So, Kristi and I have been watching America's Got Talent. It's been pretty interesting, and for the most part we are happy with the way things are turning out so far. Watching the show has got me thinking, however, that while not all of us have crazy, unique talents, we all do have gifts, and more importantly, spiritual gifts. I don't know how many of you have ever taken a spiritual gift test, but it is a real interesting way to figure out where your strengths are, and I think it's really important to have an idea at what sort of spiritual gifts you have. But the most important thing is, once you discover your spiritual gifts...to use them. I'm going to tell a story now that, at first will seem irrelevant and as if it has no purpose here...but give it time and it will all make sense. Trust me.
When I was in High School, my friend Paul and I were driving close to Winnipeg to go to a concert. We were both excited for the concert, as he had seen the band before and assured me that they were great live. We were meeting the rest of the youth group at the concert. To save some time, we were taking a back road, in the middle of nowhere. All of a sudden, the front passenger tire blows. Paul, a great driver, manages to recover and pull the car over to the side of the road. We were frustrated, but had a spare tire so weren't too worried. We jack up the car, and begin taking the bolts off of the tire so we can change it. We get all of them off...but one. One of the bolts was rusted on and wouldn;t budge. Now, I'm a pretty big guy, with quite a bit of muscle...and I couldn't budge it at all...nor could Paul. This raised our frustration quite a bit. Foiled by a freakin' bolt! Paul continued to try to budge the bolt, while I flagged down a car to see if we could borrow a cell phone, as this was still the pre-"everyone in the world has a cell phone" age. Finally, I get a car pulled over and use his cell phone. I decide to call my sister, who would be at the concert, and let her know that we were going to be late so that they wouldn't worry about us. Unfortunately she didn't answer, so I had to leave a message. I handed the phone back to the driver, and watched him drive off. Hours later, frustration mounting, finally some people help us out and we get the bolt off and the tire changed. Unfortunately, we missed the concert.
Now...what the heck could that story have to do with spiritual gifts? Well, the funny thing is (at least to me..Paul didn't find it funny in the least), was that I had a CAA card in my wallet the whole time. With the cell phone, I could have called CAA, got a truck there quickly, and got us on our way in a few short moments...we would have made it in time for the concert. Instead, I hid it in my wallet, forgot about it, and it served no purpose. The point is...we all have a spiritual "CAA card" in our pockets. God has given us many gifts and talents, with the expectation that we will use them, and strengthen them. Spiritual gifts that are never used serve about the same purpose as a CAA card that stays in a wallet during car trouble, or a Stanley Cup parade map in downtown Toronto...it's pointless. (Note, I am a leaf fan...I am just joking and trying to relate to the majority of the readers who despise the Leafs). Jesus tells a parable about this, sort of, in Matthew 25:14-30. It's the parable of the Talents. To paraphrase the story, there is this man who has three employees. He is a rich man, and he is going away for a while. Instead of just leaving his money (talents) and not have it being invested and used, he decides to give it to the three employees of his. To the best employee, he gives 5, to the next best 2 and to the third he gives 1. He tells them to invest the money and use it wisely, and he goes away. The first 2 invest the money, and it doubles. The third one, scared that he will poorly use it, hides it away. When the man returns, he blesses the 2 who doubled their money, and curses the third one. In fact he takes away the one talent, and gives it to the first employee.
I realize that most people use this parable to talk about money, and wisely investing the money that we are given...but I think that it is no coincidence that the word for money used in the parable is "talent". As I said before, we all have talent. We all have gifts. Now, God gives some of us more talent, than others, but the purpose is the same. Use it. Use it well, bless others, and the talent will improve. It's too bad that so many people in the church have talent, have great spiritual gifts but never use them. Perhaps the church doesn't do well enough to encourage people to utilize their gifts. Maybe people just don't know what their gifts are. Perhaps people are just lazy and think that there's no harm in keeping their gift to themselves. But that's far from the truth. As the parable shows, the worker who hides the talent away, gets cursed and actually loses the talent. No, I'm not saying that God will take away our talents and gifts if we don't use them...but I do think that, like a skill that doesn't get used, the quality of the talent will decrease. for example, a singer who doesn't sing for a while will lose a bit of the ability to sing. I mean, it will probably sound ok, but it wouldn't sound as good as if they had sung constantly, practicing and perfecting their skill. We must use our gifts, our talents and our skills. God gave them to us for a reason. To bless others, further the kingdom and as a form of worship. Imagine getting a gift for someone, giving it to them for Christmas or their birthday...and after they open it, the set it aside and never use it. Or worse yet, they take the gift and never even open in. Never knowing what is inside. God has given us gifts...have you opened them yet? Do you know what is inside them?
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Remakes, Sequels, and Reality Television
Am I the only one who has been noticing lately that it seems that everything that comes out of the entertainment industry (movies, tv and even music), seems to be either a remake, a sequel...or in the case of TV...reality tv? Now, there are a lot of exceptions (in fact this past weekend the top 3 movies at the box office were all original movies, Inception, Salt and Despicable Me), but it seems that generally, everything is either being remade with a modern twist, or a movie franchise that was thought to be long dead comes up with another sequel or 2 (Toy Story 3, Shrek 4, Predators, Twilight, Harry Potter, Dumb and Dumberer...the list is almost endless). Music even has gone in this direction. Do you notice how a lot of artists now are doing covers or classics, or are adding in parts of other songs to their original song. Think Mariah Carey singing "I want to Know What Love Is", or Flo Rida using the chorus of the catchy song "Blue" by Eiffel 65 in his song "Sugar". Now, to be honest...as much as this kind of bugs me, I also have to admit that a lot of the remakes and sequels (and yes...even the reality tv in some cases) are actually pretty good. I don't want this blog to be about bashing hollywood for not coming up with original ideas (it's inevitable...eventually ideas are going to run out, there are only so many good movie ideas left). This blog isn't even really about the entertainment industry anyway, actually. It's actually about the Church.
I feel that, like Hollywood, TV, and music...the Church has bought into the "remake" idea. How often do you hear people talking about being like the church in Acts, or wishing that we were more like the church in the letters...the Ephesians, Phillipians, Colossians, Galatians. Or how often do we hear people in the church complain that "That's not how we used to do it". It seems that the Church has been simply trying to remake the biblical church instead of attempting to be original and relevent for today's culture. I think we forget that, while the churches in the Bible seemed vibrant and exciting, they had a lot of problems too. There has never been a perfect church, nor will there be (until heaven). Why are we stuck in the rut of trying to remake something..or just sticking with one simple formula that used to work, and we wonder why it doesn't seem to work anymore.
I think in Hollywood terms, the Church has to be more of a sequel than a remake. We need to stop trying to just "redo" things, and actually progress the story along. We have to look at the biblical church, the churches of the past, and see what works and would still work. We also have to see, what needs to get cut out. And we need to progress. The point of a sequel is to progress a story that is unfinished...we are part of this unfinished story. We need to continue it, in a new way. Often sequels take things in different directions. Characters that were good, turn bad, people that we fell in love with in the first, die in the second...the plot twists and turns, and new ideas are formed. The same needs to be done in the church. We have to change some of our ideas, change the plot. Theology, Ideas, knowledge all progress and change. Why do we so often feel that the church has to stay the same? Why does it seem that things are always done the same way, ideas and thoughts never evolve and questions are never asked or answered. The church should be a place of change, a place of spiritual evolution. Now, don't get me wrong...I think that there does need to be some consistincy. There are basic pillars of faith that MUST remain the same (Jesus, the Cross, Salvation)...but all I'm trying to say is...let's look at our churches, look at what we believe, what we teach, how we present our knowledge, how we worship...and see what needs to change. What is obsolete, what needs to evolve? Let's start the sequel...progress the story, possibly change the plot up a little bit and throw in some curveballs. Let's stop with the remakes. Stop with just the same 'ol, same 'ol...and actually move along!
I hope this actually made sense, and you guys understand what I am trying to say here. If its really obscure and makes no sense, let me know, or if you completely disagree with what I am trying to say then tell me too. What do you guys think? Should the church keep making "remakes" or should we move on to the "sequel"?
I feel that, like Hollywood, TV, and music...the Church has bought into the "remake" idea. How often do you hear people talking about being like the church in Acts, or wishing that we were more like the church in the letters...the Ephesians, Phillipians, Colossians, Galatians. Or how often do we hear people in the church complain that "That's not how we used to do it". It seems that the Church has been simply trying to remake the biblical church instead of attempting to be original and relevent for today's culture. I think we forget that, while the churches in the Bible seemed vibrant and exciting, they had a lot of problems too. There has never been a perfect church, nor will there be (until heaven). Why are we stuck in the rut of trying to remake something..or just sticking with one simple formula that used to work, and we wonder why it doesn't seem to work anymore.
I think in Hollywood terms, the Church has to be more of a sequel than a remake. We need to stop trying to just "redo" things, and actually progress the story along. We have to look at the biblical church, the churches of the past, and see what works and would still work. We also have to see, what needs to get cut out. And we need to progress. The point of a sequel is to progress a story that is unfinished...we are part of this unfinished story. We need to continue it, in a new way. Often sequels take things in different directions. Characters that were good, turn bad, people that we fell in love with in the first, die in the second...the plot twists and turns, and new ideas are formed. The same needs to be done in the church. We have to change some of our ideas, change the plot. Theology, Ideas, knowledge all progress and change. Why do we so often feel that the church has to stay the same? Why does it seem that things are always done the same way, ideas and thoughts never evolve and questions are never asked or answered. The church should be a place of change, a place of spiritual evolution. Now, don't get me wrong...I think that there does need to be some consistincy. There are basic pillars of faith that MUST remain the same (Jesus, the Cross, Salvation)...but all I'm trying to say is...let's look at our churches, look at what we believe, what we teach, how we present our knowledge, how we worship...and see what needs to change. What is obsolete, what needs to evolve? Let's start the sequel...progress the story, possibly change the plot up a little bit and throw in some curveballs. Let's stop with the remakes. Stop with just the same 'ol, same 'ol...and actually move along!
I hope this actually made sense, and you guys understand what I am trying to say here. If its really obscure and makes no sense, let me know, or if you completely disagree with what I am trying to say then tell me too. What do you guys think? Should the church keep making "remakes" or should we move on to the "sequel"?
Monday, July 26, 2010
"...He Too Saved Israel"
My favourite book in the bible...or at least one of them, is the book of Judges. There's something about it that I love. It's frustrating, it's violent, it raises a lot of questions without providing a lot of answers...but it is very entertaining and, more importantly, it inspires me. Now, I know what you are thinking..."Judges inspires you?". Your probably thinking that Psalms would be a better choice, or any one of the Gospels. It doesn't inspire me in the same way the Sermon on the Mount inspires, or a good Psalm or a clever Proverb inspires...it's a real life sort of inspiration. Maybe it's just because I'm a guy and I enjoy the bloody violence that the book of Judges provides (cause there is a lot of that)...but there's more to it than that for me. What I like about the book of Judges, is the people that God uses. Let me explain.
Initially, I was going to talk about my 2 favourite stories in Judges, one of which you are likely familiar with and the other one you probably have no idea even exists...but then after thinking about it, I couldn't narrow it down. All of it applies to what I am trying to say in this blog (which I realize I am postponing in getting to). I will start with my 2 faves tho. Ehud, and Shamgar. I'll start with the obscure one: Shamgar. The story of Shamgar takes one verse. That's all he gets in the entire bible...and it happens near the beginning of Judges, so you forget about it by the time the book is over. It is found in Judges 3:31, ironically right after the story of Ehud. The story of Shamgar is as follows:
"After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel".
That's it. That's all we know about it. But it's what this implies that I love. Shamgar seems like just a regular guy. Probably a shephard, most likely poor, and according to commentaries, he may have not even been an Israelite. It's possible that he was Hurrian or Canaanite. Regardless, he saved Israel with an oxgoad. A stick. He killed six hundred of Israel's enemies with a simple stick. Pretty impressive. So that's the first story that I love...the second, as I mentioned before, is Ehud. Ehud is a bit of a longer story, so I will paraphrase it here. Basically, there is an evil king named Eglon (who is very fat), and Ehud (who is left handed) goes to the king, pretends to have a message for him, and kills him. That is a very brief paraphrase, but it sums it up fine. The main point of the Ehud story, is the fact that he was left handed. In biblical days, let handed people were seen as lesser people. They were essentially outcasts. It is also important, because when he went to visit the king, they looked for a weapon on him on his left side, when he kept the weapon on his right side. The fact that God used a left handed person is huge...for the plan to work, he HAD to have been left handed.
Now, here's what I'm getting at...finally. God uses the outcasts. God used a poor, foreigner shepherd named Shamgar to kill 600 Philistines. He used a left handed man named Ehud to free Israel from the grasp of an evil king. And the trend continues throughout the book of Judges. Othniel was a younger brother (typically the oldest would have been the most respected), Deborah was a woman (I'm not being sexist here..Women can do great things, but in that culture it was unheard of for a woman to be a "savior"), Gideon was the weakest person in the weakest tribe, and Samson was a Nazarite (albeit a very poor example of one). All through the book of Judges, God raises up people that no one expected. Not even ordinary people...outcasts. People that were looked down upon, cast aside, ignored, probably teased and made fun of. THESE are the people that God used to save Israel.
And when we move outside of the book of Judges, we see the same thing happening. Moses was a poor public speaker, Rachel was the "unwanted wife" of Jacob...and it is through her line that David, and Jesus come from. Speaking of David, David was the youngest, and a shepherd before he became king. Jesus was born to a poor carpenter, and a teenage virgin. The disciples were made up of tax collectors and fishermen. Saul was a persecuter of Christians before he became one of the greatest evangelists in history. God has a history of using unconventional people, in unconventional ways to do incredible things. That is inspiring to me. That is why I like the book of Judges so much. It reminds me that God uses the strange, the bizarre, the overlooked, the outcast, the sinner, the weak, the minority. God uses anyone, and everyone. That, my friends, is inspiration!
Initially, I was going to talk about my 2 favourite stories in Judges, one of which you are likely familiar with and the other one you probably have no idea even exists...but then after thinking about it, I couldn't narrow it down. All of it applies to what I am trying to say in this blog (which I realize I am postponing in getting to). I will start with my 2 faves tho. Ehud, and Shamgar. I'll start with the obscure one: Shamgar. The story of Shamgar takes one verse. That's all he gets in the entire bible...and it happens near the beginning of Judges, so you forget about it by the time the book is over. It is found in Judges 3:31, ironically right after the story of Ehud. The story of Shamgar is as follows:
"After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel".
That's it. That's all we know about it. But it's what this implies that I love. Shamgar seems like just a regular guy. Probably a shephard, most likely poor, and according to commentaries, he may have not even been an Israelite. It's possible that he was Hurrian or Canaanite. Regardless, he saved Israel with an oxgoad. A stick. He killed six hundred of Israel's enemies with a simple stick. Pretty impressive. So that's the first story that I love...the second, as I mentioned before, is Ehud. Ehud is a bit of a longer story, so I will paraphrase it here. Basically, there is an evil king named Eglon (who is very fat), and Ehud (who is left handed) goes to the king, pretends to have a message for him, and kills him. That is a very brief paraphrase, but it sums it up fine. The main point of the Ehud story, is the fact that he was left handed. In biblical days, let handed people were seen as lesser people. They were essentially outcasts. It is also important, because when he went to visit the king, they looked for a weapon on him on his left side, when he kept the weapon on his right side. The fact that God used a left handed person is huge...for the plan to work, he HAD to have been left handed.
Now, here's what I'm getting at...finally. God uses the outcasts. God used a poor, foreigner shepherd named Shamgar to kill 600 Philistines. He used a left handed man named Ehud to free Israel from the grasp of an evil king. And the trend continues throughout the book of Judges. Othniel was a younger brother (typically the oldest would have been the most respected), Deborah was a woman (I'm not being sexist here..Women can do great things, but in that culture it was unheard of for a woman to be a "savior"), Gideon was the weakest person in the weakest tribe, and Samson was a Nazarite (albeit a very poor example of one). All through the book of Judges, God raises up people that no one expected. Not even ordinary people...outcasts. People that were looked down upon, cast aside, ignored, probably teased and made fun of. THESE are the people that God used to save Israel.
And when we move outside of the book of Judges, we see the same thing happening. Moses was a poor public speaker, Rachel was the "unwanted wife" of Jacob...and it is through her line that David, and Jesus come from. Speaking of David, David was the youngest, and a shepherd before he became king. Jesus was born to a poor carpenter, and a teenage virgin. The disciples were made up of tax collectors and fishermen. Saul was a persecuter of Christians before he became one of the greatest evangelists in history. God has a history of using unconventional people, in unconventional ways to do incredible things. That is inspiring to me. That is why I like the book of Judges so much. It reminds me that God uses the strange, the bizarre, the overlooked, the outcast, the sinner, the weak, the minority. God uses anyone, and everyone. That, my friends, is inspiration!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Painted Faces, A Conch, and a boy named Piggy
Well, I have finished reading "Lord of the Flies". While I won't say that it is my favourite book, I will say that I enjoyed it. It was good. The whole time I read it, I couldn't help and compare it to LOST. Plane crash. Beast in the woods. Trapped on an island. Character named Jack. The debate between fire and food (like the debate between staying on the beach or going inland to the cave). I can definately see how the writers at LOST got a few ideas from this book. Anyway, I want to talk about some themes from the book. Lessons we can learn, from William Goldings classic novel. I want to note that I never took this book in school, therefore my themes and ideas may either be completely different than you all studied, or it may be a repeat of what you already know. I have no idea, you can all correct me later. So, without further ado...my thoughts on "Lord of the Flies":
1) First an foremost, I believe that the central theme of the book, is the primal need for leadership and rules. When Ralph was voted leader, everyting was good (for a while). Things got done, everyone got along (for the most part), and everything was relatively peaceful. Rules are important. As people, we hate rules, just like the boys on the island. They didn't appreciate Ralph coming up with rule after rule, and eventually they left him for it. But as much as we hate rules, we need them. It's why God gave the Israelites the 10 Commandments; he wasn't being a dictator, he was giving them a guideline, which would help them to live in peace and harmony. As long as rules are being followed things are peaceful, once we try to go on our own, and neglect the rules, chaos ensues.
2) Piggy was the most important person on the island. Unfortunately, they never respected him, teased him, abused him, didn't take his ideas seriously and eventually killed him. I feel we all have people in our lives that we don't respect. We tease, abused, and never really take them seriously, and yet they have real knowledge that we should embrace. Think of what would have been different if the boys actually listened to Piggy (and Ralph), instead of just calling him Fatty, and ignoring him. They probably would have been rescued when the first boat went by. We need to learn to try to find wisdom in everyone. Sometimes we have to look harder, but I feel that everyone has something wise to say every now and then. We can't just brush people off because they are different, or weird.
3) When the boys painted their face, they became different. Jack was always kind of a douchbag, but the rest of the boys were pretty good through most of the book. But then they painted their face, and it became a type of mask that they could hide behind, and be ruthless. We all have masks that we hid behind. We try to be someone different, and that often means that we hurt other people, or compromise our beliefs. In order to fit on, everyone but Ralph, Piggy a few littluns and the twins (although even they eventually painted their faces, when threatend, and joined the tribe). We have to wash off the paint, take off the mask and stop being someone we aren't. Be who you are. Don't let anyone force you to be someone different.
4) Sometimes, it's only when everything is falling apart that help finally arrives. The whole book, all Ralph wanted was a fire, with smoke so that a ship would see it and save them. He wanted rescue. That was all he wanted. To be saved. Oddly enough, that didn't happen until the last possible moment, when everything was falling apart, and it seemed that the end was near. The island was on fire, and the savages were closing in on him, ready to stab him with the stick that was pointy on both ends. It didn't happen when things were good. Before the tribe was formed or Jack started forming a mutiny. It happened when he was at his whits end. When there was nowhere else to turn, that's when helped arrive. In life sometimes, the same thing happens. We do our best to be "rescued" or saved. Our life starts going downhill, things fall apart and everything goes wrong. We cry for help, we try to keep the fire going, and it's no use. God doesn't seem to hear, help doesn't seem to arrive. It's only when everything is broken, the island is burning and we are being chased down by savages that help finally arrives. It doesn't go according to plan. Had it have gone according to Ralph's plan, then the first fire that they built, the one that Jack let go out because he wanted to hunt a pig, would have been enough to save them. Simon would never have been mistaken for the beast and thrown off a cliff, piggy wouldn't have been crushed by a boulder, and the boy with the mole on his face wouldn't have been burned in the first fire (however, he may have survived...there's no proof otherwise). But it didn't go according to Ralph's plan, just like life doesn't go according to our plan. Our plan involves us being rescued as soon as we are stranded on the island. God's plan often involves hardships, trails, tribulations, fights...sometimes even death. But rescue does come eventually. God does hear...it just takes patience and time. Keep the fire going.
5) Finally, the last main thing I got from the book involves the fire and the pig hunt. Jack let the only hope for resuce go out, because he wanted to hunt a pig and get meat. In his mind, meat was the most important thing..and in all honesty, there was nothing wrong with wanting to hunt and eat a pig...but he got his priorities mixed up. he placed a want over a need. He let his selfish attitudes, his selfish desire outweigh the important things. No, keeping a fire going isn't as much fun...but it would have saved them a lot earlier, and saved the lives of 2 people (3 if you count the littlun). How often do we let a fire die, and go chasing after pigs? (figuratively of course). We go after something that we want, and let go of something that we need. We try to do it on our own, instead of giving it over to God. It's not fun, it's not easy...but it is important. We can't let our selfish desires get in the way of what is truly important.
Well...those are my few thoughts on the book. William Golding has created a great story about survival...and about how, without rules and leadership, chaos ensues and we fall into evil and selfish desires. For those of you that have read the book, what sort of themes did you get from it? And no...don't just say "the book sucked" and leave it at that. Whether you loved it, or hated it...if you read it, it must have left some sort of impression on you...what was it?
Saturday, July 3, 2010
The Forgiveness Problem
A Sikh and an Atheist are sitting in a coffee shop. Sounds like the start of some lame, probably racist joke right? But it's not. So, yesterday I was working at Tim Horton's on the UFV campus, and while I was on my break, I'm listening to these two people talk about evolution/science vs. religion. (This shocked me, as in my naivity I only thought that Christians had these discussions with people in an effort to convert someone. These people were having an honest discussion, with no attempt to really sway one another. It was actually really humbling, and I had to evaluate how Christians often get into discussions like that, and then through their arrogance, they turn people completely off.) I have to be honest, I'm not sure if the Atheist was actually and atheist...I'm just guessing, but he definately was at least an agnostic. If there was a God, it doesn't really matter...it's all about how we live. At first I thought the sikh may actually been a Christian, as he talked about how he didn't believe evolution and stuff. How evolution makes life seem pointless and everything. It was a very interesting conversation to listen to. Then the sikh talked about how, he appreciates all religions, but the one he has the biggest problem with (surprise, surprise) is Christianity. I'd heard that numerous times before, no shocker. He said it was because Christians believe in the "only one way to God" idea, which he thought was exclusive (also something I've heard argued numerous times). But then, later on, he said something that did shock me. He came up with an argument that I'd never heard before. Another reason he didn't believe Christianity was, in a sense, forgiveness. Ok, what he actually said was "one question Christians can never answer well is, 'If a murderer prays to God, will he go to heaven'?". Now, the question seemed pretty easy to answer from a Christian perspective...yes, of course he would right? But the point he was getting at was more along the lines of justice. He didn't want a muderer to be able to be forgiven. Why is it fair that someone can be a killer, pray and get into a heaven, while someone else tries really hard to be a good person, never does anything too bad, and ends up in hell?
I have to say, it took a lot for me to resist joining in on the discussion; but 1) I was a stranger, and didn't need to interfere, and 2) I was on coffee break, and the discussion (with my inclusion), would likely have gone LONG past my 15 minutes. Anyway, I went back to work, and couldn't stop thinking about the idea that, other people have an issue with forgiveness. I can't generalize and say, everyone does...as this is the first person I'd ever really heard voice that concern, but the thought is out there. As Christians, forgiveness is the one thing that calms us, soothes us and comforts us. To some extent, the forgiveness is the reason we are Christians in the first place. But other people want justice. They don't want to know that a psychotic killer, a serial rapist, a child molester, a warmonger, can simply pray-get forgiveness and enter heaven. I think it is this notion that is making the karma religions more popular. The whole "you get what you give" idea is something that makes people feel better. Even though the notion is false on many levels (although there is some element of truth to it), it's attractive to people who don't want to believe that a simply prayer can get someone into heaven, after a life of brutality.
In my opinion, the main reason people have a problem with this, at least partly, has to do with the fact that Christians have this false idea about forgiveness. Anytime you see a televangelist, or missionary, or whenever a Christian tries to talk about their faith they always, in some way at least, refer to "the Sinners Prayer". Even if we don't fully believe it ourselves, we always preach the "if you just pray to God and ask him into your heart, you will be forgiven and are a Christian". That's it. That's what we preach. It's THAT simple? really? We fail to mention that there is much more to it than just a prayer. In fact, I believe that you can be a Christian and never actually utter "the sinners prayer". Christians often quote the story about the man on the cross next to Jesus, and how he just asked to be remembered, and he got into heaven. They say that, "even the worst person and be forgiven with a simple prayer"...and yet they miss the point of the story. The man wasn't uttering a last ditch attempt at being saved. First, he just asked to be remembered...didn't even ask to be included in the kingdom (humility), and secondly, he whole heartedly, without a doubt knew that Jesus was the Son of God. He knew who he was, and he believed it. He was in awe, in reverence. I honsetly belive that, if some way he got down off the cross and was released from prison, I think he would have been a better man. His encounter with Jesus would have changed him. That's what it comes down to isn't it? How many of us initially uttered the sinners prayer as a way to avoid hell? We were scared, didn't want to be punished and so we prayed to go to heaven. It wasn't until later, that we started to get to know God, saw his character, felt his presence and really formed a relationship with him. So at what point did we become a christian? Was it the prayer that saved us? Or was it the relationship, the learning about God, speaking with him, serving him, praising him?
Salvation is more than just a prayer to get out of hell. We need to stop preaching this sinners prayer propeganda (to some extent anyway), and actually preach about the life-changing attitude, the character of God, the relationship with Him. So...to answer the question, can a murderer pray a prayer, ask for forgiveness and get into heaven? If his sole purpose is to get out of hell, then no. I honestly doubt the validity of those "fear of hell" prayers. But if he truly sees the error in his ways (repentance is a HUGE part of forgiveness), and he truly sees Jesus as the Son of God, and wants to worship God with his life, then yes. It all comes down to the heart. Let's start sending out that message, and not just the simple "one prayer and your done" message.
I have to say, it took a lot for me to resist joining in on the discussion; but 1) I was a stranger, and didn't need to interfere, and 2) I was on coffee break, and the discussion (with my inclusion), would likely have gone LONG past my 15 minutes. Anyway, I went back to work, and couldn't stop thinking about the idea that, other people have an issue with forgiveness. I can't generalize and say, everyone does...as this is the first person I'd ever really heard voice that concern, but the thought is out there. As Christians, forgiveness is the one thing that calms us, soothes us and comforts us. To some extent, the forgiveness is the reason we are Christians in the first place. But other people want justice. They don't want to know that a psychotic killer, a serial rapist, a child molester, a warmonger, can simply pray-get forgiveness and enter heaven. I think it is this notion that is making the karma religions more popular. The whole "you get what you give" idea is something that makes people feel better. Even though the notion is false on many levels (although there is some element of truth to it), it's attractive to people who don't want to believe that a simply prayer can get someone into heaven, after a life of brutality.
In my opinion, the main reason people have a problem with this, at least partly, has to do with the fact that Christians have this false idea about forgiveness. Anytime you see a televangelist, or missionary, or whenever a Christian tries to talk about their faith they always, in some way at least, refer to "the Sinners Prayer". Even if we don't fully believe it ourselves, we always preach the "if you just pray to God and ask him into your heart, you will be forgiven and are a Christian". That's it. That's what we preach. It's THAT simple? really? We fail to mention that there is much more to it than just a prayer. In fact, I believe that you can be a Christian and never actually utter "the sinners prayer". Christians often quote the story about the man on the cross next to Jesus, and how he just asked to be remembered, and he got into heaven. They say that, "even the worst person and be forgiven with a simple prayer"...and yet they miss the point of the story. The man wasn't uttering a last ditch attempt at being saved. First, he just asked to be remembered...didn't even ask to be included in the kingdom (humility), and secondly, he whole heartedly, without a doubt knew that Jesus was the Son of God. He knew who he was, and he believed it. He was in awe, in reverence. I honsetly belive that, if some way he got down off the cross and was released from prison, I think he would have been a better man. His encounter with Jesus would have changed him. That's what it comes down to isn't it? How many of us initially uttered the sinners prayer as a way to avoid hell? We were scared, didn't want to be punished and so we prayed to go to heaven. It wasn't until later, that we started to get to know God, saw his character, felt his presence and really formed a relationship with him. So at what point did we become a christian? Was it the prayer that saved us? Or was it the relationship, the learning about God, speaking with him, serving him, praising him?
Salvation is more than just a prayer to get out of hell. We need to stop preaching this sinners prayer propeganda (to some extent anyway), and actually preach about the life-changing attitude, the character of God, the relationship with Him. So...to answer the question, can a murderer pray a prayer, ask for forgiveness and get into heaven? If his sole purpose is to get out of hell, then no. I honestly doubt the validity of those "fear of hell" prayers. But if he truly sees the error in his ways (repentance is a HUGE part of forgiveness), and he truly sees Jesus as the Son of God, and wants to worship God with his life, then yes. It all comes down to the heart. Let's start sending out that message, and not just the simple "one prayer and your done" message.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Over-Analyze This
Today, I'm gonna share a little bit about one of my spiritual pet peeves. One thing that really bothers me is Christians who misinterpret Scripture. I mean this in a variety of ways, either they take something out of context, or they over analyze a verse/section/paragraph whatever to the point where it has so many meanings, it loses its original meaning. Or, they try too hard to apply something to a modern setting and make it relevant, that it's true purpose and meaning is lost.
Now, don't get me wrong. Interpreting and applying scripture to a modern context is very important. Unfortunately, not enough people do it properly. I'm not saying that I am a pro at this, in fact I am probably just as bad as anyone else, but its something we need to be careful of.
There are a few things in scripture that allow us to interpet them in numerous ways, the parables are one example. When Jesus spoke these stories, they were meant to be interpreted in various ways. The story of the Prodigal Son can be interpreted from different perspectives, and can mean different things to different people in different cirumstances. What I have a problem with, is people taking a passage like "When 2 or more are gathered, there am I with them", and interpret it to mean "When 2 or more people pray, God will answer our prays the way we want them to!". Another major issue with this, is people who try to use Scripture to justify their actions. For example, wars, genocides, the holocaust, slavery, crusades...all were "justified" by Scripture. People thought, and still think "Well, God wiped out numerous nations...so its ok for us", or "People in the bible had slaves, so it must be acceptable for us too". A more recent and relevant point is homosexuality. I recently had a facebook argument on a friends status with many people that I didnt even know about homosexuality. The status read something like "Homosexuality isn't a sin. Calling a homosexual a sinner is." I responded to that with something along the lines of "I think judging is wrong, but at the same time I do believe that homosexuality is wrong.". My response was longer than that, but that was the gist of it. Anyway, the responses were hateful and brutal. I was called a homophobe, judgemental, and numerous other names. Anyway, after discussion and argument, their main points for justifying homosexuality was 1) There was no word for "homosexuality" in Biblical times, and 2) When the act of homosexuality is mentioned in the bible, it is used in reference to temple prostitution. They were justifying their actions, trying to find a way to interpret something that the Bible is quite clear about, and making it read something that allows them to be right.
Christians...this needs to stop. We need to learn to interpret Scripture properly. It's ok to take some things at face value sometimes. And trying to add relevance to something that doesn't need it is ridiculous, and is poisoning how we read and understand Scripture. When you begin to see Jesus as a metaphor, instead of just the Son of God, you have gone too far. Now, I wish I had a surefire way to make sure that we dont misinterpret Scripture..but I don't. I do have some tips though:
The most important thing is context. Keep scripture in its proper context. Don't take a verse out of its original context and make it mean something else. Look at what the author was trying to say...and if your conclusion goes against that, you have misinterpreted it.
Try to go at interpretation from an unbiased perspective. When you have an agenda, you will (either deliberately or subconsciously) interpret Scripture to go along with the beliefs you already have.
Pray. Have a great relationship with God, talk with him constantly and have him help you understand what Scripture is trying to say.
If it doesn't need to be understood at a deeper level, then don't add deeper meaning to it. Now, this doesn't mean that the Bible doesn't contain things that at first glance seem unimportant or just added detail, but are actually very vital...but there are things that we add meaning to, and deeper levels to that never were intended to be understood in that way.
I honestly believe that if the authors of the books saw how we were interpreting their words, they would be mortified. When Husbands abuse their wives and claim that the Bible says its ok because "Wives are to submit to their husbands", or when modern day prophets predict the day that Jesus will return, based on "clues" in Scripture, we take things FAR too far, and pervert what the Bible is trying to say. The Bible is the word of God. Yes, it was written by man, but it was inspired by and designed by God. It's not just a book of fairy tales, good advice or fables. Yes, there are great stories, myths and advice within its pages...but when you see Scripture as only those things you grossly miss the point.
I realize I have kinda gone on a few rabbit trails here. I hope that my main point is clear, and that I won't be misinterpreted or taken out of context. What do you guys think? Do you think that this is a major issue in Christianity today, or am I just seeing an issue when there isn't really an issue?
Now, don't get me wrong. Interpreting and applying scripture to a modern context is very important. Unfortunately, not enough people do it properly. I'm not saying that I am a pro at this, in fact I am probably just as bad as anyone else, but its something we need to be careful of.
There are a few things in scripture that allow us to interpet them in numerous ways, the parables are one example. When Jesus spoke these stories, they were meant to be interpreted in various ways. The story of the Prodigal Son can be interpreted from different perspectives, and can mean different things to different people in different cirumstances. What I have a problem with, is people taking a passage like "When 2 or more are gathered, there am I with them", and interpret it to mean "When 2 or more people pray, God will answer our prays the way we want them to!". Another major issue with this, is people who try to use Scripture to justify their actions. For example, wars, genocides, the holocaust, slavery, crusades...all were "justified" by Scripture. People thought, and still think "Well, God wiped out numerous nations...so its ok for us", or "People in the bible had slaves, so it must be acceptable for us too". A more recent and relevant point is homosexuality. I recently had a facebook argument on a friends status with many people that I didnt even know about homosexuality. The status read something like "Homosexuality isn't a sin. Calling a homosexual a sinner is." I responded to that with something along the lines of "I think judging is wrong, but at the same time I do believe that homosexuality is wrong.". My response was longer than that, but that was the gist of it. Anyway, the responses were hateful and brutal. I was called a homophobe, judgemental, and numerous other names. Anyway, after discussion and argument, their main points for justifying homosexuality was 1) There was no word for "homosexuality" in Biblical times, and 2) When the act of homosexuality is mentioned in the bible, it is used in reference to temple prostitution. They were justifying their actions, trying to find a way to interpret something that the Bible is quite clear about, and making it read something that allows them to be right.
Christians...this needs to stop. We need to learn to interpret Scripture properly. It's ok to take some things at face value sometimes. And trying to add relevance to something that doesn't need it is ridiculous, and is poisoning how we read and understand Scripture. When you begin to see Jesus as a metaphor, instead of just the Son of God, you have gone too far. Now, I wish I had a surefire way to make sure that we dont misinterpret Scripture..but I don't. I do have some tips though:
The most important thing is context. Keep scripture in its proper context. Don't take a verse out of its original context and make it mean something else. Look at what the author was trying to say...and if your conclusion goes against that, you have misinterpreted it.
Try to go at interpretation from an unbiased perspective. When you have an agenda, you will (either deliberately or subconsciously) interpret Scripture to go along with the beliefs you already have.
Pray. Have a great relationship with God, talk with him constantly and have him help you understand what Scripture is trying to say.
If it doesn't need to be understood at a deeper level, then don't add deeper meaning to it. Now, this doesn't mean that the Bible doesn't contain things that at first glance seem unimportant or just added detail, but are actually very vital...but there are things that we add meaning to, and deeper levels to that never were intended to be understood in that way.
I honestly believe that if the authors of the books saw how we were interpreting their words, they would be mortified. When Husbands abuse their wives and claim that the Bible says its ok because "Wives are to submit to their husbands", or when modern day prophets predict the day that Jesus will return, based on "clues" in Scripture, we take things FAR too far, and pervert what the Bible is trying to say. The Bible is the word of God. Yes, it was written by man, but it was inspired by and designed by God. It's not just a book of fairy tales, good advice or fables. Yes, there are great stories, myths and advice within its pages...but when you see Scripture as only those things you grossly miss the point.
I realize I have kinda gone on a few rabbit trails here. I hope that my main point is clear, and that I won't be misinterpreted or taken out of context. What do you guys think? Do you think that this is a major issue in Christianity today, or am I just seeing an issue when there isn't really an issue?
Thursday, June 17, 2010
The Need To Be Right
Wow...I'm writing a second blog, in the same say, within less than 2 hours of eachother. This has to be somekind of record. I AM AWESOME! No, just kidding. But seriously, I can't believe I am doing this, but something else has entered my skull...and instead of holding onto it for a couple of days with lack of sleep (yes...thinking about blogs can affect my sleep...sad isn't it?), I figured I'd write it down now.
I always seem to find myself in conversations, both on facebook and in person, with people over spiritual matters. Sometimes I will enter a conversation that I don't agree with, just to put my two cents in and stir the pot a little bit. Sometimes, a topic will be discussed that I feel really strongly about, and feel the need to say my part. Other times, I will just haphazardly walk into one, not knowing how I got there at all. I've always been this way. I love discussions, and getting into arguments about theological truths. But, I've just realized, that one of the reasons why I do it isn't because I feel called by God to enter the argument...it's because I want people to agree with me. I want people to think that I am smart, funny, religious. I want to change people's minds based solely on what I say, and what arguments I have. I have come to realize that, while I enjoy discussion, I enjoy it more when I'm the one on the attack. I recently entered a facebook conversation with a friend and like 50 people I don't know...and all of them had a different opinion than me. I felt defensive, and din't enjoy it at all. I still felt that my position was correct, but couldn't convince anyone to agree with me. And it frustrated the hell out of me (pardon my use of the "h" word). But really, aren't we all like that at some point? Deep down, we have this desire to be liked, to be agreed with. (It's ok...you can disagree if you like). One of my biggest pet peeves, is when I love a movie, and I tell others about it, and they don't like it as much...or even worse, they hate it. It makes me so mad. And why does it? Cause I want to be responsible for them discovering something great. I want them to see that movie and think "Wow, Keith has great taste".
I need to work on being more humble. I have to be ok with people disagreeing with me, arguing AGAINST me. I need to realize that, just because someone has a differing opinion than me, it doesn't make them the enemy..and when they challenge me, it's not a personal attack on my character (Unless they are actually attacking my character). I need to stand my ground, and stand up for what I believe in, but not to make myself great. I need to humble myself. Cast aside everything that would cause me to boast. I need to be ok with being wrong every once in a while. Step down off of my high horse, pack up my soapbox, and just leave things alone. It's not my job to change peoples perspective, opinions, or beliefs. That's God's job. He may use me for this purpose, or he may not. He may even use the other person to change MY beliefs, opinions and perspectives....and that is really tough for me to accept.
I always seem to find myself in conversations, both on facebook and in person, with people over spiritual matters. Sometimes I will enter a conversation that I don't agree with, just to put my two cents in and stir the pot a little bit. Sometimes, a topic will be discussed that I feel really strongly about, and feel the need to say my part. Other times, I will just haphazardly walk into one, not knowing how I got there at all. I've always been this way. I love discussions, and getting into arguments about theological truths. But, I've just realized, that one of the reasons why I do it isn't because I feel called by God to enter the argument...it's because I want people to agree with me. I want people to think that I am smart, funny, religious. I want to change people's minds based solely on what I say, and what arguments I have. I have come to realize that, while I enjoy discussion, I enjoy it more when I'm the one on the attack. I recently entered a facebook conversation with a friend and like 50 people I don't know...and all of them had a different opinion than me. I felt defensive, and din't enjoy it at all. I still felt that my position was correct, but couldn't convince anyone to agree with me. And it frustrated the hell out of me (pardon my use of the "h" word). But really, aren't we all like that at some point? Deep down, we have this desire to be liked, to be agreed with. (It's ok...you can disagree if you like). One of my biggest pet peeves, is when I love a movie, and I tell others about it, and they don't like it as much...or even worse, they hate it. It makes me so mad. And why does it? Cause I want to be responsible for them discovering something great. I want them to see that movie and think "Wow, Keith has great taste".
I need to work on being more humble. I have to be ok with people disagreeing with me, arguing AGAINST me. I need to realize that, just because someone has a differing opinion than me, it doesn't make them the enemy..and when they challenge me, it's not a personal attack on my character (Unless they are actually attacking my character). I need to stand my ground, and stand up for what I believe in, but not to make myself great. I need to humble myself. Cast aside everything that would cause me to boast. I need to be ok with being wrong every once in a while. Step down off of my high horse, pack up my soapbox, and just leave things alone. It's not my job to change peoples perspective, opinions, or beliefs. That's God's job. He may use me for this purpose, or he may not. He may even use the other person to change MY beliefs, opinions and perspectives....and that is really tough for me to accept.
Plan B
Currently, I am reading a book titled Plan B, by an author I had never heard of, Pete Wilson. I encourage all of you to read this book, as it's a book we can all relate to (if not right now, eventually in your life you will be able to relate to it). I will confess, that a lot of the ideas in this blog will be based off of this book, however I will try to have my own insights and anecdotes as well.
One of the biggest lies Christians tell themselves, and unfortunately tell others, is "If you have enough faith, do enough good things, serve God enough, and are 'spiritual' enough, God will bless you and answer all of your prayers". Perhaps I am generalizing that too much, but the basic truth is...we have all believed this, or at the very least heard this at one time or another, right? We've seen the preachers urging their parishoners to "have more faith", to "pray harder", and if they do, then prayers will be answered. Unfortunately, that is very untrue. Bad things happen to good people. One of the hardest truths for Christians is, "our plans and God's plans are not always the same thing". We fall into the trap that, God wants what we want. Now, there are times that this is true...that God truly does want the same things that we want...however, there are many, MANY times that what we want isn't even close to what God wants. The bible is littered with stories of people who have a plan, or an idea of what they want...and God turns it completely on its head. How do we respond when our Plan A turns into a Plan B?
I will tell you a story from my second year at Bethany College. I'm sure I have mentioned this story before, but I will tell it again:
My second year at Bethany was literally one of the hardest, and most depressing years of my life. It was a complete Plan B for me. Nothing went according to plan. In fact, it even began the end of my first year. At the end of my first year, I had my heart broken by a girl that I naively thought was "the one", and I had my dreams of being a R.A. crushed (an R.A. is a student who is in charge of a "unit" or group of people in the dorms). I was already fragile entering my second year of Bethany, but I had things to look forward to. I was going to play indoor soccer, be part of drama teams and have a great time. But it was not to be. I auditioned for 3 different drama type groups...one was the Bethany Players. This is the group that travels around to churches and communities and performs skits. In fact, the Players were the very reason I even attended Bethany in the first place. They performed at my church in Boissevain, and I said to myself "I want to do that". The other 2 drama groups were Productions, one in the first semester and one in the second semester. All three of my auditions went well, and I got call backs all the way to the end in all of them...and then didn't make the cut on any of them. I was crushed. I thought for sure that this was the year I would make players, and it didn't happen. As crushed as I was, I still believed that I would at least have indoor soccer to play, which would ease the pain. I tried out, and did horrible. Like, literally really bad. However, I was on the team the year prior, so I assumed that the coach would want players who had played before, so I thought I was a lock for the team...I thought wrong. So, I tried out for 4 different things, 5 if you count wanting to be an R.A., that I wanted really bad, and not one of them happened. I was pissed off. However, things were going to get even harder on me. I was lead to believe, by both the drama instructor and soccer coach, that if anybody quit the team, or if anything happened, that I would be on the teams. Well, both the Players and soccer team had someone quite, or leave for various reasons. And I didn't get a position on either team. In fact, my R.A. got the spot on the Players, and a person who didnt even try out for the soccer team got the spot on the team (I was the only cut from the team). I was beyond angry, frustrated and just felt betrayed. My unit was filled with people who were either on Players, on the soccer team, in a production, and even a few who were part of 2, or even all of these things. I couldn't get away from it. I wish I could say that I responded well, and trusted God that his Plan B was better than my Plan A...but I didn't. I in fact was so mad that I wrote a VERY hurtful blog, directed at the drama teacher, soccer coach, and people who were on the teams. I made the fals assumption that nobody read my blogs anyway, and so I thought I was more venting to myself...of course, people did read it. I hurt a lot of people (If you happen to be one of the people I hurt, I apologize sincerely). That whole year at Bethany, I was just a negative, depressed person. I acted like I had it all together, but deep down I was an angry person. I did not respond well to my Plan B situation.
Ok, so that was a longer story than I anticipated, however I think you get the picture. We all have had similar Plan B situations. The fact is, I lost sight of the fact that God didnt want what I wanted. I reacted in a way that was hurtful, and horrible...and in fact that blog cost me a spot on the Players my third year as well. If I had only accepted God's plan, realized that I had another purpose for being there, I would have not only enjoyed my second year at Bethany a lot more (instead of being bitter everytime I saw someone who made the teams...which at a small school is like every 35 seconds), but I also would have made the Players the next year.
How we react to Plan B situations is key. Look at Job, he lost everything and yet still was able to trust God, and worship God. Yes, he was upset, and confused...yet he knew that God was bigger than his plans. Also, the story of Joseph. His life was a complete Plan B situation. Nearly killed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsley accused and imprisoned, and forgotten. What if Joseph reacted differently? What if, when his brothers showed up to get food from him, he sent them away or sold them into slavery? The entire nation of Israel would have been wiped out. If Joseph was bitter while in prison, he never would have interpreted the dreams nor would he have finally been named second in command of all of egypt.
It's not easy to react well to Plan B situations. But if we lay down our expections at Christ's feet. If we let our plans be secondary to God's plans, then we have a better chance of reacting better, and being a happier, less bitter person. But when we assume that God will reward our plans, when we think that "my plan is the same as God plan"...we will be left battered, bruised and bitter when our plan goes awry. In fact, we may even feel that God has abandoned us, when in all reality he is more real than ever before.
If we open our hearts, and our minds to what God wants, then we may even realize that the Plan B, even though it is different and harder, is actually much better than our original Plan A ever was. Of course...that's a lot easier said than done.
One of the biggest lies Christians tell themselves, and unfortunately tell others, is "If you have enough faith, do enough good things, serve God enough, and are 'spiritual' enough, God will bless you and answer all of your prayers". Perhaps I am generalizing that too much, but the basic truth is...we have all believed this, or at the very least heard this at one time or another, right? We've seen the preachers urging their parishoners to "have more faith", to "pray harder", and if they do, then prayers will be answered. Unfortunately, that is very untrue. Bad things happen to good people. One of the hardest truths for Christians is, "our plans and God's plans are not always the same thing". We fall into the trap that, God wants what we want. Now, there are times that this is true...that God truly does want the same things that we want...however, there are many, MANY times that what we want isn't even close to what God wants. The bible is littered with stories of people who have a plan, or an idea of what they want...and God turns it completely on its head. How do we respond when our Plan A turns into a Plan B?
I will tell you a story from my second year at Bethany College. I'm sure I have mentioned this story before, but I will tell it again:
My second year at Bethany was literally one of the hardest, and most depressing years of my life. It was a complete Plan B for me. Nothing went according to plan. In fact, it even began the end of my first year. At the end of my first year, I had my heart broken by a girl that I naively thought was "the one", and I had my dreams of being a R.A. crushed (an R.A. is a student who is in charge of a "unit" or group of people in the dorms). I was already fragile entering my second year of Bethany, but I had things to look forward to. I was going to play indoor soccer, be part of drama teams and have a great time. But it was not to be. I auditioned for 3 different drama type groups...one was the Bethany Players. This is the group that travels around to churches and communities and performs skits. In fact, the Players were the very reason I even attended Bethany in the first place. They performed at my church in Boissevain, and I said to myself "I want to do that". The other 2 drama groups were Productions, one in the first semester and one in the second semester. All three of my auditions went well, and I got call backs all the way to the end in all of them...and then didn't make the cut on any of them. I was crushed. I thought for sure that this was the year I would make players, and it didn't happen. As crushed as I was, I still believed that I would at least have indoor soccer to play, which would ease the pain. I tried out, and did horrible. Like, literally really bad. However, I was on the team the year prior, so I assumed that the coach would want players who had played before, so I thought I was a lock for the team...I thought wrong. So, I tried out for 4 different things, 5 if you count wanting to be an R.A., that I wanted really bad, and not one of them happened. I was pissed off. However, things were going to get even harder on me. I was lead to believe, by both the drama instructor and soccer coach, that if anybody quit the team, or if anything happened, that I would be on the teams. Well, both the Players and soccer team had someone quite, or leave for various reasons. And I didn't get a position on either team. In fact, my R.A. got the spot on the Players, and a person who didnt even try out for the soccer team got the spot on the team (I was the only cut from the team). I was beyond angry, frustrated and just felt betrayed. My unit was filled with people who were either on Players, on the soccer team, in a production, and even a few who were part of 2, or even all of these things. I couldn't get away from it. I wish I could say that I responded well, and trusted God that his Plan B was better than my Plan A...but I didn't. I in fact was so mad that I wrote a VERY hurtful blog, directed at the drama teacher, soccer coach, and people who were on the teams. I made the fals assumption that nobody read my blogs anyway, and so I thought I was more venting to myself...of course, people did read it. I hurt a lot of people (If you happen to be one of the people I hurt, I apologize sincerely). That whole year at Bethany, I was just a negative, depressed person. I acted like I had it all together, but deep down I was an angry person. I did not respond well to my Plan B situation.
Ok, so that was a longer story than I anticipated, however I think you get the picture. We all have had similar Plan B situations. The fact is, I lost sight of the fact that God didnt want what I wanted. I reacted in a way that was hurtful, and horrible...and in fact that blog cost me a spot on the Players my third year as well. If I had only accepted God's plan, realized that I had another purpose for being there, I would have not only enjoyed my second year at Bethany a lot more (instead of being bitter everytime I saw someone who made the teams...which at a small school is like every 35 seconds), but I also would have made the Players the next year.
How we react to Plan B situations is key. Look at Job, he lost everything and yet still was able to trust God, and worship God. Yes, he was upset, and confused...yet he knew that God was bigger than his plans. Also, the story of Joseph. His life was a complete Plan B situation. Nearly killed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsley accused and imprisoned, and forgotten. What if Joseph reacted differently? What if, when his brothers showed up to get food from him, he sent them away or sold them into slavery? The entire nation of Israel would have been wiped out. If Joseph was bitter while in prison, he never would have interpreted the dreams nor would he have finally been named second in command of all of egypt.
It's not easy to react well to Plan B situations. But if we lay down our expections at Christ's feet. If we let our plans be secondary to God's plans, then we have a better chance of reacting better, and being a happier, less bitter person. But when we assume that God will reward our plans, when we think that "my plan is the same as God plan"...we will be left battered, bruised and bitter when our plan goes awry. In fact, we may even feel that God has abandoned us, when in all reality he is more real than ever before.
If we open our hearts, and our minds to what God wants, then we may even realize that the Plan B, even though it is different and harder, is actually much better than our original Plan A ever was. Of course...that's a lot easier said than done.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Things I Hate...
Hate is a very strong word. These are words we have all heard, likely hundreds of times in our lifetime. We utter something like "Oh, I HATE Him", in which a friend or parent will respond with "Hate is a strong word". I appreciate the phrase, and I do understand that Hate, by all definition is a very strong and powerful word. However, I am going to compile a list of things I "hate". Keep in mind that many of these things are meant to be humourous, a few are meant to be serious and spiritual...and none are meant to offend. If I mention a person, or group of people, I don't mean "hate" in a strong "I wish they were dead and cast into hell sense", but in a more "strongly dislike, or are irritated by" sense. So please, don't think that I am being racist, prejudice or rude. So...without further ado, here is an organized list of things that I hate:
Things I hate...about life
I hate going to the dentist.
I hate how everything costs money
I hate when your clothes don't get fully dry in the dryer, and yet you try to wear them anyway
I hate girls who dress like sluts and then complain that they aren't taken seriously, or are seen as a sexual object
I hate PETA...if you want to be a vegetarian fine, but don't tell me what I can and can't eat
I hate feminists...I'm all for equality, but don't put yourselves on a pedestal. You want to know why chivalry is dead? YOU KILLED IT!
I hate how the gay community (I'm walking on thin ice here) feels the need to flaunt it to everyone, and are offended by anyone who doesn't approve of their lifestyle. If you want to be gay, that's your issue, but don't tell me what I have to believe or think.
I hate people who hate homosexuals, just for being homosexuals. I don't agree with the lifestyle, but I accept them as people.
I hate racists...and black people (TOTALLY kidding...seriously, I am 100% joking)
I hate people who write lists about things that nobody cares about
Things I hate...about Entertainment
I hate how actors like Vin Diesel and Jason Stathom are famous for having no acting talent at all
I hate how Lady Gaga feels the need to be so bizarre. Her music is catchy, but seriously, do you have to dress and act the way that you do ALL the freakin time?
I hate how, songs that I used to hate, become catchy and I end up loving them.
I hate "secret songs" on CD's. Really...a 20 minute moment of silence before an additional song...c'mon people, you are screwin up my Itunes flow!
I hate a great movie with a crappy ending
I hate slow moving, boring movies, when I expected a fast moving, exciting movie
I hate people who claim that Johnny Depp can't act. He is one of, if not THE best actor in Hollywood. You can hate his movies, but you have to accept that he is a fantastic actor.
I hate how commericals always show the husband as being stupid, and the wife as having all the answers.
Things I hate...about sports
I hate people who hate a certain team for no reason other than "they suck". Seriously people, if you are going to hate a team, have a real reason.
I hate the Dallas Stars (for the 1999 Stanley Cup goal), New York Yankees (can you say "buying a championship"?), Ottawa Senators (I'm a leaf fan...there's no room in ontario for both of us!), and L.A. Lakers (same reason as the Yankees...that and Kobe).
I hate Gary Bettman
I hate how certain athletes, such as Lebron James, Sidney Crosby and that pitcher Strasburg, have these huge expectations thrust upon them before they even play a single pro game.
I hate when people cheat and get away with it
Things I hate...about Canada/The U.S.
I hate how, the U.S. has claimed the term "American" for themselves. Seriously people...we are part of America too...as is Mexico. And don't forget about all of South America.
I hate when the U.S. beats us in sports
I hate how, some people from the U.S. put Canadian flags on their luggage when they travel so they are treated better.
I hate how the Canadian military is seen as weak...when in reality, we are just as good if not better than the U.S. (with a much smaller budget). We dominated in D-Day (before the U.S. even got there), and we are the only country to successfully burn down the White House!
Things I hate...about Christian Movies
I hate that everything always works out in the end
I hate that, when the main character prays to God and asks for something, it is granted almost immediately
I hate that the acting sucks
I hate that it's not realistic whatsoever (no body swear, theres little violence, no sex...really people? Is that how the world really is?)
Things I hate about Christians in general
I hate how judgemental Christians are
I hate when Christians give the typical Christian cliche answer to real issues
I hate ridiculous Church Signs with the ridiculous sayings on them. All you need to put is "Name of Church, Name of Pastor, Time of service and Everyone Welcome"...we don't need a clever "Jesus Answers Knee Mail" phrase, thank you very much.
I hate how Christians feel the need to have to support other Christians, despite how bad they may be at a certain job. (For example, George Bush was supported because he was "Christian", however he really wasn't the best option in my opinion)
I hate how Christians get offended about EVERYTHING (probably this blog)
I hate when Christians misquote Scripture, take Scripture out of context and twist Scripture to make it mean what they want it to mean.
I hate how Christians always have to try to persuade everyone to have the same exact beliefs that they share.
I hate Christians who rank Evangelism and Witnessing above building relationships and serving the poor. Jesus said "I was hungry and you gave me food" not "I was hungry and you read me Scripture and converted me"
Well...that's pretty much all I can think of right now. I'm sure there are a lot more that I could add, however the World Cup is on, and it's England playing the U.S. (go England!), and it's distracting my creative juices. I hope you enjoyed the list, and I apologize if it was offensive at times. So now it's your turn...what sort of things do you hate?
Things I hate...about life
I hate going to the dentist.
I hate how everything costs money
I hate when your clothes don't get fully dry in the dryer, and yet you try to wear them anyway
I hate girls who dress like sluts and then complain that they aren't taken seriously, or are seen as a sexual object
I hate PETA...if you want to be a vegetarian fine, but don't tell me what I can and can't eat
I hate feminists...I'm all for equality, but don't put yourselves on a pedestal. You want to know why chivalry is dead? YOU KILLED IT!
I hate how the gay community (I'm walking on thin ice here) feels the need to flaunt it to everyone, and are offended by anyone who doesn't approve of their lifestyle. If you want to be gay, that's your issue, but don't tell me what I have to believe or think.
I hate people who hate homosexuals, just for being homosexuals. I don't agree with the lifestyle, but I accept them as people.
I hate racists...and black people (TOTALLY kidding...seriously, I am 100% joking)
I hate people who write lists about things that nobody cares about
Things I hate...about Entertainment
I hate how actors like Vin Diesel and Jason Stathom are famous for having no acting talent at all
I hate how Lady Gaga feels the need to be so bizarre. Her music is catchy, but seriously, do you have to dress and act the way that you do ALL the freakin time?
I hate how, songs that I used to hate, become catchy and I end up loving them.
I hate "secret songs" on CD's. Really...a 20 minute moment of silence before an additional song...c'mon people, you are screwin up my Itunes flow!
I hate a great movie with a crappy ending
I hate slow moving, boring movies, when I expected a fast moving, exciting movie
I hate people who claim that Johnny Depp can't act. He is one of, if not THE best actor in Hollywood. You can hate his movies, but you have to accept that he is a fantastic actor.
I hate how commericals always show the husband as being stupid, and the wife as having all the answers.
Things I hate...about sports
I hate people who hate a certain team for no reason other than "they suck". Seriously people, if you are going to hate a team, have a real reason.
I hate the Dallas Stars (for the 1999 Stanley Cup goal), New York Yankees (can you say "buying a championship"?), Ottawa Senators (I'm a leaf fan...there's no room in ontario for both of us!), and L.A. Lakers (same reason as the Yankees...that and Kobe).
I hate Gary Bettman
I hate how certain athletes, such as Lebron James, Sidney Crosby and that pitcher Strasburg, have these huge expectations thrust upon them before they even play a single pro game.
I hate when people cheat and get away with it
Things I hate...about Canada/The U.S.
I hate how, the U.S. has claimed the term "American" for themselves. Seriously people...we are part of America too...as is Mexico. And don't forget about all of South America.
I hate when the U.S. beats us in sports
I hate how, some people from the U.S. put Canadian flags on their luggage when they travel so they are treated better.
I hate how the Canadian military is seen as weak...when in reality, we are just as good if not better than the U.S. (with a much smaller budget). We dominated in D-Day (before the U.S. even got there), and we are the only country to successfully burn down the White House!
Things I hate...about Christian Movies
I hate that everything always works out in the end
I hate that, when the main character prays to God and asks for something, it is granted almost immediately
I hate that the acting sucks
I hate that it's not realistic whatsoever (no body swear, theres little violence, no sex...really people? Is that how the world really is?)
Things I hate about Christians in general
I hate how judgemental Christians are
I hate when Christians give the typical Christian cliche answer to real issues
I hate ridiculous Church Signs with the ridiculous sayings on them. All you need to put is "Name of Church, Name of Pastor, Time of service and Everyone Welcome"...we don't need a clever "Jesus Answers Knee Mail" phrase, thank you very much.
I hate how Christians feel the need to have to support other Christians, despite how bad they may be at a certain job. (For example, George Bush was supported because he was "Christian", however he really wasn't the best option in my opinion)
I hate how Christians get offended about EVERYTHING (probably this blog)
I hate when Christians misquote Scripture, take Scripture out of context and twist Scripture to make it mean what they want it to mean.
I hate how Christians always have to try to persuade everyone to have the same exact beliefs that they share.
I hate Christians who rank Evangelism and Witnessing above building relationships and serving the poor. Jesus said "I was hungry and you gave me food" not "I was hungry and you read me Scripture and converted me"
Well...that's pretty much all I can think of right now. I'm sure there are a lot more that I could add, however the World Cup is on, and it's England playing the U.S. (go England!), and it's distracting my creative juices. I hope you enjoyed the list, and I apologize if it was offensive at times. So now it's your turn...what sort of things do you hate?
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Apathetically Tolerating Intolerance
When I say the word "tolerance", likely a bunch of different definitions enter your brain. To avoid any controversy, I will use the definition that I found on dictionary.com (we really need to invest in an actual dictionary). This website defines tolerance as, "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from ones own". I think that's a pretty good definition of the word...now, we can move on!
There's a problem in our churches, homes, communities, and Christian circles. The problem is countless people tolerating intolerance. This is especially upsetting within the church walls. The church is a place that should be filled with tolerance, and acceptance. Unfortunately, that's not often the case. Now, I realize that the church can't control the actions of its members. People have free choice, and can say and do what they want. The problem is, we let a handful of intolerant people, say things, do things and act in ways that should not reflect the rest of the congregation, and yet through our own inaction we tolerate it. We allow and tolerate intolerance.
This must stop! Now, I realize I already defined the word tolerance, but I just want to clarify that I'm not meaning that everyone in church must believe the same things, and even accept every belief. I'm certainly not saying that we should let heresies be preached and just sit back and tolerate that...I'm not saying that we must allow people to live in sin. What I am saying, is that we need to accept people, and tolerate people from all walks of life, and listen to what people have to say. People don't immediately change when they walk in the doors of a church. It takes time. It's too bad that churches are often the most judgemental and intolerant places in the world. People walk in the door, and they are judged. If they have a bible in one hand, a cross around their neck, a shirt and tie (for women, a dress that goes past the knees and doesn't show any cleavage), and nice dress shoes, we accept them. They are holy and good. On the other hand, if a person walks in with a Marilyn Manson shirt on, a mohawk in their hair, earrings all over their face, spiked wristbands on their wrists, tattered jeans, flip flops, and smell like marijauna, we immedately judge them as doomed, and hell-bound. We probably don't even say hello to them. We stare at them, make them feel uncomfortable, talk about them behind their backs and then wonder why they don't return the next week for a sermon that they really needed to hear about Jesus' Love and Forgiveness.
Now, not everyone acts in this way. Not everyone is intolerant of change, or intolerant of people who look or act different, or who believe something a bit different, or who read from the KJV instead of the NIV. But the problem is, the people that don't think those judgemental thoughts, don't do something about those that do. Instead of talking to the "satanic sinner" ourselves, we assume someone else will. We stay away, think to ourselves 'how good it is that this person is going to experience the love of Jesus'...but we never let them see it firsthand. We are apathetic, and through that apathy, we allow those who are intolerant to act in ways that make outsiders feel uncomfortable, unloved, and judged. Our inaction keeps people from feeling the warmth and love of Jesus. Our apathy tolerates the intolerance.
So this is my challege to you. Don't tolerate intolerance! Don't allow it. I'm not saying control what others say and do, because that becomes just as intolerant. What I am saying, is...don't be so apathetic. Don't wait for "others" to talk to the outsider. Don't assume "others" will welcome someone else, or that "others" will give someone with a differing opinion or belief a chance to speak their mind. Be the "other". Welcome someone, say hello, ask them about what they believe, where they are from...anything. Be the tolerant person. You don't have to agree with them, but at least give them a chance. If enough people do that, then those who are intolerant won't matter...because they will remember the love and warmth of the few. Stop tolerating intolerance. There's a reason why the media, and why non-Christians view Christians as judgemental, closed, sheltered and intolerant...because we allow those type of "Christians" to leave the lasting impression. It's wrong, and it needs to stop.
There's a problem in our churches, homes, communities, and Christian circles. The problem is countless people tolerating intolerance. This is especially upsetting within the church walls. The church is a place that should be filled with tolerance, and acceptance. Unfortunately, that's not often the case. Now, I realize that the church can't control the actions of its members. People have free choice, and can say and do what they want. The problem is, we let a handful of intolerant people, say things, do things and act in ways that should not reflect the rest of the congregation, and yet through our own inaction we tolerate it. We allow and tolerate intolerance.
This must stop! Now, I realize I already defined the word tolerance, but I just want to clarify that I'm not meaning that everyone in church must believe the same things, and even accept every belief. I'm certainly not saying that we should let heresies be preached and just sit back and tolerate that...I'm not saying that we must allow people to live in sin. What I am saying, is that we need to accept people, and tolerate people from all walks of life, and listen to what people have to say. People don't immediately change when they walk in the doors of a church. It takes time. It's too bad that churches are often the most judgemental and intolerant places in the world. People walk in the door, and they are judged. If they have a bible in one hand, a cross around their neck, a shirt and tie (for women, a dress that goes past the knees and doesn't show any cleavage), and nice dress shoes, we accept them. They are holy and good. On the other hand, if a person walks in with a Marilyn Manson shirt on, a mohawk in their hair, earrings all over their face, spiked wristbands on their wrists, tattered jeans, flip flops, and smell like marijauna, we immedately judge them as doomed, and hell-bound. We probably don't even say hello to them. We stare at them, make them feel uncomfortable, talk about them behind their backs and then wonder why they don't return the next week for a sermon that they really needed to hear about Jesus' Love and Forgiveness.
Now, not everyone acts in this way. Not everyone is intolerant of change, or intolerant of people who look or act different, or who believe something a bit different, or who read from the KJV instead of the NIV. But the problem is, the people that don't think those judgemental thoughts, don't do something about those that do. Instead of talking to the "satanic sinner" ourselves, we assume someone else will. We stay away, think to ourselves 'how good it is that this person is going to experience the love of Jesus'...but we never let them see it firsthand. We are apathetic, and through that apathy, we allow those who are intolerant to act in ways that make outsiders feel uncomfortable, unloved, and judged. Our inaction keeps people from feeling the warmth and love of Jesus. Our apathy tolerates the intolerance.
So this is my challege to you. Don't tolerate intolerance! Don't allow it. I'm not saying control what others say and do, because that becomes just as intolerant. What I am saying, is...don't be so apathetic. Don't wait for "others" to talk to the outsider. Don't assume "others" will welcome someone else, or that "others" will give someone with a differing opinion or belief a chance to speak their mind. Be the "other". Welcome someone, say hello, ask them about what they believe, where they are from...anything. Be the tolerant person. You don't have to agree with them, but at least give them a chance. If enough people do that, then those who are intolerant won't matter...because they will remember the love and warmth of the few. Stop tolerating intolerance. There's a reason why the media, and why non-Christians view Christians as judgemental, closed, sheltered and intolerant...because we allow those type of "Christians" to leave the lasting impression. It's wrong, and it needs to stop.
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