What's our goal?

There is an interesting article on TheOOZE that talks about how the moment of salvation has become the end goal for many. Here is a salient quote:

Christians too often present the moment of salvation as the finish line. Pastors, camp counselors, concerned friends and church programs place so much emphasis on that moment that everything else seems unimportant by comparison. Then we wonder why so many people treat Jesus like fire insurance. If we present salvation as the finish line, how can we act surprised when people feel like they can take it easy after that? They think, “I followed all the rules. I said a prayer. I’m good. I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing and wait for Jesus to come back.”

We make the beginning the goal. It's like watching a basketball game and turning it off after the tip-off.

Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34, NIV). He doesn't stop after taking up the cross. We must follow him wherever that takes it. He may ask us to serve AIDS patients, move across country (or around the world), feed the hungry, etc. There are any number of things he may require of us. Our job is to do it. One thing is certain about becoming a Christ-follower. Your life will change. You will change. The moment of salvation is only the beginning, the tip-off of the game.

Sports and Life: A Perspective

As I sit humiliated by my wife and daughter. Both of them kicked the tar out of me in our bracket challenge. I'm just glad I didn't have my six-year old fill out a bracket. I think about larger things. Perhaps you have heard this. The young man, named Jason Ray, that portrayed the North Carolina Tar Heels mascot, "Ramses the Ram," was hit by a driver in New Jersey last week before the UNC-USC game. He had been in critical condition, but died yesterday.

So often we think of sports being life and death. We (myself included) get so wrapped up in the game. A tragedy like this puts it all in perspective.

The Luck of the Irish Spartans! What?

As I was watching the North Carolina - Michigan State game the other, one of the announcers made one of the dumbest comments I have ever heard. I can't remember who was announcing the game. It was March 17 (St. Patrick's Day). Michigan State was wearing their road uniforms, which are green. One of the announcers made a comment about the "luck of the Irish" not being with the Spartans. I screamed at the TV, "The Spartans aren't Irish, they're Greek!"

Anyway, I think the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament are the most exciting. Forty-eight games in four days. I signed up for NCAA March Madness on Demand. So, I had one game on the TV and one on the laptop.

3-point Obsession

What is the obsession with the three-point shot? Louisville, down by one heaved a 3-pointer at the last second. At the end of regulation in a tie game, Washington State chose to send one up from "downtown."

Players are too enamored with hitting the "big" shot from a "big" distance when they would have a better percentage shot from closer.

Reflections on Day 2 of the NCAA Tournament

My humiliation at the hands of my wife and daughter continued yesterday. I did call one upset. The Winthrop Eagles knocked off the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. I lost only two "Sweet Sixteen" teams: Arizona (thank you Lute Olsen) and Duke (as mentioned yesterday); I also had both teams in the Regional Finals. My wife lost no teams for the "Sweet 16" yet.

I'm parked on the couch for round two today.

Oh, by the way, every years for the last 15 or so, I take a bracket and flip a quarter to see who will win each game. The quarter called 17 of the 32 games, only 4 less than I got.

Reflections on Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament

How embarrassing is this? My 10 year-old daughter is beating me in the tournament brackets. I think I'll be going into hiding. My wife is also beating me. I think I'll have to turn in my "man card."

Two teams that always seem to trip me up are Duke and Indiana. Duke got upset by Virginia Commonwealth University. It was really the only exciting game of the first round. (Although, I'm not sure of the late games. I can't stay awake.)

Then there is Indiana. They beat Gonzaga. Just a few years ago, Gonzaga was the darling of the tournament.

It doesn't matter, when I pick Duke or Indiana to lose, they win. When I pick them to win they lose. I can't win either way.

Then there is the "great" coach Bobby Knight. He is the same way. His Texas Tech Red Raiders lost to Boston College. When I pick him to win, he loses. When I pick him to lose, he wins.

My brackets are a mess, and we are just starting Day Two.

Proud of my Daughter

Back in December, I wrote about how I was proud of my daughter. She knits hats for orphan babies in Ukraine. Here is a picture of one of the hats she knitted.

Never Alone - Part 8

This is from the "Third Letter" of Brother Lawrence. The title of the letter is "The Role of Self Denial."

Three things struck me (isn't it funny how a preacher man can get three points out of anything):

• "Even though you are getting older, it's never too late to start." As a younger person, I was always told to form habits young, because when you get older, it would be hard to start them. While that is true, it is still never too late.
• "It amazes me how many people on the journey with God can be satisfied with where they are and not practice God's presence regularly." It is easy to get comfortable with where we are in life (professionally, spiritual, socially, etc.). As a pastor, I made a startling find (with my wife's help) that most people don't change much apart from a traumatic experience. A loss of a job or death in the family will often result in a spiritual change. It's sad that it often comes to that.
• "I'm definitely not suggesting that we've got to go to extremes by placing ridiculously excessive and irrational limits on ourselves." Growing up, I often thought that devotion or spiritual discipline was a matter of drudgery. It was legalistic. We had to do it because we had to do it. Stop asking questions and do it. It is a means to reaching God. If spiritual discipline is getting the way of our relationship with God, then it is really of no benefit to us.

I am pressing on in my desires to be closer to God and know his will better.

Keep the faith.

This Is Highly Illogical

I took this quiz. Spock? Try it yourself.

New Persecution Update

I just received the e-mail from PrisonerAlert.com. Here is the link to the article.

How many of us would risk any time in jail for attending worship? We often stay home when the weather is a little ugly.

Wang Weiliang, and his fellow prisoners are prohibited from praying or reading the Bible openly. How many of us read the Bible or pray privately, openly or any other way?

A Question About Ministry

I have been thinking a lot about this lately, considering my circumstance.

Does God call people to vocational ministry for a lifetime, a shorter time, or both?

I my denomination, ordination for a lifetime. I understand that all Christians are called to live a life of service to Christ their entire life. I talking about vocational ministry, or what is often referred to as pastoral ministry.

I have written about this before, here. I have known my share of pastors who are no longer pastoring, even though they would not be considered "retired." Most are middle-aged (late 30s to late 50s). Did God not call them for a lifetime?

I know for sure (beyond any doubt or second thought) that God called me to the ministry when he did. It was to serve as a pastor. I'm not doing that right now, and it's bugging me. I'm not dying to get back in the game.

This all sounds like the incoherent ramblings of weirdo, but that is where I'm at.

Who are you sleeping with?

My fellow blogger recently wrote about the Ann Coulter thing last week. Apparently Ms. Coulter, who rarely shies away from controversy or the spotlight, called John Edwards a derogatory name.

This is stupid, childish and petty. Are we on the playground of the elementary school?

My friend raises the point that the conservative, evangelical church has "hitched" its wagon to the Republican Party. I am reminded of the old saying: "Politics makes strange bedfellows."

I think the evangelical church has sold its soul to rise to power and influence. They have so sold out to the Republican Party, that they really have to voice.

I am reminded of Martin Luther King, Jr., who in the 1950s stayed away from allying himself too closely with either the Republican or Democratic Party. His view was that if he allied himself too closely with either party, he would lose his voice and influence.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the civil rights movement became entrenched in the Democratic Party. Now, the only time most white, liberal Democrats think about African-Americans is when it is time to "get out the vote."

The same is true of Christians. We have become the whore of the Republican Party. They come to us only for one thing: votes.

Just as the Democratic Party has abandoned all but lip service to civil rights, the Republican Party has nothing but lip service for the evangelical.

Wake up, people. Stop selling your soul for political gain.

Cal Thomas said it best, "Our redemption will not come on Air Force One."

Knowing God's Will

This is something that has been bugging me for a while now. How do I know God's will? I have been thinking about this in reference to my job/career/vocation (whatever you want to call it).

Is something God's will because it happens? I don't think so. That would not make sense. Just because something happened does not mean God willed it. That would be stupid to think that. That would mean such horrible things as child abuse, murder and rape would be God's will.

How do I know God's will in reference to the ministry? I know my denomination is not going to ask me to plant a church in this town. The church where currently attend is great. The pastor talks about planting another church in town (ooh, ooh pick me, pick me), but that is all it is: talk.

My parents recently moved here, and the quickest way to kill them would be to move somewhere else.

I have always felt that I am where God wants me, but lately I've been struggling with that.

The Christian Ghetto

The word "ghetto" has many connotations; most of which are negative. We often think of inner city areas populated by the economically disadvantaged and minorities. A hundred years ago, Jews were forced into ghettos across Europe.

I think much of evangelical Christianity has developed a ghetto mentality. We take great pains to avoid anything that is un-Christian. Think about this: you can enter a Christian preschool, and eventually earn a doctorate without ever having taken a class from a pagan.

We have created our own schools, play groups, softball leagues, bookstores, publishing companies, movie companies and other stuff. You can coast through life without ever having any meaningful contact with someone who isn't a Christian.

Sure we may not live next to the people that come to our church, but do have any meaningful contact with the people that live next door and don't attend our, or any other, church?

Whatever happened to being "salt and light" in our world? You don't need a floodlight when the sun is shining. Beef jerky doesn't need more salt.

We are to be light in our dark world, not the our enclave that has already received the light. Salt, as a preservative, does no good to preserve meat that is already preserved.

Church, let's bust out of the walls of our cloistered community and be salt and light in our world.