The verdict is in. The California Supreme Court has ruled and the voter’s voice on marriage has been preserved, at least, for the moment. I must confess, though, that while I’m relieved, I’m a bit fatigued. Watching Miss USA contender Carrie Prejean assaulted for stating her views on marriage has been brutal. Hearing actor Sean Penn admonish supporters of the California law, Proposition 8, at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony to “sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes” was ugly.  Reading about how Proposition 8 opponents were circulating Google maps detailing the locations of Proposition 8 supporters’ homes to harass them was insidious.

I’m sure I’m not alone. Many Christians may be hesitant, if not completely resistant, to engage the culture on issues that contradict their values and beliefs the next time around. But we must ask ourselves – as the church, what should our response be? The answer for me comes in looking back at how the early church responded to similar opposition. They were committed to stand for what they knew to be truth, even if it meant the ultimate sacrifice. Many were sent to their death in the jaws of wild beasts in front of a coliseum of eager spectators. Today rather than facing the lions, the church now faces the merciless jaws of litigation. Instead of an audience of robed spectators, there is now a virtual coliseum of media correspondents, magazines and talk shows ready to voice their particular perspective on the events. The attitude against the church is the same but the venue for persecution has been modernized. As a result many churches have gone underground on this issue of homosexuality and are fearful to engage the topic at any level. Some believe there is too much to risk and besides; gay marriage will eventually be federally legalized so why fight it?

But wait a minute. Who is the real victim in this scenario? Is it really the church?

Click here for entire article in Charisma Magazine

Last night was a “date night at home” night so we decided to get a pizza and rent a movie for the evening.  Evenings like this are rare which can make it difficult to decide which movie to choose.  After scrolling through our options, watching trailers, and going back an forth on possible picks, we decided to go with “Nights in Rodanthe.”  Primarily because we like Diane Lane and the first movie we saw on our honeymoon was actually a Diane Lane flick (Under the Tuscan Sun).  So, we got  our popcorn, tea, and settled in.

remote

menu

press “On Demand”

scroll

press “buy”

confirm

title credits

regret

deep regret

shocked disdain

mocking hysterical laughter

anger at $4.99 rental fee

more mocking

praying for rapture to end human suffering

end credits.

Need I say more?

Actually, yes I do.  This movie was cinematic ipecac (drug used to induce vomiting after accidental poisoning).  I have never witnessed such needless, mindless, and pointless sentimentality with virtually no plot.  To call it “sappy” would be a step up.  The acting in this film was about as convincing and riveting as St. Millicent’s Parochial School for Girls’ 4th-grade production of “Dead Man Walking.”  I can only imagine what directions the director was giving while filming this:

“Look sad.”

“Walk on the beach and look sad.”

“Read the letter, look sad and cry.”

“I’m not really sure what this scene is about but look sad, cry, rant a little, hug each other, and then look sad.”

All this to say, avoid this film!  It will sear your soul void of any legitimate sentiment for those you love.  This movie is bad, bad, bad, bad, bad.

By the way,

Richard Gere’s character dies at the end.

I’m sorry but I felt that was necessary.  You’ll thank me one day.

Ok I realize that I haven’t posted for over a week but I have a good excuse.  I’ve converted.  Switched over. Gone to the other side.  Yes, I am now officially a Mac user.  It took a while to get my files transferred and my email and contact information converted while maintaining some level of work productivity.  But, oh, was it worth it.

I have heard Mac users in the past tell me about the wonders of a Mac vs. PC.  I would walk through an airport and see the clusters of stylish cases with their little fruit logos that would light up like a beacon of hope for a new world order.  These Macinites would even seem to huddle together like nesting penguins and speak in strange tongues or “Mac-speak.”  I thought they were evil.  Part of a fraternity of devil spawn meant to suck me into their embittered web of Steve Jobs propaganda and deceit.  Well, maybe that’s a little over the top . . . but I did think it was a lot of biased hype.  You see, I was raised on PC and when I was doing database programming, PC was the only viable platform.  But that was 6 years ago and things have changed.  My wife will tell you that I can be a sucker for marketing so I have to admit the Apple commercials became intriguing to me.  I would find myself peering over the shoulders of Mac worshipers and become entranced with things that were foreign to me such as speed and simplified menus.  Finally the frustration of missing .dll files, error messages, constant start-ups and shut-downs, viruses, and program speeds that I could have rivaled with a chisel and stone pushed me over the edge.  As my last PC began to take it’s last steps into the bright light, I said the words, “I___want___a___Mac.”

I powered up the strange little machine and what would follow would alter me forever.  There are colors I’ve never seen and a screen so vivid I had to look away at first.  All of my programs are waiting for me in a neat little line ecstatically wanting to be used as I briefly acknowledge their existence with the pass of my mouse.  Then I’m introduced to “Spaces” and “Expose’.”  I practically squeal with glee.  Even my Office programs had features I never knew could exist.  You close the monitor and it goes to sleep.  You open it and it instantly wakes up!  The list goes on and on.

But then I began to think of my life for the past 14 years.  The pain, the suffering, the endless calls to tech support.  I felt my heart grow cold.  I could taste a bitter acidity as I realized . . .

I’d been lied to . . . . . . . . . brainwashed.

Bill Gates and his minions in their Seattle compound were one step away from having me selling roses at an intersection.

I had become a Microsoft Moonie.

Never again!  Today, I apologize to Mac users everywhere for the intolerance and persecution you have endured.  I am one of you and have always been at heart.  You are my tribe.  You are my people.

I’m sorry but I thought this was hilarious.  Someone sent this to me saying it was an actual homework assignment.  I don’t know if that’s true but it still cracked me up!

Dear Mrs. Jones,
I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer. 
I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit.  I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it.    Her picture doesn’t show me dancing around a pole.  It’s supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.
From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.
Sincerely,
Mrs.  Smith

I realize that recently I’ve made a few posts about the recent developments regarding Ted Haggard.  This isn’t to elevate one particular situation or give it undue and unnecessary attention.  As with any situation involving a previously or presently influential leader, the way they respond has the potential to define or distort crucial issues that face the church today.  Ted Haggard’s fall continues to impact and influence not only those within the church but our current cultural climate today.

On Thursday, Ted & Gayle Haggard made their anticipated appearance on Oprah.  I watched and processed with mixed emotions.  I was planning write my viewpoints on the interview until someone sent me an excellent overview by Joe Dallas (one of my favorite speakers and teachers).  I don’t want to reinvent the wheel so here is what Joe had so say:

Ted Said: AfterThoughts on Ted Haggard’s Interview with Oprah

Guest Post by Joe Dallas

Rev. Ted Haggard broke his two year silence on Oprah’s show yesterday, his first media appearance since a catastrophic fall from the pulpit of New Life Church in 2006, when his longstanding relationship with a male prostitute was exposed. The details are still fresh: Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, was condemning gay sex publicly while paying for it privately, until accusations from male escort Mike Jones cracked the dam of Ted’s denials (“I neverhad gay sex!”) and trickles of half-concessions leaked out (“Well, yeah, I bought some meth from a gay escort, but threw it away”) followed by voice mail recordings irrefutable as Monica’s blue dress, and the inevitable confession, contrition and exit. It was as tawdry as it was achingly familiar in this era of public falls, and many of us hoped the story was played out.

Enter the sequel. An HBO special titled The Trials of Ted Haggard premieres Thursday January 29, and by way of promotion, Ted granted interviews to Larry King as well as Oprah, revisiting those dark days with his own insights and explanations. If there’s a redemptive twist to all this, it lies in what can be gleaned from the Reverend’s experience and, to an extent, his statements about Christianity, homosexuality, church life and human nature. A typical spectator, I cheered and booed throughout the Oprah interview, shouting criticisms or praise while knowing nothing of what it was like for the man under the bright lights being grilled about his worst failures and private agonies. So I’ll concede, a la Roosevelt’s famous observation about the man in the arena, that it is indeed the guy in the ring whose performance matters far and above the critic who wishes he’d done this or said that.

From that deferential position, then, let me offer some thoughts on what Ted said, what I wish he’d said, and what still needs to be said:

Ted said: “I’m a heterosexual with homosexual attachments.”
What prompted it: Oprah’s predictable but relevant question: Are you gay, straight, or bisexual? (read more)

Ever have one of those weeks where it seems that if it can go wrong it will?  Well, welcome to my week.  It’s like attending a cow pie skeet-shoot and everyone yells “pull” at the same time and you’re left without an umbrella (get the picture?).  I’m talking about situations that range from the usual daily drama to the legitimately justified crisis all the way to the “you’ve got to be kidding me” ridiculous scenarios that can only be resolved by pharmaceutical intervention (and no, I don’t mean me). 

I certainly don’t want to make light of legitimate situations that are truly unavoidable and unintentional, it’s just the things that are unnecessary and can be prevented that are most challenging.  But these things do happen and believe it or not, they have a purpose. 

A few weeks ago, I felt that God was telling me to get ready for some stormy days ahead.  Not exactly what I typically like to hear.  But I realized that He was telling me so that I could focus and not become distracted.  As I was considering all of this, I was reminded of the potential benefits that storms can bring (I realize I’m changing metaphors but this is a little . . . ahem . . . less delicate to work around). 

Sometimes storms leave behind damage and destruction along with heavy rain.  In the midst and aftermath of a storm, you can feel disoriented, confused, and depending on the situation, a sense of loss.  However have you also noticed how clean the air is afterwards and how months of filth and dirt that have accumulated have been washed away?  You often see on the evening news how, in the midst of wreckage and debris, people begin to come together to provide relief and assistance.  There is a sense of unity that begins to form between people who were once strangers.  There is a common purpose that moves beyond people’s preferences and provides an opportunity for their character to be revealed.  It is during the rescue and rebuilding that heroes are made or discovered.  Challenging situations that seem insurmountable can give us some of our greatest stories of faithfulness, loyalty, provision and friendship.  No one likes going through a storm and having to wait it out.  But you have to remember, they don’t last forever.  They can just seem like they do.  Next time you see storm clouds on the horizon, just remember that they can also bring great opportunities with them. 

And as for things hitting the fan, . . . well . . . I’ll just leave it at that.

On Tuesday, after much controversy, Rick Warren gave his invocation for President Obama’s inauguration (for a transcipt of the prayer, click here).  I thought he did an excellent job and delivered it with uncompromised conviction. (I thought the four different references to the name of Jesus was brilliant.)  However, it seems that everyone wasn’t pleased.  There were complaints that he used Jesus’ name and closed with the Lord’s Prayer.  A professor of American religious history at Columbia University who claims to be a friend of Warren says “To lead the nation in saying the Lord’s Prayer, which is so particularly Christian was a mistake.” (click here for reference)

Huh?

You’ve got to be kidding. 

I understand being sensitive and diplomatic in order to respect others from different cultures, religions, and points of view.  I just find it interesting that all religious and socio-political expressions outside of a biblical worldview seem to come under a special protected class in our culture and find safe harbor in the name of diversity.  But when a biblical world-view is presented, it is considered intolerant, prejudiced, and antiquated.  It seems that when it comes to Christianity, everyone wants to use the mute button.  This is a battle I’m afraid so many are all too familiar with. 

So I wonder what would have been acceptable for this event.  I know it’s a little campy, but maybe something like this would have been more palatable: 

“Our existential one whom we acknowledge as a higher power,

Politically correct be your name,

Your rule at bay,

Our will be done,

On earth, as it is in our personal concept of heaven

Give us this day what we desire,

And forgive those who sin against us

By imposing the oppressive notion of sin

And lead us into opportunities for the gratification of our proclivities and passionate indulgences

For this is our kingdom, power, and glory.  Amen.”

I think I may try this one out on Sunday morning.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

This is a commentary I wrote for Ministry Today, January 20, 2009. 

 

Ted Haggard is using an upcoming HBO documentary to chastise the church for how it handled his sex-and-drugs scandal in 2006. Read one pastor’s take on why he may have a point.

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Ted Haggard is at it again. The former pastor of a Colorado mega church who admitted to a sexual relationship with a male escort in 2006, is now sharing his story in a documentary called The Trials of Ted Haggard. On January 29, the film premieres on HBO and will re-examine the scandal that rocked the evangelical world. For many, this film will reopen old wounds and stir up feelings thought to be dead and buried.

I question why Haggard chose this particular outlet to voice the pain and frustration of his private journey. While I can only imagine the suffering Haggard has endured over the past two years, I cannot excuse some of his choices. And now, once again, it seems the church will have to deal with another reminder of those choices. But maybe there are some things worth being reminded of.

In recent news reports, Ted Haggard chastised church leaders for missing an opportunity to use his scandal to “communicate the gospel worldwide.” Despite how we may feel about the circumstances surrounding Haggard, I believe we have the responsibility to ask: Is he right? Did we, the global Christian church, somehow miss an opportunity to respond to those who struggle with unwanted same-sex attraction with the gospel of truth? While these are valid questions that demand our attention, I believe there is another question that addresses an issue just as important, if not far greater:

What if Ted had told the truth? (click here for the entire article)

Yesterday at the inaugural welcoming ceremony, Bishop V. Gene Robison offered an invocation for the nation and the president-elect.  The openly-gay bishop is the subject of much controversy and has come to serve as a representative for the inclusion of gay clergy within the church.  In his inaugurate prayer, Robison prays the following:

“Bless us with anger – at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.”

“Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance – replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences, and an understanding that in our diversity, we are stronger.”

While there are other issues that I have in his complete prayer (to read Robinson’s entire prayer click here), these two points are the ones that challenge me the most.  For clarity, I will begin by stating that I do not agree with Robison nor do I support the principles and theology he stands for.  I believe that he is misleading so many who are desperately trying to reconcile their faith with their same-sex attractions and he will be held accountable for his actions.  The theology and philosophies he promotes is one of the most critical frontline issues that the church faces today.

His prayer for tolerance confirms what we’ve known to be true all along.  It is not tolerance that is being asked for, but unfettered acceptance.  Of course, I can and will extend the respect that any creation of God should receive.  This is necessary as a mature believer.  However, to ask that I “warmly embrace” a teaching and belief that so counters the truth is unacceptable.  I’m afraid we will not be united on that front so I won’t belabor this point.

But this is what I find most interesting:  “Bless us with anger.”

Really?

While I do not desire to see anyone treated with disrespect, I will not ask the Lord to “bless me with anger.”  I ask that He will guide me and give me discernment and wisdom in the midst of righteous indignation.  (If I am pursuing God’s will and what pleases Him, I won’t need to ask for righteous anger, it will come naturally.)  I will ask for guidance and compassion when I see a gay-identified person (or anyone else) treated with contempt and disrespect.  And, I will also ask for guidance and compassion when I see religious liberties attacked and compromised under the category and agenda of gay rights.

If Gene Robison truly means what he says in his prayer, then I ask how that anger will be received when it finds its expression through those who, based on religious conviction, have been discriminated against and denied their religious freedom.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ gives us several scenarios in which we can be “blessed.”  Too often, we perceive blessings as those things which make us happy.  We cannot pray; “Bless us with these things so that, in the end, we will get what we want and be justified in what we believe to be truth.”  In the Beatitudes, “blessed” does not mean ‘happy’ but rather it describes a state that is achieved when we embrace the responsibilities, qualities, and character of being a citizen of God’s Kingdom.  We will be in a state of being “blessed” when we walk in humility before God and each other; when we passionately pursue righteousness on every level; when we are utterly sincere in our thoughts and motives towards God and there are no idols that contend against Him (pure in heart); and when we constantly acknowledge our spiritual poverty and are dependent only on Him and upon nothing else that we believe will bring us satisfaction and happiness.  We will be “blessed” when we pursue the agenda of God’s Kingdom and no other.

So, I’m afraid that I cannot join Robison in his prayer for anger and discomfort.

I’m still working on that overdue character-study that Jesus assigned a long time ago.

It is hard to turn away from a film that has two actors of this caliber.  Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson haven’t disappointed me in the past and they’ve proven themselves again.  While this may not be a box office hit or appeal to the mainstream, it was still an endearing film.  What’s nice about this romantic comedy is that it involves two middle-age-plus characters rather than your typical twenty-somethings that prove to be predictable.  We see two people that have weathered life and show the worse for wear.  The characters, Kate and Harvey, live life with a defeated resolve and handle situations and relationships with a quirky awkwardness that can only be the result of years hard knocks.  In the end, they prove to be each others last opportunity for normalcy and happiness.  What I loved about this film was watching the intense subtlety of Emma Thompson’s and Dustin Hoffman’s acting ability.  While the script may not have been the film’s greatest strength, Thompson and Hoffman certainly masked any deficiencies in the writing. 

What was most interesting was that at one point Thompson’s character confesses that she prefers to live with disappointment because it is predictable and she doesn’t have to risk getting hurt.  By choosing to be disappointed, she knows what to expect. 

How true.

How many times have I seen people choose to live in disappointment because it involves little risk.   It’s safer. 

If we expect to be disappointed by life then we will never fully give ourselves to it.  We will walk with a reserve that always holds some part of us back which leads to disappointing results and so the cycle continues. 

We are never promised that everything will always work out the way we want and, in fact, it won’t.  But we must never let the disappointments of life keep us from embracing life.  If so, we will be robbed of so many things the Lord has for us and we will never experience His fullness.  Life is worth the risk.