Last week I was out on a spiritual retreat and found myself flipping through one of my old Bibles -- my main Bible from December 1995 until about 2003. I have so much scrawled in the margins of that one. Eventually the binding fell apart completely. The cover is strictly optional now and everything from Galatians on is a pull-out section for everyone who prefers the abridged version of the New Testament. So I felt compelled to retire it and pick up a newer and thinner version. The old one will never be tossed though because it's like a second diary from those years. (Yes, I keep a diary. Does admitting that and that I have a man-crush on Keith Urban warrant a punch in my man card? I hope not.)
Well, in reading it last week I came across something kind of interesting that I picked up somewhere along the way. No idea where I got it or who said it/wrote it. But it's thought-provoking, so enjoy.
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Christian community has three essential components:
T = Truth
A = Accountability
F = Fellowship
If you have A and F, but no T, you are a cult
If you have T and A, but no F, you are a seminary
If you T and F, but no A, you are like most Protestant churches today.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Christian Art
Something else Derek mentioned was how Christians don't really support art and artists anymore. I agree with him on this. Art has become the domain of the liberal non-believer -- the rejector of "organized religion". Why? When did this shift happen? It didn't use to be this way. It used to be that the best art in the world was coming from the church and reflected Christian themes: the Sistine Chapel, St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, Rembrandt's "Return of the Prodigal Son", Handel's "Messiah". Nowadays, what little we produce is noticably inferior to what the world has to offer.
I remember becoming a Christian in 1994, when I was 18 and listening mostly to Nine Inch Nails and Smashing Pumpkins. I asked what music Christians listened to that was similar to this and they gave me "Petra". Now, apologies to those of you who like Petra and grew up with them, but it sucked. Fortunately, DC Talk's "Jesus Freak" and Jars of Clay's self-titled album came out soon after and that was decent stuff. Now there are a few good Christian groups out there -- stuff that rivals what the world has to offer. But our movie-making still pales in comparison to the world's (though the Narnia movie was a step in the right direction) and I haven't seen any Christian entry into the painting/drawing world that deserves mention.
There's no reason for this though. As a church we need to start promoting, supporting and encouraging Christian artists to do their thing -- because Christ is honored when we use the gifts he gives us. (Conversely, I believe Christ is dishonored when Christians produce junk and still implore us to buy it simply because it's "Christian")
Art is and always will be a powerful medium for communicating ideas. So let's take back some ground. But more than that, let's just make beautiful stuff because it pleases and honors him.
There is, of course, another issue involving the theme of art produced by Christians and I'd be remiss not to address this a bit too. Derek pointed out that Christian art usually only reflects the most spiritual 2% of Christian life, so that even if it's good, non-believers and even many Christians can't relate to it at all. If, especially as a Christian musician, you dare make music that doesn't talk about Jesus or isn't worship music, you can very quickly be branded a sell-out or backslider. People will question your faith and/or your motives. Why can't a Christian produce a really great album that never mentions Christ's name and that not still bring Him glory? I think it can and does. Non-Christians produced a lot of the great stuff I mentioned above -- most people argue that Rembrandt wasn't really a Christian but just did all that great work because of the commissions. Generally we're OK with that because, well, it's high quality work. Can't we be OK if a genuine Christian produces something beautiful that isn't overtly Christian. Is God less pleased with such a thing? I refer back to my original statements: God does enjoy beauty for beauty's sake, because it ultimately reflects back on Him. Nature itself is the most amazing work of art and it's message (that there is a God and he's amazing) is also subtle enough for many millions to miss.
God gives creative gifts. We know this because we are made in his image and he's a creator God (see Genesis 1). So let's create. Let's use the gifts he's given us -- and celebrate those among us with special talents in that area -- even when they write a song about a girl, paint an abstract or sculpt something undecipherable to you and me.
I remember becoming a Christian in 1994, when I was 18 and listening mostly to Nine Inch Nails and Smashing Pumpkins. I asked what music Christians listened to that was similar to this and they gave me "Petra". Now, apologies to those of you who like Petra and grew up with them, but it sucked. Fortunately, DC Talk's "Jesus Freak" and Jars of Clay's self-titled album came out soon after and that was decent stuff. Now there are a few good Christian groups out there -- stuff that rivals what the world has to offer. But our movie-making still pales in comparison to the world's (though the Narnia movie was a step in the right direction) and I haven't seen any Christian entry into the painting/drawing world that deserves mention.
There's no reason for this though. As a church we need to start promoting, supporting and encouraging Christian artists to do their thing -- because Christ is honored when we use the gifts he gives us. (Conversely, I believe Christ is dishonored when Christians produce junk and still implore us to buy it simply because it's "Christian")
Art is and always will be a powerful medium for communicating ideas. So let's take back some ground. But more than that, let's just make beautiful stuff because it pleases and honors him.
There is, of course, another issue involving the theme of art produced by Christians and I'd be remiss not to address this a bit too. Derek pointed out that Christian art usually only reflects the most spiritual 2% of Christian life, so that even if it's good, non-believers and even many Christians can't relate to it at all. If, especially as a Christian musician, you dare make music that doesn't talk about Jesus or isn't worship music, you can very quickly be branded a sell-out or backslider. People will question your faith and/or your motives. Why can't a Christian produce a really great album that never mentions Christ's name and that not still bring Him glory? I think it can and does. Non-Christians produced a lot of the great stuff I mentioned above -- most people argue that Rembrandt wasn't really a Christian but just did all that great work because of the commissions. Generally we're OK with that because, well, it's high quality work. Can't we be OK if a genuine Christian produces something beautiful that isn't overtly Christian. Is God less pleased with such a thing? I refer back to my original statements: God does enjoy beauty for beauty's sake, because it ultimately reflects back on Him. Nature itself is the most amazing work of art and it's message (that there is a God and he's amazing) is also subtle enough for many millions to miss.
God gives creative gifts. We know this because we are made in his image and he's a creator God (see Genesis 1). So let's create. Let's use the gifts he's given us -- and celebrate those among us with special talents in that area -- even when they write a song about a girl, paint an abstract or sculpt something undecipherable to you and me.
For or Against?
Saw Derek Webb in concert last night. I've seen him four or five times in Caedmon's Call, but never before as a solo artist, which he's been since 2003. I've always loved his stuff and thought that the best CC songs were always the ones he wrote. His latest album is an excellent addition to his catalog. He's a brilliant lyricist.
As I'd expected (and hoped for) he talked a fair amount between songs last night. I appreciated what he had to say to set up each song and let us know what was on his mind when he wrote it. In introducing a song called "My Enemies Are Men Like Me" he talked about something that really struck a chord with me...
He pointed out that Christians are often most outspoken about -- and known for -- what they are against. They are: against immorality, against the devil, against blatant sin, against abortion, against gay marriage, against stem cell research, etc. etc. Would it not be better, he asked, if they were just as outspoken about what they were FOR. Because Christians are: for loving their neighbors, for hope for the hopeless, for freedom from bondage and oppression, for prodigals returning home, for protecting widows and orphans.
If the world regarded Christians more for what we are in favor of and less for what we are against, wouldn't the world be more inclined to become like us?
So I'm now totally against people who are always against stuff.
I write this with intentional irony, because I saw much of myself in Derek's words. This last week I was thinking about what I've put on this blog and what I intend to put on here in the future and it occurred to me that a lot of it is ... well, I don't know how to describe it. It's not negative per se, but it's mostly about pointing out how things aren't quite what they ought to be. I wasn't able to really put my finger on what it was that was bugging me until last night. I realized that I'm a person who is against a lot of things -- especially against things in the church that I think are off the mark. I've never been shy about calling it like I see it (sometimes to the consternation of my supporters!) While I think that can be a useful habit and sometimes even a gift, it can also very easily make me into a complainer or pessimist.
I think it's time for me to focus more on being FOR some good things than so much against some bad things: in my heart, in my tongue and at my fingertips.
But first I have to really discern what I am "for". I haven't thought like that in a while. So, while I figure that out I'll get two more "issues" off my chest. :-)
Stay tuned...
As I'd expected (and hoped for) he talked a fair amount between songs last night. I appreciated what he had to say to set up each song and let us know what was on his mind when he wrote it. In introducing a song called "My Enemies Are Men Like Me" he talked about something that really struck a chord with me...
He pointed out that Christians are often most outspoken about -- and known for -- what they are against. They are: against immorality, against the devil, against blatant sin, against abortion, against gay marriage, against stem cell research, etc. etc. Would it not be better, he asked, if they were just as outspoken about what they were FOR. Because Christians are: for loving their neighbors, for hope for the hopeless, for freedom from bondage and oppression, for prodigals returning home, for protecting widows and orphans.
If the world regarded Christians more for what we are in favor of and less for what we are against, wouldn't the world be more inclined to become like us?
So I'm now totally against people who are always against stuff.
I write this with intentional irony, because I saw much of myself in Derek's words. This last week I was thinking about what I've put on this blog and what I intend to put on here in the future and it occurred to me that a lot of it is ... well, I don't know how to describe it. It's not negative per se, but it's mostly about pointing out how things aren't quite what they ought to be. I wasn't able to really put my finger on what it was that was bugging me until last night. I realized that I'm a person who is against a lot of things -- especially against things in the church that I think are off the mark. I've never been shy about calling it like I see it (sometimes to the consternation of my supporters!) While I think that can be a useful habit and sometimes even a gift, it can also very easily make me into a complainer or pessimist.
I think it's time for me to focus more on being FOR some good things than so much against some bad things: in my heart, in my tongue and at my fingertips.
But first I have to really discern what I am "for". I haven't thought like that in a while. So, while I figure that out I'll get two more "issues" off my chest. :-)
Stay tuned...
Saturday, July 15, 2006
My New Bible
For my birthday this year I asked for a new Bible. I'm not the type to want to have 37 different versions of the Bible gathering dust on my shelf, particularly since I'm constantly aware in my ministry of whole people groups who have no Bible at all, so it's unusual that I'd ask for a new one.
The one I asked for (and got) is "The Narrated Bible in Chronological Order (NIV)", edited by F. LaGard Smith. The title is pretty self-explanatory -- the whole Bible rearranged so that items are placed in their historical context and laid out in the order in which they took place. So Psalms are interspersed with passages from 1 Samuel and 1 Chronicles and the Gospels are all mixed in with each other, for two examples.
I love it. It's really renewed my enthusiasm for reading the Word. Yes, you lose some of the uniqueness of the individual author and his intended audience, but someone like me gains a lot of perspective and context which makes it all a little clearer for me. I'm a history guy -- I enjoy thinking linearly and finding structure in things. The Bible has often defied those traits ... until now. I feel like this has already helped me understand God better, and I expect only to continue as I get further along.
Bottom line though -- anything that gets me into the Word more is a good thing.
P.S. Thanks to Doug & Sharon Jordan in Vienna, Austria who left a copy of this Bible in their bathroom for me to pick up and look at during one of my "visits".
The one I asked for (and got) is "The Narrated Bible in Chronological Order (NIV)", edited by F. LaGard Smith. The title is pretty self-explanatory -- the whole Bible rearranged so that items are placed in their historical context and laid out in the order in which they took place. So Psalms are interspersed with passages from 1 Samuel and 1 Chronicles and the Gospels are all mixed in with each other, for two examples.
I love it. It's really renewed my enthusiasm for reading the Word. Yes, you lose some of the uniqueness of the individual author and his intended audience, but someone like me gains a lot of perspective and context which makes it all a little clearer for me. I'm a history guy -- I enjoy thinking linearly and finding structure in things. The Bible has often defied those traits ... until now. I feel like this has already helped me understand God better, and I expect only to continue as I get further along.
Bottom line though -- anything that gets me into the Word more is a good thing.
P.S. Thanks to Doug & Sharon Jordan in Vienna, Austria who left a copy of this Bible in their bathroom for me to pick up and look at during one of my "visits".
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Injustice, Gators Galore and the Wisdom of Children
So Naomi got a taste of injustice last week. While on the way home from a field trip one of the boys was repeatedly pestering the children seated behind him. In order to get his attention as he continuously ignored her command that he stop and turn back around, she tapped the eight year old on the knee. The child reported to his parents that Naomi had hit her and two days later she was fired for "fighting or related conduct resulting in physical contact".
What lessons are we teaching these kids? That there's no difference between tapping a disobedient child on the knee and a brawl? (That's rich since this is a domestic violence shelter). Or that the child who wants to get rid of an adult supervisor need only accuse that person of hitting him/her? In an age when parents are increasingly passing the responsibility of disciplining their children over to teachers and daycase workers, the laws are preventing these people from doing that. Kids today are untouchable and have been given free-reign to do whatever they want. The word of a child is always taken above that of an adult and adults have virtually no rights when it comes to a dispute involving a child. We're going to raise children with a sense of entitlement, invincibility and the conviction that they are always right and that's going to make a mess of them.
Gators Galore... What better way to escape the depressing circumstances of last week than with a quick vacation in southern Florida! My parents joined Naomi and I for a Red Sox-Marlins game on Saturday night in Miami (Red Sox won 11-5 with two homers each from Papi and Manny) and then Sunday we explored the Keys, stopping for a morning for snorkeling in Key Largo and then heading out to Key West. On the way back to Sarasota on Monday we drove on US-41 across the Everglades and Big Cypress National Park. Our hope was to see at least one live, in-the-wild gator. Instead we saw about 50, including two that we got about 15 feet away from. (I have some nice pictures). We also saw a ton of fiddler crabs, a raccoon, a couple loggerhead turtles, a baby snapping turtle and giant grasshoppers. It was a fun trip. I definitely recommend exploring the 'Glades.
The Wisdom of Children... Yesterday we were in Sarasota at my parents' place. I was watching the Italy-Germany soccer game with my niece, Katie, who is 8 years old. She had a number of questions about the game and players, but the last of these really struck me. She said, "What do they get if they win?" I told her they'd play one more game and the winner of that game gets, well, a trophy. "Oh", she replied, unimpressed. Yeah, a trophy. And not a particularly big one. And there's only one even though the team has about 20 guys on it. So the trophy really isn't that great. Basically, the real prize is being able to say "I won the World Cup". But that only has meaning because somewhere along the way someone decided it was cool. The winner of the World Cup really doesn't get anything at all. Just bragging rights amongst people for whom that matters. It's all very arbitrary when you think about it. Maybe it'd be better to compete for something that has intrinsic value. I'll think about that more beginning on Sunday at about 6pm.
What lessons are we teaching these kids? That there's no difference between tapping a disobedient child on the knee and a brawl? (That's rich since this is a domestic violence shelter). Or that the child who wants to get rid of an adult supervisor need only accuse that person of hitting him/her? In an age when parents are increasingly passing the responsibility of disciplining their children over to teachers and daycase workers, the laws are preventing these people from doing that. Kids today are untouchable and have been given free-reign to do whatever they want. The word of a child is always taken above that of an adult and adults have virtually no rights when it comes to a dispute involving a child. We're going to raise children with a sense of entitlement, invincibility and the conviction that they are always right and that's going to make a mess of them.
Gators Galore... What better way to escape the depressing circumstances of last week than with a quick vacation in southern Florida! My parents joined Naomi and I for a Red Sox-Marlins game on Saturday night in Miami (Red Sox won 11-5 with two homers each from Papi and Manny) and then Sunday we explored the Keys, stopping for a morning for snorkeling in Key Largo and then heading out to Key West. On the way back to Sarasota on Monday we drove on US-41 across the Everglades and Big Cypress National Park. Our hope was to see at least one live, in-the-wild gator. Instead we saw about 50, including two that we got about 15 feet away from. (I have some nice pictures). We also saw a ton of fiddler crabs, a raccoon, a couple loggerhead turtles, a baby snapping turtle and giant grasshoppers. It was a fun trip. I definitely recommend exploring the 'Glades.
The Wisdom of Children... Yesterday we were in Sarasota at my parents' place. I was watching the Italy-Germany soccer game with my niece, Katie, who is 8 years old. She had a number of questions about the game and players, but the last of these really struck me. She said, "What do they get if they win?" I told her they'd play one more game and the winner of that game gets, well, a trophy. "Oh", she replied, unimpressed. Yeah, a trophy. And not a particularly big one. And there's only one even though the team has about 20 guys on it. So the trophy really isn't that great. Basically, the real prize is being able to say "I won the World Cup". But that only has meaning because somewhere along the way someone decided it was cool. The winner of the World Cup really doesn't get anything at all. Just bragging rights amongst people for whom that matters. It's all very arbitrary when you think about it. Maybe it'd be better to compete for something that has intrinsic value. I'll think about that more beginning on Sunday at about 6pm.
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