The fourth commandment is “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8). The explanation for this rule is that God worked six days, then rested on the seventh day setting it apart as holy. God didn’t rest because he was tired. God rested to set an example for us. When we pause to rest and reflect, we are reminded that we are not “self made men.” We work in cooperation with God’s plans and purposes for us in life. But in rest we are reminded that “every good and perfect gift comes from above” (James 1:17).
In school we learned about setting margins and properly using margins when writing papers. A professor in one of my doctoral seminars had a reputation for using a ruler when grading papers to make sure that submissions had “legal margins.” Margins make the paper readable. They help the eye move easily along the page. But some people live their lives like papers written single space without margins. They fill their lives with so much activity that they have no room for rest and reflection. They forget that we are human BEings, not human DOings.
So take a break. Learn to say no. Prioritize according to your convictions. I believe it’s better to do nothing than to do something you don’t believe in. Rest and reflect. Creativity does not come from margin-less living. Time is the most precious commodity we possess. Plan how you will use it, or someone else will. Above all, make time for God. When you spend time with God you will be reminded of his greatness and his blessings. And you’ll become aware of his help every day.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Love is and Orientation
When the Supreme Court of Iowa ruled 5-0 that same sex marriage was constitutional, many pastors like me were sent on a quest to understand the issue at hand. By the providence of God, Scot McKnight had reviewed a book titled Love is an Orientation by Andrew Marin. One click later, I was in business.
Marin is a straight, conservative evangelical who began his quest years ago when three of his closest friends came out to him. That series of events led him down a path which would eventually lead him to live in the Boystown Neighborhood of North Chicago with his wife and children.
Marin does a superb job helping the reader understand something about same sex orientation. He offers some statistical insights that provide clarity. For example, Marin suggests that anywhere from 1% to 7% of the American population is gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, or transgender (GLBT). He goes on to report that according to his research only 7% to 15% of the GLBT community claim to have experienced some form of sexual abuse as a child. The average age of a person who becomes aware of same sex orientation in America is 13, and the average age of their going public with that information is 15.
An African American friend of mine says that prejudice is “being down on what you’re not up on.” As I read the book I couldn’t help but reflect on my own experiences ministering to the gay and lesbian community of urban St. Louis. As I think back, my pitiful offerings were gracious, but not helpful. The young men I remember in particular were deeply conflicted as the wrestled with their same sex attraction and their open Bibles.
The book reflects Marin’s ongoing conversation with the Gay and Lesbian community, including the formal and informal research he has conducted. His ministry has resulted in the establishment of a foundation as well as the publication of this book. Love is an Orientation serves its readers in several meaningful ways.
I appreciate that the author took time to help his readers understand the theology of those who claim to possess Christian faith and same sex attraction. Marin does so by dealing with the five major passages in the Bible: Genesis 19 (Sodom and Gomorrah); Leviticus 18:27, 20:13 (The Holiness Code); Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; and 1 Timothy 1:9-11. The GLBT community does not interpret these passages as being directed toward those in loving monogamous relationships. In the case of Paul, they interpret the prohibitions as condemnations of the practice of pederasty and prostitution. The silence of Jesus on the subject is also given significant consideration. While this is beneficial, Marin does not address Catholic theology regarding sexuality as it relates to procreation. Neither does he mention the bride and groom imagery in the New Testament between Christ and his Church.
The book is not an apologetic or a defense of same sex orientation. Rather, Marin’s goal is to provide guidance to the Christian community so that their response is appropriate and compassionate. Admittedly, the response of the “Church” has been anemic at best. For decades the “Church” has gripped the pew and closed her eyes tightly hoping that the issue would not come to their doorsteps.
In order to engage in meaningful conversation with the GLBT community, Marin challenges the Christian community to overcome two things. First, he invites the Church to step out of its entrenched position that same sex orientation is a choice and consider the possibility that natural same sex orientation does exist. He does not see this as the same as saying God created same sex orientated people.
The second challenge the church must overcome is to realize that it’s not their job to “fix” GLBT persons. He reminds us that we are to love all people, regardless of their orientation, and let God be God. Marin relates a story from the presidency of Bill Clinton. After the Monica Lewinksi story broke in the media, Billy Graham went to visit the President. After their conversation, Billy Graham was publicly criticized for going to visit and pray with President Clinton. Dr. Graham’s response was simple and to the point. Graham said, “It is God’s job to judge and the Holy Spirit’s job to convict. My job is to love.”
The subtitle of the book is “elevating the conversation with the gay community.” This is clearly the author’s goal. He points out that Jesus was asked 25 closed ended questions seeking a definite yes or no during his ministry, yet only responded to 1 question with a closed ended answer. If Christians are going to engage the GLBT community, they are going to have to shift from closed conversation to a more open dialogue. He challenges Christians to dialogue, discuss, learn, love, and ultimately leave the results to God. No one can experience transformation apart from God, and Marin suggests that believers have become obstacles by demanding transformation prior to engagement. Do we trust God enough to love as he loved, and leave the results to him?
I highly recommend Love is an Orientation. It could be one of the most important books published this year.
Marin is a straight, conservative evangelical who began his quest years ago when three of his closest friends came out to him. That series of events led him down a path which would eventually lead him to live in the Boystown Neighborhood of North Chicago with his wife and children.
Marin does a superb job helping the reader understand something about same sex orientation. He offers some statistical insights that provide clarity. For example, Marin suggests that anywhere from 1% to 7% of the American population is gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, or transgender (GLBT). He goes on to report that according to his research only 7% to 15% of the GLBT community claim to have experienced some form of sexual abuse as a child. The average age of a person who becomes aware of same sex orientation in America is 13, and the average age of their going public with that information is 15.
An African American friend of mine says that prejudice is “being down on what you’re not up on.” As I read the book I couldn’t help but reflect on my own experiences ministering to the gay and lesbian community of urban St. Louis. As I think back, my pitiful offerings were gracious, but not helpful. The young men I remember in particular were deeply conflicted as the wrestled with their same sex attraction and their open Bibles.
The book reflects Marin’s ongoing conversation with the Gay and Lesbian community, including the formal and informal research he has conducted. His ministry has resulted in the establishment of a foundation as well as the publication of this book. Love is an Orientation serves its readers in several meaningful ways.
I appreciate that the author took time to help his readers understand the theology of those who claim to possess Christian faith and same sex attraction. Marin does so by dealing with the five major passages in the Bible: Genesis 19 (Sodom and Gomorrah); Leviticus 18:27, 20:13 (The Holiness Code); Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; and 1 Timothy 1:9-11. The GLBT community does not interpret these passages as being directed toward those in loving monogamous relationships. In the case of Paul, they interpret the prohibitions as condemnations of the practice of pederasty and prostitution. The silence of Jesus on the subject is also given significant consideration. While this is beneficial, Marin does not address Catholic theology regarding sexuality as it relates to procreation. Neither does he mention the bride and groom imagery in the New Testament between Christ and his Church.
The book is not an apologetic or a defense of same sex orientation. Rather, Marin’s goal is to provide guidance to the Christian community so that their response is appropriate and compassionate. Admittedly, the response of the “Church” has been anemic at best. For decades the “Church” has gripped the pew and closed her eyes tightly hoping that the issue would not come to their doorsteps.
In order to engage in meaningful conversation with the GLBT community, Marin challenges the Christian community to overcome two things. First, he invites the Church to step out of its entrenched position that same sex orientation is a choice and consider the possibility that natural same sex orientation does exist. He does not see this as the same as saying God created same sex orientated people.
The second challenge the church must overcome is to realize that it’s not their job to “fix” GLBT persons. He reminds us that we are to love all people, regardless of their orientation, and let God be God. Marin relates a story from the presidency of Bill Clinton. After the Monica Lewinksi story broke in the media, Billy Graham went to visit the President. After their conversation, Billy Graham was publicly criticized for going to visit and pray with President Clinton. Dr. Graham’s response was simple and to the point. Graham said, “It is God’s job to judge and the Holy Spirit’s job to convict. My job is to love.”
The subtitle of the book is “elevating the conversation with the gay community.” This is clearly the author’s goal. He points out that Jesus was asked 25 closed ended questions seeking a definite yes or no during his ministry, yet only responded to 1 question with a closed ended answer. If Christians are going to engage the GLBT community, they are going to have to shift from closed conversation to a more open dialogue. He challenges Christians to dialogue, discuss, learn, love, and ultimately leave the results to God. No one can experience transformation apart from God, and Marin suggests that believers have become obstacles by demanding transformation prior to engagement. Do we trust God enough to love as he loved, and leave the results to him?
I highly recommend Love is an Orientation. It could be one of the most important books published this year.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Posts for My Graduate #3
Exodus 20:7 says, “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God.” Older translations put it like this, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” I think a lot of people look at the third commandment and assume that it means that we shouldn’t cuss or use profanity. The apostle Paul talks about how the nature of our language is to reflect the nature of Christ who lives within us (Ephesians 4:29). Profanity and vulgar speech is not appropriate. It reveals a lack of a grasp of the English language. But the third commandment isn’t about cussin’.
When God told the Israelites not to misuse his name, he was referring devaluing the holy name of God. The command was given in response to the practice that people had of taking oaths or swearing in the name of God to bolster their own character and integrity. Every time they used God’s name in vain, they caused the name of God to be depreciated. God’s holy name was and is to be reverenced. God's name is not just a label. It's an expression of his character.
When I was a kid, people would say things like “I swear on a stack of Bibles” or “I swear to God” to try to persuade others of their sincerity and honesty. Sometimes kids would say “I swear on my mother’s grave” or even “cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.” The kids that said those things were usually the kids who were the biggest liars in school.
The lesson here is that we are to be persons of such high character that we need not to invoke the name of God in order to be believable. If you are a person of character, you’re believable. If you’re not a person of character, you may try to use God’s name to make you appear to be something you’re not.
When Jesus got to earth, he restated the command this way, “Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one” (Matthew 5:37). What a great goal! Have such good character that people take your words at face value.
When God told the Israelites not to misuse his name, he was referring devaluing the holy name of God. The command was given in response to the practice that people had of taking oaths or swearing in the name of God to bolster their own character and integrity. Every time they used God’s name in vain, they caused the name of God to be depreciated. God’s holy name was and is to be reverenced. God's name is not just a label. It's an expression of his character.
When I was a kid, people would say things like “I swear on a stack of Bibles” or “I swear to God” to try to persuade others of their sincerity and honesty. Sometimes kids would say “I swear on my mother’s grave” or even “cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.” The kids that said those things were usually the kids who were the biggest liars in school.
The lesson here is that we are to be persons of such high character that we need not to invoke the name of God in order to be believable. If you are a person of character, you’re believable. If you’re not a person of character, you may try to use God’s name to make you appear to be something you’re not.
When Jesus got to earth, he restated the command this way, “Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one” (Matthew 5:37). What a great goal! Have such good character that people take your words at face value.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Posts for My Graduate #2
The second command is found in Exodus 20:4. This one tells you that you are not to engage in idolatry. The Bible says, “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.”
The Old Testament reports that the Israelites actually did make statues and images that they carried around, bowed before, and tangibly worshipped through sacrifices and offerings. That sounds weird, but it’s true. Our 21st century idols are a little more sophisticated and much more subtle. We may not bow before images, but think of the power of “image” in the world. Most everyone has an image they want to present. Image is expressed in what we wear, where we eat and the media we consume. What we drive and where we live also conveys our image. Our 21st century idols are celebrities, politicians, athletes, artists, and musicians. People look toward the pretty and the powerful and pattern their lives after them. Think of the power of their endorsements in advertising.
When we enthrone God as the supreme affection of our lives, we need to make sure we get worship right. Worship is our appropriate response to God’s self disclosure. When God is first, worship is the natural response. The problem with idols and images is they bring us to lower level living. The Bible warns that those who make idols become like the idols they make (Psalm 135:18). We become like whatever we worship.
The Old Testament reports that the Israelites actually did make statues and images that they carried around, bowed before, and tangibly worshipped through sacrifices and offerings. That sounds weird, but it’s true. Our 21st century idols are a little more sophisticated and much more subtle. We may not bow before images, but think of the power of “image” in the world. Most everyone has an image they want to present. Image is expressed in what we wear, where we eat and the media we consume. What we drive and where we live also conveys our image. Our 21st century idols are celebrities, politicians, athletes, artists, and musicians. People look toward the pretty and the powerful and pattern their lives after them. Think of the power of their endorsements in advertising.
When we enthrone God as the supreme affection of our lives, we need to make sure we get worship right. Worship is our appropriate response to God’s self disclosure. When God is first, worship is the natural response. The problem with idols and images is they bring us to lower level living. The Bible warns that those who make idols become like the idols they make (Psalm 135:18). We become like whatever we worship.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Posts for My Graduate
For the last 25 years I’ve been offering advice to high school graduates. Those words seem a little shallow now that I have my very own high school senior preparing to cross the stage. I hope the words that I have shared over the past 18+ years have some way stuck in your mind. Nonetheless I feel compelled to offer some thoughts on your tomorrow and the tomorrows that will follow after that.
As I was thinking about words that I wanted to offer, my mind was drawn to the Ten Commandments. I know you know God’s Top Ten, but I want to give you a little different perspective on them. Hopefully, these words will encourage you in God-ward directions as long as you live.
Commandment 1: Establish God as Your Ultimate Priority in Life
“You must have no other God but me.” (Exodus 20:3, NLT)
This command is first for a reason. It’s not just first in a list, it’s first in importance. Unless God is first, the rest of the list is nothing more than a moral compass. What does it mean to make God first? It means that God must be the recipient of your ultimate devotion and service. The command clarifies that God is not the highest among competing affections, but the uncontested affection of your life.
Jesus talks about how our love for family, friends, and self should appear as hate when compared to the surpassing love we display to God (Luke 14:26). But the love we have for ourselves and our stuff is pretty strong.
Proverbs 1:7 says that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” When the fear of God is absent from your life, you become a slave to lesser fears. But when God is the environment of your life (Col. 3:1-4), and when you establish him as supreme (Colossians 1:18), you’ll be surprised how much sense the rest of the list makes sense. And life too, for that matter.
As I was thinking about words that I wanted to offer, my mind was drawn to the Ten Commandments. I know you know God’s Top Ten, but I want to give you a little different perspective on them. Hopefully, these words will encourage you in God-ward directions as long as you live.
Commandment 1: Establish God as Your Ultimate Priority in Life
“You must have no other God but me.” (Exodus 20:3, NLT)
This command is first for a reason. It’s not just first in a list, it’s first in importance. Unless God is first, the rest of the list is nothing more than a moral compass. What does it mean to make God first? It means that God must be the recipient of your ultimate devotion and service. The command clarifies that God is not the highest among competing affections, but the uncontested affection of your life.
Jesus talks about how our love for family, friends, and self should appear as hate when compared to the surpassing love we display to God (Luke 14:26). But the love we have for ourselves and our stuff is pretty strong.
Proverbs 1:7 says that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” When the fear of God is absent from your life, you become a slave to lesser fears. But when God is the environment of your life (Col. 3:1-4), and when you establish him as supreme (Colossians 1:18), you’ll be surprised how much sense the rest of the list makes sense. And life too, for that matter.
Visit Brent Clark's New Blog
Let me encourage you to take a moment to check out the new blog by Brent Clark. Brent and I have worked together for about four years in two different churches. He's been a great blessing and I enjoy working with Brent each day. Brent is a thoughtful and committed brother in Christ, and I commend his random thinking to you! Check him out at www.brentaclark.com.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Monday, May 18, 2009
The Omnipresence of God
I had never really esteemed Grover to be a theologian, but this classic sketch from Sesame Street reminds me of how we perceive the presence of God. Sometimes he is near and sometimes he is far. Truth be known, the average Christ follower would consider God to be far more often than near. Our struggle in identifying the presence of God is compounded by the way we use language. For example, we talk about God on his throne, being filled with the Spirit, and Jesus living in our hearts.
There are no adequate illustrations for God and his attributes. But we can benefit from helpful analogies. For instance, I went to my daughter’s soccer game on Saturday. It was sunny and windy. As I watched the game, I was constantly aware of the presence of air through the wind. Generally I don’t spend a lot of time contemplating air. I know it’s continually there, but unless the air is moving I don’t think much about it. Just because I don’t feel the presence of air doesn’t mean it isn’t present at all times. We cannot go where God is not. God is totally above us, presiding. God is totally beneath us, sustaining. God is totally within us, filling. God is always present with all he is. He cannot be contained or confined.
David marveled at the infinite presence of God in the world. Even more, he was amazed at God’s presence in his life. David expressed his thoughts through poetry in Psalm 139:7-12. In that paragraph David affirmed the presence of God in the midst of three of our most fearful moments: death, distance, and darkness. Those three things in some way relate to the fears that grip our lives. In each of those moments, God is near.
Consider the following listing of Scriptures that affirm God’s presence in our lives. Whether it be a time of crisis or a time of discouragement, God is near. When we suffer, when we’re tempted, or when we wrestle with uncertainty and insecurity, God is near. The Bible affirms that God is present. He is near whether we recognize his presence or not.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Hebrews 13:5
Isaiah 42:1-3
Psalm 34:18
Psalm 22:1-2
Matthew 28:20
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