A couple months ago, I subscribed to Relevant Magazine. I figured it would be beneficial since I'm not too immersed in pop culture these days and I didn't really want to pay for Rolling Stone. I've received a few issues now, and for the most part I've at least appreciated being kept abreast on current Christian music, issues, ideas, and other crap.
My first interaction with the magazine came when I followed a link that said a "high profile" evangelical had backed out of a commitment to pray at the Democratic National Convention. I read the news story and first learned about Cameron Strang and his magazine (and to be fair, I commended his decision to not pray at the convention). I then subsequently subscribed to the magazine. But now that I've received a few issues and had the opportunity to read Mr. Strang's columns, I'm starting to have second thoughts.
This month's issue features an article by Strang entitled "What It Means To Be Whole-Life" (I wanted to link the article here, but it isn't available on their website yet - check back in a few days). In the article Strang identifies his differences with the democratic party by citing the abortion issue:
"My primary disagreement with the democratic party...is my belief that life begins at conception, and it is our moral duty to protect innocent lives. To me, that is not just a matter of faith; it is a matter of objective fact."
I commend Strang for his beliefs, and I share them, however I found myself adamantly disagreeing with Strang as he went on:
"However, and this is where many on the right miss it, the example Jesus set for us to stand up for the defense of the innocent does not end at birth. Just as they do for abortion, Christians should be on the forefront of standing against things that take millions of innocent lives around tehworld every day - systemic poverty, preventable disease, unnecessary wars, slavery, genocide. The list goes on."
There has been a recent movement amongst Christians and politics that has for some reason placed the abortion issue on the back burner. I recently heard a talk radio host say that abortion is an "old and tired issue." It seems that this thinking has permeated into the Christian realm as well, and now Christians (like Strang) are either equating or elevating issues like poverty and disease above the abortion issue, and likewise asserting that Christians either haven't or aren't doing enough about these things. I've got a couple of problems with this line of thinking:
Abortion and poverty aren't comparable. To say that Christians need to speak out about poverty on the same level as abortion is not correct. Our country has experienced 50 million abortions since Roe V. Wade. That's 4,400 baby deaths per day. I understand that things like poverty and disease take an incredibly large number of lives each day as well, but there is at least one significant difference: poverty and disease occurs amongst people who have been born - amongst people who have the ability to do something about their poverty or disease. Unborn children have no recourse - no action that they can take to protect themselves, no voice even, to protest to the action being taken against them. Thus, we are their voice. Also, the crime being committed against unborn children is far more violent and immediate than poverty or disease. So then to say that poverty is as much an immediate concern as abortion is inaccurate.
I also take issue with Strang in that Jesus didn't tell Christians to push the government to make social reforms, he told Christians to do it themselves. You will never find Jesus in scripture telling his disciples to write their congressman and push them to feed hungry people. He told them that they themselves should feed the hungry people. The responsibility lies on Christians to do the work, not on Christians to push others to do the work. This is usually the reasoning that a lot of Christians have used to justify their support of Barack Obama, but they haven't read their Bibles closely. Change (a buzz-word I'm beginning to deplore) comes through the gospel and the Christians who preach it (see this post for more on that) - not through government and politics. In that case then, Strang is wrong when he says that social reform needs to be in the forefront of a Christian's political thought (To be fair, you may find some double-speak in this statement, in that abortion is a political issue and Christians are attempting to use the political system in order to see it overturned. That's fair. However, I think there's a difference because the government has endorsed and justified this practice, and has legitimized the practice in the eyes of the public. Therefore, it seems reasonable to use the political system to fight against it. Also, we must never lose focus in that our immediate concern is for life. What would be the easiest, quickest, most efficient way to save life in regards to abortion? Overturning Roe V. Wade. Also on the other hand, several non-political pro-life actions have been taken by Christians and Christian organizations to combat abortion. So in that sense, there is much that is being done outside the political realm).
Lastly, I am dissappointed in Strang's ignorance of history. He says that "Just as they do for abortion, Christians should be on the forefront of standing against things that take millions of innocent lives around the world every day - systemic poverty, preventable disease, unnecessary wars, slavery, genocide." Well, I don't know where Mr. Strang's been, but Christians have ALWAYS been on the forefront of standing against poverty, disease, war, slavery, genocide, and any other barbaric practice the history of this world has ever seen. Christians are ALWAYS the ones who build the hospitals, feed the hungry, care for the sick, speak out against slavery (William Wilberforce, anyone? Not to mention all those missionaries who are active but don't get the headlines), and protect the innocent. Here's an interesting fact for ya: the largest demographic by far of parents who adopt children are, you guessed it, Christians. Why? BECAUSE we care. BECAUSE we are on the front lines. BECAUSE we obey Jesus. BECAUSE we stand up for those who cannot stand for themselves. Check the facts. History backs me up on this. No other group has done more for this world and those who inhabit it than those faithful Jesus-following Christians who follow his example. So then to say that Christians either don't care or aren't vigilant about these issues is ignorant, and actually, a bit insulting. Check your history books, Cameron.
Strang concludes his article by encouraging his readers not to be "pro-life" but instead, "whole-life." Strang says:
"...we need to embrace a more holistic definition of Christ's love and example. We need to be "whole-life." Whole-life means standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. It means seeing a need...and giving your life to serve it....Being whole-life means living out Jesus' example in our world today - fighting injustice, promoting life, being good stewards of our natural and financial resources, and showing God's love in a tangible way."
I'd actually take Strang's corny catch phrase one step further and say that Christians should be "Whole-Eternal-Life." In other words, even if we save babies, cure disease, end world hunger, and bring an end to all wars, people still need a Savior. Filling their stomach won't save their souls. We must never lose sight of the gospel in any social endeavor.
Believe me, I'm not trying to justify anyone or any group of people by saying these things. There are of course still many ways that we as Jesus followers can and should be standing up for justice, and again, I think we are. If anything, though, Strang is correct in that the battle is never over - it's a matter of eternal vigilence. We can't just be standing around, patting ourselves on the back for our good acts of charity - we always need to be standing up for justice. If indeed Christians have become lax in this area, they need to read the Bible and get busy. Let's just not lose sight of history and the truth.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Politics, Activism, And The Gospel
I found this great article by Johnny Mac in my email and thought I would post it here. It's definitely not the typical evangelical diatribe. It is however, a good reminder that our hope is in the power of the gospel to transform hearts and lives - not politicians or governments. If only Christians put as much time into studying and reading their Bibles as they did into politics and government...
With the nation focused on the November elections, we thought a post on politics might be appropriate. The point of this article is not that we should abstain from any participation in the political process, but rather that we must keep our priorities straight as Christians. After all, the gospel, not politics, is the only true solution to our nation’s moral crisis.
We can’t protect or expand the cause of Christ by human political and social activism, no matter how great or sincere the efforts. Ours is a spiritual battle waged against worldly ideologies and dogmas arrayed against God, and we achieve victory over them only with the weapon of Scripture. The apostle Paul writes: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:3-5).
We must reject all that is ungodly and false and never compromise God’s standards of righteousness. We can do that in part by desiring the improvement of society’s moral standards and by approving of measures that would conform government more toward righteousness. We do grieve over the rampant indecency, vulgarity, lack of courtesy and respect for others, deceitfulness, self-indulgent materialism, and violence that is corroding society. But in our efforts to support what is good and wholesome, reject what is evil and corrupt, and make a profoundly positive impact on our culture, we must use God’s methods and maintain scriptural priorities.
God is not calling us to wage a culture war that would seek to transform our countries into “Christian nations.” To devote all, or even most, of our time, energy, money, and strategy to putting a facade of morality on the world or over our governmental and political institutions is to badly misunderstand our roles as Christians in a spiritually lost world.
God has above all else called the church to bring sinful people to salvation through Jesus Christ. Even as the apostle Paul described his mission to unbelievers, so it is the primary task of all Christians to reach out to the lost “to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me [Christ]” (Acts 26:18; cf. Ex. 19:6; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9).
If we do not evangelize the lost and make disciples of new converts, nothing else we do for people--no matter how beneficial it seems--is of any eternal consequence. Whether a person is an atheist or a theist, a criminal or a model citizen, sexually promiscuous and perverse or strictly moral and virtuous, a greedy materialist or a gracious philanthropist--if he does not have a saving relationship to Christ, he is going to hell. It makes no difference if an unsaved person is for or against abortion, a political liberal or a conservative, a prostitute or a police officer, he will spend eternity apart from God unless he repents and believes the gospel.
When the church takes a stance that emphasizes political activism and social moralizing, it always diverts energy and resources away from evangelization. Such an antagonistic position toward the established secular culture invariably leads believers to feel hostile not only to unsaved government leaders with whom they disagree, but also antagonistic toward the unsaved residents of that culture--neighbors and fellow citizens they ought to love, pray for, and share the gospel with. To me it is unthinkable that we become enemies of the very people we seek to win to Christ, our potential brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Author John Seel pens words that apply in principle to Christians everywhere and summarize well the believer’s perspective on political involvement:
A politicized faith not only blurs our priorities, but weakens our loyalties. Our primary citizenship is not on earth but in heaven. … Though few evangelicals would deny this truth in theory, the language of our spiritual citizenship frequently gets wrapped in the red, white and blue. Rather than acting as resident aliens of a heavenly kingdom, too often we sound [and act] like resident apologists for a Christian America. … Unless we reject the false reliance on the illusion of Christian America, evangelicalism will continue to distort the gospel and thwart a genuine biblical identity….American evangelicalism is now covered by layers and layers of historically shaped attitudes that obscure our original biblical core. (The Evangelical Pulpit [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993], 106-7)
By means of faithful preaching and godly living, believers are to be the conscience of whatever nation they reside in. You can confront the culture not with the political and social activism of man’s wisdom, but with the spiritual power of God’s Word. Using temporal methods to promote legislative and judicial change, and resorting to external efforts of lobbying and intimidation to achieve some sort of “Christian morality” in society is not our calling--and has no eternal value. Only the gospel rescues sinners from sin, death, and hell.
With the nation focused on the November elections, we thought a post on politics might be appropriate. The point of this article is not that we should abstain from any participation in the political process, but rather that we must keep our priorities straight as Christians. After all, the gospel, not politics, is the only true solution to our nation’s moral crisis.
We can’t protect or expand the cause of Christ by human political and social activism, no matter how great or sincere the efforts. Ours is a spiritual battle waged against worldly ideologies and dogmas arrayed against God, and we achieve victory over them only with the weapon of Scripture. The apostle Paul writes: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:3-5).
We must reject all that is ungodly and false and never compromise God’s standards of righteousness. We can do that in part by desiring the improvement of society’s moral standards and by approving of measures that would conform government more toward righteousness. We do grieve over the rampant indecency, vulgarity, lack of courtesy and respect for others, deceitfulness, self-indulgent materialism, and violence that is corroding society. But in our efforts to support what is good and wholesome, reject what is evil and corrupt, and make a profoundly positive impact on our culture, we must use God’s methods and maintain scriptural priorities.
God is not calling us to wage a culture war that would seek to transform our countries into “Christian nations.” To devote all, or even most, of our time, energy, money, and strategy to putting a facade of morality on the world or over our governmental and political institutions is to badly misunderstand our roles as Christians in a spiritually lost world.
God has above all else called the church to bring sinful people to salvation through Jesus Christ. Even as the apostle Paul described his mission to unbelievers, so it is the primary task of all Christians to reach out to the lost “to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me [Christ]” (Acts 26:18; cf. Ex. 19:6; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9).
If we do not evangelize the lost and make disciples of new converts, nothing else we do for people--no matter how beneficial it seems--is of any eternal consequence. Whether a person is an atheist or a theist, a criminal or a model citizen, sexually promiscuous and perverse or strictly moral and virtuous, a greedy materialist or a gracious philanthropist--if he does not have a saving relationship to Christ, he is going to hell. It makes no difference if an unsaved person is for or against abortion, a political liberal or a conservative, a prostitute or a police officer, he will spend eternity apart from God unless he repents and believes the gospel.
When the church takes a stance that emphasizes political activism and social moralizing, it always diverts energy and resources away from evangelization. Such an antagonistic position toward the established secular culture invariably leads believers to feel hostile not only to unsaved government leaders with whom they disagree, but also antagonistic toward the unsaved residents of that culture--neighbors and fellow citizens they ought to love, pray for, and share the gospel with. To me it is unthinkable that we become enemies of the very people we seek to win to Christ, our potential brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Author John Seel pens words that apply in principle to Christians everywhere and summarize well the believer’s perspective on political involvement:
A politicized faith not only blurs our priorities, but weakens our loyalties. Our primary citizenship is not on earth but in heaven. … Though few evangelicals would deny this truth in theory, the language of our spiritual citizenship frequently gets wrapped in the red, white and blue. Rather than acting as resident aliens of a heavenly kingdom, too often we sound [and act] like resident apologists for a Christian America. … Unless we reject the false reliance on the illusion of Christian America, evangelicalism will continue to distort the gospel and thwart a genuine biblical identity….American evangelicalism is now covered by layers and layers of historically shaped attitudes that obscure our original biblical core. (The Evangelical Pulpit [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993], 106-7)
By means of faithful preaching and godly living, believers are to be the conscience of whatever nation they reside in. You can confront the culture not with the political and social activism of man’s wisdom, but with the spiritual power of God’s Word. Using temporal methods to promote legislative and judicial change, and resorting to external efforts of lobbying and intimidation to achieve some sort of “Christian morality” in society is not our calling--and has no eternal value. Only the gospel rescues sinners from sin, death, and hell.
Friday, October 24, 2008
If I Were A Muslim, I'd Be Furious.
I was doing my usual duty on Facebook tonight when I came across a link posted by one of my friends (actually a guy I haven't seen in 10 years) that showed me the "Obama Tax Calculator." It's a widget that supposedly calculates the size of tax cut that Obama is going to give, after you input your gross income, dependents, etc. (although the whole thing is a bit of a joke, because there's no way Obama can do all the things he says he's going to do and give a tax cut to 95% of the middle class - but that's another blog for another time).
After finding out how astronomically huge my Obama tax cut would be (supposedly $1000, compared to McCain's shabby $320), I stumbled my way over to the official Barack Obama website. It was my first time on the site, so I had a good chuckle as I looked everything over. But then I came to a graphic and link about half way down the page on the right hand side that said: "Fight the Smears. Help push back on the false and divisive methods of our opponents." Being the sick kind of person who likes conflict, that's the first place I clicked. What I found absolutely amazed me (dare I say, shocked me?).
The "Fight the Smears" link takes you to a page that lists several of the attacks and negative campaigns that have been leveled against Barack Obama, accompanied by a button next to each issue that reads, "Get the Facts." Apparently when you follow that link, you learn about the truth that clears up the "lies" that Obama's opponents have been perpetrating.
Now for what I found to be shocking (seriously, I can't believe they're getting away with this): about two thirds of the way down the page, one of the "smears" that is reported is that Barack Obama either has had in the past or currently has some ties to the Muslim faith. That's right - apparently saying that someone is a Muslim is a smear tactic! The Obama website defiantly states: "Barack Obama is a committed Christian, not a Muslim." (emphasis on Muslim is original) Can you believe that? The Obama campaign has basically said that to be a Muslim is a sub-par, undesirable state of being, and our candidate has nothing to do with it! If I were a Muslim, I would be a tad offended!
I then followed the "Get the Facts" button and found this (I couldn't be more honest when I say that I am blown away that this was on the Obama website): "Barack Obama is a committed Christian. He was sworn into the Senate on his family Bible. He has regularly attended church with his wife and daughters for years. But shameful, shadowy attackers have been lying about Barack’s religion, claiming he is a Muslim instead of a committed Christian. When people fabricate stories about someone’s faith to denigrate them politically, that’s an attack on people of all faiths." (emphasis mine)
I couldn't believe that when I read it! Let's break that sentence in italics down: "Shameful shadowy attackers..." Apparently if someone says you're a Muslim, it's shameful. "...have been lying about Barack's religion..." This is going to sound like I'm a member of the nerdy God Squad, but I could care less if someone was slandering my religion, because everything about me (the way I live my faith) says otherwise. In other words, if anyone called me a Muslim, everyone who knew me would know that it's not true, because I follow none of the Muslim traditions. In fact, my life is a display of the Christian faith, so there's no question, and any accusation to the contrary would be meaningless. Apparently, the case is different for Barack. "...claiming that he is a Muslim instead of a committed Christian." Understand that my surprise over this whole statement isn't so much over the fact that Obama is a Muslim and/or Christian so much as it is that I can't believe that the political correctness nazis haven't crucified him over this statement and this section of his website. It is overtly anti-Muslim, and extremely "intolerant" (I use this word only for dramatic affect, not because I personally think it's intolerant - at least be consistent, liberals).
There are several other things on the "Fight the Smears" page that I found to be interesting (interesting in a roll-on-the-floor-laughing-because-they're-so-absurd sort of way. For example the fact that you have to tell people you're ok with the the pledge of allegiance is in and of itself a little odd, or that you consider water to be "ridiculous," or that there is such a thing as a "radical anti-abortionist" - is that the same thing as being "radically pro-life?" If so, sign me up).
My shock over this webpage is mostly born out of amazement that the knee-jerk society we live in today is either a) knowingly allowing this seemingly obvious religious bigotry to take place (a fact that is extremely hypocritical, if it is), or b) completely blind to it because of their undying, Messiah-like devotion to Barack Obama. Take your pick - either way is pretty scary.
After finding out how astronomically huge my Obama tax cut would be (supposedly $1000, compared to McCain's shabby $320), I stumbled my way over to the official Barack Obama website. It was my first time on the site, so I had a good chuckle as I looked everything over. But then I came to a graphic and link about half way down the page on the right hand side that said: "Fight the Smears. Help push back on the false and divisive methods of our opponents." Being the sick kind of person who likes conflict, that's the first place I clicked. What I found absolutely amazed me (dare I say, shocked me?).
The "Fight the Smears" link takes you to a page that lists several of the attacks and negative campaigns that have been leveled against Barack Obama, accompanied by a button next to each issue that reads, "Get the Facts." Apparently when you follow that link, you learn about the truth that clears up the "lies" that Obama's opponents have been perpetrating.
Now for what I found to be shocking (seriously, I can't believe they're getting away with this): about two thirds of the way down the page, one of the "smears" that is reported is that Barack Obama either has had in the past or currently has some ties to the Muslim faith. That's right - apparently saying that someone is a Muslim is a smear tactic! The Obama website defiantly states: "Barack Obama is a committed Christian, not a Muslim." (emphasis on Muslim is original) Can you believe that? The Obama campaign has basically said that to be a Muslim is a sub-par, undesirable state of being, and our candidate has nothing to do with it! If I were a Muslim, I would be a tad offended!
I then followed the "Get the Facts" button and found this (I couldn't be more honest when I say that I am blown away that this was on the Obama website): "Barack Obama is a committed Christian. He was sworn into the Senate on his family Bible. He has regularly attended church with his wife and daughters for years. But shameful, shadowy attackers have been lying about Barack’s religion, claiming he is a Muslim instead of a committed Christian. When people fabricate stories about someone’s faith to denigrate them politically, that’s an attack on people of all faiths." (emphasis mine)
I couldn't believe that when I read it! Let's break that sentence in italics down: "Shameful shadowy attackers..." Apparently if someone says you're a Muslim, it's shameful. "...have been lying about Barack's religion..." This is going to sound like I'm a member of the nerdy God Squad, but I could care less if someone was slandering my religion, because everything about me (the way I live my faith) says otherwise. In other words, if anyone called me a Muslim, everyone who knew me would know that it's not true, because I follow none of the Muslim traditions. In fact, my life is a display of the Christian faith, so there's no question, and any accusation to the contrary would be meaningless. Apparently, the case is different for Barack. "...claiming that he is a Muslim instead of a committed Christian." Understand that my surprise over this whole statement isn't so much over the fact that Obama is a Muslim and/or Christian so much as it is that I can't believe that the political correctness nazis haven't crucified him over this statement and this section of his website. It is overtly anti-Muslim, and extremely "intolerant" (I use this word only for dramatic affect, not because I personally think it's intolerant - at least be consistent, liberals).
There are several other things on the "Fight the Smears" page that I found to be interesting (interesting in a roll-on-the-floor-laughing-because-they're-so-absurd sort of way. For example the fact that you have to tell people you're ok with the the pledge of allegiance is in and of itself a little odd, or that you consider water to be "ridiculous," or that there is such a thing as a "radical anti-abortionist" - is that the same thing as being "radically pro-life?" If so, sign me up).
My shock over this webpage is mostly born out of amazement that the knee-jerk society we live in today is either a) knowingly allowing this seemingly obvious religious bigotry to take place (a fact that is extremely hypocritical, if it is), or b) completely blind to it because of their undying, Messiah-like devotion to Barack Obama. Take your pick - either way is pretty scary.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
The Mercy of God In Accidents
My wife and I recently went to Atlanta, Georgia to attend the Deeper conference put on by Living Waters. It was a fantastic conference, and I can't wait to go again next year. Check this post for some info on the conference.
My wife wanted to fly to the conference, but I insisted that we drive for a few reasons: 1) I love to drive, especially long distances; 2) I've never been through Tennesee, and I wanted to go throug their (although, next time it would be nice to go through Tennesee in the daytime - it's hard to see any of the Blue Ridge mountains at night!); 3) I'm fat, and I don't fit into airplane seats. Thus, we made the 17 hour one way trip, leaving at about 2:30 PM on Tuesday afternoon and arriving in Canton, Georgia (the location of our hotel) at about 8:30 AM on Wednesday. The week in Georgia was a blast, as we did some sight seeing and attended the conference.
We left Canton at approximately 4:00 PM on Saturday afternoon. I drove until about 8:00 PM, and then Betsy took over until about 10:00 PM. We switched, and I volunteered to drive until 5:00 AM or so, so Betsy could sleep. And then when she took over in the early morning, I would take some time to sleep as well.
During the entire trip down to Georgia I had been seeing a lot of deer lying dead on the highway, and being October, I knew that deer were out and about, and that I needed to be wary of them being on the road. Thankfully, though, we didn't have any problems on the way down, and the trip went smoothly.
The possibility of seeing a deer was still in my mind during the return trip to Minnesota, and I devised a plan of what I would do if I were to encounter a deer on the road: I would slam on the brakes, but I would not swerve - I would rather hit a deer then swerve into the forrest on one side of the highway, or the ditch on the other. Hitting a deer is better than rolling over, or running into a tree! Unfortunately, I never got a chance for my plan to play out, becuase at approximately 2:30 in the morning during our return trip to Minnesota, we were barrelling down Highway 27 in northern Missouri, about 50 miles south of the Iowa border, and a large buck dove headlong into my left front fender. His right shoulder slammed against my headlight, completely removing it, and the rest of his body mangled my hood and bent the fender into the front left tire. His head smashed against my windshield, right in front of my face, leaving a large spot of deer saliva on the glass and cracking the windshield. When his head connected with the glass his antlers broke, and I could hear them sail over my car and land on the pavement.
The entire incident happened before I could even think about stepping on the brakes. In fact, I don't think I even touched the brake pedal until AFTER the whole ordeal had occurred. I did slam on the brakes, however, mostly out of instinct, and my car screeched to a halt over the next 100 feet, leaving black tire skid marks on the pavement.
My wife had been asleep the entire time, but woke up quite quickly, and in a bit of shock. A Missouri state trooper happened along the highway after about 5 minutes, and he and I were able to locate the dead deer in the median of the highway. If anything, I can take consolation that the deer most likely broke its neck upon impact and was killed instantly.
I've been thinking a lot about this incident - it's the first (and hopefully last) time I've ever hit a deer. Betsy and I are very blessed to have not been injured in the crash. A friend of mine in high school hit a deer once, and his windshield collapsed onto his face, breaking his nose and cutting him up very badly. Nothing of the sort happened to us, though. If anything, an event like this has shown me how God has worked in my life. That sounds kind of weird. How is obliterating a deer with my new car evidence of how God has been working in me? Believe it or not, I think this event is an evidence of God's mercy. Here are some examples of God's mercy in my life, as evidenced by this event:
1) God has been merciful by blessing Betsy and I so that we were able to afford a new car.
2) God has shown mercy by giving us loving families who were willing to care for our son while we went away.
3) God showed mercy by providing the resources we needed in order to be able to go to the Deeper conference.
4) God's mercy was evident in that we had safe travel for our trip down to the conference.
5) God blessed us by sparing us from injury in the accident.
6) Our car was not so damaged that it couldn't be driving. We were able to continue the trip without having to have the car towed.
7) God has shown mercy by making us able to afford car insurance.
This list could go on and on, and could be confined merely to this one instance. For example, I could still note that: we were able to afford some sight-seeing; we were able to afford meals on the trip; we stayed healthy during the trip; and on and on the list goes. God is merciful in so many ways that I don't even realize - there are so many things that we take for granted. The fact that I am breathing right now is evidence of the mercy of God. This is especially astounding when I think that I have done nothing to merit the mercy that God shows me. In fact, I deserve the opposite! I don't deserve a new car, good insurance, a loving family, safety, or anything!
When I think about God's mercy in this event in my life, I start to think about all the other times where God stepped in and I didn't even realize it - and they were probably much greater than this one! Bible commentator Matthew Henry knew how to see God's mercy in everything. He was once mugged and robbed, and ended up writing this in his journal: "Let me be thankful first, because I was never robbed before; second, because they took my purse and not my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed."
Granted, smashing into a deer on a highway is indeed an odd place to discover the mercy of God, but it's there. The key is to realize it and then praise him for it, which is what I'm doing.
My wife wanted to fly to the conference, but I insisted that we drive for a few reasons: 1) I love to drive, especially long distances; 2) I've never been through Tennesee, and I wanted to go throug their (although, next time it would be nice to go through Tennesee in the daytime - it's hard to see any of the Blue Ridge mountains at night!); 3) I'm fat, and I don't fit into airplane seats. Thus, we made the 17 hour one way trip, leaving at about 2:30 PM on Tuesday afternoon and arriving in Canton, Georgia (the location of our hotel) at about 8:30 AM on Wednesday. The week in Georgia was a blast, as we did some sight seeing and attended the conference.
We left Canton at approximately 4:00 PM on Saturday afternoon. I drove until about 8:00 PM, and then Betsy took over until about 10:00 PM. We switched, and I volunteered to drive until 5:00 AM or so, so Betsy could sleep. And then when she took over in the early morning, I would take some time to sleep as well.
During the entire trip down to Georgia I had been seeing a lot of deer lying dead on the highway, and being October, I knew that deer were out and about, and that I needed to be wary of them being on the road. Thankfully, though, we didn't have any problems on the way down, and the trip went smoothly.
The possibility of seeing a deer was still in my mind during the return trip to Minnesota, and I devised a plan of what I would do if I were to encounter a deer on the road: I would slam on the brakes, but I would not swerve - I would rather hit a deer then swerve into the forrest on one side of the highway, or the ditch on the other. Hitting a deer is better than rolling over, or running into a tree! Unfortunately, I never got a chance for my plan to play out, becuase at approximately 2:30 in the morning during our return trip to Minnesota, we were barrelling down Highway 27 in northern Missouri, about 50 miles south of the Iowa border, and a large buck dove headlong into my left front fender. His right shoulder slammed against my headlight, completely removing it, and the rest of his body mangled my hood and bent the fender into the front left tire. His head smashed against my windshield, right in front of my face, leaving a large spot of deer saliva on the glass and cracking the windshield. When his head connected with the glass his antlers broke, and I could hear them sail over my car and land on the pavement.
The entire incident happened before I could even think about stepping on the brakes. In fact, I don't think I even touched the brake pedal until AFTER the whole ordeal had occurred. I did slam on the brakes, however, mostly out of instinct, and my car screeched to a halt over the next 100 feet, leaving black tire skid marks on the pavement.
My wife had been asleep the entire time, but woke up quite quickly, and in a bit of shock. A Missouri state trooper happened along the highway after about 5 minutes, and he and I were able to locate the dead deer in the median of the highway. If anything, I can take consolation that the deer most likely broke its neck upon impact and was killed instantly.
I've been thinking a lot about this incident - it's the first (and hopefully last) time I've ever hit a deer. Betsy and I are very blessed to have not been injured in the crash. A friend of mine in high school hit a deer once, and his windshield collapsed onto his face, breaking his nose and cutting him up very badly. Nothing of the sort happened to us, though. If anything, an event like this has shown me how God has worked in my life. That sounds kind of weird. How is obliterating a deer with my new car evidence of how God has been working in me? Believe it or not, I think this event is an evidence of God's mercy. Here are some examples of God's mercy in my life, as evidenced by this event:
1) God has been merciful by blessing Betsy and I so that we were able to afford a new car.
2) God has shown mercy by giving us loving families who were willing to care for our son while we went away.
3) God showed mercy by providing the resources we needed in order to be able to go to the Deeper conference.
4) God's mercy was evident in that we had safe travel for our trip down to the conference.
5) God blessed us by sparing us from injury in the accident.
6) Our car was not so damaged that it couldn't be driving. We were able to continue the trip without having to have the car towed.
7) God has shown mercy by making us able to afford car insurance.
This list could go on and on, and could be confined merely to this one instance. For example, I could still note that: we were able to afford some sight-seeing; we were able to afford meals on the trip; we stayed healthy during the trip; and on and on the list goes. God is merciful in so many ways that I don't even realize - there are so many things that we take for granted. The fact that I am breathing right now is evidence of the mercy of God. This is especially astounding when I think that I have done nothing to merit the mercy that God shows me. In fact, I deserve the opposite! I don't deserve a new car, good insurance, a loving family, safety, or anything!
When I think about God's mercy in this event in my life, I start to think about all the other times where God stepped in and I didn't even realize it - and they were probably much greater than this one! Bible commentator Matthew Henry knew how to see God's mercy in everything. He was once mugged and robbed, and ended up writing this in his journal: "Let me be thankful first, because I was never robbed before; second, because they took my purse and not my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed."
Granted, smashing into a deer on a highway is indeed an odd place to discover the mercy of God, but it's there. The key is to realize it and then praise him for it, which is what I'm doing.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Deeper Update
Today saw day one of the Deeper conference, and it absolutely lived up to my expectations. I was blessed by the teaching of Ray Comfort, E.Z., Johnny Hunt, Paul Washer, and Kirk Cameron. The highlights of the day came when I got to meet most of these guys (check here for some updated pics).
Here are some of the things that I was particularly impressed by:
1. Ray Comfort's straightforward message about there being NO excuse to not be involved in sharing our faith (he was much more straightforward in this message than I have seen/heard from him before), and his admonission for Christians to get over their lame excuses and get busy.
2. Although it wasn't the main point of his message, Emeal "E.Z" Zwayne got me to think about something I hadn't thought of before: the depth of Jesus' humility in the incarnation, and especially in the crucifixion. Think about it: Jesus made himself subservient to his own creation. He was not only limited by his own humanity, but he also allowed himself to be mocked by tongues that he created. He allowed himself to be slandered by brains that he had formed with his own hands. He allowed himself to be hung on a cross, made by a tree that he had fashioned. He allowed elements from the earth itself to be formed into nails that would pierce his hands. The thought of the Creator allowing his own creation to abuse him is astounding in the context of the gospel - knowing who we are and who he is.
3. Paul Washer hit it out of the park, as he usually does. I especially appreciated his breakout session, where he talked about the several problems with the four spiritual laws (I know that's a huge statement that really requires more explanation, but I don't have time right now - I'll get into it some other time!).
4. The time of worship was really incredible - just one piano and 2500 voices. Also, there were several readings throughout the singing which aided in focusing on God.
So far, the trip and the conference have been worth the 34 hour, 2100 mile round trip! I'm looking forward to day two.
Here are some of the things that I was particularly impressed by:
1. Ray Comfort's straightforward message about there being NO excuse to not be involved in sharing our faith (he was much more straightforward in this message than I have seen/heard from him before), and his admonission for Christians to get over their lame excuses and get busy.
2. Although it wasn't the main point of his message, Emeal "E.Z" Zwayne got me to think about something I hadn't thought of before: the depth of Jesus' humility in the incarnation, and especially in the crucifixion. Think about it: Jesus made himself subservient to his own creation. He was not only limited by his own humanity, but he also allowed himself to be mocked by tongues that he created. He allowed himself to be slandered by brains that he had formed with his own hands. He allowed himself to be hung on a cross, made by a tree that he had fashioned. He allowed elements from the earth itself to be formed into nails that would pierce his hands. The thought of the Creator allowing his own creation to abuse him is astounding in the context of the gospel - knowing who we are and who he is.
3. Paul Washer hit it out of the park, as he usually does. I especially appreciated his breakout session, where he talked about the several problems with the four spiritual laws (I know that's a huge statement that really requires more explanation, but I don't have time right now - I'll get into it some other time!).
4. The time of worship was really incredible - just one piano and 2500 voices. Also, there were several readings throughout the singing which aided in focusing on God.
So far, the trip and the conference have been worth the 34 hour, 2100 mile round trip! I'm looking forward to day two.
All The Way To Georgia
My wife and I are on a brief excursion to the state of Georgia to attend the Deeper Conference (check out this post to learn more about Deeper. Also, NOTE: check out these pics from our trip. I'll be updating them each day as the trip continues.).
After leaving Saint Paul at 2:30 PM Tuesday afternoon, we arrived in Canton, Georgia at about 8:30 AM Wednesday morning. We slept for a good portion of the day on Wednesday and then we took the day today (Thursday) to check out a couple of Georgia's tourist offerings, and we had the opportunity to sit in on a live taping of Wretched, a TV show on the Family Network. Here's some brief info on each of our experiences today:
1. We started off the day at the Georgia Aquarium. Before coming to the aquarium, I had heard a lot about it: the fact that it's the biggest in the world, and boasts over 10,000 animals. Before going further, I should mention that I'm somewhat of an aquarium snob - I really like to visit aquariums for some reason. I find them very interesting. That being said, I was really disappointed in the Georgia Aquarium, probably for two reasons: a) it had been too hyped up to me - I was expecting to be blown away; b) I've been to other really nice aquariums, so I was expecting the Georgia Aquarium to surpass them. It didn't happen. The aquarium in Cincinnati is still tops on my list.
2. We then moved on to attend a live taping of Wretched. I was interested in this because I've been a fan of Way of the Master radio since its inception, and a fan of Todd Friel since even before that. Todd Friel used to be based in the Twin Cities, but then moved to Atlanta in order to do the TV show. A couple weeks ago, I received an email from the folks who were putting on the Deeper conference, and they offered Deeper attendees an opportunity to attend a taping of the show, and also a tour of the radio studios. We accepted. The taping was a lot of fun, and really interesting to watch. The show consisted of three segments, all of which Friel was able to film in one take each! He's very talented, creative, and humorous.
3. Our final stop of the day was at Stone Mountain - the largest tourist attraction in Georgia. Stone Mountain is an extremely large granite deposit - the largest exposed deposite on earth. And in the center of the mountain is carved a large relief of a few key Confederate Civil War generals. The relief is informally considered to be the Mt. Rushmore of the South. The Stone Mountain was absolutely amazing and awe inspiring. I was reminded of my visit to Devil's Tower in Wyoming, as the two attractions are very similar - a gigantic rock sticking up out of the ground for no apparent reason. Yeah, I know, that doesn't sound too amazing, but it really was incredible. There was also a lot of interesting Civil War information at the park.
The night was topped off by hanging out with one of my friends who has moved on to Greenville, South Carolina. Greenville is about 2 hours away from Atlanta, so we met in between and had a good time (my first, and probably last, experience at a sushi bar!)
As of right now, I have finally found some free time to post some pictures from the trip so far, and I am eagerly anticipating the start of the Deeper conference, which starts tomorrow (actually today!) at 1:00 PM. I can't wait (and then the 17 hour drive home!) Check back tomorrow for more pics of the conference.
P.S. This is the first time we've been away from the Fergeson for so long. We can't wait to see him! We're coming, Fergie!
After leaving Saint Paul at 2:30 PM Tuesday afternoon, we arrived in Canton, Georgia at about 8:30 AM Wednesday morning. We slept for a good portion of the day on Wednesday and then we took the day today (Thursday) to check out a couple of Georgia's tourist offerings, and we had the opportunity to sit in on a live taping of Wretched, a TV show on the Family Network. Here's some brief info on each of our experiences today:
1. We started off the day at the Georgia Aquarium. Before coming to the aquarium, I had heard a lot about it: the fact that it's the biggest in the world, and boasts over 10,000 animals. Before going further, I should mention that I'm somewhat of an aquarium snob - I really like to visit aquariums for some reason. I find them very interesting. That being said, I was really disappointed in the Georgia Aquarium, probably for two reasons: a) it had been too hyped up to me - I was expecting to be blown away; b) I've been to other really nice aquariums, so I was expecting the Georgia Aquarium to surpass them. It didn't happen. The aquarium in Cincinnati is still tops on my list.
2. We then moved on to attend a live taping of Wretched. I was interested in this because I've been a fan of Way of the Master radio since its inception, and a fan of Todd Friel since even before that. Todd Friel used to be based in the Twin Cities, but then moved to Atlanta in order to do the TV show. A couple weeks ago, I received an email from the folks who were putting on the Deeper conference, and they offered Deeper attendees an opportunity to attend a taping of the show, and also a tour of the radio studios. We accepted. The taping was a lot of fun, and really interesting to watch. The show consisted of three segments, all of which Friel was able to film in one take each! He's very talented, creative, and humorous.
3. Our final stop of the day was at Stone Mountain - the largest tourist attraction in Georgia. Stone Mountain is an extremely large granite deposit - the largest exposed deposite on earth. And in the center of the mountain is carved a large relief of a few key Confederate Civil War generals. The relief is informally considered to be the Mt. Rushmore of the South. The Stone Mountain was absolutely amazing and awe inspiring. I was reminded of my visit to Devil's Tower in Wyoming, as the two attractions are very similar - a gigantic rock sticking up out of the ground for no apparent reason. Yeah, I know, that doesn't sound too amazing, but it really was incredible. There was also a lot of interesting Civil War information at the park.
The night was topped off by hanging out with one of my friends who has moved on to Greenville, South Carolina. Greenville is about 2 hours away from Atlanta, so we met in between and had a good time (my first, and probably last, experience at a sushi bar!)
As of right now, I have finally found some free time to post some pictures from the trip so far, and I am eagerly anticipating the start of the Deeper conference, which starts tomorrow (actually today!) at 1:00 PM. I can't wait (and then the 17 hour drive home!) Check back tomorrow for more pics of the conference.
P.S. This is the first time we've been away from the Fergeson for so long. We can't wait to see him! We're coming, Fergie!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
28 Years Closer To The Grave
It just now dawned on me that my birthday is on Saturday. It's not like I didn't know it was coming, but I just realized now that I'll soon be 28 years old. It's almost as if a light bulb went on in my head.
I've taken to measuring time - specifically years - as "(fill in the blank) years closer to the grave." For example, come this Saturday I will be 28 years closer to the grave. My wife gets mad at me and tells me I'm morbid, and to be honest, I do it partially for shock value and to get a laugh. But there's also a lot of truth in that: as of Saturday, 28 years of my life will be complete, never to be lived again. It makes one think about what he did with those 28 years...
I've taken to measuring time - specifically years - as "(fill in the blank) years closer to the grave." For example, come this Saturday I will be 28 years closer to the grave. My wife gets mad at me and tells me I'm morbid, and to be honest, I do it partially for shock value and to get a laugh. But there's also a lot of truth in that: as of Saturday, 28 years of my life will be complete, never to be lived again. It makes one think about what he did with those 28 years...
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Obama Camp
Remember this movie?
It's called Jesus camp, and it enjoyed some mild publicity and exposure when it came out a couple years ago. It was made by liberals who wanted to warn us about the dangers of religion, and the way kids in this country are educated and "indoctrinated" (a word that is misunderstood - everyone is indoctrinated with something) into believing Christianity. The only problem is that the makers of this movie chose to use an extreme, charismatic minority sect of Christianity, so the video is full of crazy people speaking in tongues. I agree with the people who made the movie: those people are weird. But to imply that this small segment of Christians represents the whole is very dishonest. The movie also makes several points about how these crazy Christians are all extreme right wing activists who are raising up an army that will kill anyone or anything who stands in their path. Take this clip from the movie for example:
I think we can all agree that the people in this movie are a) at least a little weird, and b) not reading their Bible properly. Can we agree on that? Can we agree that these folks don't represent mainstream American Christianity? Good.
Now check this out. Considering the liberal persuasion voiced by the makers of Jesus Camp, I am going to make the assumption that they support Barack Obama. I wonder if they've seen these videos:
Cute, right? Actually I thought it was just as creepy as those Jesus Camp clips (especially the choir director - creepy!) Now take a look at this one to get a more militant view of the Obama "indoctrination" (hey, that's what it is, right?):
Notice any similarities between the Obama clips and the Jesus Camp clips? They look pretty similar to me: they're both full of wackos.
It's called Jesus camp, and it enjoyed some mild publicity and exposure when it came out a couple years ago. It was made by liberals who wanted to warn us about the dangers of religion, and the way kids in this country are educated and "indoctrinated" (a word that is misunderstood - everyone is indoctrinated with something) into believing Christianity. The only problem is that the makers of this movie chose to use an extreme, charismatic minority sect of Christianity, so the video is full of crazy people speaking in tongues. I agree with the people who made the movie: those people are weird. But to imply that this small segment of Christians represents the whole is very dishonest. The movie also makes several points about how these crazy Christians are all extreme right wing activists who are raising up an army that will kill anyone or anything who stands in their path. Take this clip from the movie for example:
I think we can all agree that the people in this movie are a) at least a little weird, and b) not reading their Bible properly. Can we agree on that? Can we agree that these folks don't represent mainstream American Christianity? Good.
Now check this out. Considering the liberal persuasion voiced by the makers of Jesus Camp, I am going to make the assumption that they support Barack Obama. I wonder if they've seen these videos:
Cute, right? Actually I thought it was just as creepy as those Jesus Camp clips (especially the choir director - creepy!) Now take a look at this one to get a more militant view of the Obama "indoctrination" (hey, that's what it is, right?):
Notice any similarities between the Obama clips and the Jesus Camp clips? They look pretty similar to me: they're both full of wackos.
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