Happy Halloween, er...All Saints Day...er, Reformation Day?

As a Pastor-Dad, I am often asked if I "celebrate" Halloween with my boys. A great question, too...so, here's my answer: "yes-ish." And no, I won't divulge the whole answer, but I will leave you with this hint: It's about Susan and I, as Christian parents, working to do the redemptive work of Christ while on this earth at this specific time. In the same way that everything in this fallen world (eating, drinking, entertainment choices, reading, internet usage, etc.) is in dire need of redemption, so are holidays...and yes, this includes Christmas and Easter, too...

Here's the rub: To swing the pendulum too far in one way (ex. locking your kids inside on Halloween and forcing them to sing Chris Tomlin songs) could lead to a kind of legalism, while swinging it too far in the other direction (ex. hanging a dead 'body' in your tree and scaring the snot out of little neighborhood kids)  could lead to license. So, how then are we to live?

For me, I Corinthians 10:15-33 has been a light that shines Truth into this question...Truth that tells me this: it's not actually about Halloween, is it? When you get a chance, take a few moments to read this passage carefully-great stuff and applicable here.

If you have kids, this week is a great time to teach them some very important truths. Truths about the redemption of a dark pagan holiday into a Christian one by our forefathers in the faith (i.e. All Saints Day), or about a *little* thing called The Reformation (10/31 = Reformation Day. Would America even be here today without it?) and for those of you who are picking out a last minute costume today with your kids, may I make a suggestion? How about Martin Luther?! It's a great conversation starter, I promise.  Ok...maybe that is a bit much. Have a safe weekend...

...and a Happy Reformation Day!

Taking Genesis 28 Seriously at the (Pro?)Creation Museum

Last week, for their Fall Break, I surprised my two sons (5 & 9) with an all-day trip to the Creation Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio. When I first heard about the museum, I was a little reluctant to check it out (given how weird we Christians can get with this particular issue), but after much prodding from many of my friends and family who had enjoyed their visit, I decided to take the plunge. Overall, it was not a bad experience, although my kids (especially my 9 year old) were a little stunned by the exhibit where Adam & Eve were depicted being, uh...fruitful...hey, it's in the Bible, right?  It's a good thing I had that 'talk' with Ethan already...

Here is an actual picture:

And another:

So, what do YOU think?

The more things change, the more they stay the same...

"Christianity today is man-centered, not God-centered. God is made to wait patiently...on the whims of men. The image of God currently popular is that of a distracted father, struggling in heartbroken desperation to get people to accept a savior of whom they feel no need and in whom they have very little interest. To persuade them, God will do almost anything, even using salesmanship methods and talking down to them in the chummiest way imaginable. This view of things is, of course...manages to make man the star of the show..."

~ A.W. Tozer (1897-1963)           

Christianity...useless?

  I get so weary of hearing this message...how about you? The message that pins all of humanity's social ills on faith and Christianity and claims that we would all be "better off" without God. Really? Let's think about the reality of this statement. Aside from the fact that these individuals are even ALLOWED to make that statement because of the Constitution and its roots in the Judeo-Christian understanding of and individual's right to free expression, let's consider some other facts...

Christians, when functioning properly, within the context of the Church, have always has been the moral consciousness of American life, informing the policy of our nation and steering the ethics of our dealings, both within our nation’s borders and beyond. While the involvement of [true] Christians in government is another issue that won’t be explored in this post, their voice is one that must not be silenced and is in fact, incredibly valuable. 

Let’s consider the effects of the Church acting on the moral consciousness in our nation’s history. Consider the following facts: 

-The Western legal system, with its limitations of governmental powers and Constitutionalism owes it origins to religious, Judeo-Christian ideals and Biblical principles.

-The Western tradition of the sanctity of human life owes its origins to the concept of being the "image-bearers" of God himself. (Gen. 1:26).

-The concept of "adoption" is a concept granted to us by the religious tradition (Rom 9:3-5).

-The abolishment of Slavery and the advent of the Civil Rights movement were spurred on by pastors and religious leaders, both black and white, most notably, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and before that, William Wilberforce in England. This concept was set forth in the New Testament when Paul told Philemon to treat his slave, Onesimus, as his brother.

-The Gladiatorial games of the Roman Empire were boycotted by early Christians, due to their brutality and inhumane treatment of prisoners.Eventually, the entire civilized world's (Rome) view changed as a result of the influence of the Christian worldview on the treatment of people.

-Women’s rights, contrary to public perception, go back to the respectful treatment of women in both the Old and New Testaments. The 10 commandments require children obey both father and mother; Deborah was a prophetess and judge in early Israel; Jesus treated women much differently than the customs of the times would have dictated; Paul commended women such as Priscilla in their contending for the faith.

The list goes on: concepts of labor and vocation, work and fair compensation, property rights and free trade, public education and the educational footings of the American university system, modern medicine and more all owe the Bible and the Christian faith for their underpinnings.

This, of course, is not an exhaustive list of all that Christianity has done for our nation, but it is imperative that we clearly grasp the fact that because of Christian ideals, we are much better off than we would be without them-and you won't have to go too far, either, to find compelling evidence of this...


-Communism-failed.
-Fascism-failed.
-The Third Reich-failed.
-Other "Police States"

Fact is, the further a nation [or movement] moves away from Biblical principles for governance and conduct, the higher the propensity for the oppression of peoples, increase of poverty, the abuse of power, etc.

Perhaps a a better question would be this: where would we be WITHOUT the Christian faith? It's scary to think.

Messed up by Christ

"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation."  ~ II Corinthians 5:16-18

As so many know, once Jesus enters your life, there's no going back, is there? So many lives have been (and are being) radically transformed by the message of Jesus Christ. Simply put, when you allow Christ into your heart, the process of regeneration and renewal begins through the work of the Holy Spirit that now lives in you. Through Christ and the work done on the cross, you become a 'new creature' with the old, sinful part of you 'dying' and the new 'you' emerging. As a caterpillar emerging from the dark dormancy of a cocoon, we emerge better than before, with new, more amazing capabilities, such as the capability to live lives of reconciliation, forgiveness and restoration.

Amazing, isn't it?

Just the other day, I read this incredible letter by a church member to her pastor. At first, as I was reading it, I wasn't real sure where it was going as it seemed very negative. But after continued reading, it made perfect sense. Here is a woman who allowed Christ into her life, and as a result, Christ messed her up. Maybe you can relate? I can.

Here it is. Enjoy... 

How to rebuild a nation

How do you even begin to rebuild a tiny nation where, through acts of mass genocide, there were approximately 100,000,000 deaths in just 100 days? If you have no idea what I am talking about, you must go rent the movie, "Hotel Rwanda." It will change you.

So, I'm sitting in this large conference room with the Bishop of Rwanda (the Rwandan President's right hand man, by the way) and instead of revealing the gut-wrenching facts regarding the Rwandan genocide that took place in 1994 as I had somewhat anticipated, he instead turned to the audience and begins to speak of the incredible strides that are being made in a country once torn apart by ethnic violence and ages-old mistrust. But even more specific than what is being done to restore his country, he focused on  how things are being done. Get  ready for this one...

The Bishop revealed that the nation of Rwanda has decided to rebuild it's infrastructure, schools, churches, universities, etc., based specifically upon the cornerstone of the spirit of forgiveness that can only be experienced through the work of Christ in people's lives. Hutsies and Tutsies, now reconciled through the commonality of their faith in Jesus, is what is healing the nation of Rwanda. When you think of this implications of this, it's just staggering. The Bishop went on to say that the nation of Rwanda wants to prove to the entire world that through the love of Christ, that the worst of all possible human situations can be healed and fully restored-not through pacts or alliances or governmental intervention, but through confession, forgiveness and reconciliation-the kind Christ calls all believers to live out in their everyday lives.

One of the most often misquoted verses from the Bible is this: "...and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."  Most people read this and think, "...well, if we just find the facts of the case, then we can fix things..."  Or to put in another way: the facts will free us...right?

To read this verse in this way is to entirely miss the point of this text, not to mention that it must lifted out of it's context to read it in this way. Sure facts, are important, but the word "truth" here means something a little different.

Here's the whole passage:

"So, Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free...they answered him...'how is it that you say you will become free?' Jesus answered them, 'Truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin...So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.""

I guess, then, it could be boiled down to this:

Abiding in Christ = Knowledge of Truth.
Truth = Jesus.
Jesus = Freedom.

You see, it's not facts that set us free. It's Jesus. If we know and "abide" in him, we are free. Free from sin. Free from slavery. Free from hate. And perhaps most importantly, especially for a broken people such as the Rwandans...

...free to love.

And...we're here...

After a busy day of cleaning, packing and airports, I have arrived in my comfy hotel room here in Atlanta (or if you're from here, @lanta). I'm here with a ministry buddy of mine, Seth Bartel, a pastor at LifePoint Church in Indy, and we are anxious for what is God is going to do through this year's Catalyst Conference. Not only am I looking forward to all of the great speakers (such as Rob Bell, Francis Chan, Andy Stanley, Tony Dungy, etc.) and events, but perhaps more exciting for me is the chance to hear from a Rwandan Bishop who lived through and has been a part of the reconciliatory efforts between the Hutsi and Tutsi tribes of Rwanda. This, of course, is interesting to me because Susan and I are currently in process of adopting a child from war-torn Rwanda.

If ever there was a ministry that the Church should get out in front of, it's orphan care. In the book of James, we are told that religion that is "pure and undefiled before God" is this-one that takes care of orphans.

Be sure to check back as I share what the Bishop shares with us....until then, good night!