s too easy to get things wrong when we’re just relying on our personal thoughts and feelings. I hear people say that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere, but an 18-year old hiker sincerely believed that he was in no danger until it was too late. Personally, I need a Guide who can let me know if I’m wandering too far from the trail. I need Someone to challenge me when I too quickly make up my mind, when I judge a band by its name rather than its music. Or when I confuse my feelings with life's realities.

And that’s what I love about Jesus. He reminds me that I can’t judge a book by its cover, that things aren’t always as they seem to be, and that appearances can be deceiving. He constantly challenges my blind spots and prejudices and summons me to follow Him in a life of purpose and beauty. After all, didn’t he say, “I came that you might have life and have it in abundance”?

Still Thinking About "Ideal" Families

2010-06-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

In my two previous posts about "families" (May 26 and June 3), I explored some of our ideas about "ideal" families -- traditional families -- and how Jesus' explicit teaching (Mt. 12:46-50; Lk. 14:26) challenges many of our assumptions.

I am convinced that much of what we think about families has come from our culture. I grew up with sitcoms like "Father Knows Best," "The Donna Reed Show," and "Ozzie and Harriet." This is what families were supposed to look like -- white, suburban, and intact (a mom and a dad plus two and a half kids and a family dog). This was the ideal I saw on television, and this was the ideal that was reinforced at church. However, I think evangelical Christians basically "baptized" this cultural ideal by referencing some biblical prooftexts to support what we assumed.

One example of this is evident in our perspective on adoption. Basically, adoption was seen as "Plan B" for a Christian family. In other words, Plan A -- "God's ideal"-- was for a husband and a wife to conceive and become parents to their own biological child(ren). However, if for some reason they were unable to do this, then it was okay for them to adopt (Plan B). And, until recently, it was understood that these parents should only adopt children of their own race. So, according to this viewpoint, adoption was not "ideal," even though it was "acceptable" in certain situations.

But that was a cultural, not a biblical, ideal. The ideal for marriages is found in Genesis 2:24. Jesus quoted it as did the Apostle Paul. It says: "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh" (NIV). Think about it: marriage is itself a form of adoption! A man and a woman leave their biological families and form a new family that is not based on bloodties.

And what does the genealogy that begins Matthew's gospel imply? "An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah..." For 15 verses fathers and sons are listed, and so we expect the climax to read "and Joseph the father of Jesus." But instead the pattern abruptly changes to: "And Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary of whom Jesus was born." The implication is obvious. Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus. The genealogy explains how Jesus, who had no human father, could be considered the "son of David." Here's how: Joseph claimed Jesus as his own, named him, and "grafted" him into the lineage of David.

Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promise when God adopted David as his son (2 Sam. 7:14). Do you see how Jesus' birth and teachings challenge our notions of an "ideal family"? The Apostle Paul also writes about how we are "adopted" into God's family (Rom. 8:23, for instance). Here is what Diana Garland has written about this:

Indeed, the adoption of Jesus by Joseph points to the good news that Jesus will develop later in his teachings (Mt. 12:46-50): from this point forward, no one must be without family because wombs are barren, marriages are broken or never formed, or loved ones die. The human experiences of conception, birth, and marriage are transformed by the in-breaking Spirit of God, reforming family . . . .The adoptive family has become the ideal, the model, the witness that there are no limits to God's ability to create goodness, not even the limits of biology. Even families formed by biological links, when transformed by this good news, become adoptive families, choosing and covenanting with one another by giving themselves to following Christ" (Family Ministry, 307, 320).

What do you think God's "ideal" family looks like?

"Ideal" Families

2010-06-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

Most of our ideas and ideals about "family" start with the notion of "biological kinship." Typically our ideal includes a father and a mother and a child or children.

This "traditional" type of family has many strengths. Although we now widely accept "blended" families, studies have shown that the #1 cause of child poverty is parental separation and/or divorce. Also, step-parents are much more likely to abuse children who are not biologically related to them than they will their own children. In fact, studies show that children from traditional families are much more likely to succeed in a number of key areas than those who are being raised by a single parent or who are a part of a blended family.

This is why I am concerned about re-definitions of family -- not because I want to force couples to stay in loveless marriages or because I want to impose my standards on others or because I think people shouldn't have a second shot at happiness. Simply put, I believe we have made a great number of changes (no-fault divorce, for example) in a relatively short period of time without considering the effect of those changes on children in particular and society in general. And, when the results have not turned out the way we hoped, we have turned a blind eye and looked for other scapegoats -- "if the public schools were doing a better job" or "if the government offered more assistance," etc.

I'm not saying any of this to judge single parents or blended families. They need our understanding and support. What I am saying is that we would be wise to slow down and study the changes we already have made and see if they are actually working to our benefit. If they are, okay; but if they're not, then what steps can we take to correct them?

The alternative is to continue down the road of redefining family and then hope for the best. Is that really the best we can do?

What About Families?

2010-05-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

Jesus taught that our commitment to God must supercede even our most important human commitments--those between family members: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple" (Lk. 14:26, NIV).

I've never liked that verse. It is so stark, so harsh, so unnatural. It helps, of course, to know that the language he uses -- hating our families and lives -- is making use of a Semitic idiom that means "to love less." In other words, "I love this and I hate that" meant "I prefer this to that." For example, the Bible tells us that Jacob loved Rachel but hated Leah (Gen. 29:30-31) and that God loved Jacob but hated Esau (Mal. 1:2-3). This does not mean that Jacob actually hated Leah or that God literally hated Esau, but that they preferred one over the other. So Jesus' saying means that families should not be preferred to God. We should love our families, but we should love God even more!

This has some important implications. For instance, the Bible often teaches the importance of obeying or giving deference to those who are in authority over us (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 6:1-8, for example), and some evangelical Christians say there are no exceptions to this. According to this perspective, we should always keep our place in the "chain of command" so we will be "under the umbrella" of God's authoritative protection. However, this teaching ignores some scriptural exceptions. For instance, in Ezekiel 20:18-19, God specifically commanded children to disobey their parents! "I said to their children in the desert, 'Do not follow the statutes of your fathers or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols. I am the LORD your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." In other words, the children were to disregard the teaching and example of their parents because their parents were in rebellion against God. They needed to prefer God, not their families.

Jesus clearly said that faithfulness to him would sometimes result in division within a family (Mt. 10:34-36). He was not diminishing the importance of families, but he was emphasizing that no loyalty can rival our devotion to him.

And because of our commitment to Jesus, we are part of a larger, more-encompassing family. "'Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?' he asked. Then, pointing to his disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother'" (Mt. 12:48-50).

Our primary identity, then, is as members of God's family (Gal. 6:10; I Pet. 4:17), the "household of faith" (I Tim. 3:15). Jesus says our status is defined by our volitional loyalties, not by the biological or cultural roles over which we have little control. This does not mean that we will not care about our families of origin, but Jesus has radically transformed the meaning of "family" for all those who would seriously follow Him.

Monday Musings

2010-05-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

Most Mondays I have a bad case of the "I-don't-want-to's." You know -- "I don't want to get up," or "I don't want to start another week," or "I don't want to have to think about someone else's problems today." The I-don't-want-to's.

There's even a saying in ministry circles, "Don't resign on Monday." That's because the weekends can be exhausting, and the Monday-morning adrenaline is pretty depleted.

There was a time when I took Mondays for my sabbath days, but, as one friend opined, "I don't want to feel that bad on my day off!" Besides, once we began to add other staff members, I had to play "catch up" if I wasn't in the office on Mondays.

So, for me, Mondays are not about exuberance, but about obedience, about putting one step in front of the other. The "wins" don't usually come on Mondays, but, more often than I would like to admit, whether the week is a "win" or a "loss" is heavily influenced by how faithful and obedient I am on Monday.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2010-05-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

The best part about being married to a teacher of kindergartners is the stories I hear. Here is this week’s favorite:

Each night a dad brought home a briefcase filled with papers. His curious son asked him why he did that.

The dad replied, “Because I didn’t get all my work done at the office.”

The son logically said, “Maybe you need to have them put you in a slower group.”

Do you admire the innocence of this child? Someone who hasn’t yet learned that his value is dependent upon his productivity, someone who believes he is valuable regardless of which group he is in. I wonder how long his innocence will last. How long it will be before he learns that his worth in the eyes of others is tied to how smart or how fast or how powerful he is; that he only wins when others around him lose?

Our society submerges us in these kinds of messages every day. In a hundred different ways we are told that our productivity determines our value.

But the Good News--the “gospel”--of Jesus Christ sharply disagrees. Jesus cryptically said, “Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first” (Matt. 19:30). He told his disciples that the way to greatness was through serving others because even he “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:44-45). Talk about a “reversal of fortune”!

The Apostle Paul is a case study of this phenomenon. He began the third chapter of his letter to the Philippian Christians by citing his personal credentials -- his family, his schooling, and his morality. In our terms, he was “on his way up.” He was well-established in his life and his career.

But then something startling took place: “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ” (Phil. 3:7). In other words, on the balance sheet of his life, everything that he previously considered an asset, he now had moved into his “loss” column. Why? Because he had come to the conclusion that the pride he took in his background and achievements was preventing him from achieving the counter-cultural goal that was now his greatest desire.

“I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself” (Philippians 3:10, The Message).

It’s something to think about, anyway. Maybe being in the “fast group” isn’t the main thing. Maybe I need to learn to value myself because God values me. Maybe I need to learn how to trust in God’s love more than I trust in my own achievements.

Lost in Wonder

2010-04-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

Have you been to those places where the sheer beauty of something causes you to pause and say "thanks"?

Have you had those moments when you were surprised by the wonder of life and the grace of God?

Jesus takes my breath away.

Easter Joy

2010-04-06T12:05:00.001-07:00

"The disciples were so glad and amazed that they could not believe it."

None of the disciples expected Jesus to rise from the dead. Their first reaction was fearful incredulity. (Luke 24:41, CEV).

"Easter joy" is something we can carry with us -- not because life is easy -- but because Jesus is alive, because He is the Lord, and because what He tells us is true!

In a world suffused with grief and pain, we need to remember that "the joy of the Lord is our strength" (Neh. 8:10). Karl Barth once said, "Laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God." Don't you think that's why C. S. Lewis entitled his autobiography, "Surprised By Joy"?

We can live joyfully in the afterglow of Christ's resurrection!

(My young friend, Mac, and I waded in the Atlantic Ocean last summer. It was pure joy!)

Why Did Jesus Have To Die?

2010-04-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

This week laryngitis has forced me to stay inside and keep silent (for the most part). The up side to this is that I've had a lot of time to ponder the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection.

As to why Christ had to die, consider what Jayber Crow, one of Wendell Berry's best-drawn characters had to say:

Christ did not descend from the cross except into the grave. And why not otherwise? Wouldn't it have put fine comical expressions on the faces of the scribes and the chief priests and the soldiers if at that moment He had come down in power and glory? Why didn't He do it? Why hasn't he done it any one of a thousand good times between then and now?

I knew the answer. I knew it a long time before I could admit it, for all the suffering of the world is in it. He didn't, He hasn't, because from the moment He did, He would be the absolute tyrant of the world and we would be His slaves. Even those who hated Him and hated one another and hated their own souls would have to believe in Him then. From that moment the possibility that we might be bound to Him and He to us and us to one another by love forever would be ended.

That makes sense, don't you think? Jesus did not come down from the cross because He is not interested in overpowering us. Instead, He wants us to willingly give ourselves to Him. Therefore, the Lord of heaven and earth chooses to save us and to woo us . . . in love.

More Wisdom from Frederick Buechner

2010-03-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

Much of the trouble in our world is caused by people who are not content to be what God has created them to be. The story of Adam and Eve repeats itself in every person in every generation. But what can we do? Here is what Frederick Buechner says:

"Jesus went all alone into the wilderness where he spent forty days asking himself the question what it meant to be Jesus. During Lent, Christians are supposed to ask one way or another what it means to be themselves" (Whistling in the Dark).

Home Is Where...?

2010-02-04T23:06:00.000-08:00

I've been a fan of Frederick Buechner's sermons and writing for 35 years. However, only recently did I come across the following quote about "home." It is spoken by Leo Bebb, the title character in four of Buechner's novels.

Leo Bebb says, "We all got secrets. I got them same as everybody else -- things we feel bad about and wish hadn't ever happened. Hurtful things. Long ago things. We're all scared and lonesome, but most of the time we keep it hid. It's like every one of us has lost his way so bad we don't even know which way is home any more, only we're ashamed to ask. You know what would happen if we would own up we're lost and ask? Why, what would happen is we'd find that home is each other. We'd find out home is Jesus that loves us lost or found or any whichway."

A Jesus Manifesto

2009-12-10T13:02:00.000-08:00

I have not read the books that Sweet and Viola cite, but I think their manifesto is a great reminder of our faith. See what you think...

A Magna Carta for Restoring the Supremacy of Jesus Christ a.k.a. A Jesus Manifesto for the 21st Century Church by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola

Christians have made the gospel about so many things … things other than Christ.

Jesus Christ is the gravitational pull that brings everything together and gives them significance, reality, and meaning. Without him, all things lose their value. Without him, all things are but detached pieces floating around in space.

It is possible to emphasize a spiritual truth, value, virtue, or gift, yet miss Christ . . . who is the embodiment and incarnation of all spiritual truth, values, virtues, and gifts.

Seek a truth, a value, a virtue, or a spiritual gift, and you have obtained something dead.

Seek Christ, embrace Christ, know Christ, and you have touched him who is Life. And in him resides all Truth, Values, Virtues and Gifts in living color. Beauty has its meaning in the beauty of Christ, in whom is found all that makes us lovely and loveable.

What is Christianity? It is Christ. Nothing more. Nothing less. Christianity is not an ideology. Christianity is not a philosophy. Christianity is the “good news” that Beauty, Truth and Goodness are found in a person. Biblical community is founded and found on the connection to that person. Conversion is more than a change in direction; it’s a change in connection. Jesus’ use of the ancient Hebrew word shubh, or its Aramaic equivalent, to call for “repentance” implies not viewing God from a distance, but entering into a relationship where God is command central of the human connection.

In that regard, we feel a massive disconnection in the church today. Thus this manifesto.

We believe that the major disease of the church today is JDD: Jesus Deficit Disorder. The person of Jesus is increasingly politically incorrect, and is being replaced by the language of “justice,” “the kingdom of God,” “values,” and “leadership principles.”

In this hour, the testimony that we feel God has called us to bear centers on the primacy of the Lord Jesus Christ. Specifically . . .

1. The center and circumference of the Christian life is none other than the person of Christ. All other things, including things related to him and about him, are eclipsed by the sight of his peerless worth. Knowing Christ is Eternal Life. And knowing him profoundly, deeply, and in reality, as well as experiencing his unsearchable riches, is the chief pursuit of our lives, as it was for the first Christians. God is not so much about fixing things that have gone wrong in our lives as finding us in our brokenness and giving us Christ.

2. Jesus Christ cannot be separated from his teachings. Aristotle says to his disciples, “Follow my teachings.” Socrates says to his disciples, “Follow my teachings.” Buddha says to his disciples, “Follow my meditations.” Confucius says to his disciples, “Follow my sayings.” Muhammad says to his disciples, “Follow my noble pillars.” Jesus says to his disciples, “Follow me.” In all other religions, a follower can follow the teachings of its founder without having a relationship with that founder. Not so with Jesus Christ. The teachings of Jesus cannot be separated from Jesus himself. Jesus Christ is still alive and he embodies his teachings. It is a profound mistake, therefore, to treat Christ as simply the founder of a set of moral, ethical, or social teaching. The Lord Jesus and his teaching are one. The Medium and the Message are One. Christ is the incarnation of the Kingdom of God and the Sermon on the Mount.

3. God’s grand mission and eternal purpose in the earth and in heaven centers in Christ . . . both the individual Christ (the Head) and the corporate Christ (the Body). This universe is moving towards one final goal – the fullness of Christ where He shall fill all things with himself. To be truly missional, then, means constructing one’s life and ministry on Christ. He is both the heart and bloodstream of God’s plan. To miss this is to miss the plot; indeed, it is to miss everything.

4. Being a follower of Jesus does not involve imitation so much as it does implantation and impartation. Incarnation–the notion that God connects to us in baby form and human touch—is the most shocking doctrine of the Christian religion. The incarnation is both once-and-for-all and ongoing, as the One “who was and is to come” now is and lives his resurrection life in and through us. Incarnation doesn’t just apply to Jesus; it applies to every one of us. Of course, not in the same sacramental way. But close. We have been given God’s “Spirit” which makes Christ “real” in our lives. We have been made, as Peter puts it, “partakers of the divine nature.” How, then, in the face of so great a truth can we ask for toys and trinkets? How can we lust after lesser gifts and itch for religious and spiritual thingys? We’ve been touched from on high by the fires of the Almighty and given divine life. A life that has passed through death – the very resurrection life of the Son of God himself. How can we not be fired up?

To put it in a question: What was the engine, or the accelerator, of the Lord’s amazing life? What was the taproot or the headwaters of his outward behavior? It was this: Jesus lived by an indwelling Father. After his resurrection, the passage has now moved. What God the Father was to Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is to you and to me. He’s our indwelling Presence, and we share in the life of Jesus’ own relationship with the Father. There is a vast ocean of difference between trying to compel Christians to imitate Jesus and learning how to impart an implanted Christ. The former only ends up in failure and frustration. The latter is the gateway to life and joy in our daying and our dying. We stand with Paul: “Christ lives in me.” Our life is Christ. In him do we live, breathe, and have our being. “What would Jesus do?” is not Christianity. Christianity asks: “What is Christ doing through me … through us? And how is Jesus doing it?” Following Jesus means “trust and obey” (respond), and living by his indwelling life through the power of the Spirit.

5. The “Jesus of history” cannot be disconnected from the “Christ of faith.” The Jesus who walked the shores of Galilee is the same person who indwells the church today. There is no disconnect between the Jesus of Mark’s Gospel and the incredible, all-inclusive, cosmic Christ of Paul’s letter to the Colossians. The Christ who lived in the first century has a pre-existence before time. He also has a post-existence after time. He is Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, A and Z, all at the same time. He stands in the future and at the end of time at the same moment that He indwells every child of God. Failure to embrace these paradoxical truths has created monumental problems and has diminished the greatness of Christ in the eyes of God’s people.

6. It’s possible to confuse “the cause” of Christ with the person of Christ. When the early church said “Jesus is Lord,” they did not mean “Jesus is my core value.” Jesus isn’t a cause; he is a real and living person who can be known, loved, experienced, enthroned and embodied. Focusing on his cause or mission doesn’t equate focusing on or following him. It’s all too possible to serve “the god” of serving Jesus as opposed to serving him out of an enraptured heart that’s been captivated by his irresistible beauty and unfathomable love. Jesus led us to think of God differently, as relationship, as the God of all relationship.

7. Jesus Christ was not a social activist nor a moral philosopher. To pitch him that way is to drain his glory and dilute his excellence. Justice apart from Christ is a dead thing. The only battering ram that can storm the gates of hell is not the cry of Justice, but the name of Jesus. Jesus Christ is the embodiment of Justice, Peace, Holiness, Righteousness. He is the sum of all spiritual things, the “strange attractor” of the cosmos. When Jesus becomes an abstraction, faith loses its reproductive power. Jesus did not come to make bad people good. He came to make dead people live.

8. It is possible to confuse an academic knowledge or theology about Jesus with a personal knowledge of the living Christ himself. These two stand as far apart as do the hundred thousand million galaxies. The fullness of Christ can never be accessed through the frontal lobe alone. Christian faith claims to be rational, but also to reach out to touch ultimate mysteries. The cure for a big head is a big heart.

Jesus does not leave his disciples with CliffsNotes for a systematic theology. He leaves his disciples with breath and body.

Jesus does not leave his disciples with a coherent and clear belief system by which to love God and others. Jesus gives his disciples wounds to touch and hands to heal.

Jesus does not leave his disciples with intellectual belief or a “Christian worldview.” He leaves his disciples with a relational faith.

Christians don’t follow a book. Christians follow a person, and this library of divinely inspired books we call “The Holy Bible” best help us follow that person. The Written Word is a map that leads us to The Living Word. Or as Jesus himself put it, “All Scripture testifies of me.” The Bible is not the destination; it’s a compass that points to Christ, heaven’s North Star.

The Bible does not offer a plan or a blueprint for living. The “good news” was not a new set of laws, or a new set of ethical injunctions, or a new and better PLAN. The “good news” was the story of a person’s life, as reflected in The Apostle’s Creed. The Mystery of Faith proclaims this narrative: “Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.” The meaning of Christianity does not come from allegiance to complex theological doctrines, but a passionate love for a way of living in the world that revolves around following Jesus, who taught that love is what makes life a success . . . not wealth or health or anything else: but love. And God is love.

9. Only Jesus can transfix and then transfigure the void at the heart of the church. Jesus Christ cannot be separated from his church. While Jesus is distinct from his Bride, he is not separate from her. She is in fact his very own Body in the earth. God has chosen to vest all of power, authority, and life in the living Christ. And God in Christ is only known fully in and through his church. (As Paul said, “The manifold wisdom of God – which is Christ – is known through the ekklesia.”)

The Christian life, therefore, is not an individual pursuit. It’s a corporate journey. Knowing Christ and making him known is not an individual prospect. Those who insist on flying life solo will be brought to earth, with a crash. Thus Christ and his church are intimately joined and connected. What God has joined together, let no person put asunder. We were made for life with God; our only happiness is found in life with God. And God’s own pleasure and delight is found therein as well.

10. In a world which sings, “Oh, who is this Jesus?” and a church which sings, “Oh, let’s all be like Jesus,” who will sing with lungs of leather, “Oh, how we love Jesus!”

If Jesus could rise from the dead, we can at least rise from our bed, get off our couches and pews, and respond to the Lord’s resurrection life within us, joining Jesus in what he’s up to in the world. We call on others to join us—not in removing ourselves from planet Earth, but to plant our feet more firmly on the Earth while our spirits soar in the heavens of God’s pleasure and purpose. We are not of this world, but we live in this world for the Lord’s rights and interests. We, collectively, as the ekklesia of God, are Christ in and to this world.

May God have a people on this earth who are a people of Christ, through Christ, and for Christ. A people of the cross. A people who are consumed with God’s eternal passion, which is to make his Son preeminent, supreme, and the head over all things visible and invisible. A people who have discovered the touch of the Almighty in the face of his glorious Son. A people who wish to know only Christ and him crucified, and to let everything else fall by the wayside. A people who are laying hold of his depths, discovering his riches, touching his life, and receiving his love, and making HIM in all of his unfathomable glory known to others.

The two of us may disagree about many things—be they ecclesiology, eschatology, soteriology, not to mention economics, globalism and politics.

But in our two most recent books—From Eternity to Here and So Beautiful—we have sounded forth a united trumpet. These books are the Manifests to this Manifesto. They each present the vision that has captured our hearts and that we wish to impart to the Body of Christ— “This ONE THING I know” (Jn.9:25) that is the ONE THING that unites us all:

Jesus the Christ.

Christians don’t follow Christianity; Christians follow Christ.

Christians don’t preach themselves; Christians proclaim Christ.

Christians don’t point people to core values; Christians point people to the cross.

Christians don’t preach about Christ: Christians preach Christ.

Over 300 years ago a German pastor wrote a hymn that built around the Name above all names:

Ask ye what great thing I know, that delights and stirs me so?
What the high reward I win? Whose the name I glory in?
Jesus Christ, the crucified.

This is that great thing I know; this delights and stirs me so:
faith in him who died to save, His who triumphed o’er the grave:
Jesus Christ, the crucified.

—

Jesus Christ – the crucified, resurrected, enthroned, triumphant, living Lord.

He is our Pursuit, our Passion, and our Life.

Amen.

HOPE

2009-12-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

For the Thanksgiving edition (Nov. 26) of the Beaverton Valley-Times...

I've been thinking a lot about hope.

Maybe it's because I'll be preaching about hope on Dec. 6, the first Sunday of Advent. Or maybe it's because it is the underlying theme of ur church's Dec. 11 & 12 musical, "I'll Be Home for Christmas."

More likely, though, I'm contemplating hope because of some recent conversations, like the man who told me, "I'd almost given up hope of getting a new job." Or the woman who lamented, "I keep hoping things will get better, but so far they've just gotten worse."

I am fascinated that hope is viewed negatively by some but positively by others. For instance, an old English proverb says, "Hope is a good breakfast but a bad supper." Philosopher Frederick Nietzsche was even more emphatic: "Hope is the worst of all evils, for it prolongs the torment of man!"

Contrast that with Pearl Buck's statement: "To eat bread without hope is still to slowly starve to death." Or what Christopher Reeve had to say, "Once you choose hope, anything is possible."

Why is there such a discrepancy in our perspectives on hope? One reason, of course, is that some people are optimistic and others are pessimistic.

A less obvious reason, though, is that we have widely varying definitions of hope. Hope has two elements--desire and expectation. However, in English, the element of desire usually outweighs the element of expectation. When that is the case, hope becomes little more than wishful thinking. When some people say, "I hope I'll get a job by Christmas," they really mean I'd like to get a job by Christmas; I wish I could."

The Bible's understanding of hope is much different. It includes desire, but the emphasis is heavily on expectation. That's because the focus in not on what we hope for but what we hope in.

For instance, the psalmist counseled, "Put your hope in God" (Ps. 42:5). When he wrote this, he was not arguing that everything would go smoothly if we hope in God. In fact, just before this he said that his tears had been his food day and night (Ps. 42:3). But his hope did not stand on spindly legs; his hope was not a matter of wish fulfillment.

Rather, he modeled the kind of substantial hope that we need--hope that doesn't dissipate when our marriage isn't going well, or when we get laid off, or when our children get in trouble.

You see, hope is only as good as what--or who--we place our hope in.

I remember visiting one of our members who was dying of colon cancer. She assured me, "It's going to be okay, Pastor, however it turns out. I'll be all right. I know where I'm going to be."

She had a hope that wouldn't quit on her. Do you?

I hope so.

Stages of Prayer

2009-11-10T14:47:00.000-08:00

Many people tell me, "I'm not good at prayer." However, in most cases, the real problem is not that we are "good" or "bad" at prayer -- those are moral categories. Rather, we haven't learned that prayer is a multifaceted experience.

Just as a baseball player needs to learn several different skills--hitting, throwing, catching, and how to run the bases--so a follower of Christ needs different prayer "skills." Or, perhaps it's easier to think of these skills as natural phases through which we progress.

Too many people have continued to view prayer through the eyes of a small child -- "give me, give me, give me." It is time for us to develop a more mature way of praying, so we can experience the delight of relating to God as our "Abba" (Papa).

Mark Thibodeaux has done a good job of articulating these phases in his book, Armchair Mystic:

Talking at God -- reciting parents or other authorities taught us to pray, e.g. "Bless these gifts, O Lord, which we are about to receive through Christ our Lord."
Talking to God -- becoming more comfortable finding our own words to speak to God.
Listening to God -- When we begin listening to God, we are starting to develop a genuine two-way relationship with Him.
Being with God -- At this stage, we enjoy simply being in the presence of the God who loves us. Our prayer may have words, or it may be wordless. It doesn't really matter because His presence is what gives meaning to the prayertime.

Just Because You Don't See Them Doesn't Mean...

2009-10-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

In The Old Patagonian Express, Paul Theroux wrote:

"There were shacks all over these hills, in the most unlikely places, built against boulders and cave entrances, and at the bottom of sand pits. I came to fear them, because at each one there was a mangy dog that ran out and yapped at me, snarling into its paws. I was genuinely frightened of being bitten by one of these mutts: they had a crazy rabid look, and a bark from one excited barks from other dogs hidden all over the stony hillside. Giving these dogs a wide berth, I strayed from the mule tracks. . . .

"I mentioned the dogs to a Columbian that evening. There seemed to be a lot of mutts in the hills, I said. Were they dangerous? 'Some of the dogs are dangerous,' he said. 'But all of the snakes are deadly poisonous.' 'I did not see any snakes.' 'Maybe not. But they saw you.'"

I think that's a parable. How often do we guard ourselves against the dogs we can see when it's the snakes that we don't see that are much more likely to kill us? How often are we blind to the real dangers in life? That's one reason we need to live in community with others. Others can help me deal with some of my blind spots.

What Kind of Prayer?

2009-10-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

I love this picture of two hands gripped in fervent prayer. And that is how we often think of prayer -- someone desperately imploring God to perform a miracle, to heal someone they love or get themselves out of a jam.

But doesn't this omit the best part of prayer? Isn't it like children who only come to their parents when they want something? The main goal of prayer should be to grow in our relationship to God. Then, when we ask God to do something, we will ask with confidence because we will truly the know the One of whom we are making the request.

"If I could just sit with you awhile -- I need you to hold me, moment by moment, 'till forever passes by."

The "Now" of Eternity

2009-10-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

Sunday I talked about the importance of setting our hearts on "things above" rather than on "earthly things" (Col. 3:1-2). However, I had to explain that this did not mean that we are to ignore life's ongoing demands -- paying the bills and taking care of the house and nurturing our kids. Rather, we need to remember that this is not all there is. In fact, the various arenas of life--work, school, and home--are our arenas of ministry. These areas of life desperately need a "things above" perspective.

Eternal life is not out there after we die. It is present here and now as we entrust ourselves to God. Jesus said, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:3).

Changing our viewpoint can change everything.

Hard-Earned Wisdom

2009-10-07T15:39:00.000-07:00

I like all of Donald Miller's books, but I think A Million Miles in a Thousand Years is his best since Blue Like Jazz. That's partly because, as he ages, he's learning some things about himself and about life, and he's willing to share these things with readers.

For instance, after the devastating breakup with the girl he thought he was going to marry, he realized something important:

...For years I'd thought of love as something that would complete me, make all my troubles go away. I worshipped at the altar of romantic completion. And it had cost me, plenty of times. And it had cost most of the girls I'd dated, too, because I wanted them to be something they couldn't be. It's too much pressure to put on a person. I think that's why so many couples fight, because they want their partners to validate them and affirm then, and if they don't get that, they feel as though they're going to die. And so they lash out. But its' a terrible thing to wake up and realize the person you just finished crucifying didn't turn out to be Jesus.

That's something a lot of people--married and single--need to learn!

Where's Norm?

2009-09-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of fun at the "Welcome Back, Norm" event -- the choir sounded great as they sang the National Anthem; we enjoyed watching the Beavers together; and then there was this! Can you spot the Real Norm Langston?

Weddings, Weddings, Weddings!

2009-09-03T00:43:00.000-07:00

This was my all-time "wedding month"!

It began with my nephew's July 31 wedding, proceeded to my son and daughter-in-law's wedding on August 15, continued with Nic & Lindsay's wedding on Aug. 23, and culminated with Abe & Renee's Aug. 30 ceremony.

Sunday we had a beautiful location--Timberline Lodge--for the beautiful ceremony of a beautiful couple! Actually, there was more to it than that, since Abe & Renee met on a hike in the Mt. Hood National Forest and eventually climbed Mt. Hood together.

Congratulations to a fantastic couple (as well as the other three couples)!

Ballooning Responsibilities

2009-08-18T17:24:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those mornings where it seemed that your responsibilities "ballooned" overnight?

There are many different ways to say "Welcome Back," and we have some very clever teens in our church!

Thanks guys!

They're Married!

2009-08-16T22:29:00.000-07:00

August 15 was Paul & Cassey's Big Day!

It was just perfect . . . and can't you see how much these "dancin' Baptists" were enjoying themselves! Everyone went home exhausted but joyful. How could the day have been any better?

The Class Reunion

2009-08-03T10:15:00.001-07:00

Baker Bathing Beauties --
Class of '69 . . . I got this "hot" shot on Saturday afternoon of our reunion. It was hot, wasn't it, ladies?

A Nephew's Wedding

2009-07-31T23:21:00.000-07:00

O God of Light and Love,

Tonight we rejoice and give thanks to you for Nathan and Ingrid, for the laughter, art, and poetry of their lives. We rejoice because you loved each of us so much that you allowed us to know them as friends and family, and in that way have graced each of us beyond measure.

We thank you because of who Ingrid and Nathan are and who they are becoming. Thank you that they came into each others' lives at just the right time. And thank you for their open hearts and adventurous spirits.

Let their love for each other remind them of how much you love them and how much you want their life together to be filled with joy and purpose. Bless them in the commitments that they express here tonight, so that those commitments can last and so they can face any difficult together...and with overcoming love.

For I pray these things in the name of the One who embodies your love, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hot Hiking!

2009-07-30T10:36:00.001-07:00

Paul & I have wanted to hike together this summer, but other things kept interfering -- jobs, appointments, etc. Because of the heat, he worked an earlier shift (5 a.m.-1 p.m.) on Tuesday, and we agreed to go hiking that afternoon . . . on the hottest day of the year! Sometimes you've just gotta do what you've gotta do.

We thought we were pretty tough until marathoner Kara Goucher blew past us two times!

A Varied Weekend

2009-07-30T00:10:00.001-07:00

After working on our yard Saturday morning, I headed to Eugene/Springfield. That afternoon I enjoyed seeing Grant Giraldi play a great game in the Little League State Tournament (11-12s). After supper I enjoyed a "sentimental journey" as I hiked the north side of the McKenzie River, viewed the new baseball stadium outside Autzen, and surveyed all the changes on campus.

Sunday morning I worshiped with Harvest Community Church and ran into Brian & Amanda Bird and their daughter. They were members of our church for a short time before doing two years of missionary work in Central Asia. Later that morning I was at Eastside Baptist in Springfield. Two elderly members remembered me from 30 years ago, and Wayne Strong, the church's music leader, proudly showed me their plans for a new facility. I had lunch with Corey Zanotti, the pastor, and his beautiful family. What a great weekend!

My Mom

2009-07-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

Leona Langston -- "Mom" -- is a very young 92! And today she told me, "I'm just so happy."

And that made me happy.

Bibliophiles, Unite!

2009-07-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

While I was in Israel, Susie & Paul conspired on the nicest Father's Day gift I could imagine -- converting Paul's old bedroom into a home office for me. They found bargains on a great desk, lateral file, inn table, and matching artwork! The only inadequacy in the entire arrangement was the small amount of shelving for books. I accused Susie of doing that on purpose, but she won't admit to anything.

Of course, I think there is never enough room for books. Those who don't read a lot--and even some that do--have difficulty understanding this perspective. That's why I was pleased to run across an article by retired pastor Gordon MacDonald yesterday. Allow me to share part of what he wrote:

I dread the town fair because … well, perhaps you'll understand why if I tell you what my wife, Gail, said to me a few days ago: "Next week I want us to donate 500 books from our library to the used-book sale at the fair. So you might want to go through your books and pick out what you don't think you'll need anymore."

If you love your books as much as I do, you understand how impossible it is to imagine any book in your library that you'll not need anymore. Even lending a book to a friend is a personal crisis for me. It tests my Christian generosity. I want to encase a loaned book in something similar to what the banks use when they surrender money to a bank robber--something that explodes with indelible ink if the book is not returned in a week.

Gail raises this book-donation idea about this time every year, and she always increases the culling number. It started at 25 books a decade ago, and now has reached 500. I don't know if this number is thoughtfully calculated, or it simply comes off the top of her head. But it always increases. It never, like John the Baptist, decreases.

I usually protest, but Gail is experienced in the discipline of downsizing. All she has to say is, "Okay, I'll do it." The thought of Gail choosing which of my books are going one-way to the fair is really not thinkable.

Some of you will understand when I say that each of my books is precious to me. When I am among them, I feel as if I'm wrapped in a warm blanket. Like a protective shepherd, I know my sheep (or books) by name. I know where almost every book is located on the shelves. The logic of their placement may defy you. But I know my books!

Gail used to tell our children when they were small, "Books are our friends." I remind her of this when she sets the annual downsizing quota. I say, "Have you become so calloused that you're ready to throw our 'friends' away?"

My question never dissuades her.

The minute I donate even one of my books to the town fair, I find that, within two weeks, I need something from it: a quote, for example, or a story. I may have not cracked that particular book once in ten years. But be assured that I will need that book within two weeks of its sacrifice.

Once or twice I've parted company with a book and then had to re-purchase another copy of that book online a few months later. Once I saw a former book of mine on the used-book table and felt so badly that I bought it back. But I never told Gail that I did this.

(The entire article can be found at http://www.christianitytoday.co/le/currenttrendscolumns/leadershipweekly/ditchingfriendsathefair.html.)

Believe it or not, everything that MacDonald said here made perfect sense to me. However, I made a decision a long time ago that my books--like the rest of my possessions--belong to God, so if you ever want to borrow one or more, don't hesitate. The only thing I ask is that you "check it out" by writing down the name and author of the book, your name, and the date you borrow it. And, if you forget to return it, you will know that you stole it from God!

Incidentally, "bibliophiles" are "lovers of books." About the only people who know that are bibliophiles!

Friends and More Friends!

2009-07-13T17:58:00.000-07:00

One of the most enjoyable aspects of our trip to the Southeast was visiting with friends. In Myrtle Beach, SC, we had dinner with Tish's best "long-distance" friend, Jordan, and her husband, Russell. Up the coast in Swansboro, NC, we reconnected with the Roodhouse clan (Jereme, Laura, Liam, Ellie, Keegan, and Ziva). We especially enjoyed celebrating "Belle's" ninth birthday and meeting Ziva Tish for the very first time!

Location, Location, Location!

2009-07-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

Before I left for Israel, a couple of people told me that they wanted me to determine exactly where Jesus was crucified. Personally, I don't think it matters where he died, only that he died, and that he died for our sins. Nevertheless I promised to pay attention to the pros and cons concerning the various alternatives.

Some real estate agents say that the top three things that determine the value of a property are "location, location, location." This also applies to Golgotha.

My first picture shows one of the sites. We know from Mark 15:22 that Jesus was brought "to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull), and can't you see the resemblance to a skull? I was told that the resemblance was even greater until an earthquake a few years ago damaged part of the ediface. Since the site is a stone's throw from the "Garden Tomb"--or "Gordon's Tomb", as it sometimes is called--it is understandable that many evangelicals have been persuaded that this is the location of Golgotha.

However, my second picture looks even more like a skull. However, I know it isn't Golgotha since it's part of the Captain Hook Adventure Golf Course in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

And I have the same problem agreeing that the Garden Tomb is where Jesus was buried and that the nearby site was the location of Golgotha. In the first place, at the time of Jesus, there was no city gate near these sites. Second, the Garden Tomb is characteristic of tombs at least a century later than Jesus.

I don't think we can know for certain where Jesus was crucified and buried. The most likely sites are located in the Church of Holy Sepulcher, and this bothers many evangelicals because it is an Orthodox Church and is alien to our experience and sentiments. However, knowing the location isn't the main thing. "I need no other evidence; I need no other creed. It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me."

The Best in Southern Dining

2009-07-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

Who's With Susie?

2009-06-28T21:51:00.000-07:00

We thoroughly enjoyed the contrasting shows we saw in Myrtle Beach, SC -- Good Vibrations and The Carolina Opry. We were surprised and delighted to discover that Calvin Gilmore, the producer/director for both shows -- and Bill & Lu Walker's son-in-law -- had hired "All That!" as dancers for the productions. "All That!" became well-known when they were contestants on NBC's America's Got Talent. They are fantastic.

Doesn't Susie look like she's enjoying herself?

A Hero

2009-06-26T06:36:00.001-07:00

Today Kenneth Reusser will be laid to rest, but he always will be my ideal of a patriot warrior. As a Marine flyer, he was shot down during WW2, three times in the Korean War, and once again in Viet Nam. He earned two Navy Crosses, four Purple Hearts, two Legions of Merit, and fifty-two other medals and ribbons throughout his long and dedicated military career.

However, many people do not know that his father was a pastor. And, in the later years of his life, Ken's faith in God strongly asserted itself again. Twice he asked me to help him formulate plans to share Christ with military buddies for whom he was concerned. After some personal financial setbacks, I wondered if Ken & Trudy might become bitter, but, to my delight, these difficulties only drew them closer to the Lord.

On numerous occasions Ken risked his life in battle, so that others might live. In that way, he was like the Lord Jesus, who said: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (Jn. 15:13). I was privileged to call Kenneth Reusser my friend.

Talk about Tenure!

2009-06-26T06:23:00.000-07:00

The beautiful St. John's (Lutheran) Church in Charleston, SC was dedicated in 1818. Dr. John Bachman served as the congregation's pastor from 1815-1874. Maybe I'm just getting started in Beaverton!

Besides pastoring the church, Dr. Bachman was influential in the SC Lutheran Synod (1824), the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (1830), and Newberry College (1856). I'm not sure how he found the time to assist his ornithologist friend, John James Audubon, in publishing his Birds of America and Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America.

Life Is Like a Box of Chocolates!

2009-06-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning we filled a box with favorite chocolates from the Chocolate Tree in Beaufort. And, yes, that is where Forest Gump's box of chocolates was from! Today we dipped our toes in the Atlantic very near the lagoon where the film's Viet Nam scenes were filmed. I have really enjoyed spending several days with Mac, the Williams' 19-mo. old grandson.

Visiting Other Churches

2009-06-20T07:58:00.001-07:00

During my sabbatical, I am visiting a wide variety of churches and worship services--eight to date, with two more tomorrow. Each service presents me with a special opportunity: to worship and to observe.

In New York, I twice attended St. Paul's on the Hill, the Journey church, and Metro Baptist. I was in two services in Israel, and, on my only Sunday in our area, I attended Abundant Life Church (Happy Valley and the 1st pic) and Imago Dei Community (Franklin High School). Tomorrow we will visit The Baptist Church at Beaufort (2nd pic), where our friend, Melanie Williams, is the Minister of Music. They now have two morning services. Their 9:00 a.m. "Covenant Service" features classic hymns led by their choir and pipe organ as well as corporate confession, silences, and litanies. In other words, this is their "liturgical" service. Their 11:15 a.m. "Convergent Service" is led by their worship band and incorporates a casual atmosphere.

I have a lot of thoughts and impressions from being a visitor--I prefer the term "guest"--in other churches. Let me share just a few.

How you are greeted, seated, and put at ease makes a HUGE difference. Even churches that think they're good at this need to continue working at it. Any number of "small things" make a difference to a first-time guest. And, even if the church doesn't completely have its act together in doing this, one friendly person can make a lasting impression.
Trying to categorize everything in terms of age is silly. For instance, there were more seniors (55+) than young people in the 8:30 service at Abundant Life, but the music was contemporary and loud--much louder than in our services. No one was holding back; the congregation was very engaged.
The best preaching is still biblical preaching. At Abundant Life, the message series being introduced that day was "Don't Let Your 'But' Get in the Way"! The message, based on Gideon's experience, was excellent. At Imago Dei, Pastor Rick McKinley preached a good verse-by-verse message from I Cor. 9.
The variety of worship services is infinite, but there is only One Lord that we worship. Let's speak kindly of our fellow Christ-followers even if we prefer a different type of worship experience!

Looking for a Father's Day Gift at Phipps Plaza

2009-06-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

"Maserati or Bentley...Maserati or Bentley? Susie has really good taste!"

Time to Slow Down

2009-06-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading my Holy Land posts, you may feel like I've given you an awful lot of information. However, let me assure you, what I've shared is just the "tip of the iceberg."

On our first day of class, our coordinator told us that during our three weeks together we would "pack in" more than we could absorb. Then, we would spend the rest of our lives "unpacking" it. I believe she was right.

On August 16, my first Sunday back from my sabbatical, I will have an extended slideshow highlighting my trip to Israel. Of course, even that will be the tip of the iceberg, but it will be a start.

For those of you who have been reading these blog posts regularly, thank you. Writing them has been a way for me to integrate some of my experiences, so you have helped me!

However, during this next phase of my sabbatical, I need to relax a bit more. I will continue to blog, but only once--or perhaps twice--a week, instead of daily. After a busy week at home, Susie and I will head to the Southeast for three weeks. Until then, SHALOM!

On to Amman

2009-06-09T05:53:00.000-07:00

On the last day of our course, we began in Amman, Jordan. When I asked the derivation of the city's name, I had one of those "ah-ha" moments. It's called Amman because it is the land of the "Ammonites"! (See Gen. 19:38 and Deut. 2:19 if that doesn't mean anything to you).

Today Amman has a population of 2.5 million. However, after its heyday as a Greco-Roman and Byzantine center, it was struck by several earthquakes. Until the late 1800s, it was just a small village in the midst of magnificent ruins. The picture I'm posting shows part of the restored city gate from the Greco-Roman period. (For the purposes of scale, notice our group on the lefthand side of the pic).

However, as impressive as these ruins were, the finds that most intrigued me were in the nearby Jordanian museum. Although the museum is small, it contains some priceless artifacts -- pieces of the leather Dead Sea Scrolls, for instance. However, the 2nd picture I'm posting, the "Deir Alla inscriptions," was my favorite exhibit.

I know it's not much to look at, but let me tell you the story. In 1967 these inscriptions were found at Deir Alla in the Jordan Valley written in red and black ink on one of the walls. They can be dated sometime between 840-760 BC. The inscriptions relate a previously unknown prediction of the prophet Balaam, son of Beor. In case you skipped over Numbers 22-24 in your morning devotions, Balaam was hired by the Moabites to curse the Israelites. However, God prevented him from doing this and even used Balaam's donkey to rebuke him!

The significance of this is simple: Balaam is the first Old Testament prophet to be specifically named in this type of extra-biblical inscription. Although this doesn't "prove" the story from Numbers, it reminds us that the Bible should be taken seriously as a historical document. That's one of several things that sets it apart from many other religious writings. Unlike the Bhagavad Gita, a famous Hindu sacred text, the Bible is populated by real, not mythological, people. And, unlike the Book of Mormon, my Bible has maps in the back. We can locate many of the places where events in the Bible occurred, but that is not the case in the Book of Mormon.

Please understand: I'm not interested in attacking the religious sensibilities of other people. However, it's important for us to love God with our minds as well as with our hearts. Baseless emotion is as dangerous as arid intellectualism. Didn't Jesus have something to say about that (Mt. 22:36-37)?

The Wonder of Petra

2009-06-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

I don't have a "formal" Bucket List, but visiting Petra has been on my informal list for several years. And it exceeded my expectations in every way!

Petra is located in Jordan about three hours south of Amman and in the large valley that runs south from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Although people had lived in the area for generations, it was the Nabateans who made it famous when they chose it as their capital around 100 BC. As a people group, they likely were an amalgamation of the Bible's Edomites and a group of semi-nomadic tribes, the Nabatu.

Most of Petra was destroyed by an earthquake in 363 AD, but what remains is both spectacular and mysterious. The Nabeteans carved giant tombs into the red sandstone. Look carefully at this picture, and you can see that the little white figures are people! This tomb is not unique. There are dozens and their variety and size are remarkable.

The aspect of our visit that I most appreciated was our hike to the "High Place." According to our guide, this is the best preserved sacrificial altar in the ancient world. After seeing it, I must agree!

It reminded me that the Israelites were constantly tempted to set up their own "high places." It was there that they would worship other gods, or, in other instances, where they would try to blend their worship of Yahweh with the gods of the peoples around them. Through his prophets, God decried their unfaithfulness: "On every high hill and under every spreading tree you lay down as a prostitute" (Jer. 2:20).

When we read of their idolatry and other sins, I think American followers of Christ tend to rhetorically ask, "Isn't that terrible? Why would they ignore their history? Why didn't they repent?" Here is what I think, though. God's people were not intentionally trying to be unfaithful. However, they--like we--were seduced by the influences all around them. Allow me to illustrate.

If the rains were slow in coming and the crops were jeopardized, the Israelites might make a sacrifice to Baal. Why? Baal was the storm god. "If it works for the Philistines or the other Canaanites, maybe it will work for us too. We're not abandoning our worship of Yahweh. He is a great God; He brought us through the wilderness, but we need a god who can help us right now and right here, not a desert god."

And, just like the Israelites, I think American Christians pretend to worship the King of the Universe, while too often we "recreate" God. We want a god who will do exactly what we want, but who will not demand too much of us. We want a god who will give us prosperity and pain-free lives.

Jesus said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23). Ouch! The sole reason I'm willing to do that is because Jesus says that is the way to authentic life.

Jerash (Gerasa)

2009-06-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

The highlight of our first day in Jordan was our Jerash visit. This was a Greco-Roman city known in the New Testament as Gerasa. In Jesus' day, it was one of the self-governing cities of the Decapolis. (We earlier had visited Pella and Gadara.) I had heard of these cities, but I was amazed at how large and magnificent they were. In my picture, the "city council" hall is in the background.

Again, though, a simple lesson stands out: wealth, glory, and fame are temporary, but the Word of the Lord remains forever!

Climb, Climb Up Sunshine Mountain

2009-06-05T19:08:00.001-07:00

No one should come to the Holy Land unprepared to climb a lot of stairs! Everyday we have climbed somewhere and usually several times a day. To reach the most interesting sites, you've got to climb.

In the first picture, our group is climbing a narrow stairway to the roof of Nebi Samwil, the place that both Muslims and Jews honor as the tomb of Samuel the Prophet. The main part of the building is a mosque, but, once you enter the foyer, you can turn to the right and go into the synagogue in the basement! And, despite all that, it is extremely unlikely that this is where Samuel is buried!

Regardless of the history, from the roof you have a panoramic view of the Central Benjamin Plain and the opportunity to reflect on why so many different groups fought for control of this area.

And, a climb like this, reminds me of two of life's primary lessons:

1. to reach the top, you usually have to begin at the bottom; and
2. the only way to get to the top is one step at a time!

Have a great day; my group leaves this morning at 6:00 a.m. for Jordan.

A Tel of Two Cities

2009-06-03T22:16:00.001-07:00

A "tel" or "tell" (if you use the Arabic spelling) literally means "hill" or "mound." In archeology it refers to the site of an earthen mound in which the remains of a city of worship center may be found.

Cities often are built on the ruins of previous cities and typically make use of the materials left at the site. Therefore, it takes a great deal of skill to determine the "story" of a particular site. In some instances, there are twenty or more "stratum"--layers--that must be evaluated and classified.

During our field trips--about 70% of the course--we have visited numerous tels. On the first day of our Galilee outing, we visited Tel Dan, a significant archeological site a few miles from Lebanon.

I'm posting my picture of a very important find: a city gate built around 1750 BC. Some of the gate area is reconstructed, but the mud brick arches were preserved when the gate went out of use and was buried under a later phase as part of the defensive rampart of the city. The gate is called Abraham's Gate because this is the period of the biblical patriarchs and because the Bible tells how the people of this city took Lot captive until Abraham rescued him. So, the first "tel" was Laish, the Canaanite city that existed before it became "Dan."

Although there have been many other significant "finds" at Tel Dan, one outshines them all. In 1994, excavators found three basalt fragments of a memorial "stele" (a tall, narrow slab of stone or wood inscribed or carved with names, laws, pictures, designs, or dedications). Together the three fragments measure 9 inches by 16 inches; the complete stele may measure 39 inches by 19 inches. Here's what's interesting--to me, at least: the stele seems to indicate that the Aramean king, Hazael, was responsible for its erection. This is the same Hazael that is mentioned in 2 Kings 8:7-15 when Elisha visited Damascus and pronounced that Hazael would become the king of what is now Syria. Elisha then wept because God showed him that Hazael would attack Israel.

According to the Bible, Hazael became one of Israel's most dangerous enemies, possibly even reducing Israel to a vassal state for a time (2 Kings 10:32-33). In lines 7-10 of the stele, the text contains the letters 'ביתד וד', the House of David, as a reference to Israel. This is the first time that the name, David, was found at any archaeological site dating before 500 BC. Not only that, the lack of a "dot" as a separation point between the words "house" and "David" implies that the term "House of David" had become a fixed phrase and was still in use 200 years after his death.

Furthermore, a press release issued by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the time of the discovery stated: "It is reasonable to assume that Jehoash, king of Israel, who fought the Arameans three times and defeated them (2 Kings 13:25) recovering territories previously lost, including the city of Dan, symbolically smashed the stele erected there by Hazael, king of Aram-Damascus."

Perhaps that's too much information for you, but consider this: some scholars have doubted that King David and Solomon ever existed! Their thinking was that these great kings of Israel were mythological, on a par with Britain's King Arthur. The discovery of Tel Dan stele has made it difficult for them to maintain that position. Once again, we see that the Bible should be taken seriously as a historical document. But some of us already knew that, didn't we? (Does that sound too smug?)

There's much more I could say about Tel-Dan. At least, though, you now know something more about Laish and Dan and "The Tel of Two Cities."

Walking on the Sea -- Second Try

2009-06-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

It didn't work the second time either. Maybe I would have more luck if Jesus was the one inviting me to walk on the water. "Fools plunge in" and all that sort of thing.

On the other hand, this morning I didn't sink at all. It probably helped that I--we--had a boat underneath our feet.

What a great way to start a day: a quiet cruise to the middle of the Sea of Galilee; then reading the scriptures about Jesus calming the storm. When we docked, we saw the 2000-year old boat that was discovered beside the Sea in 1986. The scientists who worked on the project managed to preserve this astounding find, and we now have a much better idea about the type of boat Jesus and his disciples sailed in. (The pic I've posted is of a reproduction of the boat, but, if you're interested in more info, try http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/galilee-jesus-boat.htm.)

Later that morning, we saw the "Sower's Cove," one of the main spots where Jesus might have taught the people from Peter's boat. Do you remember the miracle that followed and how Peter reacted? If not, read Luke 5:1-11.

Jesus won't call most of us to walk on the water, but he wants all of us to "launch out into the deep and let our nets down for a catch" (Luke 5:4). As followers of Christ, we need to be "fishing" for men and women, boys and girls. Are we?

Walking on the Sea

2009-06-01T20:37:00.001-07:00

I tried walking on the water tonight. I was less successful than Peter.

However, I did enjoy walking in the Sea of Galilee. The water was warm, the lights of Tiberias beautifully twinkled from the opposite shoreline, and a half-moon softly illuminated the water. It was wonder-full!

When I considered coming to Israel, I had no idea this would be one of the highlights, but it is. Isn't it interesting how God can blindside us with a blessing?

I didn't walk on the Sea of Galilee tonight . . . but I didn't ride a bike the first time I tried.

I probably just need more practice. Tomorrow night sounds like a good time.

Ups and Downs

2009-05-31T12:17:00.000-07:00

So, there was a good reason that this course required anyone over 50 to pass a physical. As promised, the field trips have required lots of strenuous hiking and stairclimbing.

Last Thursday, our group hiked to the top of Massada, Herod the Great's fortress palace near the Dead Sea. Massada also is the site where a group of Jewish Zealots held out against the Romans during the Great Revolt after Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD (as Jesus predicted--see Mark 13). When it was clear that the fortress was about to fall to the Romans, the rebels took their own lives and the lives of their families. Nine hundred sixty members of the community died rather than becoming Roman slaves.

Anyway, Massada rises 1485 feet above the Dead Sea and is 2145 feet long and 990 feet wide. The first picture shows part of our group making the trek to the top.

The second pic is from earlier today when we hiked and climbed down the Cliffs of Arbel. This is part of the panoramic view from the top. If you look in the foreground, you can see the highway that is our destination some 700 feet below. In the third pic, you can see a couple of our college guys using the handholds on the side of the cliff as they're descending.

Some of our hikes have been very challenging. At times I've wondered whether the payoff was going to be worth the effort. But, even when I'm not feeling well or I'm just plain tired, I don't want to give in to my feeling. Why? I don't want to miss out, and each time I've been please with the result.

Life is like that. It has a lot of ups and downs. Can you make your own application?

Pentecost

2009-05-29T23:28:00.000-07:00

In Jerusalem today is the weekly Shabbat (sabbath). Therefore, in the Jewish sections of the city, everything is closed. However, the same was true yesterday, since Thursday was Pentecost (Lev. 23:15-21), and Pentecost is observed as a "special Sabbath."

It was not an accident that "on the day of Pentecost...there were God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven" (Acts 2:1,5). This "Feast of the Weeks" is still an enormously popular Jewish festival. From sundown on Wednesday through today, Jews of every shape and size have streamed into the Old City on their way to the Wailing Wall. You often can tell what nationality or sect a family belongs to by the hat that the man is wearing. For instance, the family at the right are Russian Jews (notice his unusual hat).

Not everyone goes to the wall as a family. Sometimes there is a group of teenage girls or boys or simply two men or women. What everyone has in common is they all are wearing their "Sabbath best." Why? Because, even though the Temple has been destroyed, they believe--as a sign near the wall says--that "the Divine Presence never moves from the Western Wall." So, for them, approaching the Wall is synonymous with approaching God, and they want to look their best for God.

I admire the devotion of these "God-fearers," but I believe that, after Jesus, God is found in a people, not in a place. Prior to Christ, God's people were instructed to go to the Temple at certain times of the year. After Christ's earthly sojourn, God's people are the Temple (I Cor. 3:16, 4:19-20)! Listen to the Apostle Paul's counsel: "Do not anyone judge you ... with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration, or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ" (Col. 2:17).

I am glad that I do not need to wear the long, heavy coat of an Ultra-orthodox Jew to express my devotion to God. For one thing, it's hot enough here without that much fabric! And Jesus said that the focus of our hearts is what counts, not our external appearance (Mt. 23:25-28). However, our freedom in Christ can lead to a different danger. Do we too casually approach "God's throne of grace"? When we come to our worship services week by week--indeed, in our daily lives--are we aware that we should prepare ourselves internally? Do we recognize that worship itself is a sacrifice, not just a time of instruction or inspiration?

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased" (Hebrews 13:15-16).

What's Norm Doing?

2009-05-29T00:06:00.000-07:00

Preaching, of course!

This is the preaching platform or "ambo" at the 4th Century church in Oboda (or Avdat, if you prefer).

We didn't have much time there, but, to quote Jeff Iorg: "There's no such thing as a bad short sermon."

Enough said!

In the Caves

2009-05-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

There's a reason I've been incommunicado for a few days. We've been on a three day field trip. Allow me to give you a taste of one site we explored.

All of these pictures were taken in the Bet Guvrin-Maresha Park. Don't you like this first picture? I call it, "Beam me up, Scotty!" It was shot in one of the "Bell Caves." These caves were quarried out in a "bell shape" during the 7th to 10th Centuries A.D. Most are 40-50 feet deep, the deepest one 82 feet. In the second shot you can see the hole in the roof where the limestone blocks were raised and removed by means of ropes.

The last two pictures were taken in the Sidonian Burial Caves inside a family crypt where the original paintings have been restored. Harry Potter fans, do you recognize the first picture? The second pic shows three of our college students in front of the main burial niche. These caves are from the 3rd-2nd Century BC.

I love these caves. They provided a cool respite from the scorching sun.

Some people spend most of their lives hiding in their self-made caves. I understand this. Life can be tough. The sun--and circumstances--can be unrelenting. Caves are a good place for retreats (think about Elijah), but Christ calls his followers leave their caves, to seek and to save the lost, and to disciple people in his name. We all need our sanctuaries, our places of retreat, our caves, but we are aspiring to something much better. We're pilgrims on a holy journey to "Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God" (Heb. 12:22). It is there that God "will wipe every tear from their eyes," and "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (Rev. 21:4).

Don't become too enamored with your cave!

Tomb Raiders

2009-05-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

We had a free afternoon on Monday. Tom, a pastor from Des Moines, and I hiked across the Hinnom Valley with the goal of finding the tomb of Herod's family. Although Herod was buried at the Herodium, his family was not. We were interested because this is one of the few intact 1st Century tombs in Israel. Especially unusual is the fact that this tomb has a large stone that was rolled across its entrance to keep out scavengers. In this picture, can you see the top of the stone to the left of the entry arch?

Allow me to make a suggestion: if you ever go "tomb exploring," take a flashlight. Since we expected this tomb to be sealed, we didn't. However, two pastors couldn't let a little darkness deter us, could we? So we climbed down the stairs, bent down to explore the first chamber, and got down as far as we had to--even on all fours--to grope our way through the other three chambers.

Another interesting thing about this tomb is that it--like most Jewish tombs of this era--was designed to be used by multiple people. After a body was fully-decayed, the bones were placed in an ostuary, and the tomb was ready for the next corpse(s).

There are two reasons our exploration was important to me. First, everything about this tomb corresponds well with what the New Testament reports about Jesus' death. It was good to see that with my own eyes.

Second, it reminded me that many people have been buried in a tomb like this. Only one came out alive. Isn't that reason enough to want to get to know him better?

New Friends at Church!

2009-05-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

Today was the first "free day" of our course. I already had decided to attend Jerusalem Baptist Church. That's because it is a church I had read about and prayed for years ago. The "Baptist Center" is about a mile and a half from where I'm staying, and with the help of directions, I only got lost twice. The church has endured some hard time during the last three decades, so the English-speaking congregation is smaller than it once was, about 50 of us including guests from England, Switzerland, and Mozambique. Like many international congregations, they asked their guests to rise and tell something about themselves. When I told them that I was the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Beaverton, a voice rang out, "I'm from Beaverton." Immediately, someone else said, "I'm from Beaverton too!" Afterward, I learned that another man was recently widowed and that his wife was from Beaverton. And--would you believe it?--another woman told me she had just moved to Israel from Hillsboro.

The short lady next to me is Sandy Wingate, who has taught English in Israel for 14 years. Her home church is Village Baptist. Don & Ruth Heberling are standing next to her. Their home church is Southwest Hills Baptist, and they're about to head back to the U.S. after a year's stint in Israel with Intel. They send their greetings to the Foleys!

The "lady in pink" is Haya Benhayim. She and her husband were the first messianic Jews to imigrate to Israel 48 years ago. Her book about their experiences is entitled Bound for the Promised Land.

In Christ there is no east or west; in him no north or south.
But one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth.

A Big Surprise

2009-05-23T23:27:00.000-07:00

I thought our visit to the Herodium was something that I would endure rather than enjoy. I was wrong. It was fascinating!

At the time of Jesus' birth, Herod "the Great" was the King of Judea (but subservient to the Romans). He had the Herodium built from 24-15 BC in an isolated region southeast of Jerusalem. For Herod, it served both as a fortress and as a pleasure palace. Herod was a paranoid sociopath, so, if he thought there was a serious plot against him, he could withdraw to the highly defensible Herodium until he could destroy the conspirators. He had a "gift" for that. His brother-in-law, one of his wives and her mother, and at least three of sons were executed during his 34-year reign. Toward the end of his life, Herod issued orders that, at his death, leading citizens from throughout Judea would be executed. This would ensure that people would weep when he died!

I had seen pictures of the Herodium in Bible atlases. The pictures looked like my first picture -- a big pile of dirt -- vaguely interesting, but not compelling. Why would I want to make a hot and dusty 400 foot climb to the top of a big hill? Ah, but looks often are deceiving.

I found three things about the Herodium to be intriguing. First, on the way up the "big hill," we took a side trail that led us to Herod's tomb. Regretfully, my picture of it was poor, but here's what you should know about the tomb: it was discovered less than three years ago! The guide books haven't caught up yet. The new one I bought yesterday says: "According to written sources, after the death of Herod in Jericho in 4 BC, his body was entombed somewhere in this fortress. Until now, his remains have not been found."

Over the years, many historians had suggested that the 1st Century Jewish historian Josephus' claim that Herod was buried at the Herodium was questionable. Now there's no question. Similarly, many scholars claim that Herod's "slaughter of the innocents" at Bethlehem (Lk. 2:16-18) is made up. Why? Because it only is reported in Matthew's gospel -- not in Luke or in secular sources. I've always felt that the burden of proof should be on those who doubt the ancient records, not the other way around. The discovery of Herod's tomb lends support to this viewpoint. And, given the population of Bethlehem at the time this horrific incident occurred--perhaps 250-1000--it is likely that a only a few children were killed--probably less than ten. Of course, each of these children and their families was precious to God, but secular historians like Josephus likely were not concerned with the suffering of a few peasant families. And doesn't this sound exactly like something Herod would have done?

The second thing I found fascinating at the Herodium was that it contained a mikvah, a place for ritual Jewish cleansing. Herod's "Jewishness" was an issue for many of the Jews he governed. I can't interpret all the history for you, but Herod was an Idumean (or Edomite as they were called in the Bible). During the Hasmonean Jewish reign--a few years prior to Herod--the Idumeans were given the choice of obeying the Jewish law or of being expelled from their homes. Most of them chose to "become Jews," albeit half-heartedly. This was Herod's background. Because of this, Herod tried to curry favor with those he ruled. The main reason he is called "the Great" is because of his numerous building programs. The most important of these was the complete expansion and refurbishing of the 2nd Temple. Indeed, it often is called "Herod's temple." At one time he had 17,000 workers involved in the project, and the Temple of Jesus' day was more beautiful and grand as the result of Herod's efforts. The Herodium's mikvah reminded me that it was important to Herod and his court to appear Jewish, even while they engaged in a lavish and immoral lifestyle.

The third thing I found intriguing at the site illustrates this. Take a close look at the 3rd picture. Just to the right of the center, you can see a large rectangle with a bump in the middle. This was Herod's swimming pool! No joke -- I read that this pool was twice the size of a modern Olympic-size pool. The bump in the middle was a colossal fountain. Herod had a system of aquaducts built to bring in water from the mountains for the pool and Herodium. We also were among the first to see a theater that was recently discovered.

My observation about all of this is simple: Herod the Great thought he could be Jewish and hedonistic and brutal all at the same time. He probably said to himself, "I worked hard for all of this. I've earned the right to enjoy some luxury. I've served my people well -- I've expanded the Temple, and I've cut taxes. If anyone deserves a little pampering, it's me. And the killings? That's just politics. If you aren't willing to get cut up, you shouldn't step into the ring."

On the other hand, Jesus of Nazareth said we should love our enemies and turn the other cheek. He said if you love your life too much, you will lose it, but if you lose your life for his sake and the gospel's, you will save it.

Two lifestyles; one choice. Whose way will you choose?

The Wilderness

2009-05-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

This was the first full day we spent in the field. Our circuitous route--south out of Jerusalem, west to the Sorek Valley and Beth-shemesh, north to Gezer, and then east on the Beth-horon Ridge Route, and eventually to Jericho.

However, even though we perused three significant archeological digs, for me the most impressive thing we saw was the "Wilderness." This is the area between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. There is no way to adequately describe the depth of the "wadis"--the dry streambeds that permeate this region. To give you some idea, in less than 15 miles, we precipitously dropped from an elevation of 2900 ft. at Nebi Samwil to 700 ft. below sea level at Jericho (the lowest place on earth, I'm told).

There also is no way to describe the extreme desolation of this region. It is devoid of significant vegetation, and is, as the Bible says, a "desert" or "deserted place." Following his baptism, Jesus went into the Wilderness and endured 40 days of prayer, fasting, and temptation. The Bible says more than that, though. It says the Spirit "led" (Mt. 4:1) or "sent" (Mark 1:12) him into the desert.

One of my favorite poems begins: "Had I but gone forty days into the Wilderness..." Then it speculates about the difference such a sojourn might have made. Now that I've seen the Wilderness firsthand, I can tell you what would have happened -- I would have died. I feel certain I couldn't have survived the ordeal.

And maybe that's the point. Throughout Jesus' life, the physical suffering he experienced--even his crucifixion--was just the tip of the iceberg. His deepest suffering was spiritual, and in the Wilderness he wrestled with the issue of what of kind of Messiah he would permit himself to become. He had to die to himself in order to fulfill the will of his Father. And now he says we need to do the same. Will we? Will I?

The Temple Mount

2009-05-21T07:31:00.001-07:00

I expected our visit to the Temple Mount to be one of the highlights of my visit to Israel. In many ways, though, I was disappointed. Let me explain why.

To enter the Temple Mount, we had to pass through a security station similar to an airport TSA screening. That's because this sacred "mountain" is one of the most explosive sites in all of Jerusalem. The Jewish temple of Jesus' day was torn down by the Romans in 70 AD -- just as Jesus prophesied. One of these pictures shows some of the stone rubble from the Temple. The Israelis have allowed the pile to remain as a reminder of this terrible event.

The "Wailing Wall" is the western side of the Temple Mount wall. Although it was not part of Temple itself, it pre-dates the time of Jesus. Religious Jews believe that God's presence still resides in the place of the Temple; therefore, the entire area is sacred. When I approached the Wall, an ultra-orthodox Jew engaged me in conversation, asked me my name, where I was from, the name of my wife and children, and then offered a prayer of blessing for us. I was touched by this . . . until he "requested" a donation from me. When I offered him five shekels--about a dollar--he rubbed his fingers together to indicate that folding money would be more appropriate. In the end, though, he reluctantly thanked me for my gift. After this happened, I noticed that ultra-orthodox Jews had stationed themselves across every point of access to the Wall, and it appeared that this was Standard Operating Procedure. Perhaps it is ungracious of me, but I was reminded of Jesus' angry encounter with the Temple's moneychangers and merchants. It also caused me to wonder how people with no church background experience the "offering" in our church. I would hate for them to have the same reaction that I had today.

Another aspect of my disappointment involved the Temple Mount where the Temple originally stood. The Mount is dominated by the Islamic Dome of the Rock and the El-aqsa Mosque. The Dome of the Rock is the 3rd most sacred site in Islam (after Medina and Mecca). It commemorates what probably was a dream or vision of Muhammad in which the Qu'ran says he went to the "distant place." Muslims have interpreted this to mean that he went to "heaven," and I suppose it would be similar to the Apostle Paul's experience (2 Cor. 12:1-4). I knew this ahead of time, but I was saddened that non-Muslims are no longer allowed entrance into these places of worship, that the entire area requires heavy security, and that I experienced no hint of God's "Divine Presence" in any part of the Temple precinct.

For me, the possibility of violence hangs over this area in a way that God's Presence is said to have hovered over the Temple prior to its destruction. After King Abdullah of Jordan began making some peace overtures to Israel in 1961, he was assasinated in the El-aksa Mosque. And there have been riots emanating from there in more recent years. Despite all of this, non-Muslims were allowed inside the Dome and the Mosque until 1989. In that year, an Australian "Christian" set fire to and destroyed a 12th Century pulpit in the Mosque. His goal was to destroy the entire mosque so the Jews could rebuild the Temple and so "Sweet Jesus"--his words--could return! On a different occasion, some orthodox Jews attempted to scale one of the walls of the Temple Mount in an effort to lay a foundation stone for the "New Temple." Given those incidents, it was logical for the Muslims to close these houses of worship to non-Muslims.

Again, though, we are confronted with the ongoing reality of violence done in the name of God. I wonder what Jesus would say to us. Perhaps something about turning our cheeks and loving our enemies?

A New Friend

2009-05-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I'm still learning how to take a good "self-portrait." Despite my dorky look, I wanted you to meet my new friend, Milad. He works at Knight's Castle and has been a big help to me.

Milad is an Armenian-Palestinian. He originally said that his name means "Christmas" or "nativity," but later explained that it means "birth" in both Arabic and Hebrew.

I am fascinated by the similarity of these two languages and of the two faiths that are most closely associated with them. It is tragic that Isaac and Ishmael have never learned to co-exist, much less how to be "brothers" to each other. I suppose, though, that "family" feuds are the most acrimonious of all. Jerusalem is a wonder-filled city, but the bitterness of the Israel/Palestinian conflict is affecting the whole world, and it fills me with great sadness.

So, "pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels'" (Ps. 122:6-7). That verse is for Muslims and Christians, as well as for Jews.

Hezekiah's Tunnel

2009-05-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

My head and heart are full from all the sights--and sites--we have experienced during the last two days. Today I enjoyed seeing the excavation around the Gihon Springs and wading through Hezekiah's tunnel. The tunnel was very narrow; sometimes I had to "duck walk," and in other instances I had to turn sideways to squeeze through this 1760 foot long tunnel. Can you see how high the water got by looking at the shorts of the hiker in front of me? One of the big "pay-offs" of this hike was the sign marking the discovery of the "Shiloah Inscription," written by those worked on the tunnel 2700 years ago!

After Hezekiah had the tunnel constructed (2 Kings 20:20), the water emptied into the Siloam Pool. Indeed, that's one of the reasons this site was so interesting. There are several biblical events that mention the Gihon Spring, Hezekiah's tunnel, and the Siloam Pool.

For instance, are you aware that Jerusalem was not always a Jewish city? Even after the Israelites began taking control of the Promised Land, the Jebusites retained control of Jerusalem. When King David decided to capture Jerusalem and make it the capital of all Israel, the Jebusites laughed at him. They thought the city was impregnable, so they sent the following message to David: "You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off" (2 Sam. 5:6). Howevever, David had spotted a weakness in their defenses. A shaft from the city to the Spring allowed Jerusalem's residents to get water without having to go outside the city's walls. However, it was not well protected. David sent Joab and his men through this shaft (2 Chron. 4:6), and they ambushed their enemy. You might say that the Jebusites got "shafted"!

Some scholars have questioned the veracity of this account. However, not only did Hezekiah have the tunnel constructed, we now know that he built additional defenses to protect this important water source. The second picture shows recent excavation of the foundations of two towers built for this purpose.

But do you remember what happened beside the Siloam Pool (John 9)? Jesus put mud on the eyes of a blind man, and then instructed him to wash in the Siloam Pool. When he did what Jesus asked of him, he was healed. Again, the Jewish authorities were upset that the healing took place on the Sabbath Day, so they attacked the legitimacy of the healing and then tried to get the man to renounce Jesus. He said, "Once I was blind, but now I can see."

The arrogance of the Jebusites led to their downfall. The humility of the blind man led to his healing. One might get the idea that God has a preference. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's might hand, that he may lift you up in due time" (I Pet. 5:6).

Bethesda Pool

2009-05-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

Our first day of the course, "Geographical and Historical Settings," began on time at 8 a.m. After our orientation, we had a two-hour lecture, paused for lunch, and then walked throughout the Old City for almost 5 hours. We will do more of the same for the next two days except we will begin at 7:30 a.m. The day was rich, full, and tiring.

One of my favorite stops was at the Bethesda Pool (see John 5). I had no idea it was so deep. The half circle on the righthand side of the picture shows one end of the original pool, and I took this picture from the path 40-50 feet above! The large stone pillars were columns in the Byzantine church that was built over the pool, but which was torn down at a later date.

In healing the crippled man at the side of this very pool, Jesus defied the tradition that said no "work" could be done on the Sabbath Day. Jesus believed another day should not pass without this man being able to walk.

What traditions are we willing to break so that crippled men and women can be physically and spiritually healed?