The Blame Game

Greetings Bloggers,

Every day, when I start out to write the blog post of the day, I take a quick look at Google News just to see what's going on in the world, and to see if it would be worth chiming in on. As I was browsing today, I noticed a couple of headlines:

• BP probe blames its workers for Gulf blowout
• Glen Beck blames Liberals for America losing it's honor
• Obama blames Republicans for holding up legislation
• Parris Hilton blames cops for illegal search

Maybe it's just today, but it seems like everybody has somebody to blame right now. It feels like we're all angry about something, and rather than own up to our role in why the world isn't as it should be, we're too busy pointing the finger at somebody else.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It's in our DNA. At the creation of the world, as God's perfect creation is falling, we see a man pointing at a woman pointing at a snake. From the very beginning, humanity has been pointing the finger at somebody else, as though all of our problems rest solely on their shoulders.

This isn't to say that there aren't times where someone has wronged us and they need to be called out on it. Every day there are times and places where a person needs to step up and accept the blame everybody is heaping on their shoulders. To accept such blame takes guts and boldness.

And that's what's required of all of us, isn't it? To be bold and stand up to accept the consequences when we've screwed up. And if you're anything like me, that happens considerably often. So here's the challenge for us today (because I can't do anything about Glenn Beck or Paris Hilton): don't blame anybody at all for your issues. Even if they deserve it, let today be a day to ask God for forgiveness rather than asking someone else to accept the blame. As always, if something spectacular happens during the day, feel free to share in the comments!

Godspeed,

Jason

What can save you?

Greetings bloggers!

(WOW! We had over 650 readers yesterday! If any of you have stuck around for today's post, thanks for stopping by! I'm really honored!)

I wasn't so sure about this post, but then after reading some of the comments that came up in yesterday's post, I felt like it was a fitting follow up.

I struggle with daily devotions. There, I've said it! I don't know what my problem is, but the act of getting into a habit when it comes to reading the scriptures on a daily basis eludes me. I'll get a good head of steam going for a while, maybe make it a couple of weeks of reading each and every day, but after a while the wheels fall off the wagon, and it becomes too hard to get caught up.

I don't know if it's the upbringing I've had, or the too many to count festivals and conferences, but I feel like a horrible failure every time I get off track. As a pastor, it's even worse. How could I possibly be expected to teach people about the scriptures if I can't convince myself to read it every day?

This morning as I was thinking over all of this, I was reminded that reading the Bible can't save me. I can read that book every day from now until eternity, but it will never save my soul. It's a proven fact.

I wonder how many things we think will save us that absolutely cannot. As was pointed out in abundance in the comments yesterday, the Church cannot save us. Our financial giving to the Church cannot save us. Our acts of charity cannot save us. Our political views cannot save us. Our love for our neighbors cannot save us. Our tolerance towards other faiths cannot save us. Our weekly church attendance record cannot save us.

We cannot save ourselves.

The truth is, the only thing that can save our souls is the incredible, excellent, surpassing, and overwhelming love of Jesus Christ. I've been kind of shocked at how quickly the people around me and I forget that. We're quick to throw people under the spiritual bus for having a spirituality that looks different from ours, but in truth, we can never take away the love Jesus has for us and for each and every one of our neighbors. That part is eternal.

So remember friends, you are saved by a loving God, not by your works, and not by your acts of righteousness. And remember too, that Jesus' love is so powerful, it covers the people who don't believe in him. (More on that tomorrow hopefully!)

Godspeed,

Jason

Quitting Christianity: What Anne Rice is teaching us all

Greetings bloggers!

A few months ago, Anne Rice stated on her Facebook page that in the name of Jesus Christ, she was quitting Christianity and was no longer a Christian.

It's taken me this long to get around to this post because that sentence is tough to wrap your mind around. How can a person quit Christianity in the name of Jesus? What's really at the heart of Anne Rice's comment here? What does it mean for those of us who are in the Church and in Church leadership?

Rice's comments make sense in a world where we're told it's perfectly ok to be spiritual but not religious. On the plus side, it would appear to this casual observer that there are more people than ever who are interested in the life and teachings of Jesus. People are opening the scriptures and seeing the God of the Universe who cares for and loves their souls. These people fall head over heels for the savior.

But they simply can't stand his followers.

These folks read the scriptures, particularly the teachings of Jesus, and as their eyes glance up from the page they notice that the people in the pews around them are nothing like the savior has asked of them. They see the horrible things we are capable of doing in the name of Jesus, the way we treat each other, and the way we treat people who disagree with us, and they want out.

So the question is, can you be spiritual, but not be religious? Is it possible to lead a life of devotion to Christ but not be a part of the community of faith? Yes and no I think. I understand the heart of this feeling, the desire to distance oneself from "organized religion" (a phrase I find pretty funny, because as someone who works in the church I realize that it's seldom organized). I can even understand feeling like you're capable of accomplishing more on your own than you could with a group of infighting Christians.

But the truth is, you need that connection. You need that community. You need encouragement when things aren't going your way and challenge to see things differently when needed. You need to have your viewpoints challenged by caring and loving people who are willing to invest in you. I personally think everyone should be a part of a small group, a team of people who will listen to your life stories and help you put things in perspective. Sure, the Church can be ugly. To quote Augustine, the Church may be a whore, but she's my mother.

So Anne, I see where you might have felt compelled to quit Christianity. But I also beg you to seek out those of us who are trying to make authentic and purposeful communities, trying to live the life that Jesus has laid out for us.

Perhaps we should spend less time worrying about being Christians and worry more about being disciples.

Godspeed,

J

Why we need church unity more than ever.

Hello again!

I've been working through some thoughts for the blog, and really trying to rediscover what it is that I'm passionate about. As I keep bouncing back and forth through ideas, I keep coming back to how much it breaks my heart to see how the Church (big C = everybody) is divided and separated. There are issues that I think are funny, and issues that make me angry, but there are so few issues that can break my heart like the knowledge that our Church body is falling apart at the seams in some places.

Take for instance my own denomination, the lovely and wonderful Presbyterians. A few years ago now (I can't believe this has been going on that long!) we began a debate on whether or not we could ordain homosexual pastors. Well, actually we dipped our toes in the water of debate by taking back roads and attempting to hide our true intentions rather than open ourselves up to actual honest and authentic debate, but that's all semantics. Since then, we've seen churches engaged in lengthy lawsuits and arguments with their Presbyteries in an attempt to leave. When I get right down to it, I get angry with churches on both sides of this debate. If a church can no longer stay in the Presbytery because of serious and legitimate disagreements, we shouldn't make that harder for them by blocking their land use or trying to sue them broke. We should shake hands and say "Go in peace and love." On the other hand, I don't know that the issue is big enough to warrant picking up our ball and heading home. If we aren't in communion together, we aren't going to challenge each other and we're never going to grow.

I blame Martin Luther. Actually, I bet if the great thinkers of the Reformation were still around they'd be furious at us. Luther never intended to break away from Catholicism, just as Wesley never intended to break away from the Church of England and Calvin never intended to start his own denomination. These guys were deep thinkers and revolutionaries who saw the need for change, but not a desire for division.

Not to mention the things that divided the church then were significantly more severe than several of the divisions we face today. Luther was torqued because the church was trying to sell Christ's free gift of grace, an outrage to end all outrages. Some denominations split these days over the color of the carpet and whether a guitar can be used in worship. Priorities people, priorities.

Of course, maybe I'm wrong here. Maybe there are issues that are bigger than we can work past that I'm just not seeing. But as I mentioned in a previous post this week, I'm also seeing a newer and younger generation of Church leaders stepping up and begging for the Church to rejoin in communion together, to prepare ourselves for the wedding feast of the Lamb on the last days.

What do you think about our divisions? And perhaps more importantly, how do you think we can bring the church back together?

Godspeed,

Jason

Book Review: Hear No Evil by Matthew Paul Turner

Hello bloggers!

Every vacation seems to come with a beach read. This vacation was also the first to have my new iPad with me, so I did what you would expect of any youth pastor with an inability to focus would do: I spent the first three days trying to decide what to read.

But then, once I got settled in, I landed on Matthew Paul Turner's book Hear No Evil. The first chapter alone is worth the entire price of the book. The only complaint I had was that at times Turner is so funny I laughed out loud, which made reading the book in public a bit of a challenge.

Turner walks us through his upbringing in a Fundamentalist Baptist church which seemed to have a unique relationship with music and the blossoming Christian music industry. It was a little difficult to read through some of the chapters that dealt so heavily with his baptist up bringing, as it was incredibly different from my own Presbyterian Heritage. It's weird to think that there might such a thing as denominational culture shock, but there absolutely is.

Hear No Evil is an absolute must read for anyone with even the slightest hopes of making it in the Christian Music Industry. As someone who spent some time on the inside, Turner exposes some of the more hypocritical nature of the industry. There are lots of stories in the book that I don't want to spoil, but let's leave it at this: Christian music isn't all sunshine and rainbows.

After I finished this book, I was so in love with Turner's writing style that I picked up a few of his other books on my Kindle for iPad app, and I'm sure I'll be reading them soon. But in the meantime, I highly recommend following him on twitter (@jesusneedsnewpr) and checking out his blog (be warned: he sometimes gets a little edgy...but then again I like edgy!). As for Hear No Evil, I give it two thumbs way the heck up!

Godspeed,

Jason

Caption Contest.

While we've had a lot of readers, and some pretty lively Facebook conversations, we should have some fun and take advantage of it with a good old fashion caption contest!

Come up with a funny caption for the photograph above and leave your entry in either the comments or on the Facebook post linked to the post. And in fact, we'll offer up some real life prizes this time! Deadline for entries will be 5:00 tomorrow. I'll pick the funniest caption, and the winner will get a free entry for the Veritas kick off if they're a student, or a lunch with me at my favorite spot (Sarku Japan) on the day of their choosing.

Good luck!

J

Where do you get your news?

Greetings Bloggers,

Home from vacation, and while I'm headed back to work on Tuesday, I figure I should make the best of my free time while it was left. After all, we had close to 300 hits here on the blog while I was away! Thanks for reading!

This week I covered some pretty dicey subjects from the news. We talked about the "Mosque" at ground zero, the issue of homosexual marriage and prop 8, and my overall distaste for Christian Rap. With the exception of the rap business, I posted most of what I did for two reasons: 1) because I had a fairly strong opinion on each of these issues, and 2) because they were all over the news. While I was working through each of the issues, you may have noticed that I took a couple of cracks at the media. I'm not wild about them.

Politics and spirituality in my mind don't mix, or at least not in the way that we seem to be mixing them these days. For instance, often when a person takes the bible very seriously and reads it on a daily basis, that person and those actions are labeled "conservative." If a person is serious about social justice, that person is typically labeled "liberal." So what happens to a person like me, who takes scripture very seriously, and is serious about social justice? Are we liberal, conservative, centrist? Or is it perhaps that the labels from our political system do not apply in any way to our faith system?

Which leads us to our problem with the media. Pick a station, any station to get news. Fox = Conservative. CNN = Liberal. MSNBC = Very Liberal. Even though TV is my chosen mode of transportation, it turns out newspapers, blogs, radio, and other forms of news media all fit into these left or right categories. So if you want to gather information about a news story, particularly a story that might affect your faith, which station do you use? Who do you turn into? I'll leave that up to the comments section tonight, leave a note and tell me where you turn to.

Enjoy the new layout!

Godspeed,

Jason