Here is an excellent commentary on Antinomianism from James Henley Thornwell, (1812-1862). Thanks to Michael Bremmer for putting this up!
Antinomianism
Here are a couple of snippets from the article:
"When, after a dreary night of Arminian darkness and of legal bondage, the doctrines of grace are proclaimed with clearness and power, there are always found men who, unable to endure the light which reveals the folly of their slavish toils and unchristian schemes, pervert the Gospel and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness."
"The Gospel, like its blessed Master, is always crucified between two thieves -- legalist of all sorts on the one hand and Antinomians on the other; the former robbing the Saviour of the glory of his work for us, and the other robbing him of the glory of his work within us."
His cogent thought regarding Antinomianism is a welcome oasis in the desert of modern thought.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Pastor Appreciation Month
In honor of Pastor Appreciation Month, I wanted to honor my pastors:
No pastor is an island, to paraphrase an old saying, and we all stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us.
This list of pastors contains folks from several denominations and from both the Reformed and Arminian side of the house. Even though I disagree with some of these men, they have helped shaped my life in profound ways.
======================
Pastor Dan - This man took in a skeptic, filled with arrogance, and showed him what a pastor should look like. Dan loves his congregation, and it shows! He was patient and kind, overlooking the many faux pas, and gently, but firmly leading me. It was through Dan that I understood the fact that Christians are not a cult, but actual people working thier way through life. Dan has been a huge influence on my pastoral style.
Pastor Philippe - Pastor Philippe tag-teamed with Pastor Dan. However, what I learned from Pastor Philippe was to study to show myself approved. He is a diligent and dedicated student of God's Word. Recently we have come down on opposite sides of some issues, but I found Philippe to be a kind, and knowledgable friend throughout, and have learned and benefited from our discussions. I am proud to call Philippe one of my mentors.
Pastor Babu - From this man, small in stature, but huge in his love of the Lord, is sacrifice. Babu LIVES what he preaches in a very real way. He is absolutely given over to the Lord, and I have been the beneficiary of his teaching for many years. Under Babu I also learned how to preach with passion!
Chris - Chris is my co-laborer at our current church, but was also an elder at a previous church where we served together. From Chris I have learned so many things that I cannot list them all here. He is constantly challenging, and encouraging me. I have much to learn and I thank the Lord that he put Chris in my path to be a friend, and my pastor when I need it.
The above men have been involved in a very personal and up-close relationship with me, the men below are well-known, but have had a profound influence on my life.
=============
Alistair Begg - I first met Pastor Begg at a Preach The Word conference several years ago in Anaheim CA. We were staying on the same floor in the hotel and I ran into him in the breakfast area. We spent a couple of mornings visiting briefly and I found him to be exactly as he is on the radio; funny, engaging and passionate about the Lord. I have sinced attended his Basics conference and have learned volumes about pastoring from him. Pastor begg does not know me, but has definitively impacted my ministry.
John MacArthur - Truth be told, when I heard Pastor MacArthur preach at the same Preach The Word conference, I was no fan. I did not like him, but tolerated my wife listening to his broadcast! However, he preached on the cross at that conference, and I still remember the sermon. That one sermon influenced me more than any single sermon before or since. I have become an avid fan of Pastor MacArthur's teaching. I saw him again last year at a local Pastor's dinner, and again, he spoke very eloquently and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
J. Ligon Duncan - I have never met Pastor Duncan, but through his teachings I have learned a tremendous amount. He is one of the men who have opened my eyes to many aspects of the Reformed Faith that were, for so long, misunderstood by me.
Derek Prime - I met Pastor Prime twice at conferences. He is a wonderful man. He is a great speaker, and he has preached sermons that have had a definitive influence in my life. When I cornered him at the conference, he patiently visited with me for a bit, and very kindly answered my questions and gently pointed me in the right direction on a few things.
Mark Dever - 9Marks.org, that is all I need to say!
=================
None of these men read my blog, nor, I suspect, will they ever, but I wanted to publicly aknowledge the ones who helped shaped my ministry. Obviously, Christ is all in all, the Alpha and Omega, the Author and Finisher of my faith, but he has used these men to do a wonderful work in me!
BTW, I could have named many others, but, for sake of time and room, I put down the ones that MOST influenced me; I cannot forget Bryan Chappell though, his writing has been a light for me.
Thank you for being faithful to the lord and working with one who oftentimes has more passion than knowledge!
No pastor is an island, to paraphrase an old saying, and we all stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us.
This list of pastors contains folks from several denominations and from both the Reformed and Arminian side of the house. Even though I disagree with some of these men, they have helped shaped my life in profound ways.
======================
Pastor Dan - This man took in a skeptic, filled with arrogance, and showed him what a pastor should look like. Dan loves his congregation, and it shows! He was patient and kind, overlooking the many faux pas, and gently, but firmly leading me. It was through Dan that I understood the fact that Christians are not a cult, but actual people working thier way through life. Dan has been a huge influence on my pastoral style.
Pastor Philippe - Pastor Philippe tag-teamed with Pastor Dan. However, what I learned from Pastor Philippe was to study to show myself approved. He is a diligent and dedicated student of God's Word. Recently we have come down on opposite sides of some issues, but I found Philippe to be a kind, and knowledgable friend throughout, and have learned and benefited from our discussions. I am proud to call Philippe one of my mentors.
Pastor Babu - From this man, small in stature, but huge in his love of the Lord, is sacrifice. Babu LIVES what he preaches in a very real way. He is absolutely given over to the Lord, and I have been the beneficiary of his teaching for many years. Under Babu I also learned how to preach with passion!
Chris - Chris is my co-laborer at our current church, but was also an elder at a previous church where we served together. From Chris I have learned so many things that I cannot list them all here. He is constantly challenging, and encouraging me. I have much to learn and I thank the Lord that he put Chris in my path to be a friend, and my pastor when I need it.
The above men have been involved in a very personal and up-close relationship with me, the men below are well-known, but have had a profound influence on my life.
=============
Alistair Begg - I first met Pastor Begg at a Preach The Word conference several years ago in Anaheim CA. We were staying on the same floor in the hotel and I ran into him in the breakfast area. We spent a couple of mornings visiting briefly and I found him to be exactly as he is on the radio; funny, engaging and passionate about the Lord. I have sinced attended his Basics conference and have learned volumes about pastoring from him. Pastor begg does not know me, but has definitively impacted my ministry.
John MacArthur - Truth be told, when I heard Pastor MacArthur preach at the same Preach The Word conference, I was no fan. I did not like him, but tolerated my wife listening to his broadcast! However, he preached on the cross at that conference, and I still remember the sermon. That one sermon influenced me more than any single sermon before or since. I have become an avid fan of Pastor MacArthur's teaching. I saw him again last year at a local Pastor's dinner, and again, he spoke very eloquently and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
J. Ligon Duncan - I have never met Pastor Duncan, but through his teachings I have learned a tremendous amount. He is one of the men who have opened my eyes to many aspects of the Reformed Faith that were, for so long, misunderstood by me.
Derek Prime - I met Pastor Prime twice at conferences. He is a wonderful man. He is a great speaker, and he has preached sermons that have had a definitive influence in my life. When I cornered him at the conference, he patiently visited with me for a bit, and very kindly answered my questions and gently pointed me in the right direction on a few things.
Mark Dever - 9Marks.org, that is all I need to say!
=================
None of these men read my blog, nor, I suspect, will they ever, but I wanted to publicly aknowledge the ones who helped shaped my ministry. Obviously, Christ is all in all, the Alpha and Omega, the Author and Finisher of my faith, but he has used these men to do a wonderful work in me!
BTW, I could have named many others, but, for sake of time and room, I put down the ones that MOST influenced me; I cannot forget Bryan Chappell though, his writing has been a light for me.
Thank you for being faithful to the lord and working with one who oftentimes has more passion than knowledge!
Monday, October 17, 2005
What's On Your Lips?
Recently I posted about what we, as pastors, read, and view, and in this post I would like to say a few words about watching our heart and speech. This is the most difficult of the posts to write as I struggle here as much as anywhere else. It is not that my speech is laced with a healthy dose of expletives, it is more the tenor of my speech and the heart attitude that is associated with it. Much more than watching what we say in some moralistic manner, this post will be about what our speech says about our heart condition.
I know that Luther liberally sprinkled his writings and sermons with some questionable, and strong speech, and as he grew older and more bitter, he got worse, so this is not a new phenomenon, but I am still struck by what I have heard lately from pastors. To list a few, without naming names:
1. A pastor stating from the pulpit that his lust over a car is 'God-ordained sex'.
2. A 'pastor' who has a web site called 'godhatesfags'.
3. A pastor, from the pulpit, does a full broadside aimed at his fellow believers.
4. A pastor, again from the pulpit, preaching from Harry Potter.
First, a pastor making a covetous statement from behind the pulpit is completely unacceptable. People already struggle with materialism, so when a pastor makes an ignorant statement from behind the pulpit, it reinforces their materialistic attitude, and stands in direct contradiction to the teachings of the Messiah. This reveals a heart that is covetous (IMHO) and denies the sanctifying work of the Spirit in one's life.
Second, a man, masquerading as a pastor who not only spends all of his time in teaching hatred, but PROMOTING a violent attitude towards others is unacceptable. This reflects very clearly what is in his heart, and it ain't pretty!
Third, I may have a quaint, some may say quirky, idea as to what is to be said from behind the pulpit, however I do not believe that Sunday morning is the time to express our disdain for our fellow Christians in a fiery diatribe that is not even Biblical, but simply a defense of tradition. This results in confusion for the congregation as they are told that many solid men of God are blasphemers. Pastor, if you are going to make that claim, it had better be correct! This can be a matter of a heart filled with pride; pride in tradition, or maybe pride in 'success'.
Finally, a pastor who teaches from ANYTHING other than the Bible when behind the pulpit is saying something about his faith in the Bible as the Word of God. This type of pastor has forgotten Psalm 119!
Now, understand that I believe that there is nothing wrong with healthy debate over the issues of our faith; there is absolutely nothing wrong with a strongly worded, and decisive stance against false teaching, cults, or that ilk. We are instructed to be firm in this area. However, when involved in these discussions, we should always ensure that our words come from a pure and honest heart, letting our speech "always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." .
Let me quote C.H. Spurgeon as he spoke of a man he strongly disagreed with theologically, "Most atrocious things have been spoken about the character and spiritual condition of John Wesley, the modern prince of Arminians. I can only say concerning him that, while I detest many of the doctrines which he preached, yet for the man himself I have a reverence second to no Wesleyan; and if there were wanted two apostles to be added to the number of the twelve, I do not believe that there could be found two men more fit to be so added than George Whitfield and John Wesley."
To this day, many have faulted Spurgeon for this statement, believing that he was a false 'Calvinist' and actually promoted a dangerous ecumenical spirit. This statement is a complete refutation of Spurgeon's life; he fought for his reformed beliefs at the expense of shortening his life, and was the banner carrier in England for most of his ministry. However, he also understood that men who loved God also disagreed with him.
I think that John Wesley was WAY off the track as well, but I also appreciate what Spurgeon said regarding him. Today it seems to me that pastors are not proclaiming the gospel as much as they are proclaiming their traditions, or showing how 'relevant' they are. This reflects a heart issue, and not so much a speech issue. It is displayed in their speech, but this starts inside a man. This is spiritual pride in its finest hour! By attempting to say something unique, profound, or relevant, we reveal the motives of our heart. I am not pointing fingers indiscriminately, I struggle with this as does every pastor that I know.
As I stated in my post regarding our viewing habits, I believe that we oftentimes believe we can have a double standard, including in our heart and speech. We cannot have one standard for speaking from behind the pulpit, and one used when 'no one is watching'. As a matter of fact, I believe that we reflect from behind the pulpit what we sound like in our day to day discussions, so therefore we should guard our heart at all times.
This actually goes much deeper than simply making attempts to have 'clean humor' and a lack of cussing. Some pastors gets caught in the moralistic trap of mentally 'washing their mouth out with soap'. The problem starts long before that, and again, as I have posted previously, it has to do with the work of sanctification in our lives. If you are attempting to be a 'good' pastor by simply doing, and saying moral things, then you have missed the point. Ghandi did, and said, good moral things, but I would not have him preach at my church. The regeneration of a man starts the process and it is a continual renewal of the mind. This is where the root of the heart and speech attitudes are located. We cannot simply refrain from cussing and believe that we somehow are living a sanctified life. We must examine our heart attitudes about EVERYTHING, and constantly be washed in the water of the Word.
I believe the problem facing the pastorate in this area today is that we, as pastors, live worldly lives for 5-6 days of the week, and then work ourselves into a 'holy' froth for Sunday morning. This ties very closely into the last several posts. Our walk with the Lord is much more than reading the Bible throughout the week to simply prepare a sermon, or listening to hymns as we drive our car to and from church on Sunday morning.
Of course the opposite reaction is equally incorrect; this is the concept that we are simply 'one of the guys', and should not show any signs of a life given over to the Lord. This is commonly misrepresented by being 'real'. Yes, it may be who you really are, but it is not correct. If this is your attitude, you may want to consider another line of work (just a suggestion). A Pastor needs to review the qualifications of the position again if they think that being real means that they are to be as crude and crass as the world. How many Pastors could say, as Paul did to the Church in Corinth -- "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ"?
To give some grounding for this post let me quote a Scripture:
Proverbs 4:23-27: Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.
I like this proverb as it covers all the areas. (1) WATCH your heart, (2) WATCH your speech, (3) WATCH your eyes, (4)WATCH your walk. We see that these four things are tied together. A BAD heart produces BAD speech etc. If we would do these four things, we, as pastors, would avoid SO MANY pitfalls! I speak from experience, not from the lofty tower of perfection! James addressed this in his letter. Read James 3!
The giants of our faith were marked by lives that were completely focused on the Lord. They turned their hearts over to the Lord, and He worked in them a mighty work. These were men who stood out in the crowd, not only in their speech, but in their lives! And this all starts with the heart, and flows from there.
Now, I am not saying that people like Spurgeon, or M'Cheyne, or Whitefield were perfect, they would be the first to object to that, but I am saying that they spent much more time with the Lord than many of the modern pastors do, asking Him to work in them a new heart. No doubt this is due in part to the times; there was no Internet, TV, Radio, or the modern media blitz that we deal with. They also lived in a time when the pace of life was far different. However, this is a somewhat lame excuse; in many instances, we simply WON'T spend the time with the Lord that is required to break and change us. When we look at pastoring from the perspective of a CEO, as is popular in today's world, it removes the impetus to spend time being broken by the Lord. We now 'administer' our churches rather than 'pastor' them. This results in our language being that of the world, we no longer speak with words salted with the Lord's teaching, but with secular, worldly words. Read some of the work produced by people like M'Cheyne, Owens, Flavel, and then compare it to modern writing. When was the last time you heard a man speak as eloquently as M'Cheyne about the Lord?
Here is a suggestion for you: Robert Murray M'Cheyne. Pick up Memoir and Remains and look at this man's life. I cannot imagine him dropping the line 'God-Ordained sex' from the pulpit when referring to material goods!
Pastors who spend all of their time in secular thought, and very little time in prayer will have a speech that reflects that. The pulpit today is no longer the place where we hear from God, it is now where we hear from men, and often in coarse and vulgar ways. Our speech is coarse because our heart is coarse, which is because we spend too little time with the Lord, and too much time being 'creative' or ensuring that we are relevant, or any of the other activities that passes for pastoring in our day.
What should we do? Here are a couple of suggestions. These are not exhaustive, but simply a start.
1. Spend less time with the magazines, papers, Internet and TV remote. Stop trying to be relevant and be clay in the Potter's Hands. This does not mean that we become illiterate about current events, it is vital to be informed, but we should not be SO consumed with current events that we forget THE event that happened on a hill in Jerusalem several thousand years ago. The relevance we bring is not to preach about a hurricane and its theological meaning, but Christ and Him crucified!
2. Get on our knees and ask the Lord to remove the pride, covetousness, and other filth from our hearts and renew them. We need to be broken before the Lord!
2. Stop worrying about our reputation, and start thinking and praying about what our Lord and Master has directed us to be doing.
3. Get into the Bible and read through the Psalms. What a devotional the Psalms are. Then, get into the Hymnal and read through the Hymns of our faith.
4. Get with other brothers who will make you accountable, and give them the authority to do so. Part of the problem is that many pastors have opted for a bad ecclesiology, which renders them the virtual despot of the church (or worse yet, the CEO). This does not give a plurality of leadership which is so badly needed in a day when accountability is at an all time low in the pastoral ranks.
I believe that what we read, view, listen to, and say, affects our congregations more than we realize, and while we will always say something that we regret, we need to be diligent to watch our lives, and our words.
I know that Luther liberally sprinkled his writings and sermons with some questionable, and strong speech, and as he grew older and more bitter, he got worse, so this is not a new phenomenon, but I am still struck by what I have heard lately from pastors. To list a few, without naming names:
1. A pastor stating from the pulpit that his lust over a car is 'God-ordained sex'.
2. A 'pastor' who has a web site called 'godhatesfags'.
3. A pastor, from the pulpit, does a full broadside aimed at his fellow believers.
4. A pastor, again from the pulpit, preaching from Harry Potter.
First, a pastor making a covetous statement from behind the pulpit is completely unacceptable. People already struggle with materialism, so when a pastor makes an ignorant statement from behind the pulpit, it reinforces their materialistic attitude, and stands in direct contradiction to the teachings of the Messiah. This reveals a heart that is covetous (IMHO) and denies the sanctifying work of the Spirit in one's life.
Second, a man, masquerading as a pastor who not only spends all of his time in teaching hatred, but PROMOTING a violent attitude towards others is unacceptable. This reflects very clearly what is in his heart, and it ain't pretty!
Third, I may have a quaint, some may say quirky, idea as to what is to be said from behind the pulpit, however I do not believe that Sunday morning is the time to express our disdain for our fellow Christians in a fiery diatribe that is not even Biblical, but simply a defense of tradition. This results in confusion for the congregation as they are told that many solid men of God are blasphemers. Pastor, if you are going to make that claim, it had better be correct! This can be a matter of a heart filled with pride; pride in tradition, or maybe pride in 'success'.
Finally, a pastor who teaches from ANYTHING other than the Bible when behind the pulpit is saying something about his faith in the Bible as the Word of God. This type of pastor has forgotten Psalm 119!
Now, understand that I believe that there is nothing wrong with healthy debate over the issues of our faith; there is absolutely nothing wrong with a strongly worded, and decisive stance against false teaching, cults, or that ilk. We are instructed to be firm in this area. However, when involved in these discussions, we should always ensure that our words come from a pure and honest heart, letting our speech "always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." .
Let me quote C.H. Spurgeon as he spoke of a man he strongly disagreed with theologically, "Most atrocious things have been spoken about the character and spiritual condition of John Wesley, the modern prince of Arminians. I can only say concerning him that, while I detest many of the doctrines which he preached, yet for the man himself I have a reverence second to no Wesleyan; and if there were wanted two apostles to be added to the number of the twelve, I do not believe that there could be found two men more fit to be so added than George Whitfield and John Wesley."
To this day, many have faulted Spurgeon for this statement, believing that he was a false 'Calvinist' and actually promoted a dangerous ecumenical spirit. This statement is a complete refutation of Spurgeon's life; he fought for his reformed beliefs at the expense of shortening his life, and was the banner carrier in England for most of his ministry. However, he also understood that men who loved God also disagreed with him.
I think that John Wesley was WAY off the track as well, but I also appreciate what Spurgeon said regarding him. Today it seems to me that pastors are not proclaiming the gospel as much as they are proclaiming their traditions, or showing how 'relevant' they are. This reflects a heart issue, and not so much a speech issue. It is displayed in their speech, but this starts inside a man. This is spiritual pride in its finest hour! By attempting to say something unique, profound, or relevant, we reveal the motives of our heart. I am not pointing fingers indiscriminately, I struggle with this as does every pastor that I know.
As I stated in my post regarding our viewing habits, I believe that we oftentimes believe we can have a double standard, including in our heart and speech. We cannot have one standard for speaking from behind the pulpit, and one used when 'no one is watching'. As a matter of fact, I believe that we reflect from behind the pulpit what we sound like in our day to day discussions, so therefore we should guard our heart at all times.
This actually goes much deeper than simply making attempts to have 'clean humor' and a lack of cussing. Some pastors gets caught in the moralistic trap of mentally 'washing their mouth out with soap'. The problem starts long before that, and again, as I have posted previously, it has to do with the work of sanctification in our lives. If you are attempting to be a 'good' pastor by simply doing, and saying moral things, then you have missed the point. Ghandi did, and said, good moral things, but I would not have him preach at my church. The regeneration of a man starts the process and it is a continual renewal of the mind. This is where the root of the heart and speech attitudes are located. We cannot simply refrain from cussing and believe that we somehow are living a sanctified life. We must examine our heart attitudes about EVERYTHING, and constantly be washed in the water of the Word.
I believe the problem facing the pastorate in this area today is that we, as pastors, live worldly lives for 5-6 days of the week, and then work ourselves into a 'holy' froth for Sunday morning. This ties very closely into the last several posts. Our walk with the Lord is much more than reading the Bible throughout the week to simply prepare a sermon, or listening to hymns as we drive our car to and from church on Sunday morning.
Of course the opposite reaction is equally incorrect; this is the concept that we are simply 'one of the guys', and should not show any signs of a life given over to the Lord. This is commonly misrepresented by being 'real'. Yes, it may be who you really are, but it is not correct. If this is your attitude, you may want to consider another line of work (just a suggestion). A Pastor needs to review the qualifications of the position again if they think that being real means that they are to be as crude and crass as the world. How many Pastors could say, as Paul did to the Church in Corinth -- "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ"?
To give some grounding for this post let me quote a Scripture:
Proverbs 4:23-27: Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.
I like this proverb as it covers all the areas. (1) WATCH your heart, (2) WATCH your speech, (3) WATCH your eyes, (4)WATCH your walk. We see that these four things are tied together. A BAD heart produces BAD speech etc. If we would do these four things, we, as pastors, would avoid SO MANY pitfalls! I speak from experience, not from the lofty tower of perfection! James addressed this in his letter. Read James 3!
The giants of our faith were marked by lives that were completely focused on the Lord. They turned their hearts over to the Lord, and He worked in them a mighty work. These were men who stood out in the crowd, not only in their speech, but in their lives! And this all starts with the heart, and flows from there.
Now, I am not saying that people like Spurgeon, or M'Cheyne, or Whitefield were perfect, they would be the first to object to that, but I am saying that they spent much more time with the Lord than many of the modern pastors do, asking Him to work in them a new heart. No doubt this is due in part to the times; there was no Internet, TV, Radio, or the modern media blitz that we deal with. They also lived in a time when the pace of life was far different. However, this is a somewhat lame excuse; in many instances, we simply WON'T spend the time with the Lord that is required to break and change us. When we look at pastoring from the perspective of a CEO, as is popular in today's world, it removes the impetus to spend time being broken by the Lord. We now 'administer' our churches rather than 'pastor' them. This results in our language being that of the world, we no longer speak with words salted with the Lord's teaching, but with secular, worldly words. Read some of the work produced by people like M'Cheyne, Owens, Flavel, and then compare it to modern writing. When was the last time you heard a man speak as eloquently as M'Cheyne about the Lord?
Here is a suggestion for you: Robert Murray M'Cheyne. Pick up Memoir and Remains and look at this man's life. I cannot imagine him dropping the line 'God-Ordained sex' from the pulpit when referring to material goods!
Pastors who spend all of their time in secular thought, and very little time in prayer will have a speech that reflects that. The pulpit today is no longer the place where we hear from God, it is now where we hear from men, and often in coarse and vulgar ways. Our speech is coarse because our heart is coarse, which is because we spend too little time with the Lord, and too much time being 'creative' or ensuring that we are relevant, or any of the other activities that passes for pastoring in our day.
What should we do? Here are a couple of suggestions. These are not exhaustive, but simply a start.
1. Spend less time with the magazines, papers, Internet and TV remote. Stop trying to be relevant and be clay in the Potter's Hands. This does not mean that we become illiterate about current events, it is vital to be informed, but we should not be SO consumed with current events that we forget THE event that happened on a hill in Jerusalem several thousand years ago. The relevance we bring is not to preach about a hurricane and its theological meaning, but Christ and Him crucified!
2. Get on our knees and ask the Lord to remove the pride, covetousness, and other filth from our hearts and renew them. We need to be broken before the Lord!
2. Stop worrying about our reputation, and start thinking and praying about what our Lord and Master has directed us to be doing.
3. Get into the Bible and read through the Psalms. What a devotional the Psalms are. Then, get into the Hymnal and read through the Hymns of our faith.
4. Get with other brothers who will make you accountable, and give them the authority to do so. Part of the problem is that many pastors have opted for a bad ecclesiology, which renders them the virtual despot of the church (or worse yet, the CEO). This does not give a plurality of leadership which is so badly needed in a day when accountability is at an all time low in the pastoral ranks.
I believe that what we read, view, listen to, and say, affects our congregations more than we realize, and while we will always say something that we regret, we need to be diligent to watch our lives, and our words.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
What's on Your Entertainment Center?
I had a friend who attends another church ask me an interesting question a while back. He asked, "Does it matter what a pastor watches in his 'private' time?"
I thought that this was an interesting question to be asked out of the blue, so I asked him what had spawned the question.
It seems that he as he had grown closer to his pastor over time, and his pastor was more open with him, he had discovered that his video collection contained, almost exclusively, very questionable R-rated and ABOVE movies. Now, understand that my friend is no prude, so he was not over-reacting to this; he even named a couple of the movies, and I looked them up on the web. VERY questionable!
He asked if I thought it mattered what pastors watched in their 'private time'. I will share in this post my response:
YES, it matters what ALL Christians watch (and listen to for that matter)!
Unbelievably, this is something that has put me at odds with some of my pastor friends. They feel that as long as they watch, or listen to, questionable material in the privacy of their own homes, they are fine. They then recite Romans 14:20, 21, stating they would never watch, or listen to, anything in the presence of a brother/sister that would make said brother/sister stumble.
The Bible is very clear about these things:
1st John 2:15, 16: Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from the world.
Psalm 119:36, 37: Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
Matthew 5:28: But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
James 1:14, 15: But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
My question is; why would a man of God go down this path? How is it that we have bought off on the concept that what we do is OK as long as we don't do it in front of others? No wonder that there is such a problem with pornography amongst the pastorate! We have not thrown away things that are unprofitable, rather, it seems that, in many cases, we have embraced them, all in the name of Christian 'liberty'.
I am appalled that there would be sermon series playing off of a raunchy TV show, or sly little (wink, wink, nod, nod) innuendos coming from behind the pulpit. Yet, this is what happens when we no longer keep our eyes from evil things, nor guard our hearts! I don't watch TV, but that does not make me any better than anyone else, I have the Internet, so anything that you can see on TV, you can get more of on the Internet. I have to guard my heart, just like any other person, and yes, at times it is a struggle.
I do not believe that you overcome this problem by simply FORCING yourself to NOT turn on the TV, or Internet. That is moralism, plain and simple, and that is not effective as a prophylaxis against this problem. What we need is the mind of Christ.
Ephesians 4:17-24: Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ! -- assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Colossians 3:5-10: Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
These Scriptures do not speak of moralism, but of death; death to the old man and life in the new birth. It is not about forcing yourself, with all you have in you, to not turn on the filth; rather it is killing the desire at its core and taking on the mind of Christ. It is death to us and life in Christ. It is a renewed mind, a new birth, a new life!
I must say that I believe that this moralism is caused, in many cases, by the easy believism which infects much of the evangelical world today. People have been (dare I say this?) coerced into saying a prayer with ALL HEADS BOWED and ALL EYES CLOSED, to ask the Lord into their hearts, and they have been assured that once this 'magic' prayer is said they are OK. Unfortunately that is as far as it goes in many instances, no one stands by this person and helps them walk in the ways of the Lord, no one explains the depth of the new birth, they simply tell you, "You are saved now, welcome aboard." As if this is one big Six Flags ride and they uttered the magic password to get in! Many reacted to an 'altar call' out of emotionalism, or peer pressure, or some other reason other than the call of the Lord. These poor people are in bondage to either moralism, or license; neither of which describes the new birth. They are now 'saved', but STILL in bondage to sin, and they are taught either that they must FORCE themselves, through their own strength, to overcome sin, or, they can do whatever they want, they now have fire insurance! What a horrible thing to do to someone!
Truth be told, when our eyes are fixed on the author and finisher of our faith, and we have the mind of Christ, we do not have to duct tape our TV remote in an out-of-reach location, or disconnect our DSL, rather our DESIRE will not be for the trash of the world.
Yes, we all fail, I do, you do, and everyone I know has. Paul speaks of it when he says that he does what he does not want to do, and what he wants to do he does not do. Yes, that is the struggle, but we have sold our people a bill of goods, and many of us as pastors have been sold a bill of goods, when we have taken the path of easy believism and are trying to make a go of it through our own strength, or worse, simply believing that it does not matter what we watch.
The other fallacy that I find being touted is that pastors feel they need to watch, or listen to, trash to be 'relevant'. What does that mean? That we have to be OF the world to reach the world? I think that we can only be relevant to a lost and dying world by NOT partaking in their ways. How can we be salt and light, when we look JUST LIKE the world. The modern church has mistaken being worldly for being relevant. And that is an incredible tragedy in a world so desperately in need of the only real relevant truth out there, the truth of Christ!
Brothers, let us examine our hearts, our minds and our lives. Let us put on the mind of Christ, and die to ourselves. It is only when WE, as pastors, offer ourselves up as living sacrifices, that our flock will begin to do the same!
I thought that this was an interesting question to be asked out of the blue, so I asked him what had spawned the question.
It seems that he as he had grown closer to his pastor over time, and his pastor was more open with him, he had discovered that his video collection contained, almost exclusively, very questionable R-rated and ABOVE movies. Now, understand that my friend is no prude, so he was not over-reacting to this; he even named a couple of the movies, and I looked them up on the web. VERY questionable!
He asked if I thought it mattered what pastors watched in their 'private time'. I will share in this post my response:
YES, it matters what ALL Christians watch (and listen to for that matter)!
Unbelievably, this is something that has put me at odds with some of my pastor friends. They feel that as long as they watch, or listen to, questionable material in the privacy of their own homes, they are fine. They then recite Romans 14:20, 21, stating they would never watch, or listen to, anything in the presence of a brother/sister that would make said brother/sister stumble.
The Bible is very clear about these things:
1st John 2:15, 16: Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from the world.
Psalm 119:36, 37: Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
Matthew 5:28: But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
James 1:14, 15: But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
My question is; why would a man of God go down this path? How is it that we have bought off on the concept that what we do is OK as long as we don't do it in front of others? No wonder that there is such a problem with pornography amongst the pastorate! We have not thrown away things that are unprofitable, rather, it seems that, in many cases, we have embraced them, all in the name of Christian 'liberty'.
I am appalled that there would be sermon series playing off of a raunchy TV show, or sly little (wink, wink, nod, nod) innuendos coming from behind the pulpit. Yet, this is what happens when we no longer keep our eyes from evil things, nor guard our hearts! I don't watch TV, but that does not make me any better than anyone else, I have the Internet, so anything that you can see on TV, you can get more of on the Internet. I have to guard my heart, just like any other person, and yes, at times it is a struggle.
I do not believe that you overcome this problem by simply FORCING yourself to NOT turn on the TV, or Internet. That is moralism, plain and simple, and that is not effective as a prophylaxis against this problem. What we need is the mind of Christ.
Ephesians 4:17-24: Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ! -- assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Colossians 3:5-10: Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
These Scriptures do not speak of moralism, but of death; death to the old man and life in the new birth. It is not about forcing yourself, with all you have in you, to not turn on the filth; rather it is killing the desire at its core and taking on the mind of Christ. It is death to us and life in Christ. It is a renewed mind, a new birth, a new life!
I must say that I believe that this moralism is caused, in many cases, by the easy believism which infects much of the evangelical world today. People have been (dare I say this?) coerced into saying a prayer with ALL HEADS BOWED and ALL EYES CLOSED, to ask the Lord into their hearts, and they have been assured that once this 'magic' prayer is said they are OK. Unfortunately that is as far as it goes in many instances, no one stands by this person and helps them walk in the ways of the Lord, no one explains the depth of the new birth, they simply tell you, "You are saved now, welcome aboard." As if this is one big Six Flags ride and they uttered the magic password to get in! Many reacted to an 'altar call' out of emotionalism, or peer pressure, or some other reason other than the call of the Lord. These poor people are in bondage to either moralism, or license; neither of which describes the new birth. They are now 'saved', but STILL in bondage to sin, and they are taught either that they must FORCE themselves, through their own strength, to overcome sin, or, they can do whatever they want, they now have fire insurance! What a horrible thing to do to someone!
Truth be told, when our eyes are fixed on the author and finisher of our faith, and we have the mind of Christ, we do not have to duct tape our TV remote in an out-of-reach location, or disconnect our DSL, rather our DESIRE will not be for the trash of the world.
Yes, we all fail, I do, you do, and everyone I know has. Paul speaks of it when he says that he does what he does not want to do, and what he wants to do he does not do. Yes, that is the struggle, but we have sold our people a bill of goods, and many of us as pastors have been sold a bill of goods, when we have taken the path of easy believism and are trying to make a go of it through our own strength, or worse, simply believing that it does not matter what we watch.
The other fallacy that I find being touted is that pastors feel they need to watch, or listen to, trash to be 'relevant'. What does that mean? That we have to be OF the world to reach the world? I think that we can only be relevant to a lost and dying world by NOT partaking in their ways. How can we be salt and light, when we look JUST LIKE the world. The modern church has mistaken being worldly for being relevant. And that is an incredible tragedy in a world so desperately in need of the only real relevant truth out there, the truth of Christ!
Brothers, let us examine our hearts, our minds and our lives. Let us put on the mind of Christ, and die to ourselves. It is only when WE, as pastors, offer ourselves up as living sacrifices, that our flock will begin to do the same!
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
More on Reading
I have received several personal queries as to why I believe that it is important to get back to reading the Word of God and using the tools I listed in Monday's post.
The line of reasoning that people use for reading junkfood is as follows: "I don't understand the Bible, therefore I like how Pastor X explains it for me", or "Yes, I know that this author is out to lunch on most areas of the Gospel, but he has some really thought-provoking, and beautiful stories in his book; he is inspirational."
These are two very weak reasons to be spending time in the junkfood section of your favorite Christian bookstore.
The first reason above: "I don't understand the Bible..." is interesting on several fronts:
First, it makes me wonder if I am failing in my role as Pastor (when these are my congregants). I am examining this currently, ensuring that Scripture not only saturates me, but that I give proper exegetical emphasis to it every Sunday.
Second, if you do not understand the Word of God, I would ask WHY; what is it about the Word that do you not understand? I am not referring to the weightier arguments that theologians spend time looking at, but simply the message of the Bible itself, what is it about the Bible that you do not understand? I think, truth be told, that people in many instances are simply illiterate, it is not the Bible they do not understand, but actually it is the written word that they are incapable of grasping.
Reading has taken a backseat to all of the other input around us; I mean, why read when I can have it given to me via a video, skit, drama, podcast, streaming MPEG? This is painfully apparent in the absolute idiocy, and blasphemy that passes for church in many places in our country. Their methods of communication are, at best, badly done, and worst, blasphemous. As I have stated before, I am not a Luddite who believes that we should sing only hymns and then, with only a pipe organ for accompaniment. I believe there is a time and place for using various methods of communication, BUT the emphasis needs to be on God and his Word, NOT on entertainment. It seems to me that many churches out there are going for the laugh, like some cheap stand-up comic on open-mic night (and honestly most of these people are NOT funny anyway). There was a time when the centrality of God's Word, and it being read, defined WORSHIP. Today, worship is defined by entertainment, in which the Word of God, if accidently mentioned, is relegated to a supporting role.
Third, If you do not understand the Bible, how do you know that Pastor X is properly 'explaining' it to you? Many pastors today are equally illiterate in Biblical areas; why would you want them explaining anything, ESPECIALLY something of eternal weight to you? Now, this is not to say that we, as pastors, are not to exegete the Scriptures and explain them, but there is a responsibility on the reader, and that is to be like a Berean and ensure that what we are saying is true. The situation today harkens back to the days when the Priest was the only literate person in town and therefore he was the sole party capable of expounding on the Scriptures. This led to abuse of power and many other negative things.
Also, the current method of Scriptural referencing in many books is to quote the first half, or more familiar portion of a passage, and then, either leave off the last half, or rephrase it. For example, in a popular book where the armor of God is being referenced, the writer says that we are to don the shoes of peace, and then goes into a lengthy explanation on being peaceable, and being peacemakers etc. While the concept of being a peacemaker is not incorrect, the use of the Scripture is, as it actually says that we are to put on the shoes of the GOSPEL (εὐαγγέλιον) of peace. What keeps us, as soldiers, holding our ground? It is the knowledge of the Gospel, knowing our position, that we are at peace with God through the atonement of His Son. That is the peace that keeps you on solid ground. Yes, there is more to this, but I am not trying to exegete the entire passage, rather I am simply trying to show how leaving a word or two out of the passage changes the emphasis.
The second reason for reading junkfood is this "...there are beautiful and thought-provoking stories in there..." OK, but does that make them true? NO! Also, is it profitable? When you claim to have little, or no time for the Word of God, how is it that you have time to be reading lovely little stories about how little Jimmy saw angels when he was pressed under the garage door? I get innumerable emails from well-meaning, and wonderful people, quoting some apocryphal Internet 'Christian' legend about angels showing up and talking to children and dogs. Many of the people who send these simply need a link to snopes. And the tragedy is this; while the story may be beautiful from a human emotional perspective, many times it is simply unbiblical in its principles.
Friends, the Christian community has never been as illiterate as they are now, and this only leads to error. This is why the draw to the Roman and Orthodox churches is being felt by many protestants. The Roman church is full of folks who will tell you what the Bible says, and they have wonderful, tear-jerking stories, and LOTS of tales about angels and saints talking to children. Plus, they have a beautiful, and intricate liturgy, and some semblance of a historic faith that they stand on.
Today, what can be expected in many protestant churches is: (MAYBE) a quick drive-by of the Word of God, and then time spent watching a mime perform on the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, followed by communion (donuts and Starbucks), and then several hundred repetitive choruses about US, and then a time of candle-lighting, followed by a walk through the 'reflection' maze...
Pastors, we need to get our congregation into the Word of God, it needs to be preached from our pulpits week in and week out. We also need to be saturated with the Word of God, not with the latest growth concepts and secular ideas.
Christians overall; step away from the drivel that is being spewed forth from the Christian publishing industry and get back to the Word of God. Spend time there, and when you begin to understand the principles of our faith, then you may find that your favorite author is in the weeds, or worse, an out-and-out heretic!
The line of reasoning that people use for reading junkfood is as follows: "I don't understand the Bible, therefore I like how Pastor X explains it for me", or "Yes, I know that this author is out to lunch on most areas of the Gospel, but he has some really thought-provoking, and beautiful stories in his book; he is inspirational."
These are two very weak reasons to be spending time in the junkfood section of your favorite Christian bookstore.
The first reason above: "I don't understand the Bible..." is interesting on several fronts:
First, it makes me wonder if I am failing in my role as Pastor (when these are my congregants). I am examining this currently, ensuring that Scripture not only saturates me, but that I give proper exegetical emphasis to it every Sunday.
Second, if you do not understand the Word of God, I would ask WHY; what is it about the Word that do you not understand? I am not referring to the weightier arguments that theologians spend time looking at, but simply the message of the Bible itself, what is it about the Bible that you do not understand? I think, truth be told, that people in many instances are simply illiterate, it is not the Bible they do not understand, but actually it is the written word that they are incapable of grasping.
Reading has taken a backseat to all of the other input around us; I mean, why read when I can have it given to me via a video, skit, drama, podcast, streaming MPEG? This is painfully apparent in the absolute idiocy, and blasphemy that passes for church in many places in our country. Their methods of communication are, at best, badly done, and worst, blasphemous. As I have stated before, I am not a Luddite who believes that we should sing only hymns and then, with only a pipe organ for accompaniment. I believe there is a time and place for using various methods of communication, BUT the emphasis needs to be on God and his Word, NOT on entertainment. It seems to me that many churches out there are going for the laugh, like some cheap stand-up comic on open-mic night (and honestly most of these people are NOT funny anyway). There was a time when the centrality of God's Word, and it being read, defined WORSHIP. Today, worship is defined by entertainment, in which the Word of God, if accidently mentioned, is relegated to a supporting role.
Third, If you do not understand the Bible, how do you know that Pastor X is properly 'explaining' it to you? Many pastors today are equally illiterate in Biblical areas; why would you want them explaining anything, ESPECIALLY something of eternal weight to you? Now, this is not to say that we, as pastors, are not to exegete the Scriptures and explain them, but there is a responsibility on the reader, and that is to be like a Berean and ensure that what we are saying is true. The situation today harkens back to the days when the Priest was the only literate person in town and therefore he was the sole party capable of expounding on the Scriptures. This led to abuse of power and many other negative things.
Also, the current method of Scriptural referencing in many books is to quote the first half, or more familiar portion of a passage, and then, either leave off the last half, or rephrase it. For example, in a popular book where the armor of God is being referenced, the writer says that we are to don the shoes of peace, and then goes into a lengthy explanation on being peaceable, and being peacemakers etc. While the concept of being a peacemaker is not incorrect, the use of the Scripture is, as it actually says that we are to put on the shoes of the GOSPEL (εὐαγγέλιον) of peace. What keeps us, as soldiers, holding our ground? It is the knowledge of the Gospel, knowing our position, that we are at peace with God through the atonement of His Son. That is the peace that keeps you on solid ground. Yes, there is more to this, but I am not trying to exegete the entire passage, rather I am simply trying to show how leaving a word or two out of the passage changes the emphasis.
The second reason for reading junkfood is this "...there are beautiful and thought-provoking stories in there..." OK, but does that make them true? NO! Also, is it profitable? When you claim to have little, or no time for the Word of God, how is it that you have time to be reading lovely little stories about how little Jimmy saw angels when he was pressed under the garage door? I get innumerable emails from well-meaning, and wonderful people, quoting some apocryphal Internet 'Christian' legend about angels showing up and talking to children and dogs. Many of the people who send these simply need a link to snopes. And the tragedy is this; while the story may be beautiful from a human emotional perspective, many times it is simply unbiblical in its principles.
Friends, the Christian community has never been as illiterate as they are now, and this only leads to error. This is why the draw to the Roman and Orthodox churches is being felt by many protestants. The Roman church is full of folks who will tell you what the Bible says, and they have wonderful, tear-jerking stories, and LOTS of tales about angels and saints talking to children. Plus, they have a beautiful, and intricate liturgy, and some semblance of a historic faith that they stand on.
Today, what can be expected in many protestant churches is: (MAYBE) a quick drive-by of the Word of God, and then time spent watching a mime perform on the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, followed by communion (donuts and Starbucks), and then several hundred repetitive choruses about US, and then a time of candle-lighting, followed by a walk through the 'reflection' maze...
Pastors, we need to get our congregation into the Word of God, it needs to be preached from our pulpits week in and week out. We also need to be saturated with the Word of God, not with the latest growth concepts and secular ideas.
Christians overall; step away from the drivel that is being spewed forth from the Christian publishing industry and get back to the Word of God. Spend time there, and when you begin to understand the principles of our faith, then you may find that your favorite author is in the weeds, or worse, an out-and-out heretic!
Monday, October 10, 2005
What's On Your Bookshelf?
While I am not as prolific, or witty as many of the other bloggers that I so enjoy reading in blogsphere, I do enjoy this medium as a way to express concerns and ongoing issues within the modern church as I see them. I write from the perspective of a small church pastor (maybe one day a larger church pastor) :-)
I am not trying to portray myself as anything other than a pastor, and one that is still learning. However, having said that, you should know that I believe pastors should be theologians as well.
That title is not something that is acquired simply by having a sheepskin on a wall, nor by tenure. I believe that it is PRIMARILY acquired by having saturated yourself with the Word of God, and grappled with the hard questions, combined with diligent study of the writings of others who have grappled with the tough questions. Don't get me wrong, having tenure, and a degree from a SOLID Seminary, certainly contribute to this end, but they are not the sole attributes required.
I am not a 'professional' theologian; I do not possess a doctorate from a distinguished seminary, nor have I written any books on Theology. When I say a pastor should be a theologian, I am referring to the fact that he needs to have a solid, working knowledge of theology. And he should never stop reading, praying, and studying the Word. There are many people out there in this world that are more articulate, and insightful than me; I am really addressing the current trend whereby pastors today consider words such as theology and doctrine 'bad'. This is counter to what Paul wrote in his epistles to Timothy and Titus. The real bad is that theology and doctrine have taken a backseat to FUN and popularity, leading many down a path fraught with deception, and at its end, the gates of hell. The Messiah addressed this in Matthew 7.
Today I would like to address reading materials. This is primarily addressed to those in ministry, and as always are my opinions. Without further ado:
My primary reading sources, outside of Holy Scripture are, as Phil Johnson so eloquently says, 'A bunch of Dead Guys'.
I believe that there are few writers today who have thoughts as deep as, say, John Owen, or Jonathan Edwards. As a matter of fact, if you read Calvin's Institutes and nothing else, you would have a more solid grasp of Theology than if you graduated from many of the modern seminaries.
It is not that the last great writer passed on in the 18th century, go read Van Til, or Francis Shaeffer.
There are several 21st century writers such as, (not exhaustive) J. Ligon Duncan, Mark Dever, James R. White, Philip Ryken, who are excellent. But even these excellent theologians and writers recognize and reference the works from our collective past, building upon this corpus of work, and not tearing it down in favor of some feel-good, Dr. Phil-derived pablum. Witness one example of good work here.
The problem with most 'modern' so-called Christian writers is that they believe somehow that they have 'discovered' something that EVERYONE else missed. And this 'secret' has nothing to do with God, but everything to do with US. Truly, there is nothing new under the sun! A few examples of this type of Christian pulp are, HAPPY LIFE!, or machismo Christianity.
Now, I am not going to go into what I believe is wrong with this type of writing, if it is not self evident, there are plenty of more seasoned, and knowledgeable writers who have dealt with this, such as here, and here.
This genre of writing, usually found under 'Self-Help' (an oxy-moron in a Christian Store IMHO), or Christian Living, in your nearest mega Christian bookstore is characterized by a man-centered theology, built by people with a superficial understanding of God's Word. This combined with the cavalier attitude towards the handling of the Word, (i.e. 'proof-texting galore'), makes for the equivalent of Christian junk food. It makes people spiritually fat and lazy; Christian couch potatoes!
Now some would say that these books were not written for the 'professional' Christian, i.e. theologians, pastors, but for the 'common' Christians (whatever that means!) I would counter with the fact that the Puritan writers were also writing to the common Christian. The difference is that the 'common' Christian in the 18th century is very UNCOMMON in today's society. As a matter of fact, some Puritan writings that were developed for young people are the very books that today are wrestled with in seminary. So, what a 16-year-old in, say 1676, would read, is now college or grad level reading material.
Nowadays, many pastors teach from such pulp as the aforementioned junk food, but that is not enough for some of them, they have had to reach into the realm of secular children's literature that is based upon witchcraft and fantasy to build their sermons. There are several churches that I am aware of that have built sermon series around Harry Potter!
Part of the problem is obvious; we have too much convenience at our fingertips. Why study to show myself approved (2nd Timothy 2:15) when I can pull up a website and 'cut and paste' into my sermon. Nowadays, you can even have the sermons completely done for you, such as here.
That appears to be what a recent sermon preached by a well-known SBC pastor was built around. This is a man who is called 'Doctor', yet his sermon was apparently built around another person's work, and the Scriptural texts used were actually not only out of context, but incorrectly quoted! No, I do not have a link to his sermon, I don't even want to give him the time of day by advertising his nonsense. I will say that throughout his sermon he not only misused the Word of God, and misrepresented others in the faith, he also denied his own statement of faith! So much for pastoral diligence and thoughtfulness!
Now, I am not condemning those who would assist, or otherwise write sermons for 'busy' pastors. I would much more question those 'busy' pastors as to what they are busy with? Is it their latest book, or a paid speaking engagement? Now, if you are at a larger church and have staff that can prepare and deliver sermons while you work on other things, that is fine, but to prioritize other work over feeding the flock that God has entrusted you with is unacceptable to me. Maybe I am a bit naive, or even myopic in my view, but what is more important than the care and feeding of the flock?
We are called to equip those under our care for works of ministry, not to be blowhards, self-promoters, and peddlers of the Word of God. It is time for pastors to return to their calling. It is time for us to critically look at what we are reading, what we are watching, and what we are saying. When we, as pastors, do that, the Church will rise about the filth of the world and actually be KADOSH (Holy)!
It is with that in mind that I circulated the enclosed list to my congregation this weekend, telling them to put away other books and reacquaint themselves with the Word. The list is not exhaustive, but a start. My prayer is that we will build UNCOMMON Christians for the work of ministry!
====================
Bible Tools
Bible in several versions
ESV, NKJV, NASB, HCSB
Strong'’s Concordance
Bible Dictionary
Systematic Theology/Bible Doctrines
i.e. Millard Erickson's Christian Theology, Wayne Grudem's Bible Doctrines
Devotionals - (Morning and Evening by C.H. Spurgeon)
Foxe'’s Book of Martyrs
Puritan Books
i.e. Precious Remedy'’s for Satan's Devices - Thomas Brooks, Holy Spirit - John Owen, http://www.puritansermons.com/index.htm
Hymnal
===============
I am not trying to portray myself as anything other than a pastor, and one that is still learning. However, having said that, you should know that I believe pastors should be theologians as well.
That title is not something that is acquired simply by having a sheepskin on a wall, nor by tenure. I believe that it is PRIMARILY acquired by having saturated yourself with the Word of God, and grappled with the hard questions, combined with diligent study of the writings of others who have grappled with the tough questions. Don't get me wrong, having tenure, and a degree from a SOLID Seminary, certainly contribute to this end, but they are not the sole attributes required.
I am not a 'professional' theologian; I do not possess a doctorate from a distinguished seminary, nor have I written any books on Theology. When I say a pastor should be a theologian, I am referring to the fact that he needs to have a solid, working knowledge of theology. And he should never stop reading, praying, and studying the Word. There are many people out there in this world that are more articulate, and insightful than me; I am really addressing the current trend whereby pastors today consider words such as theology and doctrine 'bad'. This is counter to what Paul wrote in his epistles to Timothy and Titus. The real bad is that theology and doctrine have taken a backseat to FUN and popularity, leading many down a path fraught with deception, and at its end, the gates of hell. The Messiah addressed this in Matthew 7.
Today I would like to address reading materials. This is primarily addressed to those in ministry, and as always are my opinions. Without further ado:
My primary reading sources, outside of Holy Scripture are, as Phil Johnson so eloquently says, 'A bunch of Dead Guys'.
I believe that there are few writers today who have thoughts as deep as, say, John Owen, or Jonathan Edwards. As a matter of fact, if you read Calvin's Institutes and nothing else, you would have a more solid grasp of Theology than if you graduated from many of the modern seminaries.
It is not that the last great writer passed on in the 18th century, go read Van Til, or Francis Shaeffer.
There are several 21st century writers such as, (not exhaustive) J. Ligon Duncan, Mark Dever, James R. White, Philip Ryken, who are excellent. But even these excellent theologians and writers recognize and reference the works from our collective past, building upon this corpus of work, and not tearing it down in favor of some feel-good, Dr. Phil-derived pablum. Witness one example of good work here.
The problem with most 'modern' so-called Christian writers is that they believe somehow that they have 'discovered' something that EVERYONE else missed. And this 'secret' has nothing to do with God, but everything to do with US. Truly, there is nothing new under the sun! A few examples of this type of Christian pulp are, HAPPY LIFE!, or machismo Christianity.
Now, I am not going to go into what I believe is wrong with this type of writing, if it is not self evident, there are plenty of more seasoned, and knowledgeable writers who have dealt with this, such as here, and here.
This genre of writing, usually found under 'Self-Help' (an oxy-moron in a Christian Store IMHO), or Christian Living, in your nearest mega Christian bookstore is characterized by a man-centered theology, built by people with a superficial understanding of God's Word. This combined with the cavalier attitude towards the handling of the Word, (i.e. 'proof-texting galore'), makes for the equivalent of Christian junk food. It makes people spiritually fat and lazy; Christian couch potatoes!
Now some would say that these books were not written for the 'professional' Christian, i.e. theologians, pastors, but for the 'common' Christians (whatever that means!) I would counter with the fact that the Puritan writers were also writing to the common Christian. The difference is that the 'common' Christian in the 18th century is very UNCOMMON in today's society. As a matter of fact, some Puritan writings that were developed for young people are the very books that today are wrestled with in seminary. So, what a 16-year-old in, say 1676, would read, is now college or grad level reading material.
Nowadays, many pastors teach from such pulp as the aforementioned junk food, but that is not enough for some of them, they have had to reach into the realm of secular children's literature that is based upon witchcraft and fantasy to build their sermons. There are several churches that I am aware of that have built sermon series around Harry Potter!
Part of the problem is obvious; we have too much convenience at our fingertips. Why study to show myself approved (2nd Timothy 2:15) when I can pull up a website and 'cut and paste' into my sermon. Nowadays, you can even have the sermons completely done for you, such as here.
That appears to be what a recent sermon preached by a well-known SBC pastor was built around. This is a man who is called 'Doctor', yet his sermon was apparently built around another person's work, and the Scriptural texts used were actually not only out of context, but incorrectly quoted! No, I do not have a link to his sermon, I don't even want to give him the time of day by advertising his nonsense. I will say that throughout his sermon he not only misused the Word of God, and misrepresented others in the faith, he also denied his own statement of faith! So much for pastoral diligence and thoughtfulness!
Now, I am not condemning those who would assist, or otherwise write sermons for 'busy' pastors. I would much more question those 'busy' pastors as to what they are busy with? Is it their latest book, or a paid speaking engagement? Now, if you are at a larger church and have staff that can prepare and deliver sermons while you work on other things, that is fine, but to prioritize other work over feeding the flock that God has entrusted you with is unacceptable to me. Maybe I am a bit naive, or even myopic in my view, but what is more important than the care and feeding of the flock?
We are called to equip those under our care for works of ministry, not to be blowhards, self-promoters, and peddlers of the Word of God. It is time for pastors to return to their calling. It is time for us to critically look at what we are reading, what we are watching, and what we are saying. When we, as pastors, do that, the Church will rise about the filth of the world and actually be KADOSH (Holy)!
It is with that in mind that I circulated the enclosed list to my congregation this weekend, telling them to put away other books and reacquaint themselves with the Word. The list is not exhaustive, but a start. My prayer is that we will build UNCOMMON Christians for the work of ministry!
====================
Bible Tools
Bible in several versions
ESV, NKJV, NASB, HCSB
Strong'’s Concordance
Bible Dictionary
Systematic Theology/Bible Doctrines
i.e. Millard Erickson's Christian Theology, Wayne Grudem's Bible Doctrines
Devotionals - (Morning and Evening by C.H. Spurgeon)
Foxe'’s Book of Martyrs
Puritan Books
i.e. Precious Remedy'’s for Satan's Devices - Thomas Brooks, Holy Spirit - John Owen, http://www.puritansermons.com/index.htm
Hymnal
===============
Monday, October 03, 2005
Monday Morning Musings
I have heard it said that pastors should not make comments on Monday morning, the DAY AFTER as it were, but I am going to throw caution to the wind!
Being a bi-vocational pastor at a small church can sometimes cause one to ask questions on Monday morning, such as, "Why do I do this?", and "Who really cares?" This is especially true after one has had an unusually trying day. I must admit that I have gone through phases like this, and may well again. However, I think if we examine what we are doing in the light of Scripture, our hearts and minds can be revived with the import of our calling.
The issues and problems that a pastor at a small church, (and almost all pastors start at small churches), can, nay WILL, face, are manifold, and at times quite painful personally; there are friends who leave, and/or attack you for decisions that are made, the (seeming) lack of growth in some individuals, and the (seeming) lack of growth in the church overall. We are also inundated with SUCCESS books written by men who pastor (or rather ADMINISTER) MONSTER churches and have 'discovered' the secret to pastoral wealth, happiness, and fulfillment. All of these and many other things come at us, and cause us to doubt our calling!
I believe that if we are not careful, we can begin to lose what the church, and pastoring really is. In the post-Christian era we live in, the church has BECOME many things it was never intended to be. Nowadays, it is a health club, a social club, a nightclub, or any number of other 'clubs', but rarely is it considered to be the Bride of Christ, the Body here on earth, a place made up of living stones. Today church 'success' is calculated using tithe dollars, 'consumers' attending, book sales, building/compound size, 'saved' individuals (read that emotionally-charged, but intellectually, and spiritually-devoid decisions) coming forward by the hundreds', and sadly little else. If one is successful in these areas, then they are often free to spout any type of heresy imagineable. The centrality of Christ, and the Word has been replaced with worldly stories and light shows.
Truth be told, there are many churches and pastors out there who would be unable to 'have' church if the power failed in their building. They would, like the Grinch (rarely will I use Dr. Suess to make a theological point), stand amazed at true worshippers, muttering to themselves, " How could it be so? It came with out ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
We need to remind ourselves what the church is!! We forget, or ignore, that the early Christians worshipped in the catacombs, or that the church in China worships in underground hideouts whispering their songs of praise to the Father. I daresay that the Lord was/is honored in those places much more than in some of the lightshow-driven, sound-amplified, arenas that pass for churches in this day. The church is the BRIDE of Christ, called to be holy, and separate; worshipping the Father, and working/singing/preaching/ministering for HIS GLORY! We are not called to be ENTERTAINMENT for the lost!!!
The pastor at the small church can forget that it is not the success of this world that we seek, nor require; rather it is the approval of our master. It is He who issues the "Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant", and no one else. We can also forget, if not careful, that the heavens rejoice when ONE comes to a saving knowledge of the Messiah, or that Noah preached for 120 years and never reached more than his immediate family (and that is speculative, regarding HOW MUCH he reached them), or that the prophets spent their years of ministry alone, and often cast out of society.
We also can fail to grasp the incredible task set before us. To speak the Word of God, week in and week out. We should reflect on Paul's words; 2nd Corinthians 2:14-3:6 -- "...But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."
It is not our sufficiency which we should be looking to, rather it is the sufficiency found in Christ and Him alone! Our discouragement often comes from a false sense of self in our ministry, an attitude of pride that has often been inculcated into pastors from seminary on. A sense of pride that forgets that at the end of the day, "we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us..."
I say these things not to discourage, but encourage others (should any read this blog); let me finish the quote I started above, found in 2nd Corinthians 4:7ff: But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
If we can get a proper perspective of the role of pastoring, and what the church really is, we will approach it in an entirely different light; some may leave the ministry (and probably should), some may take a break to refocus, and yet others will remember that the task we have been called to is so much greater than the clay vessels that carry it out, and will get on their knees and seek the Lord, asking for HIS strength and wisdom in the carrying out of their pastoral duties; approaching the pulpit in an entirely new manner next week. I pray that for all pastors!
Yes, pastoring a small church is sometimes a pain in a temporal way, but in the eternal it is of surpassing joy that we speak these things of God that even angels wish to look in on!
I would like to close with a final thought: This weekend one of the persons at our church came up and told me that two of his uncles and one aunt had come to a saving knowledge of Christ. They thanked him for his consistent witness (often without saying a word)! Pastors, remember that our job is to edify the saints for works of ministry; it is NOT for us to be the center of attention in the church. Preach the Word in season and out, and the Lord will do His work through the surpassing power of his Word and Spirit!
My brother pastors, we may be afflicted, but we are not crushed, we may be perplexed, but not driven to despair, we may even be persecuted but we are not forsaken! We are called to a wonderful and awesome task, let us put our hands to the plow, and not look back.
Being a bi-vocational pastor at a small church can sometimes cause one to ask questions on Monday morning, such as, "Why do I do this?", and "Who really cares?" This is especially true after one has had an unusually trying day. I must admit that I have gone through phases like this, and may well again. However, I think if we examine what we are doing in the light of Scripture, our hearts and minds can be revived with the import of our calling.
The issues and problems that a pastor at a small church, (and almost all pastors start at small churches), can, nay WILL, face, are manifold, and at times quite painful personally; there are friends who leave, and/or attack you for decisions that are made, the (seeming) lack of growth in some individuals, and the (seeming) lack of growth in the church overall. We are also inundated with SUCCESS books written by men who pastor (or rather ADMINISTER) MONSTER churches and have 'discovered' the secret to pastoral wealth, happiness, and fulfillment. All of these and many other things come at us, and cause us to doubt our calling!
I believe that if we are not careful, we can begin to lose what the church, and pastoring really is. In the post-Christian era we live in, the church has BECOME many things it was never intended to be. Nowadays, it is a health club, a social club, a nightclub, or any number of other 'clubs', but rarely is it considered to be the Bride of Christ, the Body here on earth, a place made up of living stones. Today church 'success' is calculated using tithe dollars, 'consumers' attending, book sales, building/compound size, 'saved' individuals (read that emotionally-charged, but intellectually, and spiritually-devoid decisions) coming forward by the hundreds', and sadly little else. If one is successful in these areas, then they are often free to spout any type of heresy imagineable. The centrality of Christ, and the Word has been replaced with worldly stories and light shows.
Truth be told, there are many churches and pastors out there who would be unable to 'have' church if the power failed in their building. They would, like the Grinch (rarely will I use Dr. Suess to make a theological point), stand amazed at true worshippers, muttering to themselves, " How could it be so? It came with out ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
We need to remind ourselves what the church is!! We forget, or ignore, that the early Christians worshipped in the catacombs, or that the church in China worships in underground hideouts whispering their songs of praise to the Father. I daresay that the Lord was/is honored in those places much more than in some of the lightshow-driven, sound-amplified, arenas that pass for churches in this day. The church is the BRIDE of Christ, called to be holy, and separate; worshipping the Father, and working/singing/preaching/ministering for HIS GLORY! We are not called to be ENTERTAINMENT for the lost!!!
The pastor at the small church can forget that it is not the success of this world that we seek, nor require; rather it is the approval of our master. It is He who issues the "Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant", and no one else. We can also forget, if not careful, that the heavens rejoice when ONE comes to a saving knowledge of the Messiah, or that Noah preached for 120 years and never reached more than his immediate family (and that is speculative, regarding HOW MUCH he reached them), or that the prophets spent their years of ministry alone, and often cast out of society.
We also can fail to grasp the incredible task set before us. To speak the Word of God, week in and week out. We should reflect on Paul's words; 2nd Corinthians 2:14-3:6 -- "...But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."
It is not our sufficiency which we should be looking to, rather it is the sufficiency found in Christ and Him alone! Our discouragement often comes from a false sense of self in our ministry, an attitude of pride that has often been inculcated into pastors from seminary on. A sense of pride that forgets that at the end of the day, "we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us..."
I say these things not to discourage, but encourage others (should any read this blog); let me finish the quote I started above, found in 2nd Corinthians 4:7ff: But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
If we can get a proper perspective of the role of pastoring, and what the church really is, we will approach it in an entirely different light; some may leave the ministry (and probably should), some may take a break to refocus, and yet others will remember that the task we have been called to is so much greater than the clay vessels that carry it out, and will get on their knees and seek the Lord, asking for HIS strength and wisdom in the carrying out of their pastoral duties; approaching the pulpit in an entirely new manner next week. I pray that for all pastors!
Yes, pastoring a small church is sometimes a pain in a temporal way, but in the eternal it is of surpassing joy that we speak these things of God that even angels wish to look in on!
I would like to close with a final thought: This weekend one of the persons at our church came up and told me that two of his uncles and one aunt had come to a saving knowledge of Christ. They thanked him for his consistent witness (often without saying a word)! Pastors, remember that our job is to edify the saints for works of ministry; it is NOT for us to be the center of attention in the church. Preach the Word in season and out, and the Lord will do His work through the surpassing power of his Word and Spirit!
My brother pastors, we may be afflicted, but we are not crushed, we may be perplexed, but not driven to despair, we may even be persecuted but we are not forsaken! We are called to a wonderful and awesome task, let us put our hands to the plow, and not look back.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Conformed or Transformed?
Recently I have been reading through my Church history books again, including Foxe's Book of Martyrs, in preparation for some upcoming messages. Although I have read these books before, it has been a while, and I have been moved to tears by the incredible stories of those who preceded us in the faith.
I think of Felicitatis and her seven sons who were killed for their faith, or Rowland Taylor, or the many others. The methods of torture were beyond imagining; I don't even want to go into them on this page, needless to say; they were horrific!
While I am in no way an expert on church history (nor many other things for that matter), it has been on my heart and mind recently to post something about this. I must say that I was spurred by some recent discussions on Pyromaniac's Web Page.
In short: How far do we go to conform to the world in order that we might 'reach' them? If you read through Foxe's Book of Martyrs, some of those tortured and killed were simply asked to make a few concessions to the pagan culture of their time. Wouldn't it have been easier, and wiser, according to some of the modern gurus of CGM, to make these concessions and thereby show the world our 'tolerance' and potentially 'reach' them with the gospel?
Instead we find that, by their faith, these martyrs actually affected the civil authorities around them to such a degree that many were won to Christ!
To be countercultural as the early Christians is anathema to those in today's 'successful' churches. We have more megachurches in the US than ever before, and we find pastors getting their pictures on Newsweek and Time, yet, truth be told, the church is tepid, and lacking in power. Just as large cathedrals and civil recognition did not validate the Roman Church in ages past, so it is true today that these things do not mark CHRISTIAN success. The Church is a mile wide and an inch deep!
Here is an example of today's 'Christian success'; a woman reads portions of a popular Christian book to an escaped criminal, WHILE (it was recently brought to light), she offered him drugs! He eventually turns himself in, and the Christian community cheers about the 'success' of this book. I would assume that we should overlook her offering the criminal drugs, and cheer the 'power' of the book?
Yes, there are big Christian bookstores and megachurches out there, but are they affecting true change in our society or are they slowly, or not so slowly, conforming to the society around them? I recently unsubscribed to a 'supposed' preaching magazine. The articles in this magazine centered around 'being creative' and held up as its examples of successful preachers, men who had sold their birthright for a bowl of the world's pottage! We, as pastors, are no longer to preach the Word, but ENTERTAIN the people.
Do many of these popular, and successful, preachers realize the price that was paid to get the Bible into their hands? Have they read of Tyndale and Wycliffe? Have they studied the lives of people such as Johann Hus? And if so, how can they be so cavalier to relegate the Bible to a reference book that is used only to prove the correctness of their latest book? How can they preach a gospel that is so devoid of power as to be rendered ANOTHER philosophy in the world of philosophies?
Why do we feel that we need to look like, and act like, the world? Why do we need Bibles that are called Revolve and Refuel, that contain beauty and dating tips alongside the Words of Christ? Because those within the very church leadership are not convinced of the power of the gospel. How many could, with Paul, say -- "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."
I was not raised in the church, nor did I even care about church! I was a bass player in metal and death metal bands, but what intrigued me about Christ was the woman who is now my wife. She was SO DIFFERENT from those around me. She truly followed Peter's instruction -- ...Do not let your adorning be external -- the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing -- but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.
It was her very demeanor of being DIFFERENT from the world that caused me pause. The rest is history! So, why do we feel that we must conform to the world in order to win it? I worked with youth for fifteen years, many of them troubled youth, i.e. cutters, junkies. I never tried to be 'cool' with them, they were not looking for that; they were looking for truth and honesty and genuine compassion. They were also looking for someone to be an ADULT!
As a matter of fact, most of the folks in the death metal and goth world find the 'Christian' types to be posers and jokes for the most part (there are always exceptions). Most of the so-called 'cool' people in the Christian goth and metal movements do not understand the underlying culture, and simply affect a superficial layer of the culture. What the people in this world need to see is a light, not just another group vying for a place in the world. We are not simply offering up an alternative, but are presenting truth, transforming truth. We should never water that down to be cool!
I think of Felicitatis and her seven sons who were killed for their faith, or Rowland Taylor, or the many others. The methods of torture were beyond imagining; I don't even want to go into them on this page, needless to say; they were horrific!
While I am in no way an expert on church history (nor many other things for that matter), it has been on my heart and mind recently to post something about this. I must say that I was spurred by some recent discussions on Pyromaniac's Web Page.
In short: How far do we go to conform to the world in order that we might 'reach' them? If you read through Foxe's Book of Martyrs, some of those tortured and killed were simply asked to make a few concessions to the pagan culture of their time. Wouldn't it have been easier, and wiser, according to some of the modern gurus of CGM, to make these concessions and thereby show the world our 'tolerance' and potentially 'reach' them with the gospel?
Instead we find that, by their faith, these martyrs actually affected the civil authorities around them to such a degree that many were won to Christ!
To be countercultural as the early Christians is anathema to those in today's 'successful' churches. We have more megachurches in the US than ever before, and we find pastors getting their pictures on Newsweek and Time, yet, truth be told, the church is tepid, and lacking in power. Just as large cathedrals and civil recognition did not validate the Roman Church in ages past, so it is true today that these things do not mark CHRISTIAN success. The Church is a mile wide and an inch deep!
Here is an example of today's 'Christian success'; a woman reads portions of a popular Christian book to an escaped criminal, WHILE (it was recently brought to light), she offered him drugs! He eventually turns himself in, and the Christian community cheers about the 'success' of this book. I would assume that we should overlook her offering the criminal drugs, and cheer the 'power' of the book?
Yes, there are big Christian bookstores and megachurches out there, but are they affecting true change in our society or are they slowly, or not so slowly, conforming to the society around them? I recently unsubscribed to a 'supposed' preaching magazine. The articles in this magazine centered around 'being creative' and held up as its examples of successful preachers, men who had sold their birthright for a bowl of the world's pottage! We, as pastors, are no longer to preach the Word, but ENTERTAIN the people.
Do many of these popular, and successful, preachers realize the price that was paid to get the Bible into their hands? Have they read of Tyndale and Wycliffe? Have they studied the lives of people such as Johann Hus? And if so, how can they be so cavalier to relegate the Bible to a reference book that is used only to prove the correctness of their latest book? How can they preach a gospel that is so devoid of power as to be rendered ANOTHER philosophy in the world of philosophies?
Why do we feel that we need to look like, and act like, the world? Why do we need Bibles that are called Revolve and Refuel, that contain beauty and dating tips alongside the Words of Christ? Because those within the very church leadership are not convinced of the power of the gospel. How many could, with Paul, say -- "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."
I was not raised in the church, nor did I even care about church! I was a bass player in metal and death metal bands, but what intrigued me about Christ was the woman who is now my wife. She was SO DIFFERENT from those around me. She truly followed Peter's instruction -- ...Do not let your adorning be external -- the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing -- but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.
It was her very demeanor of being DIFFERENT from the world that caused me pause. The rest is history! So, why do we feel that we must conform to the world in order to win it? I worked with youth for fifteen years, many of them troubled youth, i.e. cutters, junkies. I never tried to be 'cool' with them, they were not looking for that; they were looking for truth and honesty and genuine compassion. They were also looking for someone to be an ADULT!
As a matter of fact, most of the folks in the death metal and goth world find the 'Christian' types to be posers and jokes for the most part (there are always exceptions). Most of the so-called 'cool' people in the Christian goth and metal movements do not understand the underlying culture, and simply affect a superficial layer of the culture. What the people in this world need to see is a light, not just another group vying for a place in the world. We are not simply offering up an alternative, but are presenting truth, transforming truth. We should never water that down to be cool!
Monday, September 26, 2005
Why?
Being a Messianic Jewish believer can, at times, elicit many conflicting emotions when it comes to witnessing to one's own people.
http://www.messianicassociation.org/arad.htm
There is nothing that I desire more than to see my brothers and sisters come to know THEIR Messiah (as well as the world's). I feel for Paul when he writes in Romans 9, these words:
I am speaking the truth in Christ--I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit -- that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
However as can be seen from recent events in Eretz Israel this year, the Hasidim are violent in their opposition to the Messianic Believers' presence there. You would think after the millennia of persecution that we have faced, there would be an intolerance to using the same tactics against our own people that were used against us in the not-so-distant past.
However, the reality is that the Hasidim justify this by making the statement; "The believer in this Yeshua is no longer Jewish." But again, I ask, does this justify the violence done to the believers? Although the Hasidim are incorrect; we have never 'stopped' being Jewish; even if this were true as in their bent perspective, would that actually justify stoning and burning a Messianic House of Worship?
Does this not bring up images of Kristallnacht? I am not one of those who would label my own people with the title reserved for the perpetrators of the aforementioned event, however I spoke with a survivor of the camps in WW II, who is now a believer and he said the same things! Is this not tragic; for a man who survived the camps of the Nazis to now, in his old age, be going through the same harassment again, but this time in Eretz Israel?!
The images conjure up not only the events of the pogroms of the past, but also of the days when Messiah walked the streets of Jerusalem, being harassed by the Jewish religious leadership of the day. It is tragic how little has changed in Eretz Israel when it comes to the persecution of those who would follow Messiah!
http://www.messianicassociation.org/arad.htm
There is nothing that I desire more than to see my brothers and sisters come to know THEIR Messiah (as well as the world's). I feel for Paul when he writes in Romans 9, these words:
I am speaking the truth in Christ--I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit -- that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
However as can be seen from recent events in Eretz Israel this year, the Hasidim are violent in their opposition to the Messianic Believers' presence there. You would think after the millennia of persecution that we have faced, there would be an intolerance to using the same tactics against our own people that were used against us in the not-so-distant past.
However, the reality is that the Hasidim justify this by making the statement; "The believer in this Yeshua is no longer Jewish." But again, I ask, does this justify the violence done to the believers? Although the Hasidim are incorrect; we have never 'stopped' being Jewish; even if this were true as in their bent perspective, would that actually justify stoning and burning a Messianic House of Worship?
Does this not bring up images of Kristallnacht? I am not one of those who would label my own people with the title reserved for the perpetrators of the aforementioned event, however I spoke with a survivor of the camps in WW II, who is now a believer and he said the same things! Is this not tragic; for a man who survived the camps of the Nazis to now, in his old age, be going through the same harassment again, but this time in Eretz Israel?!
The images conjure up not only the events of the pogroms of the past, but also of the days when Messiah walked the streets of Jerusalem, being harassed by the Jewish religious leadership of the day. It is tragic how little has changed in Eretz Israel when it comes to the persecution of those who would follow Messiah!
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Is It Just Me...
Or, are you as tired of reading and receiving articles from 'Christian' news outlets that claim they have the answer to Hurricane Katrina?
One group claims that New Orleans was a WICKED city, simply ripe for destruction, as if every other major U.S. city isn't! Another claims that they 'prophesied' this event (even though, upon close inspection of the prophecy, it was made last year during Ivan, which MISSED New Orleans, they just pushed it up a year!) And now the articles have begun flooding in that claim that the whole thing was not necessarily caused by, but certainly exacerbated by, the welfare state/system!
Why is it that we are so quick to claim God's judgment (especially when it promotes our agenda), but so slow to minister God's grace? Is it because there is little in grace that makes ME feel good?
I tire of a Christian community that has become so polarized and political that they no longer can step up and show the world the love of God without sending out articles and newsletters proclaiming God's judgment on all who disagree with them! GIVE ME A BREAK!
It is not that any of us know the dark things of the Lord, so stop the GUESSING, and get down to the business of doing God's work as outlined in the Bible... AND PLEASE NO MORE CHAIN LETTERS, ARTICLES, or PROPHECIES regarding Hurricane Katrina!!!
One group claims that New Orleans was a WICKED city, simply ripe for destruction, as if every other major U.S. city isn't! Another claims that they 'prophesied' this event (even though, upon close inspection of the prophecy, it was made last year during Ivan, which MISSED New Orleans, they just pushed it up a year!) And now the articles have begun flooding in that claim that the whole thing was not necessarily caused by, but certainly exacerbated by, the welfare state/system!
Why is it that we are so quick to claim God's judgment (especially when it promotes our agenda), but so slow to minister God's grace? Is it because there is little in grace that makes ME feel good?
I tire of a Christian community that has become so polarized and political that they no longer can step up and show the world the love of God without sending out articles and newsletters proclaiming God's judgment on all who disagree with them! GIVE ME A BREAK!
It is not that any of us know the dark things of the Lord, so stop the GUESSING, and get down to the business of doing God's work as outlined in the Bible... AND PLEASE NO MORE CHAIN LETTERS, ARTICLES, or PROPHECIES regarding Hurricane Katrina!!!
The Times They Are A-Changin'
Or are they?
Simon Wiesenthal died this week. The former architect who spent his life hunting down Nazi war criminals died in his sleep, in his home in Vienna, Austria. his passing marks the end of an age; one that I pray we never forget.
Being from a family of holocaust survivors, I am appalled by the Holocaust-deniers out there who simply revise history to match their view. General Eisenhower toured the camps extensively, and did so in order to be able to testify to their horrors, yet in today's world we find those who would deny that this ever happened. I assume that they are more capable of reconstructing the camps in their images, rather than depending upon the hundreds and hundreds of eyewitnesses, and the real fact that 6M people diappeared off the face of the earth!
And now, are times really changing? The advisors to PM Tony Blair recommended that he 'ditch holocaust day' (not my words, but the London Times headline).
"ADVISERS appointed by Tony Blair after the London bombings are proposing to scrap the Jewish Holocaust Memorial Day because it is regarded as offensive to Muslims.
They want to replace it with a Genocide Day that would recognise the mass murder of Muslims in Palestine, Chechnya and Bosnia as well as people of other faiths..."
Here is something that is interesting as well, from the same article -- "A member of one of the committees, made up of Muslims, said it gave the impression that “western lives have more value than non-western lives”. That perception needed to be changed. “One way of doing that is if the government were to sponsor a national Genocide Memorial Day..."
Now, I know that in this day of politically correct speech it is offensive to bring up things such as the foolishness that Jews are NOT Western, and that for precisely this reason they have suffered from millenia. They have been the outsiders, and most people who have any clue at all understand that they are not Western! So, where does this person get off saying that Holocaust Day gives an impression that WESTERN lives have more value than NON-WESTERN lives! And people will listen to this rubbish!
Fortunately, many in the British Parliament have spoken out against this blatant nonsense, expressing that the Holocaust was a unique and horrific event in the annals of European History. Now, as I have said in past posts, I still think that the Armenians are given short shrift for the Holocaust that wiped their country out, but I find it interesting that no Muslims are decrying that ommission. I wonder if it is because the Ottomans (Muslim) were responsible for that genocidal move?
Simon Wiesenthal died this week. The former architect who spent his life hunting down Nazi war criminals died in his sleep, in his home in Vienna, Austria. his passing marks the end of an age; one that I pray we never forget.
Being from a family of holocaust survivors, I am appalled by the Holocaust-deniers out there who simply revise history to match their view. General Eisenhower toured the camps extensively, and did so in order to be able to testify to their horrors, yet in today's world we find those who would deny that this ever happened. I assume that they are more capable of reconstructing the camps in their images, rather than depending upon the hundreds and hundreds of eyewitnesses, and the real fact that 6M people diappeared off the face of the earth!
And now, are times really changing? The advisors to PM Tony Blair recommended that he 'ditch holocaust day' (not my words, but the London Times headline).
"ADVISERS appointed by Tony Blair after the London bombings are proposing to scrap the Jewish Holocaust Memorial Day because it is regarded as offensive to Muslims.
They want to replace it with a Genocide Day that would recognise the mass murder of Muslims in Palestine, Chechnya and Bosnia as well as people of other faiths..."
Here is something that is interesting as well, from the same article -- "A member of one of the committees, made up of Muslims, said it gave the impression that “western lives have more value than non-western lives”. That perception needed to be changed. “One way of doing that is if the government were to sponsor a national Genocide Memorial Day..."
Now, I know that in this day of politically correct speech it is offensive to bring up things such as the foolishness that Jews are NOT Western, and that for precisely this reason they have suffered from millenia. They have been the outsiders, and most people who have any clue at all understand that they are not Western! So, where does this person get off saying that Holocaust Day gives an impression that WESTERN lives have more value than NON-WESTERN lives! And people will listen to this rubbish!
Fortunately, many in the British Parliament have spoken out against this blatant nonsense, expressing that the Holocaust was a unique and horrific event in the annals of European History. Now, as I have said in past posts, I still think that the Armenians are given short shrift for the Holocaust that wiped their country out, but I find it interesting that no Muslims are decrying that ommission. I wonder if it is because the Ottomans (Muslim) were responsible for that genocidal move?
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
My View on 'Polls'
I saw the latest CNN poll today... Is it me, or do we really need a poll to tell us that the black community and the white community view the calamity in New Orleans differently?
Why is it that CNN and other stations think this is news? Why are we bombarded with the items that divide us, and very little reporting is done on the things that bring us together? I find CNN and others, in their polls, to be practicing the age-old practice of race-baiting. Polls such as the latest one by CNN do nothing to unite the country, but are self-serving and pandering. The racists on both sides of the coin use this as fodder to fuel their furnaces of lies, hate and mistrust!
I think that the tragedy in New Orleans was painfully one-sided, not only within the black community, but specifically the poor black community. Yes, that is a travesty, but we should use this as a time for FIXING the problem, not for polls that will only further heat the simmering pot of race.
I found it interesting as I examined this disaster that much less reporting was done on the damaged Mississippi and Alabama coasts, where they actually had hundreds of deaths as well, and they suffered from the same lack of assistance from the US Government. And I hate to say this, but I believe this is because the 'picture' of the tragedy was not the one that media outlets wanted to present. That is, that these were also low-income and poor people, but many of them were white.
The reality is this; the problem that the US has is with the disparity between the haves and have-nots, NOT simply with issues between black and white. That is slavish pandering, and it does not address POVERTY; it creates tensions within the very peoples that need to be working together to create a solution! Yes, there is a disproportionate number of blacks in major cities which suffer from abject poverty, but within the hill and country communities it is a predominately white issue, and within the valley in Texas it is predominately a Hispanic issue... POVERTY is the enemy, not another race!
And the politicians use these polls to 'prove' their positions. Quite frankly, all politicians are pretty much the same, they care little about their constituency unless it is election year. New Orleans is a city with a black mayor, in a state with a female Democratic governor, yet their problems seem to be no less than those in the states where there are white, male, and/or Republican governments. We need to start getting knowledgeable on the issues that affect us and vote for the right person; not the right color, or right party! And that means ALL SIDES!
The truth be known, it is time for the people in this country to turn off the news outlets, ignoring their polls, turn off the TV and the vicarious living through reality junk, and begin to get smart on the issues in this country that affect all of us as a nation. It is time for us to find out who our neighbor really is. I recall a parable called the Good Samaritan, where a person was taking a poll of who his neighbor was, and Jesus set him straight. You will find this in Luke 10, and I highly recommend reading it! Our neighbors are those who show care and concern, regardless of race. The Samaritan and Jew, in Jesus' day, were bitterly divided over race, and religion; but Jesus went to the heart of the matter: our neighbor is the person who stands with us, and shows mercy... Let us begin to reach our hands across the racial, cultural, and economic boundaries that have, for too long, separated us. Let us shut down the politicians, and news outlets on ALL sides, who would try and divide, and let us take our country back, and let it be ruled by a UNITED PEOPLE... And let us care for, and love, our sick, poor, elderly and dispossessed regardless of race!
Why is it that CNN and other stations think this is news? Why are we bombarded with the items that divide us, and very little reporting is done on the things that bring us together? I find CNN and others, in their polls, to be practicing the age-old practice of race-baiting. Polls such as the latest one by CNN do nothing to unite the country, but are self-serving and pandering. The racists on both sides of the coin use this as fodder to fuel their furnaces of lies, hate and mistrust!
I think that the tragedy in New Orleans was painfully one-sided, not only within the black community, but specifically the poor black community. Yes, that is a travesty, but we should use this as a time for FIXING the problem, not for polls that will only further heat the simmering pot of race.
I found it interesting as I examined this disaster that much less reporting was done on the damaged Mississippi and Alabama coasts, where they actually had hundreds of deaths as well, and they suffered from the same lack of assistance from the US Government. And I hate to say this, but I believe this is because the 'picture' of the tragedy was not the one that media outlets wanted to present. That is, that these were also low-income and poor people, but many of them were white.
The reality is this; the problem that the US has is with the disparity between the haves and have-nots, NOT simply with issues between black and white. That is slavish pandering, and it does not address POVERTY; it creates tensions within the very peoples that need to be working together to create a solution! Yes, there is a disproportionate number of blacks in major cities which suffer from abject poverty, but within the hill and country communities it is a predominately white issue, and within the valley in Texas it is predominately a Hispanic issue... POVERTY is the enemy, not another race!
And the politicians use these polls to 'prove' their positions. Quite frankly, all politicians are pretty much the same, they care little about their constituency unless it is election year. New Orleans is a city with a black mayor, in a state with a female Democratic governor, yet their problems seem to be no less than those in the states where there are white, male, and/or Republican governments. We need to start getting knowledgeable on the issues that affect us and vote for the right person; not the right color, or right party! And that means ALL SIDES!
The truth be known, it is time for the people in this country to turn off the news outlets, ignoring their polls, turn off the TV and the vicarious living through reality junk, and begin to get smart on the issues in this country that affect all of us as a nation. It is time for us to find out who our neighbor really is. I recall a parable called the Good Samaritan, where a person was taking a poll of who his neighbor was, and Jesus set him straight. You will find this in Luke 10, and I highly recommend reading it! Our neighbors are those who show care and concern, regardless of race. The Samaritan and Jew, in Jesus' day, were bitterly divided over race, and religion; but Jesus went to the heart of the matter: our neighbor is the person who stands with us, and shows mercy... Let us begin to reach our hands across the racial, cultural, and economic boundaries that have, for too long, separated us. Let us shut down the politicians, and news outlets on ALL sides, who would try and divide, and let us take our country back, and let it be ruled by a UNITED PEOPLE... And let us care for, and love, our sick, poor, elderly and dispossessed regardless of race!
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
A Simple Observation
We forced Sharon's hand in removing people from their homes in Gaza; a few weeks later, thousands are dispossessed of their homes in the US... Coincidence? Maybe...
Saturday, September 03, 2005
National Geographic
I found this on Albert Mohler's blog, and wanted to share it with you --
The October 2004 issue of National Geographic Magazine featured a major article warning of an impending catastrophe in the New Orleans area -- a catastrophe most likely to be caused by a major hurricane. The article, entitled "Gone with the Water," now appears to have been hauntingly prophetic.
Writer Joel K. Bourne, Jr. outlined a "doomsday scenario" like this: The storm hit Breton Sound with the fury of a nuclear warhead, pushing a deadly storm surge into Lake Pontchartrain. The water crept to the top of the massive berm that holds back the lake and then spilled over. Nearly 80 percent of New Orleans lies below sea level--more than eight feet below in places--so the water poured in. A liquid brown wall washed over the brick ranch homes of Gentilly, over the clapboard houses of the Ninth Ward, over the white-columned porches of the Garden District, until it raced through the bars and strip joints on Bourbon Street like the pale rider of the Apocalypse. As it reached 25 feet (eight meters) over parts of the city, people climbed onto roofs to escape it. Thousands drowned in the murky brew that was soon contaminated by sewage and industrial waste. Thousands more who survived the flood later perished from dehydration and disease as they waited to be rescued. It took two months to pump the city dry, and by then the Big Easy was buried under a blanket of putrid sediment, a million people were homeless, and 50,000 were dead. It was the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States.
When did this calamity happen? It hasn't--yet. But the doomsday scenario is not far-fetched. The Federal Emergency Management Agency lists a hurricane strike on New Orleans as one of the most dire threats to the nation, up there with a large earthquake in California or a terrorist attack on New York City. Even the Red Cross no longer opens hurricane shelters in the city, claiming the risk to its workers is too great. "The killer for Louisiana is a Category Three storm at 72 hours before landfall that becomes a Category Four at 48 hours and a Category Five at 24 hours--coming from the worst direction," says Joe Suhayda, a retired coastal engineer at Louisiana State University who has spent 30 years studying the coast. Suhayda is sitting in a lakefront restaurant on an actual August afternoon sipping lemonade and talking about the chinks in the city's hurricane armor. "I don't think people realize how precarious we are," Suhayda says, watching sailboats glide by. "Our technology is great when it works. But when it fails, it's going to make things much worse." The chances of such a storm hitting New Orleans in any given year are slight, but the danger is growing. Climatologists predict that powerful storms may occur more frequently this century, while rising sea level from global warming is putting low-lying coasts at greater risk. "It's not if it will happen," says University of New Orleans geologist Shea Penland. "It's when."
The October 2004 issue of National Geographic Magazine featured a major article warning of an impending catastrophe in the New Orleans area -- a catastrophe most likely to be caused by a major hurricane. The article, entitled "Gone with the Water," now appears to have been hauntingly prophetic.
Writer Joel K. Bourne, Jr. outlined a "doomsday scenario" like this: The storm hit Breton Sound with the fury of a nuclear warhead, pushing a deadly storm surge into Lake Pontchartrain. The water crept to the top of the massive berm that holds back the lake and then spilled over. Nearly 80 percent of New Orleans lies below sea level--more than eight feet below in places--so the water poured in. A liquid brown wall washed over the brick ranch homes of Gentilly, over the clapboard houses of the Ninth Ward, over the white-columned porches of the Garden District, until it raced through the bars and strip joints on Bourbon Street like the pale rider of the Apocalypse. As it reached 25 feet (eight meters) over parts of the city, people climbed onto roofs to escape it. Thousands drowned in the murky brew that was soon contaminated by sewage and industrial waste. Thousands more who survived the flood later perished from dehydration and disease as they waited to be rescued. It took two months to pump the city dry, and by then the Big Easy was buried under a blanket of putrid sediment, a million people were homeless, and 50,000 were dead. It was the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States.
When did this calamity happen? It hasn't--yet. But the doomsday scenario is not far-fetched. The Federal Emergency Management Agency lists a hurricane strike on New Orleans as one of the most dire threats to the nation, up there with a large earthquake in California or a terrorist attack on New York City. Even the Red Cross no longer opens hurricane shelters in the city, claiming the risk to its workers is too great. "The killer for Louisiana is a Category Three storm at 72 hours before landfall that becomes a Category Four at 48 hours and a Category Five at 24 hours--coming from the worst direction," says Joe Suhayda, a retired coastal engineer at Louisiana State University who has spent 30 years studying the coast. Suhayda is sitting in a lakefront restaurant on an actual August afternoon sipping lemonade and talking about the chinks in the city's hurricane armor. "I don't think people realize how precarious we are," Suhayda says, watching sailboats glide by. "Our technology is great when it works. But when it fails, it's going to make things much worse." The chances of such a storm hitting New Orleans in any given year are slight, but the danger is growing. Climatologists predict that powerful storms may occur more frequently this century, while rising sea level from global warming is putting low-lying coasts at greater risk. "It's not if it will happen," says University of New Orleans geologist Shea Penland. "It's when."
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
The Toll
While we await for the final count of the death and destruction in the gulf region, I wanted to at least put a post in that provides my feelings.
I have to admit; I find it almost criminally negligent that a major US City was designed and built in such a precarious position, however, the human suffering has forced me to look beyond that.
The design and rebuilding of that area is for later; today we have people who need all the prayers and assistance that we can provide. I must say that I was very moved by the news reporters who, for a change, dropped their 'professional' demeanor, and actually responded to the tragedy around them. Several reporters were moved to tears by the scenes, and I must admit, I was as well...
The size and scope of this tragedy was hard for me to even imagine until some pictures started coming in of the damage! It is truly horrific, and beyond my meager imagination. But, the sight of damaged homes and ruined buildings, cars, and roads, pale in relation to the pictures of the real devastation: families torn apart, children being rescued from rooftops, senior citizens being carried out of homes with a lok of complete horror and/or bewilderment on their faces.
Is there a bright spot: yes, I believe there is. We are seeing a nation coming together to help its own. We saw this in the weeks and months following 9-11, but unfortunately, it faded as everyone got back to their own self-centered world (me included). Maybe this time we can come together as a nation and look around us, and realize that we NEED one another, poor and rich, black, white, brown, city-slickers and country bumpkins.
We have become a nation polarized in our politics, social institutions, income ranges and a whole host of other areas. It is time for us to look beyond the differences and begin to CARE again.
It is also a time for the church to step up and be the light and salt that the Lord has told us we should be. We should be (and many, many churches are) leading the way in the recovery and assistance effort, and we should show the love of Christ in all of our actions; sharing the gospel by LIVING it out. What is truly a disaster is also an opportunity to touch lives with the truth of Christ; not by shoving a tract down someone's gullet, but by TOUCHING the hurting, as Christ reached out and touched the hurting, leperous, blind, maimed and 'untouchable' in the days He walked the earth!
I have to admit; I find it almost criminally negligent that a major US City was designed and built in such a precarious position, however, the human suffering has forced me to look beyond that.
The design and rebuilding of that area is for later; today we have people who need all the prayers and assistance that we can provide. I must say that I was very moved by the news reporters who, for a change, dropped their 'professional' demeanor, and actually responded to the tragedy around them. Several reporters were moved to tears by the scenes, and I must admit, I was as well...
The size and scope of this tragedy was hard for me to even imagine until some pictures started coming in of the damage! It is truly horrific, and beyond my meager imagination. But, the sight of damaged homes and ruined buildings, cars, and roads, pale in relation to the pictures of the real devastation: families torn apart, children being rescued from rooftops, senior citizens being carried out of homes with a lok of complete horror and/or bewilderment on their faces.
Is there a bright spot: yes, I believe there is. We are seeing a nation coming together to help its own. We saw this in the weeks and months following 9-11, but unfortunately, it faded as everyone got back to their own self-centered world (me included). Maybe this time we can come together as a nation and look around us, and realize that we NEED one another, poor and rich, black, white, brown, city-slickers and country bumpkins.
We have become a nation polarized in our politics, social institutions, income ranges and a whole host of other areas. It is time for us to look beyond the differences and begin to CARE again.
It is also a time for the church to step up and be the light and salt that the Lord has told us we should be. We should be (and many, many churches are) leading the way in the recovery and assistance effort, and we should show the love of Christ in all of our actions; sharing the gospel by LIVING it out. What is truly a disaster is also an opportunity to touch lives with the truth of Christ; not by shoving a tract down someone's gullet, but by TOUCHING the hurting, as Christ reached out and touched the hurting, leperous, blind, maimed and 'untouchable' in the days He walked the earth!
Friday, August 26, 2005
Burundi
Is it possible that the people of Burundi will finally begin to rebuild their lives? Will Nkurunziza actually be able to bring about a true change? We have heard all of the apologies and the attempts at reconciliation, now it is time to see if this can actually happen.
Nkurunziza claims to be Christian, but we have seen what a tough road that is for politicians; including those in the good ole USofA. I would encourage all to pray for this people; while there are many obstacles to overcome, and many other African countries in strife, this COULD be a new day for Burundi.
President Pierre Nkurunziza, the world watches, and waits. We pray that this will be the dawn of a new day for your people!
Nkurunziza claims to be Christian, but we have seen what a tough road that is for politicians; including those in the good ole USofA. I would encourage all to pray for this people; while there are many obstacles to overcome, and many other African countries in strife, this COULD be a new day for Burundi.
President Pierre Nkurunziza, the world watches, and waits. We pray that this will be the dawn of a new day for your people!
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Thank You Pat Robertson
Another wonderful representation of Christianity by our dear, tottering, old friend Pat Robertson! This week, he has suggested, nay recommended, that we send some Special Forces down to Venezuela to 'off' President Chavez.
I am SO PROUD that the world ties me to Pat because of his professed belief in Messiah! He does such a good job of spreading the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In Hezekiah 14 is says - "Go therefore and subjugate all nations, baptizing them in a hail of bullets in the name of democracy, capitalism, and oil; teaching them to observe all that the USA commands. And behold, Ronald Reagan is with you always, to the end of the age."
There is no Hezekiah, I am being facetious...
What it actually says in the Word of God is this...
1st Timothy 2:1-4: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Romans 13:1, 2: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
And finally (there are more places, but these will suffice)...
1st Peter 2:13-15: Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.
I am not saying that we abandon the public forum; that is wrong. What I am saying is that we should use the public forum as Paul did on Mars Hill, to present the gospel. Yes, we should challenge the world view of the lost, it is empty and shallow and we should expose it for what it is. Unfortunately, whenever a 'Christian' leader gets an opportunity to speak in the public forum, it is all too often about taxes, school vouchers, and other triviality such as the item that Pat Robertson spoke of this week!
This should not surprise anyone; when we have the majority of Christians reading books about their purpose, and having the good life now, we are going to get this type of nonsense. These books are man-centered (forget the protestations, read the book itself), and therefore, our thoughts and words will be man-centered as well. What ever happened to the true gospel men and women; those who lived a life of self-sacrifice, denying their own comforts in order that Christ may be preached? Alas, they are all too rare in today's 'marketplace' of ideas.
What are we called to?
Philippians 1:12-18: I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
Philippians 4:11-13: Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
How do those passages fit within the community that is man-centered and ego-seeking? How does it fit within the cult of personality that marks many of the so-called mega-churches today?
Pat Robertson does NOT speak for Christ! And I for one will not let his asinine statements go unchallenged! Pat, pick up the Word of God; refamiliarize yourself with it, and get out of the public forum until you have figured out what we, as people of Christ, are called to be doing and saying!
I am SO PROUD that the world ties me to Pat because of his professed belief in Messiah! He does such a good job of spreading the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In Hezekiah 14 is says - "Go therefore and subjugate all nations, baptizing them in a hail of bullets in the name of democracy, capitalism, and oil; teaching them to observe all that the USA commands. And behold, Ronald Reagan is with you always, to the end of the age."
There is no Hezekiah, I am being facetious...
What it actually says in the Word of God is this...
1st Timothy 2:1-4: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Romans 13:1, 2: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
And finally (there are more places, but these will suffice)...
1st Peter 2:13-15: Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.
I am not saying that we abandon the public forum; that is wrong. What I am saying is that we should use the public forum as Paul did on Mars Hill, to present the gospel. Yes, we should challenge the world view of the lost, it is empty and shallow and we should expose it for what it is. Unfortunately, whenever a 'Christian' leader gets an opportunity to speak in the public forum, it is all too often about taxes, school vouchers, and other triviality such as the item that Pat Robertson spoke of this week!
This should not surprise anyone; when we have the majority of Christians reading books about their purpose, and having the good life now, we are going to get this type of nonsense. These books are man-centered (forget the protestations, read the book itself), and therefore, our thoughts and words will be man-centered as well. What ever happened to the true gospel men and women; those who lived a life of self-sacrifice, denying their own comforts in order that Christ may be preached? Alas, they are all too rare in today's 'marketplace' of ideas.
What are we called to?
Philippians 1:12-18: I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
Philippians 4:11-13: Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
How do those passages fit within the community that is man-centered and ego-seeking? How does it fit within the cult of personality that marks many of the so-called mega-churches today?
Pat Robertson does NOT speak for Christ! And I for one will not let his asinine statements go unchallenged! Pat, pick up the Word of God; refamiliarize yourself with it, and get out of the public forum until you have figured out what we, as people of Christ, are called to be doing and saying!
Monday, August 22, 2005
Tears and Anger
This picture sums up the abandonment of the Gaza settlements:
http://info.jpost.com/C003/Supplements/potw/current/index.html
Here you see the pain of the Jewish people as a Rabbi and an IDF soldier both tearfully hold on to the Torah, and each other as Atzmona is evacuated. At the end of the day, the picture is a poignant picture of the reality of being Jewish; we only have one another and the Word of God to hold on to.
There are many reasons to cry, here are but a few:
First and foremost I cry because I look at my people, who cling to God, yet still reject His Messiah. I realize that my belief in Yeshua Ha Maschiach puts me outside the fellowship of many of my own people, yet I cannot stop caring for and loving them. It is at times such as these that I feel my Jewishness burn at its brightest.
I cry because a professing Christian world leader has abandoned the people of God for political expediency; quite possibly to divert attention from a war going less then well. And we still have people in the US who will turn a blind eye to this because he promotes their 'special interests'!
I cry because a government that not only allowed, but promoted, settlers to go in and 'claim the land' has now completely abandoned these settlers. For millennia there was a belief that if we could only return to our land, and be self-ruled that we would no longer suffer the indignation of being people without a home; yet here we find a government, comprised of Jewish leaders, removing people from their homes, and forcibly destroying the towns that people poured thirty years of their lives into. Yes, they are paid for their relocation, but how do you pay for the lives lost in the struggle to make a home in the midst of your enemy?
I cry because the terrorists celebrate and laugh...
I cry because my people cry...
There are also some realities that I understand. I realize that I, as a Jew living in the US, have a very different perspective on the situation than my brothers and sisters in Israel. I can say many things, yet it is not I that put my children onto Egged buses every morning, praying that the bus will arrive at its destination in one piece. It is not I who has to contemplate going into public places, with the ever-present thought in the back of my mind that there may be a lunatic out there planning to detonate themselves in the very queue that I stand in, waiting to enter a nightclub, or restaurant. To put things into perspective; how long can a people be constantly terrorized, their children killed, and their peace shattered, before they say ENOUGH and are willing to try anything to stop the constant harassment? And it is not only the physical terrorists, but the mental terrorists, most notably the UN (and now the US) who are constantly haranguing the Israelis for any retributive strikes they make against the Palestinians.
If a terrorist kills 15 on a bus, that is freedom fighting; if the IDF levels a block of houses to expose bomb-making facilities, that is harassment of an occupied people. The UN has always consistently, and clearly, been against Israel. Israel has had very few friends in its history, the US being the most notable, and now they find that this friend has used coercion to force Ariel (the lion that no longer roars) Sharon to capitulate to the cutthroats and thugs that surround the nation of Israel. So, yes, many of the people in Israel are willing to remove the settlers. And they call this peace! The stock markets are up in Israel, and the hopes are high that THIS sacrifice will be the one which allows the nation to live in peace.
There are many newspaper columnists in the US and abroad who say it is about time that the Israelis get off the land that is rightfully the Palestinians! They say that Israel has illegally settled on land that is Palestinian. Ah, ignorance is truly bliss it appears! To be so ignorant of such recent history is somewhat surprising, but when it comes to Israel, revisionism doesn't even have the courtesy to wait a generation!
The Israelis were provided a homeland, and within hours of achieving statehood, they were attacked by the Arab nations around them. They survived, and were subject to constant harassment from these so-called neighbors. Then in 1967, they were attacked again, and this time they were able to regain Jerusalem and the Egyptian areas of Sinai and Gaza (and others), and the Jordanian area that is now called the West Bank. Funny enough, the Egyptians and Jordanians never saw fit to provide the Palestinian refugees with decent living conditions in all the years that they owned these territories.
So the areas where they 'illegally' have settlements were won in a war! Much like the US' illegal settlements in Honolulu, Harlingen, San Diego etc. How about we start removing the settlers from Brownsville, Texas next week? Would that work Mr. President? It seems to me that this would only be fair, right?
I started this post out with the intent to simply share my sadness, but it is followed so closely by my anger at a world which is clearly anti-Semitic, that I have a hard time stopping at a prudent point.
http://info.jpost.com/C003/Supplements/potw/current/index.html
Here you see the pain of the Jewish people as a Rabbi and an IDF soldier both tearfully hold on to the Torah, and each other as Atzmona is evacuated. At the end of the day, the picture is a poignant picture of the reality of being Jewish; we only have one another and the Word of God to hold on to.
There are many reasons to cry, here are but a few:
First and foremost I cry because I look at my people, who cling to God, yet still reject His Messiah. I realize that my belief in Yeshua Ha Maschiach puts me outside the fellowship of many of my own people, yet I cannot stop caring for and loving them. It is at times such as these that I feel my Jewishness burn at its brightest.
I cry because a professing Christian world leader has abandoned the people of God for political expediency; quite possibly to divert attention from a war going less then well. And we still have people in the US who will turn a blind eye to this because he promotes their 'special interests'!
I cry because a government that not only allowed, but promoted, settlers to go in and 'claim the land' has now completely abandoned these settlers. For millennia there was a belief that if we could only return to our land, and be self-ruled that we would no longer suffer the indignation of being people without a home; yet here we find a government, comprised of Jewish leaders, removing people from their homes, and forcibly destroying the towns that people poured thirty years of their lives into. Yes, they are paid for their relocation, but how do you pay for the lives lost in the struggle to make a home in the midst of your enemy?
I cry because the terrorists celebrate and laugh...
I cry because my people cry...
There are also some realities that I understand. I realize that I, as a Jew living in the US, have a very different perspective on the situation than my brothers and sisters in Israel. I can say many things, yet it is not I that put my children onto Egged buses every morning, praying that the bus will arrive at its destination in one piece. It is not I who has to contemplate going into public places, with the ever-present thought in the back of my mind that there may be a lunatic out there planning to detonate themselves in the very queue that I stand in, waiting to enter a nightclub, or restaurant. To put things into perspective; how long can a people be constantly terrorized, their children killed, and their peace shattered, before they say ENOUGH and are willing to try anything to stop the constant harassment? And it is not only the physical terrorists, but the mental terrorists, most notably the UN (and now the US) who are constantly haranguing the Israelis for any retributive strikes they make against the Palestinians.
If a terrorist kills 15 on a bus, that is freedom fighting; if the IDF levels a block of houses to expose bomb-making facilities, that is harassment of an occupied people. The UN has always consistently, and clearly, been against Israel. Israel has had very few friends in its history, the US being the most notable, and now they find that this friend has used coercion to force Ariel (the lion that no longer roars) Sharon to capitulate to the cutthroats and thugs that surround the nation of Israel. So, yes, many of the people in Israel are willing to remove the settlers. And they call this peace! The stock markets are up in Israel, and the hopes are high that THIS sacrifice will be the one which allows the nation to live in peace.
There are many newspaper columnists in the US and abroad who say it is about time that the Israelis get off the land that is rightfully the Palestinians! They say that Israel has illegally settled on land that is Palestinian. Ah, ignorance is truly bliss it appears! To be so ignorant of such recent history is somewhat surprising, but when it comes to Israel, revisionism doesn't even have the courtesy to wait a generation!
The Israelis were provided a homeland, and within hours of achieving statehood, they were attacked by the Arab nations around them. They survived, and were subject to constant harassment from these so-called neighbors. Then in 1967, they were attacked again, and this time they were able to regain Jerusalem and the Egyptian areas of Sinai and Gaza (and others), and the Jordanian area that is now called the West Bank. Funny enough, the Egyptians and Jordanians never saw fit to provide the Palestinian refugees with decent living conditions in all the years that they owned these territories.
So the areas where they 'illegally' have settlements were won in a war! Much like the US' illegal settlements in Honolulu, Harlingen, San Diego etc. How about we start removing the settlers from Brownsville, Texas next week? Would that work Mr. President? It seems to me that this would only be fair, right?
I started this post out with the intent to simply share my sadness, but it is followed so closely by my anger at a world which is clearly anti-Semitic, that I have a hard time stopping at a prudent point.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Travel - Part Two
I told you this was coming. Rather than a full-blown rant, how about a few suggestions? This concerns passengers. It is quite easy to be hard on the airlines and their employees, but what about us; are we good travelers/customers? NO, not all the time!
So, here's a couple of suggestions/comments from me to you, you will recognize yourself, I do :-) Maybe you are in more than one group, so just read on!
Vacationers (and extremely infrequent travelers):
1. Please take time BEFORE you get to the TSA screening area to familiarize yourself with procedures for entering into the secured departure terminal. Do not stand at the X-Ray screening device and THEN begin to figure out what to do.
2. Just because you are on vacation DOES NOT mean that everyone else is, so please be efficient and prepared, OK? And DO NOT play twenty questions with every ticket agent, TSA agent, and/or gate agent that you encounter. If you see a line forming behind you, don't stand there discussing your travel destination. There is nothing wrong with doing this if the terminal is lightly loaded, but please refrain from this practice otherwise!
3. Some answers for you NOW (before you get to the screening area)
a. YES - You DO HAVE to place your purse on the X-ray belt to be screened.
b. YES - You SHOULD remove your shoes.
c. YES - If its metal put it in a plastic bin for screening.
d. NO - DO NOT put your ID and ticket in a plastic bin for screening, CARRY IT WITH YOU!
Parents:
1. Every one of your children DO NOT need a roller bag for the trip, gimme a break! What does a 5-year old have that requires a seperate roller bag? While this may placate the child, it also takes away space in the overhead bins for someone who actually needs a rollerbag.
2. Bring something to occupy your child, especially if they are a self-centered brat used to getting their own way! Everyone on the plan does not want to be serenaded with "I WANT A CRACKER" at the top of the child's lungs for a 3 hour period. Do not punish the rest of us for your lack of parenting skills!
3. DO NOT bring the largest stroller you can find and the complain about not being able to get it in the overhead.
4. DO NOT bring a newborn/infant on the plane. I know, Grandma wants to see her baby; let her fly down/up to see you. Flying hurts a baby's ears, which in turn has a tendency to hurt everyone else's ears. I know there are exceptions to this rule, but overall, there is not a good reason to bring an infant on a plane. People USED TO sacrifice travel for a while in deference to others and their own children! I feel bad for those infants who are in obvious pain as the plane pressurizes. give them, and us, a break!
5. Arrange to sit with your children, do not foist them upon some poor, unsuspecting business traveler who then has to defend himself/herself from projectile vomiting, a precocious child, screaming, or getting his/her briefcase colored with bright crayons (happened to me).
Businessmen/Frequent Travelers:
1. You're not that important; get over yourself.
2. STOP treating everyone else like dirt, I probably have twice as many air miles as you, so learn to put up with the annoyances of traveling. I may not like these annoyances, but I do not sit around cussing at the top of my lungs about it.
3. STOP bringing everything you own on-board the plane and then berating the attendents when you cannot fit the steamer trunk, (just because it has wheels does not make it a rollerbag), that you brought, into the overhead bin. CHECK a bag, give everyone else a break.
4. GET OFF your cell phone when the attendent asks you to, and don't turn it on AS SOON as we are wheels down, calling someone and then proceeding to talk in as loud a voice as you can. NO ONE (and I mean no one) is so important that they cannot be out of touch for an hour or so.
5. STOP putting your stuff in my overhead bin!
6. DON'T assume that everyone else is interested in your phone and/or business conversation. If you are talking to someone, try to keep it below a level where others are kept awake by your self-absorbed nonsense.
Everyone:
1. BOARD when your group/seat/row is called, and DO NOT stand around the door to the jetbridge so that no one else can board the aircraft. There is a reason that the airline places a seat number on your ticket; this is so everyone HAS a seat. Yes, there are exceptions, but they are exceptions, OK?
2. Try to at least dress like you are traveling and not about to attend a National Homeless Convention. I know, I am being incredibly insensitive here, but there is nothing worse than being smashed into a seat next to a person who looks and smells like they have not seen a good bar of soap for a week or more. Its not cool; YOU STINK, so have some courtesy here. Also. women, could you at least put on enough clothing that you don't make the poor man sitting in the seat next to you so self-consious that he is uncomfortable the entire trip! Yes, the younger men (and many of the older) may find it stimulating, but those of us who are happily married, and simply wanting to get from point A to point B find it uncomfortable. If you want to dress inappropriately, wait til you land, and can do it where I am not sitting 8-10 inches from you! Also, both sexes: Lay off the perfume/cologne. There is nothing that is more painful than to be sitting next to someone who put their perfume on with a paintbrush!
3. GET OUT of the way when boarding the plane. Get to your seat and get out of the way! Why is it that everyone has to straighten out their seat, comb their hair, and ensure their bag is neatly packed while everyone else waits behind them?
4. TURN DOWN or OFF your PC speakers; better yet, get headphones.
5. If you cannot lift your bag into the overhead bin, then you should check it. STOP making everyone else feel obligated to help you lift the sixty pound behemoth that you packed into the overhead. Exceptions: Wives, if your husbands lift the bag into the bin, that is fine. If size, diability or age prevent you from being able to do so, then have an attendent help you. Otherwise, pack what you can carry, and carry what you pack!
6. TURN OFF all annoying ring tones that constantly go off as everyone is waiting to get off the plane.
7. AND, upon arriving at the gate, let the pilot turn off the 'Fasten Seat Belt' sign BEFORE you knock over the old woman in the row across from you, scrambling to ensure that you are off the place before everyone else. Also, sit on your butt if you know that others are trying to catch a connecting flight and you are at your destination!
There they are; a few suggestions/comments that will make traveling better for us all... Thanks, your traveling buddy, Ray!
So, here's a couple of suggestions/comments from me to you, you will recognize yourself, I do :-) Maybe you are in more than one group, so just read on!
Vacationers (and extremely infrequent travelers):
1. Please take time BEFORE you get to the TSA screening area to familiarize yourself with procedures for entering into the secured departure terminal. Do not stand at the X-Ray screening device and THEN begin to figure out what to do.
2. Just because you are on vacation DOES NOT mean that everyone else is, so please be efficient and prepared, OK? And DO NOT play twenty questions with every ticket agent, TSA agent, and/or gate agent that you encounter. If you see a line forming behind you, don't stand there discussing your travel destination. There is nothing wrong with doing this if the terminal is lightly loaded, but please refrain from this practice otherwise!
3. Some answers for you NOW (before you get to the screening area)
a. YES - You DO HAVE to place your purse on the X-ray belt to be screened.
b. YES - You SHOULD remove your shoes.
c. YES - If its metal put it in a plastic bin for screening.
d. NO - DO NOT put your ID and ticket in a plastic bin for screening, CARRY IT WITH YOU!
Parents:
1. Every one of your children DO NOT need a roller bag for the trip, gimme a break! What does a 5-year old have that requires a seperate roller bag? While this may placate the child, it also takes away space in the overhead bins for someone who actually needs a rollerbag.
2. Bring something to occupy your child, especially if they are a self-centered brat used to getting their own way! Everyone on the plan does not want to be serenaded with "I WANT A CRACKER" at the top of the child's lungs for a 3 hour period. Do not punish the rest of us for your lack of parenting skills!
3. DO NOT bring the largest stroller you can find and the complain about not being able to get it in the overhead.
4. DO NOT bring a newborn/infant on the plane. I know, Grandma wants to see her baby; let her fly down/up to see you. Flying hurts a baby's ears, which in turn has a tendency to hurt everyone else's ears. I know there are exceptions to this rule, but overall, there is not a good reason to bring an infant on a plane. People USED TO sacrifice travel for a while in deference to others and their own children! I feel bad for those infants who are in obvious pain as the plane pressurizes. give them, and us, a break!
5. Arrange to sit with your children, do not foist them upon some poor, unsuspecting business traveler who then has to defend himself/herself from projectile vomiting, a precocious child, screaming, or getting his/her briefcase colored with bright crayons (happened to me).
Businessmen/Frequent Travelers:
1. You're not that important; get over yourself.
2. STOP treating everyone else like dirt, I probably have twice as many air miles as you, so learn to put up with the annoyances of traveling. I may not like these annoyances, but I do not sit around cussing at the top of my lungs about it.
3. STOP bringing everything you own on-board the plane and then berating the attendents when you cannot fit the steamer trunk, (just because it has wheels does not make it a rollerbag), that you brought, into the overhead bin. CHECK a bag, give everyone else a break.
4. GET OFF your cell phone when the attendent asks you to, and don't turn it on AS SOON as we are wheels down, calling someone and then proceeding to talk in as loud a voice as you can. NO ONE (and I mean no one) is so important that they cannot be out of touch for an hour or so.
5. STOP putting your stuff in my overhead bin!
6. DON'T assume that everyone else is interested in your phone and/or business conversation. If you are talking to someone, try to keep it below a level where others are kept awake by your self-absorbed nonsense.
Everyone:
1. BOARD when your group/seat/row is called, and DO NOT stand around the door to the jetbridge so that no one else can board the aircraft. There is a reason that the airline places a seat number on your ticket; this is so everyone HAS a seat. Yes, there are exceptions, but they are exceptions, OK?
2. Try to at least dress like you are traveling and not about to attend a National Homeless Convention. I know, I am being incredibly insensitive here, but there is nothing worse than being smashed into a seat next to a person who looks and smells like they have not seen a good bar of soap for a week or more. Its not cool; YOU STINK, so have some courtesy here. Also. women, could you at least put on enough clothing that you don't make the poor man sitting in the seat next to you so self-consious that he is uncomfortable the entire trip! Yes, the younger men (and many of the older) may find it stimulating, but those of us who are happily married, and simply wanting to get from point A to point B find it uncomfortable. If you want to dress inappropriately, wait til you land, and can do it where I am not sitting 8-10 inches from you! Also, both sexes: Lay off the perfume/cologne. There is nothing that is more painful than to be sitting next to someone who put their perfume on with a paintbrush!
3. GET OUT of the way when boarding the plane. Get to your seat and get out of the way! Why is it that everyone has to straighten out their seat, comb their hair, and ensure their bag is neatly packed while everyone else waits behind them?
4. TURN DOWN or OFF your PC speakers; better yet, get headphones.
5. If you cannot lift your bag into the overhead bin, then you should check it. STOP making everyone else feel obligated to help you lift the sixty pound behemoth that you packed into the overhead. Exceptions: Wives, if your husbands lift the bag into the bin, that is fine. If size, diability or age prevent you from being able to do so, then have an attendent help you. Otherwise, pack what you can carry, and carry what you pack!
6. TURN OFF all annoying ring tones that constantly go off as everyone is waiting to get off the plane.
7. AND, upon arriving at the gate, let the pilot turn off the 'Fasten Seat Belt' sign BEFORE you knock over the old woman in the row across from you, scrambling to ensure that you are off the place before everyone else. Also, sit on your butt if you know that others are trying to catch a connecting flight and you are at your destination!
There they are; a few suggestions/comments that will make traveling better for us all... Thanks, your traveling buddy, Ray!
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Travel Part One
Is it just me, or are the major airlines really providing abysmally poor service? I travel almost every week, and consistently I have a poor experience.
This week, it took me ten hours for a two hour flight! I got to the airport bright and early, as instructed by the TSA, and found out that the airline had cancelled my flight, but somehow had failed to notify me after I checked on the flight from my home. (I live ten minutes from the airport).
Don't get me wrong; when I arrived, the ticket agent did his job, but the airline itself is consistently poor in its performance. The flight that I was scheduled on was cancelled because somewhere in the world there was poor weather the day before, and they could not get an aircraft to DFW to provide a flight. This goes along with the poor planning and scheduling that I experience weekly. DFW is the hub of American Airlines, and they cannot find an aircraft? I could understand this if it was an anomaly, but this is the standard operating procedure.
And EVERY time (for the last five trips) that we have arrived on AA in DFW, there has been a plane at our gate, regardless of whether we are early or late. So we sit, on the tarmac, waiting.
One of my favorite things is how the airline places the blame for departure delays on the passengers. During yesterday's debacle, after many of the passengers had waited in excess of six hours to catch this flight, as we boarded, we heard the flight attendent saying this: "We cannot move the plane back until everyone is seated, so please move to your seat and be seated." As if we were lollygagging about, joking and laughing! Somehow it is suddenly the passengers who are delaying the plane from rolling back! WHAT? I have been waiting for hours, so at least have the courtesy to let me get to my seat and get my stuff put away!
I mean, why does it take forty minutes for a major airline to turn a plane when Southwest can do it in twenty, and guess what, when I board a SW plane, it actually appears as though someone HAS cleaned it! Last week, after our forty minute wait (which was after an hour plus delay), my seatback and the one next to me had someone's lunch and newspapers in the pocket. So what were they doing for forty minutes?
Then we get on the plane, and the seats are so small that I literally cannot fit between the armrests (and no, I am not obese, I am 6'5", and about 245), and once I have gotten into the circulation-blocking seat, my knees are pressed against the seatback in front of me. The minute the flight leaves the ground, the person in front of me dutifully lays their seat back, causing me intense pain until I beg them to lean forward a bit.
The 'service' is, well, no much quite frankly. In order to save a few dollars, AA has now removed pillows, food, and anything else that was actually for the customers, and has become the modern Aeroflot (for those who flew this wonderful airline, you know what I mean). The attendents are misnamed, they are quite often inattentive, and while it used to be the norm, it is now a welcome change to get a flight crew who seems to care.
I understand that the flight attendents have a lot to deal with as well, but is it too much to be at least courteous? I think not. Everyone at the airline seems to have adopted the 'I am going to do my job and very little else' attitude. Ticket agents are not friendly, merely functional. Gate agents are a bit better, and, to be fair, there are always those shining examples of wonderful service as well, but they are becoming more and more rare, and I fear that they will become extinct in a few years.
And here is the kicker! I paid 1500 for my last flight! So, it is not like the fares are properly priced for the bare-bones service that is received. And, of course, lets blame the price of gas etc etc etc, yet I paid this price before the gas situation!
I am just venting, but I am so sick of this type of service that I am about to cancel my AA cards, and simply fly an airline that wants my business, and I know of several that I have had consistently good service on, such as AirTran, and Jet Blue. (I know, I have a few horror stories about these as well, but the key word is CONSISTENTLY)
Part Two will allow me to vent about the passengers... :-)
P.S. My entire family has worked for, or does work for American Airlines or another major carrier, so I understand those frustrations as well, but I truly believe that the service has reached an all-time low, as has morale...
This week, it took me ten hours for a two hour flight! I got to the airport bright and early, as instructed by the TSA, and found out that the airline had cancelled my flight, but somehow had failed to notify me after I checked on the flight from my home. (I live ten minutes from the airport).
Don't get me wrong; when I arrived, the ticket agent did his job, but the airline itself is consistently poor in its performance. The flight that I was scheduled on was cancelled because somewhere in the world there was poor weather the day before, and they could not get an aircraft to DFW to provide a flight. This goes along with the poor planning and scheduling that I experience weekly. DFW is the hub of American Airlines, and they cannot find an aircraft? I could understand this if it was an anomaly, but this is the standard operating procedure.
And EVERY time (for the last five trips) that we have arrived on AA in DFW, there has been a plane at our gate, regardless of whether we are early or late. So we sit, on the tarmac, waiting.
One of my favorite things is how the airline places the blame for departure delays on the passengers. During yesterday's debacle, after many of the passengers had waited in excess of six hours to catch this flight, as we boarded, we heard the flight attendent saying this: "We cannot move the plane back until everyone is seated, so please move to your seat and be seated." As if we were lollygagging about, joking and laughing! Somehow it is suddenly the passengers who are delaying the plane from rolling back! WHAT? I have been waiting for hours, so at least have the courtesy to let me get to my seat and get my stuff put away!
I mean, why does it take forty minutes for a major airline to turn a plane when Southwest can do it in twenty, and guess what, when I board a SW plane, it actually appears as though someone HAS cleaned it! Last week, after our forty minute wait (which was after an hour plus delay), my seatback and the one next to me had someone's lunch and newspapers in the pocket. So what were they doing for forty minutes?
Then we get on the plane, and the seats are so small that I literally cannot fit between the armrests (and no, I am not obese, I am 6'5", and about 245), and once I have gotten into the circulation-blocking seat, my knees are pressed against the seatback in front of me. The minute the flight leaves the ground, the person in front of me dutifully lays their seat back, causing me intense pain until I beg them to lean forward a bit.
The 'service' is, well, no much quite frankly. In order to save a few dollars, AA has now removed pillows, food, and anything else that was actually for the customers, and has become the modern Aeroflot (for those who flew this wonderful airline, you know what I mean). The attendents are misnamed, they are quite often inattentive, and while it used to be the norm, it is now a welcome change to get a flight crew who seems to care.
I understand that the flight attendents have a lot to deal with as well, but is it too much to be at least courteous? I think not. Everyone at the airline seems to have adopted the 'I am going to do my job and very little else' attitude. Ticket agents are not friendly, merely functional. Gate agents are a bit better, and, to be fair, there are always those shining examples of wonderful service as well, but they are becoming more and more rare, and I fear that they will become extinct in a few years.
And here is the kicker! I paid 1500 for my last flight! So, it is not like the fares are properly priced for the bare-bones service that is received. And, of course, lets blame the price of gas etc etc etc, yet I paid this price before the gas situation!
I am just venting, but I am so sick of this type of service that I am about to cancel my AA cards, and simply fly an airline that wants my business, and I know of several that I have had consistently good service on, such as AirTran, and Jet Blue. (I know, I have a few horror stories about these as well, but the key word is CONSISTENTLY)
Part Two will allow me to vent about the passengers... :-)
P.S. My entire family has worked for, or does work for American Airlines or another major carrier, so I understand those frustrations as well, but I truly believe that the service has reached an all-time low, as has morale...
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