Wayne'sWorldview

“I am a Christian, but already have a Tattoo” (A follow up to Are Tattoos and Christians Compatible?)

2012-02-01T11:12:00.001-06:00

Many Christians have tattoos that remind them of their rebellious days; others an organization they served with; their life before they were converted; or something done on a whim. Whatever the reason, many of them knew little or nothing about what the Christian tradition or scripture has to say about them. I believe there are two causes for this. One is the lack of clear teaching in the church, and the other is the way many of us make everyday decisions.
We live in an age where the church as a whole has gone silent on a great number of things, and as a result, people are more easily led astray. The message of the church has in many cases, shifted from proclaiming the truth that we are sinners by literally identifying sin, while calling people to repentance, to a “seeker sensitive” message that will bend over backwards not to say anything that will offend. As a result, even the people who grow up in the church become quite comfortable with the things of the world. The church has adopted the terminology of the world, rather than the word. We say “living together”, “co-habitation” or “significant other”, instead of fornicators. “Intoxicated” or “under the influence” instead of drunk; “Cheater, instead of adulterer”. The term “Welcoming and Affirming Congregation” is not a church that welcomes people who are sinners who need the forgiveness of God. It is a description of a church that welcomes people without condemnation of sin at all. Over time it becomes harder to discern the difference between right and wrong, worldly or godly. When the power and authority of the Word of God is diminished in the church, there is a moral decline.
As individuals, we share a similar culpability. We really don’t mind not being called out on our sin, because we really don’t want to turn away from it. We all, when caught in a lie, would rather believe we were just kidding, or spoofing. This is what is described in 2 Timothy chapter 4: “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. ”
The truth is, we are not so spiritually submitted to God, as to seek first his kingdom and righteousness in our daily choices. It is easy to not seek God’s will, his word, and make choices that may not honor him. We make choices about what to eat and drink; what movie to see; how to spend our money; what to say;…etc., without seeking God’s will. So, why would that be any different when deciding to get a tattoo?

It is the Christian parent, and the churches responsibility to give clear instruction and each of us are responsible for our own decisions from that point forward. To those whom much has been given, much will be required. Knowing the truth, and not acting in accordance with it, is not the same as an ignorant choice. The Lord treats us no different than we do our children. Here is a simple illustration. If a child uses profanity, but is innocently repeating a word heard on the school bus, it is not the same as a teen who cusses out his parents.

I want to make clear that by explaining why tattoos are wrong, I am not condemning people who have chosen to be tattooed. I am not labeling them rebels, or suggesting that Christians with tattoos are spiritually deficient. I am teaching, so that the people of God will know the truth of the matter and repent, or choose not to do it in the future. The challenge with tattoos is that we wear them visibly on our skin, not like other past sins which are easily forgotten.

While I am convicted that it is a sin to get a tattoo, I also believe it is a sin to judge a person by their appearance (a much more common sin in the church). We deceive ourselves if we value the truth in one scripture, but discount another. I don’t have any tattoos, but I have prejudged people by their outward appearance. However, you wouldn’t know that if I hadn’t told you. The good news is, that God does not judge a man for outward appearance 1 Samuel 16:7
How should Christians treat people with tattoos? We should be diligent to know their hearts, and love them as we would have them love us. It is the ultimate expression of hypocrisy to accept God’s forgiveness for our sins, and not be gracious to someone else. If you have difficulty with that, imagine how people would look at you if your sins were printed on your clothing. Would you feel loved if you were rejected because of your “appearance”?
So you are a Christian and have a tattoo: Put into practice that which you now know. Not only about tattoos, but the value of God’s word and how we should treat one another. Saul was a Christian killer, before he came to know Jesus! He didn’t keep on his way. He asked for forgiveness and changed his course. All of us have violated God’s laws, and are sinners, whether our transgression is visible or not. One visible mark I wear of sin is on my right knuckle. The scar is from the braces of the kid I punched in the mouth when I was in ninth grade. I repented for that sin, and know that I am forgiven. When I get to heaven, the scar will not be there. Until then, it serves as a reminder that I am a sinner…saved by the grace of God.

A trip with the "boys"

2012-01-31T09:15:00.004-06:00

The following is a page from my "2011 Fishing Journal": June the 27th marked the first of 4 days with the boys on the water. Chase was home on leave from Camp Pendleton, so he, Ben and I went north for some trout fishing. Ever notice that going North for almost anything is better than going South? Anyway, the goal was to teach them the skill of fly fishing and inland trout was our primary target (we brought the spin tackle as a backup). If you have ever fly fished for anything you hoped to have for dinner, you know why you need a back up plan. We ended up using both; landing numerous nice bass, a couple pike, countless bluegills and small to medium trout.

We didn’t count the bass and gills, but we caught a total of 30 trout. In correlation to our experience: I caught 17, Chase caught 8, and Ben caught 5. I was very proud of the boys, as they really had to stick with it to fish for trout, when gills and bass were so numerous and easy to catch. They were highly motivated to catch their elusive quarry, and their perseverance paid off. On the water, in the camp and navigating cross country to a wilderness lake, we made some memories those few days in the tic filled North woods. One morning in particular stands out in my mind. It was day three. I woke early, about 4:30am, to the to the wailing, yodeling and tremolos of a pair of Loons.

As dawn came the lake was covered with mist, and smooth as glass. I woke the boys, and after they warmed by the fire, they went out in the canoe to try again for the finicky trout. I heard Chase announce to Ben “Today we’re gong to get you a trout Benner”. Though he had worked hard, and had lost one, he hadn't boated any in two whole days of fishing. The campsite was high on a hill overlooking the lake, and I could see them working around the lake through the fog. The still waters magnified their voices, and though far away and above, I could hear their every word. I sat by the fire, listening…taking in the sites and sounds. At first it was almost like spying; sneaking up on their canoe from a quarter mile away. But, then the individual words lost their meaning.

I listened to the tones in their conversation; serious, then laughing, then the glee mixed with the important business of netting each other’s fish. The sound of my boys, who are now more man than boy, sharing something good, on the water, was like music in my ears. Their work was frequently interrupted by the excitement and joy of catching trout…one after another. On second thought they were not sharing something good…they were sharing something great. It’s easy to be a sibling, and you can genetically be called a brother, but what I was listening to was brotherhood. I sat near the fire, sipping my coffee, listening….soaking it in.

Can't Help but Smile

2012-01-26T11:19:00.003-06:00

I have a tendency to go into deep theological waters on my blog, so I decided to lighten up a bit and share a page from my "2011 Fishing journal"... I hope this story makes you smile and motivates you to share your good gifts with someone else...

I wet a line for the first time of the season on June the 16th. A little late in the season to be out for the first time, but this trip was worth the wait. I had the opportunity to share the sport with a Dad, who had little fishing experience and his autistic son of 5, who really wanted to go fishing. Nothing fits that bill, like bluegills, so we headed for a golf course with the gear, some crawlers, and little Jack in tow. Not only are those little pond’s filled with fish; they are not heavily fished, and have few snags, which is a good combination when you’re five years old.

Plenty of action is what we were going for and the pond did not disappoint. Their whole family decided to come, so I brought a couple extra rods. Fun was had by all, but especially little Jack. Every time his bobber went under and his pole would bend from a 3” bluegill, he would let out a squeal of delight that echoed for a mile! If you have a strong aversion to smiling, this sight and sound is the cure. It was a better noise than the ripping drag followed by “fish on!” in a Salmon derby. Promise to self: “Share the joy of fishing with the children”.

Are Tattoos and Christians Compatible?

2012-01-25T10:59:00.000-06:00

“I believe that one reason why the church of God at this present moment has so little influence over the world is because the world has so much influence over the church”. C. H. Spurgeon

After making a reference to tattoos in Sunday’s sermon, I have been asked whether it is acceptable for Christians to get tattoos. A glance at many church goers would yield the answer yes, but don’t rush to your conclusion based on popular culture, even when you see it in the church. People have many reasons to get “inked” these days, and their reason alone is enough to justify the action. Tattoos can identify you with a social group (gang, military); proclaim an ideology (swastika); accentuate your sexuality; express rebellion; invoke spiritual powers; make the body a canvas for artwork to attract attention...etc. Where it was once common to see them on gang members and biker types, we now see them on the athlete; the girl at the fast food service counter; waitress or hip pastor with custom “I’m a Radical Christian” T-shirt. The once taboo practice of brandishing tattoos has now become so common that the average Christian sees nothing wrong with it, and even wears them with pride.

The scriptures never endorse the practice and specifically link the practice to paganism. God’s people are commanded not to mark or cut their bodies in Leviticus 19:28, “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you, says the Lord.” Verses 23 through 28 were commands to avoid pagan practices. Many say this passage does not apply today because it deals with the pagan religious rituals of the people living around the Israelites of that day. But, if God desired His people to be set apart from these practices, back then, why would God approve of it now? It’s a fact that tattooing the body is the practice of modern day pagans, and the command to be set apart from false religion remains.

Throughout history the tattoo bears the mark of paganism, demonism, Baal worship, shamanism, and mystical spirituality. The tattoo has NEVER been associated with Christianity, until this generation. The only explanation for this current change is that the church has become so conformed to the culture that we dismiss God’s word and deny the reality of spiritual powers at play in this world.

If you will not be persuaded that tattoos are distinctly pagan, from the scriptures, then you may be convinced by those who are tattoo experts. The following quotes are from books documenting the spiritual and religious origin of the tattoo:

"Tattooing is often a magical rite in the more traditional cultures, and the tattooist is respected as a priest or shaman."
(Michelle Delio, Tattoo: The Exotic Art of Skin Decoration, p. 73)
"In Fiji, Fromosa, New Zealand and in certain of the North American Indian tribes, tattooing was regard as a religious ceremony, and performed by priests or priestesses."
(Ronald Scutt, Art, Sex and Symbol, 1974, p. 64) [Ronald Scutt, in his exhaustive book, Art, Sex and Symbol covers the history and culture of tattoos. He documents that most of the time; tattoos are connected to spiritual, religious and mystical purposes.] Brackets mine.
"Many native tribes practiced therapeutic tattooing. The Ojibwa, for instance, tattooed the temples, forehead, and cheeks of those suffering from headaches and toothaches that were believed to be caused by malevolent spirits. Songs and dances that were supposed to exorcise the demons accompanied the tattooing ceremony."

[Hambly] "retailed a wealth of examples which he had culled from field work by anthropologists in many parts of the world. Tattooing was supposed to: prevent pain; protect against gunshot wounds; cur illness; confer superhuman strength; preserve youth; enhance the supernatural powers of a shaman; ensure the survival of the soul after death; identify the soul in the hereafter; attract good luck; protect against witchcraft; ensure the protection of a deity; confer occult powers; prevent drowning; exorcise demons; ensure the protection of a totemic animal or spiritual guardian; record a pilgrimage to a holy place, etc. . .
In the myths of many cultures tattooing was of divine origin. The actual tattooing process, which involved complex ritual and taboos, could only be done by priests and was associated with beliefs which secrets were known only to members of the priestly caste. Anthropologists were often misled because their informants either did not know or would not reveal the secret significance of the rituals and taboos. Hambly concluded that historically tattooing had originated in connection with ancient rites of scarification and bloodletting which were associated with religious practices intended to put the human soul in harmony with supernatural forces and ensure continuity between this life and the next."
(Gilbert, Steve, Tattoo History: A Source Book, p. 90, p. 158)
"The reasons why puncturing the skin should be regarded with some degree of awe are not far to seek, for in the first place, there is the drawing of blood, which to the savage world over is full of significance as a rejuvenating and immortalizing factor. There is in addition to the opening of numerous inlets for evil to enter. . ."
(Hambly Wilfrid D. 1925. The History of Tattooing and its Significance, p. 233 [Dr. Hambly, is a tattooist historian and researcher, who writes over and over, that tattoos are based on pagan spiritual and religious rituals.] brackets mine.
"The origins of tattooing came from ancient magical practices. . . "
(Laurie Cabot, Power of the Witch, cited in Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated by Dr. Cathy Burns, p. 301) [Famous witch and author] brackets mine.
Rolling Stone magazine describes famous tattoo artist Paul Booth during his tattoo as, ". . . allowing his clients' demons to help guide the needle." (Rolling Stone magazine, March 28, 2002, p. 40)
Any serious study of the origin of the tattoo will reveal a spiritual foundation of demonism, paganism, and the occult. The tattoo is much more than just a body decoration or a layer of ink cut into the skin. In fact, the tattoo in many cultures is a vehicle for the invocation of spiritual powers. If there is really no debate in this, then why would a Christian want to imitate this practice?
What about getting a tattoo of a name of your child; butterfly; cross or even a verse from the scriptures? This question is based on the assumption is that tattooing is neither good nor bad, but neutral. With this faulty assumption, tattoos seem harmless, or even good, depending on the chosen design. But, if it were a redeemable act, then why would God forbid it specifically in his word, without modifiers? It is the manifestation of our human pride that reorders what God “meant to say”, so that we can rationalize our sin. The words spoken in the garden by Lucifer himself, “surely God didn’t mean”, should strike a cord in our conscience whenever we do the opposite of what God clearly instructs. It is a mistake to think that we can take something with evil origins and use it for good.
I frequently hear Christians nonsensically proclaim that they are "marking themselves for Jesus". What does it say about ourselves when we begin instructing God on the proper use of something he has forbidden? It’s similar to the argument heard from Christians who cohabitate without marriage, like unbelievers, who believe they are not living in sin. Doesn’t it seem absurd that we could in any way fornicate in a God honoring way? Yet, we protest by arguing: “Well, God understands our sexual desires; after all, he made us this way?” Is Jesus our Lord, or are we his?
Why are tattoos displeasing to God? While the Lord has not explained the reasons, we can infer by context that they mar his created image, and assign glory to the image put on the skin, or another object of worship. Another reason is that the wearer is subjecting themselves to spiritual powers that we may be unaware of. The fact that many tattooists believe in these powers and even invoke them, while applying their craft, should make us wary. "Some tattooists in the West are experimenting with ritual tattooing. This method of working incorporates doing a ritual to create a sacred space in the area where the tattoo is positioned. Often incense is burned and the gods invited to bless the proceedings." (Michelle Delio, Tattoo: The Exotic Art of Skin Decoration, p. 75)
Our own reasoning or the argument that “others say it is good, acceptable, or a right thing to do” without regard to what God’s word says on a matter is very dangerous. After all, we are not our own judge, and we must answer to God, not others for our actions. In Sunday’s Milwaukee Journal, I read of a church in Michigan that has a tattoo parlor in the church, as an outreach! Many modern evangelistic efforts conform to the patterns of the world to attract others, but this is not consistent with how the scriptures instruct us to spread the Gospel. We are called to be a light in this darkened world. Our responsibility is to challenge and confront the world, not conform to it. If the only reason not to get a tattoo was to set ourselves apart from false religions it would be enough. Israel was commanded to be set apart, holy, for the use of the Lord. Their downfall was due to the disobedience of this command. The church has been commanded the same thing, and it is unfortunate that we so quickly follow in the same error.

Every Word Matters

2011-05-20T10:28:00.002-05:00

Someone asked me an interesting and fun question recently that I thought I might share the answer with you. The Question? Did Methuselah die in the flood? In Genesis chapter 5, Moses recorded the genealogy of Adam, and we learn that Methuselah, lived 969 years- longer than anyone else recorded. Here is where you can get a pencil and paper out: If you take the age of Methuselah when Lamech was born (187), add to that Lamech's age when he begot Noah (182) and the age of Noah when the floodwaters came (600), you discover that Methuselah was 969 years old the year the Flood occurred [187+182+600=969].
Since Genesis 5:27 indicates this was the age at which Methuselah died, it is logical to conclude that he died the year of the Flood. However, the Bible does not indicate that he died as a result of the Flood, so it is important not to assume that he did. Not much is known of his character, but we do know about his family. He was the son of Godly Enoch, and his son Lamech prophesied with spiritual insight at the birth of Noah in Genesis 5:29.
We also have to consider the meaning of his name. When Methuselah was born, his godly father must have prophetically known of things to come, because Methuselah means “When he dies, Judgment”. It is not mere coincidence then, that the same year he died, God judged the sinful world with the great Flood of Noah's day.
We have one more very significant clue that might go un-noticed. Genesis 7:10 says: “And after the seven days the flood waters came on the earth.” Note, that it does not say after seven days, but after the seven days. So, why was it necessary for seven days to pass? According to the Jewish commentaries on this text, it was likely a sitting Shiva, a custom in which family members of the deceased sit and mourn for the loved one for a period of 7 days. The Rabbis explain that the person who died was Methuselah, and Noah and his family sat Shiva for him for 7 days.
While it cannot be concluded for certain, the scriptures indicate that the death of Methuselah, was the sign from God to Noah, that God’s judgment was eminent. It is my opinion that Methuselah died a week before the flood, not in it. It also shows us that God himself delayed the coming of the flood based on the merit of this great man for 7 days. This study reinforces the significance of the meaning of every single word in the scriptures. The meaning of the names and even the word “the”.

PhobiaNovusPhobia

2010-08-23T16:11:00.005-05:00

As a child, I knew that a phobia was an irrational fear. I knew of some common psychological disorders like Claustrophobia (confined spaces), and Arachnophobia (fear of spiders), as well as the irrational fear of heights, flying, and germs. With the release of the latest Time Magazine: “Is America Islamophobic?”, those who oppose the Ground Zero Mosque, Franklin Graham, myself and the majority of American citizens have been identified as fear mongers and closed minded bigots. The press has introduced us to a whole new category of phobias lately that vilify those with differing opinions.
This is nothing new to me. As a pastor I have been called a homophobe, because I believe that homosexual acts are a sin. I don’t have an irrational fear of people who are homosexual, and their behavior does not hinder my day to day activities at all, but the label is given, whether I am seeing a psychiatrist or not.

Is fear not a good thing to have? In fact, rational fear is a very good thing, because it can save your life! Don’t we want our kids to fear being run over by a car when crossing a busy street? Fear of the Nile Crocodile is a good thing to have if the Nile River is your primary source of water. Fear of the growing radicalization of Islam is not irrational at all. For those families who are mourning their loved ones in New York, or thousands of other places around the world, where terrorists have achieved their objective, fear is not only rational- it is the very objective of the violence! If you were a 14 year old Pakistani girl, who’s best friend lost her eyes, nose and ears from an acid attack because she said "no" to a marriage proposal, would your fear of saying no to a proposal be irrational? If you lived in Poland in 1938 and your neighbors were disappearing would your fear of Nazi’s be irrational?
New terms have been created that are intended to silence people with legitimate concerns, and in an ironic twist, used to label those who voice opposition as fear mongers. Are all our new security measures that we are hassled with at airports, ferries, and sports events due to irrational fears too? The fact that our national security administration has shrunk back from naming Radical Islam as the primary danger does not negate the rational response. Am I an abortionphobe because I oppose abortion or a broccoliphobe because I don’t like that vegetable?

Airport security has the approval of the press to calculate risk and thereby protect the public from terrorists. But they would become "islamophobic profilers" if they were to focus on certain characteristics that identify those terrorists, such as an Terrorist harboring country of origin or one who faithfully attends the Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Virginia, because that would be totally irrational. Instead of the identifying the mosque as the learning center for two pilots of 9/11 and the Fort Hood Shooter, they print quotes like these: “We at Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center reiterate our condemnation of this brutal murder. We continue to send our condolences and prayers for the recovery of all the families and victims of this godless act.” and “Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center is one of the largest and diverse Islamic Centers in the nation. We are committed to serve the community as a place of worship, education and social services.”

The greatest irony of all is that when Radical Islam succeeds in their goal of instilling terror into their enemies, their allies, the American press, identifies the real threat to the American ideal: Islamophobes. I think I am developing PhobiaNovusPhobia. (Fear of New phobias)

Getting More out of the Bible

2010-08-04T16:14:00.001-05:00

I was recently asked “how can I get more out of scripture when I read it.” Like a meteorologist gets more out of looking at the sky than the average person because of their training, we too, with some simple disciplines can get more out of scripture than first meets the eye. So I am going to do a few blogs on the subject.. First installment- Look for word repetition and patterns in scripture. Word repetition can occur in Books of the Bible, as well as a single teaching within a book. Word repetition in scripture is sort of like underlining something or using bold print when we take notes- it provides and emphasis to something that is important. Take for example John 15:1-8 (NIV)

The Vine and the Branches
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
a The Greek for prunes also means cleans.

I have made a word construction from three different words that are repeated in the teaching. In this text you can easily identify Branch, Vine and Fruit and repeated words. Identify how these words are used in conjunction with the rest and the passage comes alive. If therefore you understand the importance of these three words, you will understand the text more fully and it’s implications in your own life. You can apply this principle to almost every passage you study.

Crying Over Spilled Oil

2010-07-08T11:23:00.002-05:00

The daily news stories of the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf is cause for great frustration, anger and sadness in me. Accidents happen every day. Plenty of well intentioned people cause harm to others when bad circumstances come together. My frustration in this debacle is that no one is pulling out all the stops to stop this river of oil, conveniently called "a leak" from polluting what God has put us in charge of! Instead of making every effort to clean it up, the politicians seem more interested in how they can spin it for their advantage.

The president has used it as a platform to stop oil drilling in the Gulf, and for the global warming (pardon me, the climate change)agenda. Conservatives seem content to use the poor management of the situation as a whipping stick on the current administration. Oil companies have spent a lot of advertising dollars to reassure us how much they care about the environment. BP, despite it's incompetence, continues to tell us that they are doing everything they can.

Meanwhile, millions of people's livelihoods and likely billions of God's creatures are being wrecked every day. We came up with the technology to put men on the moon 40 years ago, but we can't seem to coordinate our efforts well enough to plug this hole?! I am not a rocket scientist, but has anyone thought of dropping a huge cement block over the thing? It is a sin against God and his wondrous creation, and people are treating it as a political opportunity. I weep along with the creation and those poor folks who live in the Gulf region.

I am appealing to a greater power- Dear Lord, please provide us with someone with the authority, means, and intelligence who can take charge and stop this flow of oil. And Lord, please help them get past the politicians to get it done soon. Amen.

Hebrew made simple

2010-04-08T15:49:00.003-05:00

Comprehending the Bible can be a challenge, but with a little attention you can identify some trends in the Bible that will help you get more out of God's word.For example: The place BETH-EL: A town on the border of the territory of Ephraim (Josh. 16:1–4), at an important road junction 11 miles north of Jerusalem. Abraham built an altar there, Jacob had a dream there (Gen. 28:10–22), and named it Bethel:

House (Beth) of God (El)- which is the meaning of the Hebrew name. We also find Beth in Bethlehem (house of bread), Bethesda (House of grace) and Bethshan (house of quiet). Maybe when all my children leave the home some day it will become Bethshan!

You might recognize the similar el prefix or suffix in other Hebrew words like Immanuel(God with us), Elijah (Jehovah is God), and Israel (He struggles with God)- The name given to Jacob when he struggled with God.

Now that you know that el means God, and Beth means house, you will recognize them in hundreds of texts.

Faith Resurrected

2010-04-01T14:50:00.001-05:00

Jesus’ disciples suffered martyrdom for their convictions, but other religious people also demonstrate changed lives because of their religious beliefs. Many have willingly given their lives for their faith: Muslims; followers of various religious teachers and political ideologies have inspired life changes and even martyrdom. But transformed lives, whether the disciples or others, does not prove that what they believe is true- It only proves that those who are willing to suffer and die for their religious commitments truly believe them to be true. Is there a difference then between the two?
In general, people committed to a religious or political message really believe it to be true. But belief in something does not make it true. Like other examples of religious or political faith, the disciples believed and followed their leader’s teachings. But unlike all others, the disciples had more than just their beliefs—they had seen the resurrected Jesus. This is a crucial distinction; their faith was true precisely because of the resurrection. Their doubts are well documented in the scriptures, until they witnessed the resurrected Jesus.
Think about it. Which is more likely—that an ideology we believe in is true, or that I and a number of others saw my wife Amy several times during the last month? If eternity rested on our conviction, would we rather base our assurance on the truth of a particular religious or political view, or would we rather have that faith confirmed with repeated cases of seeing someone? Hundreds of people witnessed that Amy was here, in the last month, as hundreds witnessed Jesus after the resurrection.
Unlike the world’s faiths, which rest on certain beliefs being true, the disciples both heard the unique teachings of Jesus, his many miracles and him after being dead and buried! Jesus was the only founder of a major world religion who had miracles reported of Him in reliable sources within a few decades. But most of all, He confirmed His message by rising from the dead. The disciples, both individuals and groups, saw Him repeatedly. Even two skeptics—James the brother of Jesus and Saul of Tarsus (Paul)—witnessed the resurrected Jesus.
No wonder the disciples were willing to die for their faith!

Abortion- A Wide Long View

2010-03-31T12:21:00.001-05:00

Whether it be a part of health care legislation, a matter of law (Roe vs. Wade in America) or a conversation about an “unwanted” pregnancy, it is especially important that Christians are aware of our tradition, and what the Bible teaches about abortion. Abortion has been practiced throughout the world from ancient times, but the fear of death and lack of access to physicians who performed “safe” abortions placed natural limitations on the procedure. In classical paganism, abortion and euthanasia was common and widely approved. The performing of abortions and doing harm was specifically prohibited for physicians who had taken the Hippocratic Oath (4th Century BC and thereafter). This oath to the gods was a step towards saving human life and not performing abortions, but those who lived by this law were the exception. One of the great triumphs of the growth of Christianity in the western world was to greatly diminish the practice of abortion and infanticide in those parts of the world.

Christianity gave the pro-life movement another dimension as the church of Jesus Christ swept through the Roman world, setting standards in medicine, culture, and public policy. Christianity had this effect because what the Bible teaches about human life. If you look for “abortion” in a concordance you won’t find it, as that term was not used by the people of that day, but scripture is not silent on the subject. The biblical foundations for prohibition on induced abortion are found in the doctrines of creation and incarnation. The starting point for a biblical understanding of human nature is the truth that human beings are created in God’s image (imago Dei). It is clear from Genesis 1:26–27 that human beings are distinguished from all other creatures (kinds), by our bearing the likeness of our Maker. The image applies to Jew and Gentile, religious and irreligious, young and old. The issue here is not complex. If someone is human, that person bears the divine image and his or her life is sacred. It’s genetic. With the recognition that human life is sacred, the scriptures guide our actions. This foundation underlies the commandment “Do not murder” (Ex 20:13) and provides a straightforward response to abortion, because it applies to all human beings, from the beginning of life to its end. “Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood shall be shed by man, for God made man in His image.”) This teaching is also of central importance in the use of human embryos for research and cloning. There is only one logical position one can take from the scriptures: those who are human are made in the divine image and should not be murdered. The main argument against this truth comes in the debate of when a human life begins.
That is where the doctrine of the incarnation comes in. When we celebrate Christmas, we remember that the incarnation of the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, took human form and did so from the beginning of human biological existence. He did not just come as a man. The incarnation began with conception. Mary was told by the angel that she would conceive by a miracle, the human life of the Son of God. Shortly afterward she visited Elizabeth, where John the Baptist’s first testimony to his kinsman and Lord is given. As a six month fetus, he leaped in his mother’s womb at the presence of the days-old embryonic Jesus (Lk 1:39–45). With the theological foundations of imago Dei, and the incarnation, the many references to unborn life in the prophets, Job, and especially Psalms (particularly Psalm 139) take on powerful significance.

For this reason, cultures that have remained Christian have a reverence for God, and laws by church and state that prevent the large scale practice of abortion. Many of these laws prohibiting abortion have since been abolished, even in Christianized nations. The influence of the church held fast in the western world until naturalist philosophy, and Darwinian evolution theory displaced the predominant Christian view of man. The devaluing of human life with naturalism and atheism has set the stage for the practice of abortion to re-emerge on a grand scale. In the last 40 years the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Switzerland, Denmark, Hungary, Romania, Italy, and Australia have legalized abortion. Add this to the nations where it is already legal like Russia and China, the world’s abortion leaders, and you have a worldwide abortion rate that is greater than any point in history.

The combination of modern medicine’s advanced abortion procedures, the decline of Christian influence, and the legalization and accessibility of abortion in more countries is yielding an estimated 42 million aborted babies per year worldwide. Nations who maintain a predominantly Christian influence are the world leaders in low abortion statistics and they all have laws against it. Like the physicians who originally took the Hippocratic Oath, Christians find themselves going against the cultural current of the world. If we are to change this grievous trend in our own country and the world it will be through the spread of Christianity and the reestablishment of the biblical teaching of the sanctity of human life. When nations recognize the authority of our creator and God’s word, rather than men’s, the culture and public policy will change.

Where's God in the Earthquake?

2010-03-30T10:15:00.001-05:00

Q. How do we explain the presence of God in the midst of tragic events such as earthquakes or tsunamis?
A. This question is another form of the common question: How can you reconcile the goodness of God with the presence of evil and suffering in the world? Libraries of books have been written on the subject, as this is a very common objection to the Christian faith. If the topic interests you, I recommend reading The Problem of Pain, by C.S Lewis, as he writes about this subject comprehensively in terms the average person can understand. But, rather than defer the question to someone else entirely, I will answer the question in summary: God is with us in the midst of all our trouble.

When a storm, any kind of storm, comes to our front door, humanity is quick to blame God for it. We demand an explanation from this “loving” God, who has wronged us. In essence we blame God for it, but should we? The Bible teaches that evil is not caused by God, but is the direct result of our rebellion against God. God does not keep us from adversity, but he does promise to be with us, amidst the suffering. Instead of blaming a God we don’t know for our pain, we have peace and hope from our creator and savior, both in this life and the life to come. If you think the answer leaves you short, consider the atheist’s position: People are condemned to live a life of pain that ends with death with no comfort or solution now or in the future.

I've Been Hurt by the Church

2010-01-12T10:26:00.002-06:00

I find myself having a the same conversation with a lot of different people about being hurt by the church. Sometimes it's members of my church, sometimes its from people sharing their story of another church.

As a pastor,I have no dissolutions about the church. And anyone who is a long standing member of Christ’s church will agree with me... Church life is a messy business. Life is messy, both inside and outside the church and the church doesn’t function very well much of the time. But, is this God's fault? It is, what it is, so let's not kid ourselves about the nature of the church and our sinful nature. There is nothing new under the sun. It was the same for Israel in the OT as it is for us today in the church. We hinder the work of God at every turn. So, what do we do when we find ourselves on the receiving end of the sin ledger?

We can complain, point fingers, make accusations, leave the church or a multitude of other things. But, what should we do? I think it is helpful to recall Christ’s words from the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5:12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Who were they? The ones who persecuted the prophets? They were the people of Israel, not other nations. If we expect the church to be without sin and strife, the deception is just as great as us believing that we ourselves are without sin.

Praise God that our hope is not the church, our hope is Christ, in the church. The only redeeming thing about the church is that Christ is in it. Our hobbies, escapes, possessions, entertainments…etc can be redeemed by God, but they come to us spoiled, and don’t proclaim the good news of our salvation. His love does however, miraculously emerge from time to time, through faithful, God fearing saints, who by the grace of God have been nurtured in this same church. His love miraculously breaks through despite the dysfunctional, sin laden state of Christ’s body.

Christ's love may come from one person as a word of encouragement, or from another as a revelation of God’s truth that is heard above the fray. His love came through the people of Israel, despite their great sins, and God accomplished his work on the cross. And our great assurance is that he will also accomplish all his purposes through the church. It is truly a mystery, how God continues to use the church- his sinful children, to proclaim his truth. Oh that we would be more faithful in carrying it out.

It is sometimes easy to get into a weird kind of blame game in the church. I’ve observed it and I have been guilty of it. Our great adversary, the devil, works us from both sides. He assists us in sinning against one another, by breaking God’s commands, always taking more notice of someone elses sin than our own, and then he causes us to find fault in Christ’s “Church.” Satan two, God zero, just the way he likes it. We can break the cycle by being obedient to the Lord of the church, admitting and confessing our own sin, and forgiving others who have sinned against us. (Sounds like a familiar prayer we say together in church doesnt' it?)

None of us come to the church sinless. We all contribute to its current state. We only make it worse by becoming bitter or angry at “the church”. There are a lot of people in the world that have isolated themselves from Jesus, because of the failures of the people in the church. There are others who go from church to church looking for one that loves more pure. They find one…, for a time, until the honeymoon ends and discover that yes, this church is as bad, as the last.

Believers have to remember that it’s not Christ in the church that hurts us, but the sinful people in the church that cause such great harm. We must guard our hearts, and be careful to forgive and not become bitter, because we most certainly have hurt others in Christ’s church with our sins. Not only will the Lord reward us for this, but the church we attend will become one with love a bit more pure.

A Chrisian View of the Sanctity of Life

2010-01-07T11:32:00.001-06:00

As January is Sanctity of Life month and “abortion rights” are again in the news as part of the health care legislation, it is especially important that Christians are aware of our tradition, and what the Bible teaches. Abortion has been practiced in every culture from ancient times. One of the great achievements of the spread of the gospel in the Greco-Roman world was to greatly diminish the practice of abortion and infanticide. In classical paganism, abortion (like euthanasia) was common and widely approved. The ancient physicians who took the Hippocratic Oath, whose medical vision was powered by saving life and not taking it, were the exception, not the rule. The pro-life movement truly began when the church of Jesus Christ swept through the Roman world, setting standards in medicine, culture, and public policy. That influence held fast in the western world until the naturalist philosophy, and Darwinian evolution theory displaced the predominant Christian view of man. The devaluing of human life set the stage for the practice of abortion to re-emerge.
If you look for abortion in a concordance you won’t find it, as that term was not used by the people of that day, but scripture is not silent on the subject. The biblical foundations for prohibition on induced abortion are found in the doctrines of creation and incarnation. The starting point for a biblical understanding of human nature is the truth that human beings are created in God’s image (imago Dei). It is clear from Genesis 1:26–27 that human beings, are distinguished from all other creatures (kinds), by our bearing the likeness of our Maker. The image applies to Jew and Gentile, religious and irreligious, young and old. The issue here is not complex. If someone is human, that person bears the divine image and his or her life is sacred. It’s genetic. With this single recognition, we find our answer. This foundation underlies the commandment “Do not murder” (Ex 20:13) and provides a straightforward response to abortion, because it applies to all human beings, from the beginning of life to its end. “Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood shall be shed by man, for God made man in His image.”) This teaching is also of central importance in the use of human embryos for research and cloning. There is only one position one can take from the scriptures: those who are human are made in the divine image and should not be murdered.
The second foundation lies in the doctrine of the incarnation. As we have just celebrated Christmas, we remember that the incarnation of the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, took human form and did so from the beginning of human biological existence. He did not just come as a man, the incarnation began with conception. Mary was told by the angel that she would conceive by a miracle, the human life of the Son of God. Shortly afterward she visited Elizabeth, where John the Baptist’s first testimony to his kinsman and Lord is given. As a six month fetus, he leaped in his mother’s womb at the presence of the days-old embryonic Jesus (Lk 1:39–45).
With the theological foundations of imago Dei, and the incarnation, the many references to unborn life in the prophets, Job, and especially Psalms take on powerful significance. As an exercise, read Psalms 139 with these two doctrines in mind.
Like the physicians who originally took the Hippocratic Oath, we Christians find ourselves going against the cultural current. If we are to prevail in this debate, it will be through the spread of the Gospel. When a majority again submits to the authority of God’s word, rather than men’s, the culture and public policy will change.

The Twofold Blessing of E-giving

2009-10-21T16:43:00.003-05:00

As the world changes, there are more options, even in how we give at church. Remember when dad used to drop an envelope into the plate as it went by. Some people still prefer this time tested method, but Amy and I have been giving this way to FRC for the last two years, and we love it. Let me share with you some of the benefits of electronic transfer giving:
1. It has made us more consistent. As you might guess, we have a lot to do on Sunday mornings. After determining our tithe and setting the amount for the year that amount is given automatically without us ever having to “remember” to fill out the check and prepare the envelope. To be honest, we would occasionally miss this detail, and have to “make it up”, the next week.
2. We have become more faithful in our tithe. Our consistent giving, even while on vacation or attending a ministry event off site, does not impact our regular giving and we are not tempted to withhold when we go away.
3. It keeps us disciplined. In the past, when finances were lean, we sometimes would hold off giving, with the intention of making it up in the future. While we usually did, there were times when we never caught up. Since we have switched, we don’t consider it and have never had an issue with God not providing.
4. It has made us more generous with God’s money. In the past, we would consider giving a portion of our tithe to things other than the church and then subtract that from our weekly offering. Now we consider these gifts over and above our tithe. Giving to missions, youth group, the needy, special offerings etc., are now in a different category of giving for us.
Electronic contributions mean fewer envelopes to open, less manual accounting and reduced chances for errors. It also increases giving because it minimizes the weekly ebb and flow of giving regardless of members’ weekly attendance. When for example we have had to cancel services due to severe weather, the offerings dip and are not completely made up the following week. When vacations are at their peek in the summer time, the giving drops right with the attendance. How does it work? E-giving is very simple. Through a simple form, provided by the financial secretary, a church member pre-authorizes the church to have his or her contribution automatically debited from a checking or savings account. The church member can choose to have the contribution deducted weekly, semi-monthly, monthly or even annually. Once the church receives authorization for an electronic funds transfer, the church’s bank account is credited, and the parishioner’s account is debited the same amount on the schedule that is set up. It’s that simple. For us, this form of giving has helped us become more generous and more faithful. If you are interested in giving this way, you need only contact the church office.

2009-04-01T15:41:00.001-05:00

From Disney to Discovery

Our family just arrived home from Spring Break after visiting the Mouse's House, in Orlando, Florida. We all had a great time, but I must confess, from a Christian perspective, the world as we know it coming about by chance gets old. We went on the Spaceship Earth ride, in EPCOT and had our faith in God’s word challenged, Disney style, with 100% presumption of old earth theory. How do we respond to the predominant theories of our day? Do you believe in a literal 24 hour day of creation, or can the Hebrew word for day, yom, also be interpreted to be a long period of time, or an age?

This is certainly not a new question, but most very good questions have been asked before. This question makes for a great debate, which often pit’s geology and astronomy against the biblical account with such authority that we Christians begin to question what Genesis 1 and 2 really mean. This often results in some kind of theological compromise by Christians, like Theistic evolution- The belief that God does exist, and that God must have created things by natural means over a great period of time.

At it’s center is the problem one faces in reconciling several scientific discipline’s “old earth” theories, and a biblical young earth presentation of earth history. I happen to side on the 24 hour day side, simply because it makes a lot more exegetical sense to me despite many theologians who interpret the Hebrew word the other way. Let me explain why I take this position. There was evening and there was morning, the first yom. Either there was another light source that God used in the Genesis account, or we are operating on the same system that we are accustomed to today. The solar and lunar cycles are in place already in Genesis 1.

Then do I just ignore geology, physics, fossils, the expansion of the universe and all the natural processes that have been demonstrated as scientific fact? No. I don’t. I also don’t ignore God. Let me explain what I mean. Let’s start with Genesis. What does Genesis mean? Beginning right? But, not just the beginning…In the beginning, God. What happens when you take God out? Something that we often forget when it comes to modern science is that it works from a naturalistic philosophy that predates Darwin. It is the belief that God does not exist; there is no supernatural, outside or inside force that affects natural processes. Darwin’s theory was a result of this philosophy in biological systems, but Geology, Astronomy and other disciplines have also been impacted by it.

To put it another way…they don’t factor in the miraculous (supernatural) at all. If you don’t factor in God, then you must be able to explain how something has transformed to its current state by random chance. This was not always the case in the scientific community. There was a time, when scientists tried to puzzle out the mysteries of the micro and macro worlds to learn more about their creator. But, we live in an age where the predominant presumption in science is that God does not exist. When this shift took place the primary presumption- that God exists, was rejected and then replaced with the Natural Sciences. We now have museums of Natural Science and History. What’s the difference? All scientific and historical explanations of ourselves and the world around us is limited to natural reasoning.

A basic principle in the scientific method is that if you have a faulty presumption, you will always have a faulty conclusion. That is why it is always dangerous to base one theory upon another. Theories should always be founded on observable facts, not other theories- which by very definition have not yet been proven. Take for example the theory of evolution, and the second law of thermodynamics. The former is yet to be proven; the latter has become a law. Yet, scientists continue to advance the theory of evolution, while ignoring a scientific law, because the theory fits their presupposition- no God factored in.

In Natural systems (Nature), we observe processes and make predictions into the future and past based on those processes. This is very logical. So what happens when you observe and prove the second law of thermodynamics (put into layman’s terms- everything over time breaks down into a more chaotic system until finding a balance), as was first established in 1824. What impact does that have on your observation of so many complex systems that exist? Let’s explore together the two possibilities. This law, without the existence of God, should reveal that the older the cosmos, the more disorder or chaos there should be? This law, with the existence of God, might attribute the power (or energy) of God, in the giving of order in a universe that would break down without it.

So if you don’t believe in God how did our own bodies and all the complex systems around us get so ordered? Answer- Time. Lots and lots and lots of time! Because order should not be observed, because we should not exist, it would take a very long time for it to happen in a random system…like a miracle (but not like a miracle performed by God, because God does not exist) but, a miracle just the same. So, how much time would it take? 15 to 20 Billion years. While the number is much debated, it is debated in the Billions, not thousands. Life as we know it with all it’s complexity should not exist at all in a natural system, so you have to allow for huge quantities of time and chance for it to randomly occur.

I’d like to get back to God for a moment. If you believe in God, you believe in an outside or inside force that can impact natural processes. Take for example Jesus healing someone. Our hospitals are filled with people who we can expect to get well, as the processes of healing occur. Our bodies fight infection, gain strength, and recover…over time. Jesus said, take up your mat and walk. And the lame man walked. We call this a miracle. A doctor operating on someone’s cataract and giving them sight is not a miracle, even though we might use the expression. A miracle is a person going from blind to sighted, without the hand and expertise of a surgeon in real time. Something supernatural, from outside the system has changed the natural course of things.

The Bible unmistakably describes the character of God and his attributes. God is the creator. God is the sustainer. God rules over all things, and God from time to time alters the design he created in what we call miracles. From a purely scientific perspective, our very existence is a miracle. Christians simply attribute the miracle to God instead of luck. Rather than believing (having faith that) against all logic, we are the result of astronomical odds in a universe ordered by random events, we simply believe in God.

With this argument laid out for you, let me ask you a question. If you had the ability to create, anything you wanted, at any time you wanted, simply by saying the words, (Genesis account- and God said, let there be…) would you take 15 billion years to do it? Time itself is a measurement that we have been given by God, for scripture teaches us that God is eternal. In Genesis, God provided something to order our lives: light to rule the day, and darkness to rule the night… there was evening, and morning, the first yom (day). To God a day is like a thousand years, because God exists outside of our parameter, but to us a day has been ordered.

When God created Adam, did he begin with a bacteria, fungi, plankton or an amoeba? No, he took all the materials from the dust of the earth and made a man. Not, an infant, not a boy, a man. Why is this significant? God created sustainable systems in the beginning. When we observe the rocks of the earth and the stars in the sky with the assumption that they were formed without miracle, we can only do it by attributing processes that take much more time, like the healing process within the human body. In Hebrews 1:1-3 we not only find that God created, but that God also sustains all things through the power of his word. That is why certain scientists who believe in the power of God, like Einstein, when discovering predictable, yet invisible power packets inside of unseen atoms, (quantum mechanics, or quantum theory), believed he was discovering a mystery of God.

If you are frustrated as a Christian, at the exclusion of God in science, I would encourage you to stand firm. The origin of science was founded on the search for truth. Christians do not have to compromise their faith to find it, for God’s word is truth. The evidence of God, and his divine attributes are clearly seen, even if the predominant cultural view is contrary to it. There is a reason, despite the fact that evolution and natural sciences are taught in all our public schools, and displayed over and over till nausea strikes on the National Geographic and Discovery Channels that over 80% of the people in our nation still believe in God! Natural sciences do not provide very convincing answers to life’s biggest questions. The irony is that if Science was purely a search for truth, without any error, it would discover…God.

How do you stand up to the challenge?

I Need a Break!

2009-03-11T09:48:00.001-05:00

Do you ever get that feeling… the spring break mentality? Brought on by hard work, and busyness, it’s been popularized by students escaping from assignments and exams, but everyday work, church, and family commitments also bring it on. You start to feel like you’re in a rut, and you want to “break” out of it with a little spell of rebellion and self-indulgence. The melting snow and Winter holding onto Spring intensifies the anticipation of a change of pace. Some look so forward to this break that it goes from a desire to a need. Have you ever started living for your vacations, spring break, or retirement? We’re all susceptible to it because life is hard, painful and difficult at times. But something’s wrong with this way of thinking. Looking forward to when troubles are left in the past delays our happiness into the future and robs us of the joy we can have today.

Another problem with this kind of thinking is that our great adversary the Devil takes advantage of the ‘I need it bad’ mentality. Advertisers take advantage of this mentality every day. We’re more susceptible to purchase something we know we can’t afford, or yield to temptation in this mindset. Blank check credit card offers and “no payments until the year 2020- sales” are aimed directly toward this kind of thinking. Once you buy into the idea that you need it or deserve it, they make it easy, so you can’t resist. The temptations rage on each day: “I deserve to have a good time as much as the next guy”; “I worked hard, now I deserve a reward”; “She went on a shopping trip, so why shouldn’t I go on a fishing trip”; “Just do it”; “you’re worth it”; “you’re #1”… the list goes on. Satan sells his ideas the same way. As soon as we begin thinking about what ‘I’ deserve, need, or want, we place our foot into a snare.

How can we avoid this trap? We should live fulfilled on a daily basis, so we are content with who we are, what we have and what we do. A basic biblical principle easy to forget and hard to learn from (Gal. 2:20) is: “I no longer live, but it is Christ who lives in me.” We feel run down and tired and in a rut when we begin to do things in our own strength instead of the strength of Christ. True fulfillment and contentment in Christ aught not be an occasional experience. It comes from a daily walk with our Lord. God will provide what we need, if we depend on Him to provide. This view of the world has been clarified for me, when witnessing the joy of believers who live in absolute poverty. Our prosperity makes us susceptible to always want more and slip into a self focused view of life.

I recently did a contentment check, and realized that I was fueling my lack of contentment with some things:
1) I had a mental “to buy” list of hunting equipment. I routinely went through the Cabela’s magazines, marking the “things I’d like to have”. Because hunting and fishing gear is my Achilles heel, I decided to pitch the magazines so I would learn to be content with what I have. What’s your weakness? Clothes, trips, Jewelry…
2) I had a To Do list at home on the fridge that had many household chores. It was all about “stuff.” No names were on it. I found it interesting that I while there were many projects planned, I didn’t have goals to build relationships or spend time with people on my list. I decided to change that. What’s on your To Do list?

Welcome to the conversation.

A whole other can of worms is getting proper rest. I’ll save that for another conversation.

Things We Do Wrong at Church

2009-02-26T15:48:00.003-06:00

People outside the church very quickly identify the things churches do wrong, but I have some unique experience as a church insider both growing up in the church and then working in them for the last 25 years, that reveal some things we do wrong in church.

To identify what churches do wrong, all we have to do is look at what causes churches to split. Did you know that there are currently over 38,000 different Christian denominations! History reveals to us that new denominations are formed as a result of conflict and confrontation which leads to division and separation.

Central points of doctrine that have united believers for centuries are not usually the problem. Most divisions take place over differences of opinion by godly, albeit flawed, people seeking to honor God. In other words, their intentions are usually good, not evil. But, you know what road is paved with good intentions.... Most quarrels in churches are about the little things done in the church that people don't like. This happens frequently when a new person introduces an idea that upsets "the way it is supposed to be, or has always been". Our consciences and our interpretation of the Bible often support the way we have come to see it, even if it doesn't. In other words we use verses in support of our idea, rather than allowing the verses to speak freshly to the situation.

As a result, people disagree about how to do things in church that have no doctrinal significance at all, and assign them great importance. All churches struggle with these issues and are at the center of a lot of their conflicts. What kind of things am I talking about? The sacred pulpit, stained glass windows, the display of the cross, the moving of the communion table, type of baptism, style of music, how we observe holidays, the use of drama, projecting the scriptures, the use of certain instruments, Bible translation preference, the display of memorials…etc. The list goes on and on. Do’s and don’ts are also extended to proper behavior inside and outside of the church, like clothing style, dancing or kinds of entertainment. Over time we make some of these practices and items sacred.

In our minds we make sacred, things that we like, rather than being led by God's word on the matter. We are very quick to identify errors that "other" churches make, while falling into a very similar, but unidentified trap of our own. We think our style of worship, our liturgy, our moral choices are “the right way.” Have you ever noticed the lack of emphasis given in God’s word to the church about: furniture (pulpit, Communion Table), modes of communion, order of worship, approved instruments, length or number of services, the repetition of creeds (that were yet to be written), which translation is superior, musical styles, who is approved to serve communion, proper clothing for worship, kinds of prayer, the correct number and kind of songs, approved liturgy…etc?

I have been told that my sermons are better when I dress “like a preacher” (meaning suit and tie). I have been told that a “Man of God” should be clean shaven”! I look at the wall of past preachers on our church wall and find that many of them wore beards. Were they all bad preachers? If they were clean shaven, would more people have been saved? Imagine how much more powerful Jesus' teaching would have been if he only shaved!

We often do not realize how selective we are in the scriptures we emphasize. As a theologically conservative church, we have a tendency to have many dialogues about certain sins. Sins that are visible and public are fair game, because they are “out there”. Part of this is due to the fear of the spread of liberalism and the moral decline of our nation, but we often fail to apply the scriptures to the issues that often divide us within the church. With our devotion to the inspiration of the word, you would think that we would be just as quick to dispel the errors that are so prevalent within the church. It is not the case. What scriptures do people use to defend their prefered music style, placement of church furniture, the proper way to serve communion?

Answer...None. Because the scriptures only give us general principles to follow, not rules. More specifically, people don't go to the scriptures on these issues, because the scriptures do not side with them! Hymns vs. praise music. Robes vs. Robless. Contemporary vs. Traditional. King James vs. NIV. Dressed up vs. Casual. If we boil it down to the most simplistic answer possible, we are often self centered instead of Christ Centered when it comes to worship and how we do things in the church. We can get very upset about things we have assigned great importance that God hasn’t. We don’t realize that when we focus on these things instead of Christ, we have the potential to offend God and divide the church. To further this point, I am going to apply scripture to a few of the prominent conflicts occurring in our churches today.

When we apply scripture to our preferences, we will learn something about God and ourselves. For example- Something I hear often is the familiar criticism of contemporary Praise and Worship for it's repitition, and shalownes: “Praise hymns are 7/11 songs, seven verses, eleven times”. The implication is that they are too repetitive and lack spiritual depth. However, Psalm 136 repeats itself 26 times! So is that Psalm inferior to Psalm 118 that has more subject matter and only repeats the chorus 4 times? Isaiah 6:3 and Revelatoin 4:8 give accounts of the singing in the throne room in heaven. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, is repeated day and night without ceasing. So apparently God doesn’t mind repetition. Is it possible that repetition of Gods word might be beneficial to us as well?

Let's look at the other side of the debate. There are those that don’t like old songs, because of pace or antiquated words. Their boring, and have no energy. Have you ever considered what the scriptures say about old and new songs? We are given a list of songs in the Bible: Psalms- songs for the people of God. Pretty old songs if you ask me. Yet, in the Psalms, themselves, we are instructed to sing new ones as well! Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy Psalm 33:3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. Psalm 40:3 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth Psalm 96:1. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him Psalm 98:1 These are just a few examples of the many times we are told to sing new songs to God. Is it a surprise to us that God would be honored if we were to write and sing songs about him ourselves, rather than only repeating someone else’s? Apparently, God values old and new songs, and desires us to sing both kinds.

What Biblical instruction do we have on the architectural layout of a church or its furniture? NONE! We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Our bodies are living stones that build up the church (1 Peter 2). We may defile the temple of God when we become gluttonous at church potlucks and never realize it, but move a piece of furniture like a pulpit, or communion table and people get all upset. Did Jesus teach from behind a pulpit? No. Yet some denominations will not let anyone step into one, without being an ordained minister. It is as if a lectern has become some kind of holy ground.

Are there instruments you prefer in worship services? Of course you do. All of us have our own taste when it comes to music. So what does the Bible say about instruments? “David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals (1 Chronicles 15:16)”. “The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.” Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud. Stringed- percussion, brass, wind... (2 Chronicles 5:13).” So what guidance do the scriptures give about instruments? As long as they are played for God and not for us, they are acceptable. Worship is not supposed to please us; it is supposed to please the Lord. Do you think that God favors European, African, or Asian instruments? Why would God favor one instrument over another, when he measures worship by a person’s heart according to John 4:23-24?

What about Drama? You might say “There is no drama in the Bible!” I grant you that there is no English word drama in the Bible. There is no English word Trinity either, yet the Bible tells us of a triune God that is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So what is drama? In our modern church context, it is a play (a dramatization) of something in real life, to help us to recognize something in our own reality that we might otherwise overlook. Have you ever read Hosea or Ezekiel? Moses’ whole life was a drama, as was Joseph’s. Let us not forget Jonah and Noah. Their whole lives pointed to the reality that we must repent and need a Savior. Paul said “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some” ( 1 Corinthians 9:22). If we can use an art form to help communicate the Gospel, why on earth wouldn’t we do it?

We all have different preferences and thoughts about how to do things within the body, because of our own uniqueness. But, when we share our concerns with humility and temperance, not anger, pride or divisiveness, we can have unity and harmony with diversity. The church is much more attractive to people who are checking it out, maybe for the first time, when the people who are in the church get along! What a novel idea..."They will know you are my disciples, if you love one another." JESUS

We often offend the church of Christ with petty, selfish things that hinder the work of making disciples and sharing the good news. It’s like throwing mud on a beautiful young woman’s bridal gown. The church, after all, is the bride of Christ. So who we really offend with this muck is Christ himself, the head of the church.

Just in case you are wondering...I am not targeting a specific church or denomination, because all church goers are guilty of this kind of thinking at one time or another. We all need to understand this, because we all tend to be selfish. When we apply the scriptures, we will be corrected and oriented back toward the Savior we love. We will gain an appreciation for others who have different preferences and love them too. It is unfortunate that many in the world have identified Christians; by their propensity to disagree with each other. It’s my prayer that they will know we are Christians by our love. I think Jesus would like that.

About this Blog

2009-02-26T14:55:00.000-06:00

Wayne's Worldview is a blog to share my unique perspective on the world around me as formed from my interpretation of the scriptures and my experience as a Christian. As a pastor, I am asked a lot of questions about current issues, life dilemmas, personal problems, politics, biblical interpretation...etc.

I offer these "How I see it" thoughts in effort to challenge people to think about their worldview and to stimulate good conversations that will help us become more whole.

Welcome to the conversation.