Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category

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“Americanized” Christianity

October 14, 2009

Americanized Christianity might sound a bit like “weaponized uranium.”  If it doesn’t, it probably should, because it’s just as dangerous.

Lately I’ve noticed far too much racism, bigotry and especially partisanship in the church to even call it Christian.  I am not picking on the church I lead in particular; however, I am picking on the American church in general.

Really, I’m picking on those who cannot separate their politics from their religion.  That is not to say that religion shouldn’t affect politics, it most certainly should.  Too many people, however, let their politics affect their religion (i.e. they cannot divorce their political persuasion from their interpretation of the teachings of Jesus).

Case in point: I have a Facebook Friend whose “friends” are discussing the merits of taking up arms in a bloody revolution against the US government.  These “friends” are all Bible-believing Christians (so to speak).  I know they are having a rhetorical discussion that is full of false bravado; but still, the fact that it’s an item for discussion betrays a great deal of ignorance regarding the teachings of Christ and His earliest followers.

If I sound arrogant here, I apologize; but working in a fairly-urban environment has taught me a number of humbling truths.  Of utmost importance: There are a great deal of faithful, Bible-believing Christians on either side of the political aisle.

Those who focus on justice for the unborn are generally conservative.  Those who focus on justice for the poor are generally liberal.  Those who focus on the independence-aspect of freedom are generally conservative.  Those who focus on the community-aspect of freedom are generally liberal.  Those who focus on individual morality are generally conservative.  And those who focus on social morality are generally liberal.

Ironically, and in regard to the above-mentioned issues, they all tout biblically-based, Christian principles.

One significant problem in Americanized Christianity is that the extremists on both sides would prefer to put a bullet in the head of those who disagree with them than to walk “two miles” with them; and this is surely not the way of Christ.

I’m not calling for political moderation.  Nor am I calling people to come together and just “get along.”  I’m asking Christians to study the teachings of Christ and consider: Would Jesus, in our context, be conservative or liberal; would He be capitalist or communist; would He be Republican or Democrat; would He be all-of-the-above or none-of-the-above?

Frankly, I’m not sure He’d have anything to do with any of us!

Posted in church, culture, Politics, religion | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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Michael Moore, Capitalism & Christianity

October 5, 2009

Most of my readers know that I operate from a conservative viewpoint (see my bio-page).  Although I am no partisan, I am not ashamed to be a conservative.  I believe the same values that made our nation strong will keep it strong:  Freedom, Independence, Liberty for All, Work Ethic, Justice and Fairness (as they are traditionally defined).  Capitalism is part of that system as well.

However, I also believe that we need to take spiritual inventory from time to time, as well as appreciate what the “other” viewpoints believe.  So I submit the following words from partisan filmmaker Michael Moore.  Some of his points are easily refutable.  Others are rather potent.  I’ll let you work it out in the ensuing discussion that is sure to take place.  Feel free to comment.

“Amidst all the Wall Street bad guys and corrupt members of Congress exposed in Capitalism: A Love Story, I pose a simple question in the movie: “Is capitalism a sin?” I go on to ask, “Would Jesus be a capitalist?” Would he belong to a hedge fund? Would he sell short? Would he approve of a system that has allowed the richest 1 percent to have more financial wealth than the 95 percent under them combined?

“I have come to believe that there is no getting around the fact that capitalism is opposite everything that Jesus (and Moses and Mohammed and Buddha) taught. All the great religions are clear about one thing: It is evil to take the majority of the pie and leave what’s left for everyone to fight over. Jesus said that the rich man would have a very hard time getting into heaven. He told us that we had to be our brother’s and sister’s keepers and that the riches that did exist were to be divided fairly. He said that if you failed to house the homeless and feed the hungry, you’d have a hard time finding the pin code to the pearly gates.

“I guess that’s bad news for us Americans. Here’s how we define “Blessed Are the Poor”: We now have the highest unemployment rate since 1983. There’s a foreclosure filing once every 7.5 seconds. 14,000 people every day lose their health insurance.

“At the same time, Wall Street bankers (“Blessed Are the Wealthy”?) are amassing more and more loot – and they do their best to pay little or no income tax (last year Goldman Sachs’ tax rate was a mere 1 percent!). Would Jesus approve of this? If not, why do we let such an evil system continue? It doesn’t seem you can call yourself a Capitalist and a Christian — because you cannot love your money and love your neighbor when you are denying your neighbor the ability to see a doctor just so you can have a better bottom line. That’s called “immoral” — and you are committing a sin when you benefit at the expense of others.”

Gospel According to Matt’s Opinion:  Jesus would have been neither capitalist nor socialist.  He would have been something else altogether.  What say you?

You can read Moore’s editorial in it’s entirity at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-moore/for-those-of-you-on-your_b_308948.html

Posted in church, culture, Politics, religion, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments »

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“Re: Dr. Tiller” (E-Mail from a Reader & Friend)

June 10, 2009

I received the following e-mail from a friend.  I share it with her permission.

I am pro-life. I abhor the work of Dr. Tiller. But even more than his grisly occupation, I detest his murder done in the name of “pro-life.”

I am a Christian. I am to love all people: born and pre-born. God loved the soul of Dr. Tiller so much that He sent His Son to die for him. I am to hate murder no matter who its victims are. Whether born or pre-born, innocent or guilty. While I was a sinner and an enemy of God, Christ died for me. I know these things and yet feel a kind of relief to know that Dr. Tiller will never kill again. I ought to feel more grieved than relieved.

His murder certainly didn’t help “The Pro-life Cause.” It certainly didn’t open doors for those of us who love Jesus to share the love of Jesus with those who are part of the pro-choice movement. How do we do that now? People are afraid to go to work because they think some pro-life wacko Christian is going to gun them down.

Last week as I was praying about this, I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to buy a Panara gift card for the staff of our local Planned Parenthood office, deliver it in person letting them know that I am pro-life and how sorry I am for the family of Dr. Tiller and that his murderer does not represent the heart of the pro-life movement or of Christ — an apology of sorts.

I told my husband about it and he said I’d better do it.

So I did.

It was hard, Matt, to walk into that office. The waiting room was almost full of clients filling out paperwork. It sickened me to think of the process some of these families was putting into motion. But, with a quick ,”Help me, Lord!” I stepped up to the desk and very quietly (so as not to overheard by those in the waiting room) did as I felt the Lord had directed me.

The ladies seemed to understand and were appreciative. I was in and out in probably less than a couple of minutes — a bit shaken and praying that I’d done my appointed task exactly as God wanted me to. It’s nothing dramatic. Just a simple thing God asked me to do. But it was not easy to overcome the obstacles in my own heart to be kind to individuals who advance the pro-choice movement.

It made me appreciate the great heart of God and the grace He extends to me through Jesus.

Lots more thoughts on this, but I thought I’d share a bit of my story with you.

As hard as it may be for us to reach and and love those we see as unlovable, we are called to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ to them.  Sometimes it’s with words, other times it’s with actions, but rarely is it optional.  I’m humbled by Christian friends who embody the grace of God in such a manner.

Posted in culture, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

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What is a “Lost” Person?

June 9, 2009

This morning I made a casual Twitter-post about going to a bar for lunch today to spend time with “lost” people.  Needless to say, I received a number of interesting (and understandable) responses.  First, it sounds arrogant to presume that I am saved and have the solution for lost people.  Second, it sounds judgmental to insinuate that a person in a bar is categorically lost.  Finally, it sounds offensive to be labeled ”lost,” especially if your life is pretty good.

Before we delve deeper in the idea of being lost, let me respond to each of these points.  First, I don’t believe that I have the solution for lost people, I believe God does however.  Second, I’m not insinuating that any person who enters into a bar is lost, just as I’m not insinuating that any person who enters into a church is saved.  Jesus spent a lot of his time in bar settings and was even accused of over-indulging once in a while—He was certainly not lost.  Finally, I do not choose what to say based on it’s potential for offense (although I do want to be as gracious as possible).

Still, Jesus makes the potentially-offensive and politically-incorrect statement that He has come “to seek and save what was lost” (Luke 19:10).  The irony in this passage is that Jesus’ words are spoken tongue-in-cheek.  He is playing on the competing worldviews of the “sinners” and the religious establishment.  The “sinners” are clearly lost because they are selfish, greedy, and oppressive.  But the religious establishment is just as lost because they are harsh, judgmental, and unforgiving.  By judging the “sinners,” the Religious misjudge their own lostness.

More to the point: the only saved person in the Luke 19 story is the penitent Sinner.  He acknowledges his lostness, follows Christ, and begins to live a life of self-sacrifice and service to others.  When people marvel at this spiritual irony, Jesus explains that He lives for the lost.  And if we are going to be saved (ie. become followers of Christ) then we need to live for the lost as well.

Thus my desire to get out of the church and into an atmosphere of lostness.  Too many churches say “come into our building/fellowship and become like us.”  Not enough churches go out into the world.  Too many churches say “come join our church and help us serve one another.”  Not enough churches say “let’s go out and serve people very different from us.”  So what did Jesus do?  John 1:14 says “the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”  He didn’t just call us to heaven, He came to earth to seek and save what was lost.

So what is a lost person anyway?  A lost person is sinner who is disconnected from God due to his/her own selfish desires.  But a lost person is also a self-righteous, religious person who is disconnected from God due to his/her own spiritual certitude.  The best thing to be is another thing altogether—a penitent sinner who acknowledges the need for Christ, and follows Him by living a life of self-sacrifice and service to others.

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If Truth Does Not Exist…

June 6, 2009

This week someone said to me: there is no right or wrong, you just do what’s best for your family.  While I agree that we must do what is best for our families, there is right and wrong (it’s called Truth); and doing what is right is always the best thing to do.  So I thought I’d share a couple application points from a recent sermon I preached called “Absolute Truth Exists, Absolutely.”  It’s just a couple of notes about the problem with thinking that truth does not exist.

First, if truth does not exist, then Might makes Right.  If there is no such thing as truth, then whoever is the most powerful gets to determine what is right.  The top of the food chain gets to decide what is right and moral.  If they determine that they need your land, they get to confiscate it.  If they determine they need your money, they get to tax it.  If they determine they need your service, they get to enslave you.  If there’s no absolute truth then there are no inalienable human rights.  Right and wrong are relative to whoever is making the decisions.  The people with the most power decide what is right because there’s no truth to contradict, to contain, or to expose them.  If there is no truth then there is only tyranny.

Second, if truth does not exist, then everyday living is impossible.  Think about it: If you can’t know anything for sure then you can’t do anything for sure.  Francis Schaeffer “cites the famous example of the composer John Cage, whose commitment to pure chance was so strong that he believed that no one musical note or sequence or combination of notes is better than any other.  Thus he chose his notes by pure chance.  However, as a mushroom connoisseur, he knew he might die if he picked and ate mushrooms at random, regardless of their shape, size, or color.  Hence, when he gathered mushrooms, he went strictly by the book, in contradiction to his asserted relativism.”[1] 

Relativism simply doesn’t work.  Think about it like this: If you can’t know anything for sure then you dare not get inside your car because you can’t know if it’s going to blow up when you turn the ignition, or just start the engine.  Nor can you know if it will stop when you hit the brakes if you can’t know truth.  Every single time we get out of bed we do so with a set of assumptions and truths that we live by!  If truth does not exist then everyday living is impossible.

Third, if truth does exist, then we need to abide by it.  If truth does exist, and if we can know truth, then we need to abide by it.  At previous times we’ve established the fact that truth does exist.  And we’ve asserted that truth is knowable and that it’s most reliable source is the Scriptures.  Therefore we have a responsibility to abide by the teachings of Scripture.

Most people reject the idea of truth, not because they don’t believe in truth per se, but because they don’t want to abide by God’s truths.  They’d rather have it their own way.  And rather than acknowledging their contempt for God’s ways they simply disallow the idea of truth altogether.  Even the Bible says: “Where there is no law there is no transgression.”[2]  In other words, if we can’t know the truth then we can’t be held accountable for our sin.  But if we can know the truth then we are not only accountable for our sin, but we are responsible for following the truth.

 [These ideas are adapted from Jack Cottrell's book Faith's Fundamentals: Seven Essentials of the Christian Faith.]

[1]Francis Schaeffer, The God Who Is There (Inter-Varsity Press, 1968), p. 72-74.

[2] Romans 4:15

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Melancholy Monday

June 1, 2009

I mostly enjoy Mondays.  Traditionally, I spend the morning at a coffee shop reading my Bible, doing some journaling, reflecting on the week that past, and planning for the week that is.  At least one Monday a month I work with Ignite Church Planting, Chicagoland and that always gets me excited.

Except for today.  Today I’ve got the Melancholy-Monday Syndrome.

Maybe it’s because its dark and dreary outside.  Maybe it’s because I slept terribly and had crazy dreams last night; or maybe it’s because I haven’t slept well at all since the Exponential Conference in April.  Maybe it’s because there’s an emotional letdown after a very busy Sunday.  Maybe it’s because I’ve worked all day, every day, for 8 of the past 9 days (I’m not complaining, I prefer it that way).  Maybe it’s because my oldest son still has a week-and-half of school left before Summer vacation (unbelievable!).  Maybe it’s because of the 220+ people who died this morning on an Air France flight.  Maybe it’s because the notorious late-term abortion doctor, George Tiller, was slain in a church yesterday (I’m not shedding any tears for Tiller but neither am I rejoicing; in fact I’m rather conflicted spiritually about this).

For whatever reason, or maybe for all these reasons, I’m experiencing a very melancholy Monday.  But Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the Day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  I’m going to rejoice in this day, but I may need a little inspiration.

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Blessed are the Poor

May 20, 2009

Brennan Manning records the following quote in his book “The Furious Longing of God”:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who lack a spirit of cleverness.

Woe to the rich, and woe to the doubly rich in spirit!

Although nothing is impossible with God, it is difficult for the Spirit to move their fat hearts.

The poor are willing and easy to direct.

Like little puppies they do not take their eyes from their master’s hand to see if perhaps he may throw them a little morsel from his plate.

So carefully do the poor follow my promptings that they listen to the wind (which blows where it pleases), even when it changes.

From the sky they can read the weather and interpret the signs of the times.

My grace is unpretentious, but the poor are satisfied with little gifts.

–Hans Urs Von Balthasar

Posted in church, culture, Politics, religion, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments »

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Waiting on God

May 13, 2009

In Genesis 15 and 16 we discover an epic dilemma in the life of Abraham and Sarah.  The dilemma is that Sarah is barren and cannot produced an heir, and that she is now well beyond her child-bearing years.  Therefore, in Genesis 15 Abraham decides to choose his highest-ranking servant Eliezer as his heir.  But when Abraham prays about this decision, God intervenes and says “no.” 

Then in Genesis 16 Sarah suggests that Abraham should take her servant Hagar as a surrogate wife and conceive with her, producing an heir vicariously.  Apparently, Abraham likes this idea and (rather than praying for direction) sleeps with Hagar, who conceives.  This creates all sorts of struggles within the family—prompting feelings of inadequacy and bitterness for Sarah, and rivalry for Hagar.

The bigger problem is that Abraham and Sarah, rather than waiting on God’s plan and promise to be fulfilled, decide to take matters into their own hands.  This creates all sorts of trouble for them and even for us today (if you know your history).

For us, it means that we must wait on God’s will to become evident in our lives–we cannot run ahead of His will.  Things must take place in His time.  We need to be diligent and proactive, but everything we do should be (1) bathed in prayer; (2) approved by the Word; and (3) affirmed by godly Consults; because the consequences of going ahead of God can be disastrous.

Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over a city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”

Posted in church, culture, Family, Politics, religion, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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Swine Flu

April 29, 2009

There’s a lot of hype and hysteria about the swine flu.  The next few weeks will tell how serious or not serious this thing might be.  But for now there’s not a lot that we can do but pray for health, hope for the best, wash our hands, and keep our eyes open.

When I heard that a Chicagoland school had closed I must confess that I had second thoughts about sending my sons to school—but at this point it seems best just to be vigilant.

I talked to my wife (who is an RN) and my neighbor (who is also an RN) and was reminded that tens of thousands of people die every year in the US with influenza, without hype or hysteria.  We have to remember that bad news sells newspapers and, honestly, the modern media can’t be trusted anyway.

Our trust has to be in God.  He is sovereign over everything that happens and nothing takes place outside of His will—good or bad.  We have to believe that He has our best interests in mind and that He does not promise to deliver us from all the troubles of this life, but to help us to navigate them successfully and with a servant’s heart.  Whatever we face will simply be an opportunity to grow in our faith and to serve those in need.

Besides, I’m not about to live my life in fear—not even for one moment!  In Matthew 6 Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…, who of you by worring can add a singly hour to his life…!“

Posted in church, culture, Family, Politics, religion, Uncategorized | 7 Comments »

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Real Leadership: Accepting Responsibility vs. Placing Blame

April 13, 2009

Currently the staff of our church is reading a book by Oswald Sanders called Spiritual Leadership.  It’s probably the fourth time i’ve read it and it is the single best work on Leadership I’ve ever read—that’s why  I keep returning to the “Well.”  As a church leader (and defacto community leader) the principle topic is of great interest.  I’m always trying to learn something about Leadership.

In my reading, as well as in my experience, I’ve discovered that real leadership means accepting responsibility rather than laying blame.  Placing blame does have it’s merits, but it’s more the work of analysts than of leaders.

For instance, I lead a church that was born from the ashes of one that died.  The original church had a season of growth and development, a season of health and stability, and a season of decline and death.  There are a plethora of reasons (and opinions) as to why the original church entered into a season of decline and ultimately death.  Certainly it’s important to understand some of those reasons (as they say: “those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it”), but it’s more important to lead the new church into the future than to ruminate on the past.

That being said, I tire of all the “leaders” in our world who continue to place blame rather than to accept responsibility.  I’m weary of all the politicians, private citizens, and public voices who blame previous administrations (and/or current administrations) for our present problems but fail to take adequate measures to improve the present and future.

Every ounce of energy (and time) spent dwelling on the past, robs the present and the future of helpful solutions.  I’m looking for real, world-class leaders offering helpful solutions.  And frankly I’m having a hard time finding any.

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