Michael's FaithBlog

Lent Is More than the Stuff on the Brush

2012-02-22T14:14:00.001-08:00

I lived in New Orleans for eight years and I’ll never be the same because of my time there. The food was phenomenal, the sights were fantastic and the history was awe-inspiring. To be honest, New Orleans is unique to the South. Yes there’s Spanish Moss and mosquitoes you can ride, but most similarities stop there. All one would have to do is visit during Mardi Gras season to understand the truth of the last statement. New Orleans parties hard, heavy and fast during February’s lead up to Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday is the day before the Lenten season begins with Ash Wednesday. Fat Tuesday features rowdy behavior by many due to days on end of drinking all forms of alcohol. People do amazingly stupid things on Fat Tuesday, often regretting the acts the following day (and if it ends up on Facebook, for many days and weeks to follow).

Ash Wednesday is a somber and sober day in New Orleans as people flock to the cathedrals and churches to have the sign of the cross placed on their foreheads by a priest or minister. The ashes used are from palm branches used on Palm Sunday of the previous year. They are burned, mixed with holy (blessed) water into a paste and applied to the foreheads or hands of those who seek to become more spiritual over a span of six and one half weeks culminating with Easter Sunday. In New Orleans the population is overwhelmingly Catholic and Ash Wednesday is a regular part of the Catholic liturgy and practice. Baptists in the city do not celebrate Ash Wednesday as a rule but a few churches hold special services that coincide with the beginning of Lent.

I didn’t grow up in a high service/high liturgy church so to me lent was something we used a sticky brush to remove from our clothes. It wasn’t until I moved to New Orleans that I grew to appreciate the spiritual possibilities of Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season. Lent is a 43-day season where we can reorder our lives, confess and move away from problem sins and place more dependence upon God than we do on ourselves. Many people will fast during Lent and others will give up something over the six weeks. The key is to place something distinctly spiritual into the void left by the object being avoided. Lent can be a true life-changer.

I disagree with the New Orleans model of drinking one’s self silly on Fat Tuesday so Ash Wednesday will be more effective. Paul had a lot to say on that view of forgiveness of sin and he would not have been a fan of Mardi Gras. I’m guessing he’d have sent the churches a letter or two. But let’s face it…we all sin, no matter where we live or what we do on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. So let’s forget Tuesday and embrace Wednesday. Ash Wednesday. A new start for all of us!

Michael McCullar

Finding Your Inner-Salt

2012-02-15T09:02:00.000-08:00

I finally succumbed and purchased the best-selling book The History of Salt by Mark Kurlansky. I’d talked myself out of buying it for a couple of years but I found a discounted paperback copy and quickly began reading it. I’m fascinated by how a writer can take a seemingly mundane subject and turn it into a million-seller book. If George Clooney could play a pile of salt the movie rights would be up for grabs right now. The actual book, setting aside all professional jealousy, is a masterpiece. Salt was gold for more years than gold has been gold, if you get my drift. Salt literally ran the world for thousands and thousands of years.

Did you know that Egyptians used salt to make mummies (I think they used bodies primarily but salted them down really well)? Or, that salt was to the ancient Hebrews, and still is to modern Jews, the symbol of the eternal nature of God’s covenant with Israel? Did you know that for eon’s loyalties and friendships were sealed with salt because its essence does not change? (Even dissolved into liquid salt can be evaporated back into crystals). Roman soldiers were often paid in salt, which was the origin of the word salary and the expression being worth your salt. The Latin word sal (salt) became the French word solde, meaning pay, which is the origin of the word, soldier. This is one literary lesson you should take with more than a grain of salt!

The New Testament instructs us to be salt and light to our world. One of salts greatest early values was to preserve food. Another value was as a seasoning, something we continue to use today. It is the seasoning aspect we should translate into our daily faith lives to be true to scripture. We are told to live lives that demonstrate and provide an example that is different from the norm around us. We are to season life with holiness and positives that other people will want to have in their own lives. Something as mundane as salt can still transform the world.

Michael McCullar

Being a Regular Size Person in a Skinny Fit World

2012-02-10T06:27:00.000-08:00

Who invented the skinny fit approach to clothing? You know the kind, sits lower on the waist and is tapered down the legs. Really? Seriously? In America? The land of “Super-Size those fries for me!” I am a relatively normal size person and I accidentally picked up a pair of skinny fit trousers to try on. It was an ugly experience. Who besides a seriously, even certified, skinny person, would want a pair of skinny fit men’s pants? What happened to the “expand-a-trouser’ model of a few years ago that gave a bit around the waist? Now those were excellent trousers. I’m guessing you would have a harder time outgrowing those so the return business was not what it needed to be. Probably a consultant in Paris said, “Ahhh, let’s get those Americans by designing skinny fit clothes” (add in your own French accent). And there you go…we are now the land of skinny fit clothes!
You may be asking at this point, “what exactly does this have to do with faith?” You may also be thinking, “preach on my mid-size brother…I despise skinny fit clothes too!” Keep reading and we will all end up happy, well that is if we aren’t presently stuck in a pair of super tight, uncomfortable trousers. Skinny fit clothes are for skinny people. To squeeze into a pair of this or that just to be stylish is unnecessary discomfort and, let’s face it, it’s pretty obvious if “the skinny clothes don’t fit.” It’s better to relax and be O.K. with what we are. Obviously we should treat our bodies as holy vessels created by God and that might mean a diet or a bit of exercise or less stress. At some point, however, we are what we are. The same goes for matters of faith.

I learned a long time ago I’m not Billy Graham, nor am I Max Lucado. Truth be told, they aren’t me either (although they wouldn’t know me from Adam’s gardener). I’ve accepted my gifts and what God has called me to do. It took time, but I stopped trying to be something other than the unique person God intended me to be. In God’s scheme we are all unique, necessary and vital to making a difference in the world. Sadly, we won’t make that difference until all of us step up to God’s calling for our lives. Each of us. Being O.K. with who we are. Finally. Unlike skinny fit clothes, God’s fit is always perfect!

Michael McCullar

Life Before the Super Bowl

2012-02-01T14:16:00.000-08:00

The first Super Bowl took place in Los Angeles on January 15, 1967 between the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Led by Bart Starr on the field and Vince Lombardi on the sidelines the Packers won the initial game 35-10. The game was attended by 62,000 people and was shown on two television networks. My, how things have changed. Today 62,000 people mingle around in the parking lot just to be near the game. One television network pays billions of dollars for the rights to televise the game. Non-football fans watch the game just to see the one million dollars per minute commercials. What did we do before January 15, 1967?
The answer is simple: It doesn’t matter. The Super Bowl is what it is: football is huge in America (especially in the South), and it will continue to grow in popularity and in reach. So we roll with it. We enjoy the game and (some of) the commercials and in the process model to friends, family and co-workers that to us, football is not a religion. We can mix football and faith and keep faith at the top of the list. This is a good message, especially this week…because, let’s face it, it’s not 1967 anymore!

Michael McCullar

Humpty Dumpty Was A Good Egg (Or Not)

2012-01-25T07:35:00.000-08:00

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the kings’s horses and all the king’s men

Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

All in all Humpty Dumpty seems to be a Good Egg. British people use Good Egg to signify good character in a person. In America we use the term to signify an excellent breakfast. Mother Goose, however, never stated that Humpty Dumpty was an egg. In fact, earliest versions have this last line:

Threescore men and threescore men,

Cannot place Humpty Dumpty as he was before.

Not only does this not rhyme, it damages the age-old idea of a talking egg dressed in early 1800’s British school clothes. Scholars of such things believe the story was borrowed from an even earlier French riddle and Humpty Dumpty was a tortoise. Another view is that this riddle/rhyme was aimed at the King of England who was a bit on the round side and who lost a strategic war. Fast forward seventy-five or so years to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Humpty Dumpty is portrayed as a contemptuous grammar-fiend who argues with Alice. He is an egg in Carroll’s story, but certainly not a good egg.

Good Eggs may be clumsy and prone to fall down, but they are never argumentative with little lost girls. Good Eggs also likely realize there’s no such thing as, as he was before. Good and Bad Eggs change each day. No one is static. We all exist in a state of flux, exacerbating our fluxness with daily decisions and actions. There’s no going back. Plus, we can’t fix ourselves. Lord knows we try to fix ourselves. The self-help publishing world is a billion-dollar business and growing. No amount of glue and precision can piece us together exactly as we were before.

Here’s the takeaway: God can make us better. If it were possible to be put together exactly as before, would that be preferable to better than before? Hardly. We tumble, we fall and we break (spiritually, emotionally and physically) but God can make us new, whole and better than ever. And that’s no nursery rhyme!

Michael McCullar

Twittering Faith

2012-01-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

JONAH: I now understand claustrophobia. Nineveh is probably a nice place this time of year. My new motto: Listen to God.

ADAM: To all my followers I say, watch those choices…lovely fruit doesn’t always taste as good as you imagine.

EVE: He’s right. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but he is sooo right.

JAMES: You think you had family issues! You should have grown up with my brother.

THOMAS: I think I’m right, but I’m not sure. You may be right, but possibly not. I believe you, but on the other hand, is there any proof?

JOHN: He likes me best. End of story. I’m the fav.

PAUL: And to think, my fifth grade Hebrew school teacher said I’d never be a writer!

While none of the above tweets can be verified by historians, isn’t it amazing that each famous Biblical person seems so, well, uh, human? God used flawed people to great effect. Flawed people like us. People who took hold of the movement and built God’s church. God still needs flawed people. Flawed people like us.

Michael McCullar

Without Geography You're Nowhere

2012-01-11T07:17:00.000-08:00

Some of us are math-people while others are stronger in the social sciences. The same distinctions can be made about our brains. Each of us has a brain that has two sides with one side being dominant to the other. Thus, some of us are left-brained and some of us are right-brained. Left-brained people are very ordered and analytical in a strict way; and, right-brained people tend to be less organized, less structured, but very creative, even a bit out there. All of this brain-trivia to say we each have mental strengths and weaknesses and we are quite unique. Think of yourself as a snowflake and you’ll grasp the analogy. No two snowflakes are exactly the same. Billions of snowflakes fall each winter and each is totally and completely unique. Like us. Totally. Completely. Unique.

Don’t feel badly about a lack of geographical skill and don’t feel dumb when math seems like a foreign language (it is!). We need both and we must work harder on the disciplines that are harder for us to grasp. The same can be said about the organizationally-challenged among us (of which I am perhaps the King, at minimum, a Prince). The uber-organized will shake their well-ordered-heads at your seeming lack of stacking and sorting prowess. Don’t be upset because you do the same things when you see their color-coded To-Do-Lists and their desks staged in perfect symmetry with the constellations. Again, we are different and unique. This was God’s plan. Go with it. Be O.K. with it. If necessary, color-code it and place it in the In-Box of life.

So in this new year stop trying to reinvent the wheel that is your life. You won’t find the magic formula to becoming more or less organized, nor will you suddenly acquire the ability to calculate the square root of massive numbers. If we had those abilities, wouldn’t we have already changed our lives? The key is to set much lower goals. It’s true you won’t hear that one on Oprah, but it is nonetheless a powerful statement. Lower the bar and pick your battles.

And, most importantly, make each choice a truly spiritual one. If each New Year’s Resolution were bathed in faith we would have a much better chance of success. If a life change is also a spiritual life change, the equation is so much stronger. No longer is it simply us making a promise for change, it is God in and through us providing the power to be successful.

Michael McCullar

Resolute…Maybe…Sort Of

2012-01-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

Have you made a resolution for the new year? This is the hot time for resolutions and new starts, especially those focused on life changes. Who hasn’t vowed to lose a few pounds or to better use our time? Early January is also the time to debate the overall effectiveness of resolutions. Do resolutions work? Is it possible to effect change for the long haul? Wouldn’t it be easier to purchase newer, larger clothes?

ProActive Change reports that 45% of all adults make resolutions and an amazing 64% are successful after six months. The other view is championed by Mark Shapiro, author of the book Goal Free Living. Mr. Shapiro doesn’t believe in setting goals in general, much less New Year’s Resolutions, and sees the practice as a waste of time. He states that 3 of every 4 people fail miserably in following through on their resolutions.

So who’s right? Are resolutions a positive practice or a colossal waste of time and effort? The answer is quite subjective and falls within the glass is half full versus the glass is half empty argument. The ProActive Change people believe those who make specific resolutions are 10 times more likely to make positive, long lasting changes in life. The key is to be positive and for Christians, to make all resolutions spiritually based. Nothing new there, scripture teaches a positive mindset and a life lived with God at its center.

Who knows, we may actually be able to lose those pesky ten pounds, or be more patient, or save more money, or…or…well, you get the idea.

Michael McCullar, Resolutely Positive in 2012

Hey, It Could Happen

2011-06-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

Fast forward to 2056. The United States has weathered wars and recessions and is again sitting on top of the world in education, exports and technology. The nation is no longer a right versus left, split and divided country. The out-going President is stepping away with an unprecedented 92% favorable rating and could easily be elected President of Earth (which thankfully is not yet a position). He is also the first President in modern history to come from neither of the historical wings of American politics. Press from across the globe are clamoring to obtain the first post-presidency interview. In a twist that shocks the old-line press (those who continue to use 2025 computers) and the uber-progressives using implant technology, the President selects a small media firm in the tri-cities megalopolis of Johns Creek-Cumming-Sugar Hill, Georgia (one of America’s most progressive hot spots). The President is a native of this region and spent his first eighteen years there (before going on to earn degrees from Georgia Tech, U.G.A., U.A.B., Oxford and Cambridge). Below is an excerpt from the interview:

Mr. President, to what do you owe your immense success? Honestly, I have been blessed with great parents and family, excellent educational access and the opportunity to spend six months in Congress before becoming president.

You’ve brought America from the brink of extinction in just eight years. How did you do it? Well, my six months in Congress were quite eventful and I was on a steep learning curve. The Presidency was very hard but in the tough times I called upon my early years for guidance.

By early years do you mean the short time in Congress or when your were a 5-Star General, or even when you were a double-Eagle Scout? No, obviously I learned a lot in each of those phases of life, but I am referring to my early years in church, especially in Vacation Bible School.

I apologize sir, but what is Vacation Bible School? V.B.S. was a unique week of emphasis in my childhood church where we learned about following God, living by faith and how to love other people through giving. Something we call stewardship and missions. If I may be so frank, it was a rocking week of fun and study. Shaped my life for sure.

So sir, you equate your success more with a kid’s Bible week than you do with leading our military, graduating from five prestigious universities by the time you were 25 and serving in Congress? Yes, absolutely. You know young man, evidently you never attended a kid’s Bible week as you refer to it, if you had, you’d understand. One can be educated well past their capacity to learn; war is never positive; and, I wasn’t in Congress long enough to learn everyone’s name. I am who I am due to the people who sacrificed their time and resources to give kids like me Vacation Bible School.

So Vacation Bible School changed the world? Oh yes, and in more and better ways than my story. There were five hundred of us back then. I imagine the cure for cancer was discovered by a V.B.S. graduate, plus the lady who solved the world’s water shortage was indeed a V.B.S. person. I asked her at the Nobel Prize event.

Michael McCullar

The Storms Blew in Questionable Theology but Excellent Response

2011-05-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

This article is being written from the perspective of an outsider touring a portion of the recent tornado’s destructive path through Alabama. I drove through two of the lesser damaged cities near Birmingham and the level of destruction was in a word, amazing. The sad reality I felt while viewing the masses of twisted trees and metal was these places wouldn’t make the top ten list of damaged areas across Georgia and Alabama. This was truly one of the worst storms of all time in an area already infamous for being a tornado-zone. The upside of my trip was the sight of church and faith-based relief work in place in both areas. Denominational and church teams were involved in many visible ways. Such rapid and on-going response to people in crisis is one way to share the Gospel of Jesus with the public. This is also a proper demonstration of Christian theology: God doesn’t cause destructive storms but He works for good in the aftermath. The church responding to someone else's crisis is part of the good that God brings to the afflicted and damaged.

Sadly this isn’t a universally accepted view of theology. There are preachers and tons of Christians who place the blame for such storms on God. Growing up I heard this preached and discussed on many occasions. God sent that storm (or insert earthquake, flood, disease, etc.) due to the sin of the people. God was just gettin’ their attention! Thankfully this shallow and wholly inadequate theology (my view) did not stick and I have been able to see the God of the New Testament profiled in the person and teachings of Jesus. This is not a haughty statement of theological superiority. That too would be against the teachings of the New Testament (Romans 14); it is simply a confession of personal theology that does not inadvertently make God out to be a very bad deity.

Imagine your house was totally destroyed in a storm and you were left with nothing but a pile of rubble. How would you feel? Would you want to hear that God brought your loss due to sin or a lack of attention? Or, would you hope to feel the enveloping love of God while standing in the midst of personal tragedy? I’m guessing most everyone would chose the latter. So why do so many people move so quickly to blame God and sin? Well, it’s easy and convenient and very human to require a scapegoat or someone to blame. It’s also true that humans want a concrete handle on even the most abstract events of life. In the case of tornados it might be best to simply apply meteorological science available on the evening newscast: hot air and cold air banging together cause very bad storms.

And to those who are so quick to blame sin or the act of ignoring God for storm damage…why are our houses still standing?

Michael McCullar

SAVE THE DATE: THE END OF TIME IS JUST THREE WEEKS AWAY!

2011-04-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

I’m happy I didn’t buy season tickets for baseball this year. In just over three weeks the world will cease to exist. Dang, I have a new pair of western boots; they won’t even be broken in by then. Do they allow cowboy boots in Heaven? I tuned up my lawnmower for what? And I renewed a magazine subscription for twelve more months and paid up front! If I’d only read the work of Harold Camping a couple of months ago I wouldn’t be in this mess. 89-year old Mr. Camping is a self-taught Bible-scholar who is also quite good with ciphering. By combining the two disciplines and, with just a bit of creative license, he has determined that the end of time will occur on May 21, 2011. You might want to hold off on putting down a deposit on a beach condo rental for July.

Mr. Camping began his time-sensitive equation with Noah’s floating zoo in 4990 B.C. He next took Peter’s statement “one day is with the Lord as a thousand days and a thousand years is one day.” 7000 added to 4900 gives you 2010, and since there had to have been a year one, add one additional year and the worlds shelf-life reads 2011. May 21 was a bit harder to discern as Genesis states the flood began on the “17^th day of the second month.” But which calendar? Camping is convinced God uses the Hebrew calendar so the exact date is May 21. Piece of cake. So mark the date. It’s a Saturday.

Mr. Camping’s first foray in prognosticating Christ’s return didn’t go well. In his book 1994 he chose that year for the Rapture. In 2005 he published Time Has an End and at that point honed in on May 21, 2011. He isn’t alone in picking the end of time and being wrong. 88 Reasons Why Jesus Will Return in 1988 was a big seller until 1989. William Miller (founder of the Seventh-Day Adventists and former Baptist) picked October 22, 1844 and convinced thousands of followers to ready themselves. Huge numbers of believers spent that entire day on their roofs (ten feet closer to Heaven). Oops!

Kudos to Mr. Camping for trying but it’s highly unlikely Jesus will return May 21, 2011. Scripture is clear that no person knows when God’s next phase will begin. In reality, no person can know when God will act next. So why spend decades trying? Pray and repent daily and trust God for the future is all we can do. God only needs our help in reaching and reconciling the world back to Him. God does not help planning the end of time. But just in case I’m wrong…might want to hold off on painting or re-roofing the house until May 22.

Michael McCullar

A Third World Education

2011-04-18T06:37:00.000-07:00

Ever been to the Third World? Ever wonder why it’s referred to as the Third World? I’ve been to the Third World several times and actually know my way around several slum areas scattered across the globe; and, while I don’t know who coined the term Third World, I realize it defines the absolute worst places for humans to inhabit. If there is a Fourth World I would hate to experience it, although I have a feeling the world is headed in that direction.

The worst place I’ve seen up close is Haiti. Haiti was a Third World country before the 2010 earthquake and now it’s much, much worse. Possibly portions of that country are close to reaching Fourth World status. I’ve never been to the African continent or to India but I’m told by missions’ volunteers that both places have many Third World areas. The Dominican Republic is where I spend the bulk of my missions-time now and I’ve covered three-fourths of the country visiting Baptist congregations assessing needs and possibilities. Surprisingly, the worst area I’ve visited is in Santo Domingo and not in the rural north. That was also the only time I’ve feared for my life while doing mission work. Americans, especially white Americans, have ignored that particular barrio and as a result my small team starkly stood out as we walked over rutted dirt streets flowing with human waste. A group of men stood in a pod and looked at us with eyes filled with suspicion and, I assumed, some level of hate. I was there to meet with an exiled Haitian pastor about an upcoming trip to supply medicines to earthquake victims and to provide financial aid for his work. The walk into his ramshackled church seemed like a hundred miles as we had to walk through the groups of assembled men. I was trying to walk with confidence but was failing miserably as we inched our way toward the church. It was at this point that the Haitian pastor came out and loudly called to us, My Brothers in Christ, welcome to God’s church. He embraced us and we walked in together. With those few words I was safe and more importantly, the Third and First worlds were momentarily fused.

Recently I was in another Dominican slum assisting a Johns Creek Baptist Church youth mission team’s work. I was mostly in the background so I had the privilege of watching First World teenagers engage Third World children. They did well in every aspect of the work and saw what life is like on the other extreme. They are just beginning the journey of serving Christ in extreme circumstances. Hopefully they will continue on and as adults champion the missions’ causes of their generation. If they do, they will acquire a Third World education like mine. It doesn’t come with a diploma or fancy photographs. It comes with a healthy share of existential guilt and tears. There are serious financial costs. But, the good will easily outweigh the bad and the pull toward missions will be strong. They will learn that God’s church is meant for the whole world and they play a role in making it all come together. And, best of all, they will achieve a Third World education!

Michael McCullar

The Intersection of Peace & Quiet

2011-03-21T06:49:00.001-07:00

There’s probably a math whiz somewhere who could quantify the proliferation of chaos in the world. To pull off that feat would indeed be rocket science, but to a lesser degree it would be simple perception. We normal people, sans rocket science brains, can easily perceive the tremendous tumult and chaos that surrounds us. On a global scale there was Haiti last year and now Japan. People dying in large numbers due to natural disasters now seems inevitable. Has it always been this way? Are there more hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes than in the past or does it just seem that way? According to the United States Geographical Survey the number of earthquakes have remained steady over the past one hundred years. The difference they say is in the media awareness and the number of specialists in the field of research. If an earthquake hit Japan in 1900 it would take time for the news to reach America and we would not see the reality of the devastation for months. Today a natural disaster is literally seconds away from worldwide news. In 1931 there were 350 seismograph monitoring stations and now there are 4000.

I know little about the science of natural disasters so I will leave it to the experts to determine if the number of events is increasing. I work in an area where chaos can’t be determined by experts or by science. Having seen the aftermath of post-earthquake Haiti proves that chaos can be both seen and proven. Having looked myself in the mirror for years proves that chaos is also an unseen foe that disrupts the spiritual balance of people of faith. If you look chaos up in a dictionary you will find definitions such as complete disorder; jumble; and, confusion. A patently Christian definition is based on comparisons: the lack of peace; and, turmoil in life. In essence, chaos is the opposite of peace. Think of a cacophony of awful noise and then think of a moment of peace and the unique quiet found in therein.

We can’t do anything about natural disasters but be prepared to react and help those who fall victim. We can, however, do something about the general chaos so common to life: we can eradicate it through communion with God. We can ask God to alleviate the source of the chaos. We can actually say no to a bad choice. We can separate ourselves from chaos-inducing practices. We can be still and know that God is. Peace beats the heck out of chaos! I bet even rocket scientists would agree with that assessment!

Michael McCullar

New Bible or "New" Bible

2011-03-01T12:56:00.000-08:00

It’s a warm lovely Saturday afternoon and I’m sitting in my 400-square-foot study finishing up tomorrow’s words. Sunday comes around every seven days and in ministry one has to be ready mentally, emotionally, and spiritually; if not, it shows. Today is sweet though as I’m using my new Bible. I sprung for a new large print model that is wide rather than tall and as such fits on podiums, lecterns and pulpits and doesn’t protrude over the top. I decided large print was in my near future after having trouble reading the small print during a teaching session last week. The lights were dimmed for video and when the time came for reading scripture to the group, I had trouble making out the words. I have new glasses! The only option was to buy a large print Bible.

My new Bible is quite cool with its unique shape, large margins for making teaching notes, and the bigger font size. But in reality, it’s basically the same as all of my other copies of scripture. The Bible is the Bible is the Bible, right? Yes, I know that the version or translation type means something; and some prefer the older versions they grew up with, but in the end it is still God’s Word for humankind. So as I’m sitting here reading, praying, and writing, I’m aware that it’s up to me to make the Bible new to me. Ask yourself this question: “Have you read a verse or section of scripture dozens of times only to have it jump out at you as if you’d completely missed it all along?” I have, and each time it happens, I smile as I remember how powerful this book can be. In preparing to write on Paul’s letters to Timothy & Titus I read each letter five times before writing the first word. As soon as I began writing I encountered a verse on prayer that I could’ve sworn wasn’t in there the last time I’d read it. Where did that come from? Scripture became new to me that day; and while I will admit this doesn’t happen every day or even every week, there are times that the Bible morphs into our lives in new and profound ways.

So here I sit hoping my cool, odd-shaped large print Bible goes all new on me. If not, there’s always tomorrow.

Michael McCullar

Missing John and Karen

2011-02-24T08:39:00.000-08:00

I miss John Denver and Karen Carpenter, especially on down days and Karen on many rainy Mondays. What passionate voices those two possessed, and their writing was unbelievable. I never saw Karen Carpenter in concert as that was one of those things I meant to do but alas, never did. I did see John Denver live several times and still remember the experience. I’m not sure if either was of my faith choice, and I don’t know a lot about their private lives. I choose to not read biographies of people whose art inspires me and make me feel better about life. I read one article about Karen’s battle with anorexia and it made me so sad I decided to not read anything else about her. For my money she had the best female voice of all time. John Denver didn’t have a hall of fame voice, but his enthusiasm and love of life made up for any and all vocal deficiencies. I listen to John Denver and I smile. I see majestic mountains and a pure blue sky and the world’s a much better place thanks to John.

Who makes you feel better about things? I’m exempting Matthew, Mark, Luke and John from this endeavor as it’s a given we get much of our life-oomph from scripture and prayer. Feel free to be secular for a moment and focus on music or words or faces. Who makes you feel it’s all worth it? To whom do you turn to feel better or to gear up for another tough experience? How does it help you?

When I was running in road races I would make sure I listened to certain music before each race. I would turn on the music while warming up and would slowly slip into the groove I needed to push myself to my honest limits. I used this to set me apart from my competition; in my mind, it was me against the world (thankfully it was a very, very small world). I’ve been told it’s not good for Christians to allow themselves to be set apart in life. I disagree. God sets us apart from our sin and our base humanity. When we pray we are praying as one individual to our God. There are times we are at our best when we set ourselves apart from the fray. This is especially true if the act of setting ourselves apart drives us to be better at what we do for God…which, by the way, is supposed to be everything we do.

With thanks to the memories of Karen Carpenter and John Denver,

Michael McCullar

What's Your Opinion?

2011-02-16T08:55:00.000-08:00

Opinions. People have them on just about any subject that comes up. Some people are very firm with their opinions and others seem to float in and out of various options. Some people make a living sharing their opinions. Many of today’s cable television most-watched programs are led by talking heads who do little more than share their opinions. This is America, so sharing one’s opinion is a freedom we enjoy; there are, however, a few courtesy-based guidelines that should be adhered to when opinions are being debated.

Webster defines an opinion as what one thinks true. Notice it doesn’t read what one assumes to be true, or hopes to be true. One’s opinion is a personally held belief that is held to be true by that individual; thus, differing opinions on the same subject can be true. Obviously every opinion is not true in actual fact, making this a case of relative truth. Say a person believes the Bible to be totally without error and another person believes the Bible is God’s infallible word; but, due to countless translations from one language to another, holds a few errors in date, time, and place. Who’s right? They can’t both be correct as an error is an error no matter who’s defining the word. In the sphere of relative truth they can both be right as it’s a personal matter of belief. The same goes for politics and other oft-volatile subjects. One opinion is as true as another if it’s held by someone.

The takeaway is simply this: opinions are plentiful; but never forget that behind every opinion is a person. If and when we engage in opinion-based discussion we need to separate the opinion from the person holding the opinion. If we don’t hold the person in proper esteem we will convolute the person and their opinion, and the end result is often bad relationships, if not hate. Another word for this is fundamentalism. Fundamentalists see themselves as being the holder of actual truth and as such if you disagree with them you are automatically wrong. Fundamentalists exist in every field and tend to do more damage than good in the long run. Fundamentalists do not encourage discussion and the sharing of ideas. Some fundamentalists even go as far as disallowing discussion, seeing it as unnecessary since they have the answer already in hand. I’m guessing we would not have made it to the moon if this form of leadership had been in place: Forget the Jetsons and Star Trek! Rockets can’t make it to the Moon! This meeting’s over!

This is an equation that works: Mix opinions and respect, and the outcome will be an excellent discussion and sharing of ideas among equals. If you run into a fundamentalist say you have two words for them: George Jetson! Works every time, but that’s just my opinion of course.

Michael McCullar

It's Not about Religion in Egypt

2011-02-03T07:48:00.000-08:00

The Arab world has been upended in many ways over the mass protests in Egypt. While it’s easy to read Islamic proliferation into the various Middle Eastern struggles, in the case of Egypt, which isn’t in the Middle East, it’s about the structure and function of government. In a world seared by the fear of radical Islamic terrorism it’s a positive to see Egypt’s internal strife focused on a dictatorship rather than an ayatollah or imam. Egypt, much like Iran, has a young population that seems hungry for a form of democracy. This is about the only similarity between the two countries. Egypt is a Sunni Muslim country without a theocratic element; Iran is predominantly Shia Muslim and is run from the shadows by radical clerics. Sunni and Shia Muslims do not get along with each other, an issue that goes back to the 7^th century. Iran is in the Middle East and Egypt is part of the African continent. Miles apart in many ways, these two countries are poised to define the face of the future for Islam.

No one knows how the acute Egyptian upheaval will end, or what the lasting results will be. The same can be said for the smaller, quieter freedom movement in Iran. The brightest light is that a yearning for some form of freedom and democracy is in evidence among the younger Muslims in each country. Radical Islam can only be stopped from within Islam. If it’s true that 15% of Muslims are on the radical right; 15% form the liberal left; and, 70% occupy the middle, it’s possible that the average Muslim is not intent on the destructive progression of Islam (the end goal of Islam is to permeate the world with Islamic influence). If this assessment is accurate, there is a hope that the huge majority of centrist Muslims will sway both Sunni and Shia Islam away from the Al Qaeda, Taliban, Hezbollah and other extremist elements. Obviously this is only a hope as there are no guarantees and thus far, the larger centrist faction has been quiet. But, hope is what makes today’s world go round.

So pray for all Egyptians as this epic uprising continues to unfold. Pray for the Christian church in Egypt and the safety of missionaries and believers caught in the middle of this struggle. Pray also for Iranian Christians, some of whom have faced strong persecution over the past years, and for the amazing progress of the Gospel in Iran. Our close work with Elam Ministries has allowed us to keep up with the growth of the Christian church in Tehran and across the country. And pray for the quest for democracy from within each country. An open mind for democracy signals an opening for other new ideas and practices…and the light of Jesus Christ has an amazing ability to find its way through even the tiniest of openings.

Michael McCullar

And the Spiritual Gifts Are As Follows: Teaching, Service, Algebra...

2011-01-24T13:10:00.000-08:00

God created two kinds of people: right-brained and left-brained. Actually, God created many types of people, but the job of a writer is immensely easier if the contrasts are limited to two. Obviously there are short and tall people; thin people and big-boned people; people who waste precious time and money on hair care and those who’s hair dries before they exit the shower; and, people come in various colors and accents and drive on different sides of the road. In reality we are a multi and varied lot. Scripture points this out in several places, none more vivid than when addressing the various spiritual gifts provided to people. Have you noticed, however, how down right churchy the spiritual gifts sound? You got your preachers, your teachers, your music people; you got your mercy-sharing people and you got your witnessers; you got your prophets and you got your behind-the-scenes-people that take up the offering, hand out the juice and them tiny crackers that taste like the cook left something out, and the people who love to put chairs out. Have you ever wondered why something like algebra or fixing cars or pharmacy isn’t considered spiritual gifts? I have.

In 7^th grade, I decided I was going to be a lawyer and I almost made it (a completely different article). I majored in Criminal Justice and took one law school course while still in college (a fluke). I loved the way attorneys represented people by using oratorical skills and mastery of the law (gleaned from a childhood of watching television). I also checked and found that few, if any, math skills were necessary. I was terrible in all things math. I am right-brained and my people tend to trip all over rhythmic geometry and free style ciphering. If I could become a successful lawyer and not have to take math in the process I would be happier than Perry Mason at the bar association buffet. Alas, as they say, I didn’t fulfill my childhood dream of math-free law school; nor did I enter a field devoid of math as I was forced to take several statistics classes. Things worked out OK though because lawyers are required to understand the tax code and how to bill in increments of minutes, both of which require a skill in math or, in hiring gifted assistants.

I’ve also decided that all vocations can be extensions of spiritual gifts and God’s call for everyone to serve the Kingdom. It’s a fallacy to believe only the professional clergy are supposed to serve God as a vocation. If you’re a lawyer, serve God as a lawyer. If you’re a medical professional, serve God through medicine. If you’re a math teacher, serve God by whatever it is you do, but be kind and graceful to all those odd, right-brained, math-impaired budding preachers and attorneys you run across. Believe it or not, they do come in handy now and again. And, no matter what you do as a vocation…do it for God. You are a spiritual gift!

Michael McCullar

Turning the "Page"

2011-01-18T12:37:00.000-08:00

There are many ways to view the annual ritual of passing from one year to another. For our purposes let’s use the noun page, as in turning the page from one year to the next. As we merge years and experience January we tend to look back and analyze the just-past year, and look forward to a new year of opportunities. The idea of making a resolution(s) to correct an issue or to improve life and health is part of the rite of passage from one year to the next. Studies have shown that the majority of Americans make at least one resolution each year. Studies have also demonstrated our lack of follow-through and commitment to our new goals. In short, the majority of us fail to honor our goals and, to make matters even more depressing, we fail rather quickly. I went on a strict diet one year and actually did well for several weeks; only to fall prey to an apple pie during a week of few, to zero, carbohydrates. I’m talking the pie; not just a piece.

We fail for many reasons, mainly due to attempting to change our strongest weakness. Life change is rough stuff, especially when we are battling our own personal demons. Another reason for quick failure is impatience. Are you inherently impatient? A quick test is the elevator: when you enter an elevator do you become impatient and irritated because the door doesn’t close fast enough? Do you push the close button several times, only to become even more irritated when a late arriving person pushes the open button as they attempt to join you for your ride? If you answered yes to either question you are indeed impatient, and as a result you will likely fail to keep your resolution; especially if it had anything to do with patience. We need less stress in life. We need reachable goals that actually lead to a better life. We need the sweet taste of success, not the bitter taste of failure. We need to move past apple pie and resolve to read more in 2011.

Reading is a low stress endeavor that can improve the quality of life. There is so much from which to choose virtually everyone can succeed in reading more. Plus, the paper and ink book is now sharing time with the electronic version. In seconds you can download an entire book and read it from your phone. Not even George Jetson could do that! I browsed a bookstore to note the varied titles available and came away with quite a list: The History of Salt (could be interesting, it’s been around a long time); The Science of Kissing (pretty sure it’s not actually a science): The New Evolution Diet (probably takes a million years to lose those last five pounds); A is for Armageddon (can’t wait for the sequel, B is for…); You Might Be a Zombie & Other Bad News ( maybe for a rainy day, but not at night for sure); and, The Carb Lovers Diet (been there, done that, ended up with apple pie all over my face, not gonna read this one).

Pick a book; pick a genre; turn the page on a new year with a new book and feel the stress ebb away. And, there’s always the Bible. Can’t go wrong there. Check out the new version titled The Story; a rendering of the Bible in free flowing story form. Scripture will change your life; other books will change your life; the beauty is that your life will be changed in different ways when you read both. That’s like 2 for 1. And who isn’t looking for a great deal in the new year?

Michael McCullar

Dear Santa

2010-12-15T14:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa,

My name is Chuck and I’m in second grade. I have been good, you can ask my Mom, but don’t ask my Dad cause he’s still mad about his tool set. Even though he’s mad and it’s Christmas and you’re not supposed to be mad right now could you please bring him a new tool set? Please? It would make things better for me.

I sent you a letter already and I hope you got it. I’m trying to not be selfish but I really want the new gaming system. It’s so awesome. But I’m not writing you about that. In Sunday School we talked about our church and all the things we need to do and that we should give money to Jesus and stuff like that. Did you know that in Bible School we took up pennies and stuff and got $4,000.00 for kids in Haiti? Do you stop in Haiti too? Make sure those kids get something good. It’s really gross over there.

I want to ask you to bring stuff to our church too. Here’s my list:

Bring the preachers some hats. Some of them don’t have hair and I think their heads get cold.
Bring Miss Jill some more people. She’s always asking for more people to help her. I think you can leave them in the preschool area. She’ll find them.
Bring Mr. Michael medicine. He talks about medicine all the time. I think he means for people in other places like Haiti but I don’t know. Bring him some medicine just to make sure.
Bring us some tithes. I’m not sure what that is but Dr. Self sent us a letter about needing tithes for a storehouse. I didn’t know we had a storehouse. I want to see it but I don’t know where it is. Might be up behind where the choir sits. It goes way up outside.
Could you bring some new crayons for my Sunday School class please. The ones we got are kinda old and one kid ate two and we use them a lot. A big box would be great. All the different colors please.

Our church has been good this year so please bring this stuff to us. You won’t get any milk or cookies cause its closed on Christmas so don’t get upset. I’ll leave out a bunch for you at my house.

Thanks Santa
Chuck

Main Street Will Never Be the Same

2010-11-03T07:07:00.000-07:00

I know very little about Buddhism or Hinduism; Taoism is a puzzle; but, I’ve seen a real, live Druid in England. I’ve spent years studying Islam and as a result, or possibly a penalty, I have an extensive understanding of that religion. I’ve been a Christian for over forty years and for the most part, I know the basics of my own faith. And, I’ve visited Chattanooga several times; which will make the remainder of this article make sense (hopefully).

In a recent article in the Chattanooga Times/Free Press, Perla Trevizo wrote about the diverse religious landscape of that region. I found the article online and when I saw the words Chattanooga and religious diversity in the same sentence, I was hooked. To say that Chattanooga isn’t New York is a grand understatement; which is a virtue, rather than a criticism, in my estimation. One New York is plenty. Chattanooga is still quaint and the views can be spectacular. Chattanooga is also home to many Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims. In fact, the Muslim population has doubled over the past decade. There are four mosques in the Chattanooga area. If that had been a Jeopardy question most of us would have heard the buzzer: I’m sorry Michael, you were incorrect on Mosques in Chattanooga, Tennessee for $500.00! Hey, didn’t you write a book on Islam? Thanks a lot Alex.

A local university professor stated that the growing diversity shouldn’t surprise people in Chattanooga: People are simply doing what our ancestors did. They bring their own religion with them. The takeaway is that Chattanooga is part of the Old South and has seen less change over a longer period of time than Atlanta or Birmingham. Today Chattanooga is dealing with what it means to live in a pluralistic, diverse area with people of many unique religions. Apparently they are making the necessary adjustments. The pluralism and diversity will continue to grow and there’s no going back. Buddhism and Islam on Main Street are here to stay.

Christianity’s response is a key to the ever-changing climate of a place like Chattanooga. Jesus taught us to be firm in our beliefs, to live out and example our beliefs and to be open to sharing our faith with other people. The Jesus model would expect us to be open to conversation with people of other faiths. Shunning them or ignoring them out of fear is not a Biblical option (this is the point when faith becomes hard). If it’s true that a Christian is the closest thing to Jesus that some people will ever experience…the pressure is on. I try to adhere to the words of A. Christian Van Gorder: “The central theological message for Christians interacting with Muslims (or other religions) is not that ‘our God’ is true and ‘your God’ is not, but the biblical revelation that ‘God is love’ and is actively seeking humanity to participate in a new covenant with God.”

This isn’t a contest for Christians, it’s an opportunity; an opportunity we mustn’t let slip away.

Michael McCullar

A Chicken in Every Pot

2010-10-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

Political seasons come and go but one thing remains the same: Promises are easy to make but difficult to fulfill. In college I took a political science class in which we discussed the history of the political promise. Remember the famous promise, I’ll make sure there’s a chicken in every pot? Was that promise trumped with, I’ll make sure you have two pots? Is it possible to out-promise someone? I ran unsuccessfully for Student Council in junior high and now I know why I lost. I should have campaigned on the promise: I will end all F’s and severely curtail D’s, rather than my platform to rid our school of soggy English peas.

It’s hard to blame those who run for office for offering ideas and promises that will be difficult to achieve. To be elected one has to be voted for. It’s hard to enact a political promise from the barstool of the local diner; one needs to be seated in the actual political chamber to act on promises. Maybe the answer to the promise dilemma is a return to the Pinkey Promise. I promise to enact this promise when I’m elected to this auspicious position. But Candidate A, do you Pinkey Promise?

All of us could improve our product with a deeper respect for the spoken promise. Scripture teaches both truthfulness and the duty of placing the needs of others before our own. To fulfill a promise is a selfless act. It’s also an act of honor. A promise fulfilled honors God and the recipient of the promise. The reverse is also true. An unfilled promise is a negative reflection on God and on the Christian who made the promise. God becomes collateral damage in this scenario. It’s hard enough to live life without making God look badly by accident or through temporary mental lapse; no need to compound the level of difficulty with an intentional untruth. And, there’s no color scheme in place pertaining to the truth. There are no grey areas and there are no white lies. As they say, a promise is a promise…especially if it’s a Pinkey Promise!

Michael McCullar

Instant Replay

2010-09-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

I have to admit I’m a fan of instant replay in sports. Tennis has always been a sport involving judicial error but since they’ve gone to instant replay for line calls there are virtually no missed calls any longer. John McEnroe was simply born twenty years too soon. It’s hard to argue with the giant JumboTron showing slow motion replays. Football has also been a sport where officiating errors could change the course of a game. Now? The infamous booth will review just about anything short of the popcorn guy short-changing a fan. Fumble? Well Chet, let’s look at the 247 camera angles we have on this play and we will slow it down and see if Number 34 fumbled before the far left quadrant of his shinbone touched the grass.

Two major sports continue to spurn instant replay: basketball and baseball. Basketball is a super-fast sport played on a relatively short and compact court. Add in the size and athleticism of the players and it’s a wonder any of the calls are correct (one never is any longer; traveling or walking with the ball is a joke in modern basketball. My grandmother could get the ball up the court with the license they have with dribbling and taking steps). Baseball on the other hand is quite slow and is played on a giant field with several umpires. Do they miss calls? Yes, they do. As a Tigers fan I’m still not over the perfect game that was taken away earlier in the year…and yes, my grandmother could’ve made the correct call as it wasn’t even a close play. Baseball needs instant replay. For crying out loud it’s the 21st Century!

Ever wondered what life would be like if we each had our own instant replay official and we could go back and take a second look at decisions and actions? Hmmm. I wonder if that was a mistake? Let’s go to the booth for a second look. It would indeed be wonderful to live a life of fewer poor choices and mistakes, but in the end we would not benefit from daily instant replays. Like them or not, mistakes are teachable episodes that provide gist for character development. If the onus was removed from mistakes and bad judgment calls we would never have to strive to become better persons; life would be a series of do-overs. Plus, what would the Holy Spirit do in our lives? Instant replay would remove the need for an indwelling God in our hearts and lives.

So, in this age of instantaneous replay I vote no for daily life and yes for baseball and basketball. And maybe for chess. Chet, let’s go to the booth for a replay on that last move by Vladimir Checkov. It took him so long to make the move that his opponent is fast asleep. Let’s wake him up and show him the move!

Michael McCullar

The Church of the Immaculate Dysfunction: "To Burn or Not to Burn?"

2010-09-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

Reginald Beaufort opened the monthly meeting of the Church Oversight of Ministry Impact Committee (C.O.M.I.C.) with his usual aplomb. Reginald Beaufort’s history in the church founded by his great-great grandmother was well known by everyone who wasn’t suffering from severe tinnitus or profound deafness. Fellow Brothers & Sisters of faith in the Omnipotent, Omniscient & Inerrant Father God, welcome to this historic meeting. Reginald loved large words and imbued a measure of historical importance to each and every meeting. After an extensive reading of the prior meeting’s minutes and the requisite vote he called on his aunt Regina B. V. Cocoletti (she went off the reservation by marrying an Italian exchange student who, sadly, disappeared mysteriously soon after the wedding. Gossip emanating from the Ladies of Lydia Sunday School class suggests he left with a troupe of Roma Gypsies that had camped outside of town that summer). Regina went on to marry a successful taxidermist who, sadly, died in a freak taxidermy accident (everyone thought the bear was dead). His name was Venison, hence the V, but Regina felt that Venison reminded her of deer and deer reminded her of taxidermy, and taxidermy reminded her of…so she shifted back to Cocoletti and placed the V before the C, which reminded her of her favorite rule of spelling.

Regina B. V. Cocoletti read the one item of business : Any ideas for the annual festival? Alice Roberts raised her hand and was acknowledged: I propose we burn that Muslim book and invite the whole town to take part. Alice was a dedicated viewer of cable news shows, especially the Christian news shows on the Jehovah Channel. She especially liked the show with the husband and wife preachers (actually he styled himself as a prophet and his wife as a prophetess), and despite her gnawing feeling that it cost large amounts of money to buy that much make-up and hair spray, she nonetheless sent them a check for $99.00 every month. In return for her consistency she had received a rock from the Holy Land that Jesus might have trod upon, and a prayer rag that was guaranteed to wipe away the deepest stain from a guilty conscience or a cotton shirt. It was the preacher/prophet that gave her the inspiration for the book burning. Regina spoke up first; Do you think that would teach those heathens a lesson? I do, replied Alice. My pastor, well I mean my T.V. pastor, said that the only way to fight the hell fire of Mohammadism is with fire! Alice stood up and shouted, To Hell Fire I Condemn the Koran, Book of the Devil! Unable to stop herself Regina leapt up as well. When she saw that none of the others had moved she sat down in a fluid hurry. Recovering from her unbridled move of vertical support she asked, do we even have a Koran to burn?

The Reverend Martin Barclay, Senior Pastor and sometimes zookeeper of exotic Christians stood to his feet and walked to the front of the room. He addressed the group: With all due respect and love, this idea is up there with some of the worst ideas in the history of time. Alice, your television prophet is a nut who plays off the fears and intrinsic bigotry of people to make money. Does he have a book out on this topic? Alice said, Uh, yes, it’s called Burn Baby Burn: Islam No, Jesus Yes. Reverend Barclay followed up, Alice, how much does he charge for the book? Alice answered, $39.95, but you get a free brick from the church he is building in Palestine. Reverend Barclay decided to reclaim his church and his sanity with a strong stand:

We will not burn a Qur’an for any reason. We will not be swayed by cable television talking heads that pervert the Gospel to make money or to run for public office. Lives are at stake. It’s true that Islam is greatly different from our faith. It’s also true that minority portions of Islam are violent and, that the violence will likely continue. We cannot, however, aid and abet that violence with intentional provocation. The Qur’an may not be holy to us but it is to Muslims. What did Paul teach about meat sacrificed to idols? To make this even easier let’s ask what would Jesus do? Fight fire with fire? No. Fighting fire with fire will ultimately lead to a much bigger fire. Our world does not need another bonfire fueled by hate. We must fight fire with love built on the example of Jesus. This is our only option as people of Jesus.

Alice contritely said I’m sorry pastor. I was wrong. I think I will sell the cable television preacher’s book on EBay and give the money to missions. Regina shouted, How about we burn the t.v. preacher’s book instead? That’ll show him! Pastor Barclay shook his head and thought to himself, and to think I could have been a lawyer.

Michael McCullar

I Know What You're Against, But What Are You For?

2010-08-26T12:58:00.000-07:00

For the sake of research I recently viewed or read dozens of media outlets to determine how they treated religion and people of various faith backgrounds. Obviously the majority were focused on the Ground Zero Mosque issues, which has gone from virtually everyone being in favor of to a grand free-for-all incited by arch-conservative bloggers. Lost in the fray is the reality that the Muslims have been in business on that site for two years. Some sites focused on the intra-Muslim violence that is escalating to historic levels in Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa. Muslims have been in a quasi-civil war since soon after the unexpected death of Muhammad. If you’re into math that’s approximately 700 years of in-fighting over which group is truly Muslim. One satirist site offered a video interview of various members of the Arkansas Baptist Church famous for picketing the funerals of soldiers. Their beef isn’t the war in Iraq, it’s homosexuality in America. Go figure.

Needless to say, faith in general was not looking good after my research. It was hard to find a positive story on the web, even on sites dedicated to religion and faith groups. I’m disappointed, but not surprised. Do you know of a major religious group that isn’t fractured, in major flux, about to divide or already divorced? Even Hinduism and Buddhism are splintering! This has to be a sure sign of the apocalypse; or possibly a wake-up call for us, the people of Christianity, to make some positive strides. It’s time for people to know what we are for, not what we are against. If educated, thinking and evaluative Americans hear what Christians are against ad infinitum, but never hear what we are for…our marginalization will continue.

Islam isn’t going away. Whether the mosque/community center is built near Ground Zero or not is not going to effect the growth of Islam here or abroad. America is pluralistic by Constitution and as such won’t have a primary religion promoted by the government. This shouldn’t be a surprise as we broke away from England to get out from under a government sponsored church. The equality movement is growing and like it or not America will be more, not less, inclusive, of people groups. We are also a nation of immigrants and if we closed all borders tomorrow we would nevertheless remain a giant melting pot of peoples. Yell, scream, picket, stew, rant…won’t change any of the above, except for the worse.
What would Jesus do at a time like this? I’m guessing He would be extending a hand of grace and peace to all. From reading the New Testament I surmise he would opt to speak for people and not against them. We would definitely know what He was for, and only in a secondary manner would we know what He was against. Imagine that, people of faith being known more for what they are for than what they are against. This shift alone could change the world as we know it. Oh yeah, and Jesus would do that too…He’d change the world. All in all, Jesus continues to be our best option.

Michael McCullar

The Dude Lives Like Jesus

2010-08-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

Dr. C. Louis Perrinjaquet, Doc PJ to his friends, lives in Breckenridge, Colorado and for a few months each year he practices family and sports medicine among the ski-season crowd. I can tell what you’re thinking at this moment: this guy’s a ski bum part-time physician who’s living the high life in a Rocky Mountain paradise. I thought the same thing while reading an article about him in Trail Runner magazine. Actually my exact thoughts after one full paragraph were more like, nut-case-ski-bum-part-time-physician. He’s a genuine piece of eco-work, but not for the reasons you might imagine. Doc PJ doesn’t use heat in his home, takes cold showers to conserve energy, buys giant bags of rice and beans to cut down on packaging, teaches transcendental meditation in his living room and breathes exclusively through his nose. I was with him right up to the point of breathing exclusively through his nose. That must be a TM thing; or possibly something to do with cold showers and not using heat during Colorado winters.

Doc PJ is also an avid trail runner, but again, not for the usual reasons. He trains six days per week to prepare for long stints as a jungle doctor. He treks to Darfur, Honduras, Cameroon, and Haiti to do relief medical work; often traveling on foot carrying a 50-pound pack filled with medical supplies. He has pulled rotted teeth from the mouths of Pygmies and cleaned gunshot wounds in raging war zones. He invests $5,000.00 and treats 5,000 people. By the end of the second paragraph I’m ready to canonize the guy and then I read these lines: “In 1991, PJ was working in Vanatu in the South Pacific, when he saw a diabetic man with no shoes. PJ gave him the shoes off his own feet. And to fill the void, he made a pair of sandals out of tire rubber.” This guy is the MacGyver of international medical relief doctors! He’s my newest hero.

I’d love to report that Doc PJ is a committed Christian who is living out his calling in Christ. Sadly, nothing in the article suggests that faith plays a part in Dr. Perrinjaquet’s unusual life. His life’s motto is placed at the bottom of his e-mails: Life is Bliss! Christian or not, you have to love this guy’s attitude and his passion for making the world a better place. Our world needs more people who live to serve others. Doc PJ may not realize it, but his life’s work is intensely Biblical in its application. Think, Mother Teresa in a pair of handmade sandals made of worn out automobile tires. This is the kind of life Jesus died to provide for us: others first, meeting the needs of the oppressed, orphaned, and sick, and being the living embodiment of Christ. Christian or not, the dude’s a role model for us.

Michael McCullar

An Islamic Bonfire?

2010-08-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

A church in Florida is planning a Qur’an burning. I can’t remember the last time I went to an old fashioned burning of any type. As a kid I read about Christians burning Beatles music after John Lennon stated that people placed the Beatles above Jesus. Rather than participating I wanted to sneak in and save as many of the records as possible. My allowance was a pittance and purchasing 45’s wiped me out every two weeks. I’ve always been a big fan of marshmallow roasting and weenie-roasts but a Qur’an burning? Why in the world would a group of Florida Christians hold a bonfire for Muslim holy books? Apparently because their pastor told them to do so. He is a believer than Islam is a religion of Satan and as such the Qur’an should be burned.

I believe this pastor (our kind can be a looney lot) is going about this in the wrong way. If he asked me, which he won’t, I would suggest he read, rather than set fire to, the Qur’an. Then I would suggest that he reread the New Testament, especially the parts about Jesus, and reassess his strategies. If he did this he might come away with a different plan of action for dealing with Islam. It is true that Islam is patently non-Christian. Islam sees Jesus as the second greatest prophet and an all around talented guy; but not God Incarnate. Islam is a religion of works and must-do’s, and Allah is capricious and far away. Islam is both a religion of peace and violence due to the Qur’an being written in a longest to shortest chapter form and utilizing abrogation at its core. The Qur’an is a list of revelations received by Muhammad over many years. These revelations were progressive and whenever a later revelation conflicted with an earlier one, the initial writing was abrogated in favor of the latest. The confusing part is determining the verses that have been abrogated. None of the abrogated verses were removed; so many conflicting revelations are included. This is the reason why Islam can be simultaneously hailed as being both peaceful and violence-prone.

O.K., so Islam is confusing, can be violent with sanction and doesn’t see Jesus as God. Color me a heretic and don’t sign me up. I am a follower of Jesus and I reject the Qur’an as being my holy book, but never in a million years would I take part in a Qur’an burning. If Christians want to engage in a witness to Muslims they must first make sure they are doing so in a Christian manner. Simply rereading the life and teachings of Jesus will provide a plan for both witness and dialogue. Nowhere in the New Testament does it teach to demean and do harm to another religion; yet Christians have used Scripture as justification for the Crusades and for burning people at the stake. Where exactly is that verse in Matthew? This Florida pastor should stop seeking publicity and reread his Bible. If he did he would save the matches, the O-Zone and, if it’s not too late, his standing as a witness of Jesus Christ. Burn one Qur’an and your witness goes up in flames as well.

Michael McCullar

Lightning Strikes Jesus!

2010-06-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

There are many scary and alarming things happening around the world. Daily life continues to get worse in Haiti. The oil spill is now well beyond a spill; dropping a glass of milk is a spill; this is an out of control underwater volcano of crude oil. The Gaza situation is a nightmare with no lasting answers in sight. The economy continues to resemble a theme park roller-coaster ride. Could things get worse? What’s next? Well, Jesus was struck by lightning.

A church in Ohio erected a six-story statue of Jesus alongside a major freeway. During a thunderstorm a bolt of lightning struck the statue and brought it down. The statue broke in several places, caught fire and in the end, fell to the ground. I bet the fire department had fun with that call: All units. We have a code seventeen at this address. Lightning strike and now a six-story unit is on fire. Hold all units. Jesus is on fire. Negative on the unit. It’s confirmed. Jesus is on fire.

The church was also likely flummoxed at this unique turn of events. That statue was their claim to fame. It was their landmark. They probably never imagined it would also function as a lightning rod. So what’s worse on the global scale? Haiti? An oily Gulf Coast? The Humpty-Dumptyization of Jesus’ statue? I’m going with the fragile environment, the eco-systems of the Gulf and the actual people of Haiti. People will disagree with me on this and that’s fine. Pat Robertson is likely already on sight filming a show where he blames Satan for this blatant attack on Jesus. Someone else will lay the blame on homosexuals; others will cite illegal immigration and the lack of Ten Commandments displays across Ohio. People in general feel the need to fix blame in order to make sense of it all. This happens after every natural disaster. Humans need a concrete handle on abstract events.
So what would Jesus say about this? What would Jesus cite as being the worst event? For my money it would be anything other than the statue crashing and burning. The Biblical Jesus would be grieving over the loss of Creation and for the suffering children of Haiti. That Jesus would also be the first to say that storms are part of Creation’s work and storms bring destruction. Lightning is as much a part of life as oxygen; and both were products of God’s earliest work. Would Jesus be upset over the statue’s demise? Who knows? The better question is this: What does today’s world need more: A six-story statue of Jesus or for the followers of Jesus to live elevated lives? That question shouldn’t be hard to answer, even on a stormy day.

Michael McCullar

"Awful" Is Relative

2010-05-26T04:41:00.000-07:00

Being involved in relief and missions work in Haiti is both a good and a bad thing. Haiti is the kind of place that elicits travel warnings from countries like ours. Even before the earthquake people were warned about traveling there for a variety of reasons. The H.I.V. rate in Haiti is very high, as is the child mortality rate. Clean water is scarce and jobs even more so. Haiti is a place best described as simply awful. To drive through Port-Au-Prince is to be heartbroken as one sees humanity at its worst subsistence levels. It only takes one orphaned, homeless child living in a hole left by collapsed rubble to make you cry.

On the other hand Haiti is a great place to practice Christianity. Baptist churches are quite prominent in Haiti and Baptists have been at the forefront of relief work in the stricken areas. I have to say that working and living amongst Haitians was an exhilarating experience. To have the privilege of providing medicines and basic life supplies to people who might otherwise die is one of life’s few holy ground moments. To share this experience with fellow church members was also special, as was being able to tell those being helped that a church in the U.S. cares deeply for you. Sadly, however, we left Haiti only microscopically better than we found it. In reality Haiti remains a truly awful place. The majority of Americans would have trouble assimilating the realities faced by Haitians in simply trying to stay alive from one day to the next. It’s such a foreign concept to us that it might as well be an episode of the Twilight Zone. One has to see it to adequately believe it.

Haiti isn’t alone as being an awful place. Right now the Gulf Coast of the United States is an awful place. Crude oil being pumped directly into the ocean is causing long lasting damage to the already fragile eco-systems and shorelines. It may take decades to undo all of the damage being done, not to mention the price tag that will total in the billions of dollars (which will be passed down to consumers as no corporate jets will be lost due to the unfortunate oil spill). There are plenty of other awful places as well; Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Egypt, India, North Korea, Singapore, Chile…and the list could go on. Awful is relative and no one place or people group has cornered that market.

So, how should we deal with this awfulness? As Christians we cannot act as if it doesn’t exist; nor can we lay it off on the people who are suffering. Pat Robertson’s verbalized stupidity that Haiti made a pact with the devil and as a result received a well-deserved earthquake is beyond the pale. There is voodoo in Haiti. I’ve heard the drums and the chants. I have also seen people praising God and going without food in order to take care of an orphan. Jesus never laid blame on those who were suffering. Awful was the reason Jesus spent so much time with the sick and afflicted. Blame, no. Action, yes. Action is the only weapon Christians have against awful. Pray, give and go are three words that Christians in the United States should take to heart. Everyone can pray; many can give to support life-saving work and ministries already in place in most of the world’s truly awful areas; others can take the time and expense to go and help out in person.

Awful is a relative term that doesn’t have to define large chunks of our world. If we all do our part awful could become obsolete. Then we could move to better, and beyond. I’m convinced this is what Jesus would do.

Michael McCullar

What's A Week Worth?

2010-05-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

What’s a week worth to you? A week is seven days made up of 168 hours or, if you like math, 10,080 minutes. There are typically 52 weeks in one year and the average person lives 74 years. Again, for the math-inclined, that would be 3,848 weeks. That’s a lot of weeks when you place it into the perspective of a full life. Have you ever stopped to consider what one week out of that huge total would be worth…to someone else? One week given to the cause of missions wouldn’t make a dent in most schedules. It would be one line of ink across the Month-At-A-Glance calendar; a key stroke on the Blackberry or I-Phone; a voicemail message stating “I’m away saving lives. I’m sorry I cannot speak with you but I’m sure you’ll understand that phone service in the nether regions of the world is spotty at best. When I get back to the not-so-real-world I will return your call. Until then, why not consider giving up one of your almost 4,000 weeks and go to a different place and make a difference.”

Many people feel the pull of missions but sadly, few take the really big step and set foot on different dirt. Those that do are life-changers. They leave home with the goal of changing someone else’s life; they return with their own lives having been radically realigned. It happens every time. You change. You become a different person. Life is different. You morph into a new mode. Deep inside each of us there’s a place where the heart, mind and soul connect. It is at that spot that you know you’ve made a difference. You have altered the course of life.

When does it happen? There’s a magic moment for each person when all perspective shifts and you simply know you’ve changed. It may be in the process of giving someone food; or laying block for a school; or digging a well; or teaching someone about Christ; or when someone touches you and says thank you. In that moment you look down and see Holy Ground.

You will never feel more alive. You’ll ask yourself why you waited so long to take the big step. After all, it’s only one week.

Michael McCullar

They Found Noah's Ark

2010-05-06T05:20:00.000-07:00

I recently read (with some amusement) that a team of Turkish and Chinese evangelical explorers found the original Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat in Turkey. I will admit to being skeptical about things like this, especially since this find was made by evangelical explorers, whatever that means and not actual archeologists. I will also admit to not keeping up with the archeological world; I just don’t dig it (sorry, couldn’t resist), but even a clueless person like me remembers hearing this refrain many times before. Hold the phone says the Chinese leader of the Evangelical Explorers Club (my Chinese is a bit rusty so the translation may not be exact), It’s not 100 percent that it is Noah’s Ark, but we think it is 99.9% that this is it. A real Doubting Thomas this guy is. Dude, I’ll spot you the .1%, be confident, you found the wood, stake your claim.

The downside of a purported find like Noah’s Ark is the scrutiny that comes with it. The Official Ark of the Covenant Relocation Troupe will be all over this one. These supposed Evangelical Explorers are fakes and frauds. Our group has one member who actually knows an archeologist and with our skill and professionalism we have not yet located the Ark of the Covenant. You may remember this group from their protests outside the Indiana Jones movie about the Ark. These people are not to be trifled with. Then there are the actual archeologists who like to weigh in on such finds. Fresh from an appearance at the Shroud of Turin Amusement Park in southern Italy, Dr. Ford Harrison Jones has emphatically stated that this find is a joke. I’m proud to hear that the Turks and the Chinese have patched up their differences and are teaming up together, but there is no way this group found Noah’s Ark. I suspect a Hookah pipe figures into this somewhere.

I don’t believe it either. For one thing my fence is only thirteen years old and it needs work. How could a primitive wooden boat last for thousands of years? And then there’s the whole Hey, wasn’t everything destroyed in the flood question? If so, wouldn’t it stand to reason that the only wood left on the Earth would be Noah’s boat? Hello! Mr. and Mrs. Noah need a new house! Bye-bye wood.

Proponents of this find believe it is proof positive that God exists and as a result thousands of people will begin to seek faith in Jesus. Of course, these are the same people who believe there was a W.W.J.D. bumper sticker on the Ark. Proof positive that Noah’s Ark existed is not what today’s skeptics are looking for. Authenticity is what people are hoping to find. Character and virtue sprinkled with consistency is the key to impacting the world of today. Paul’s writing on the Fruit of the Spirit is all we need to discover to change the world. Live those virtues and people will pay attention. A piece of old wood isn’t enough…even if it holds the inscription S.S. Noah.

The Anglican Dude Was Right

2010-04-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

Over the years I have been afforded the opportunity to meet and study under several Anglican ministers and theologians. In total they are a scholarly lot; haven’t met one yet that wasn’t gifted in the brainier aspects of faith; and they look so official in their collars. They refer to themselves as Catholic-Light. One Anglican I’ve never met is the big Anglican himself, the Archbishop of Canterbury. I have the same chance of meeting him as I do of having tea with the Pope. The Archbishop of the worldwide Anglican church, which includes the U.S. Episcipol church, is Rowan Williams. He has the wildest eyebrows I’ve ever seen. I’m guessing it would take a small weed-eater to trim those bushes. He’s also one of the smartest people alive today. Let me add that smart and judicious are not synonomous. He’s made a few outlandish statements during his tenure; but even Billy Graham made a mistake or two. I believe the Archbishop’s faith matches his prodigious eyebrows. He also has the distinction of leading his faith group through a deeply divisive and troubled era. It can’t be easy being the Archbishop of Canterbury these days.

Reverend Williams, also a gifted writer, penned the following words: It is not the church of God that has a mission. It’s the God of mission that has a church. Let those words sink in and you may feel a tingle in your soul. There may also be a twinge or two of guilt as we instinctively invert this principle. Honestly, do we really see the church as part of God’s vastly larger plan? Do we really see our individual faith lives as being part of a global, infinite and inclusive scheme? Hopefully so, but speaking for myself, this is much harder than it might seem. It’s very easy to view the institutional church as the main event. It’s even easier to view our lives as being both front and center. It may hurt to admit it, but it’s true more times than not.

Again, speaking only for myself and my feeble attempts to live in the right order, an evaluative inventory is key. Why do I practice faith? Why do I practice stewardship? What is the goal of my church? If an honest answer doesn’t transcend the here and now, it may not be what the God of mission expects. Loving God for reasons beyond our own salvation, safety and stability is difficult, but necessary for living in the right order. Viewing the church (my church, your church) as existing more for God’s eternal scheme than for us is easy only while in Sunday School, but again, this is absolutely necessary for being God’s church linked-in-mission and in sync with God’s plan.

Sobering words indeed. And to think, it took a prodigiously-eyebrowed Anglican chap to make me understand this. God works in mysterious ways.

Michael McCullar

Is My Difference Showing?

2010-03-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

I drive a truck. It’s actually a hybrid of sorts; one with two full rows of seats and a shorter-than-normal bed length. People who drive “real” trucks snicker when I drive by. I can tell what they’re thinking by the amused looks on their faces: That ain’t a real truck! Well, to me it’s a real truck. There are other people who have said to me, You don’t look like a truck person. My response is normally the same: “What does a truck person look like?” I’m guessing they mean that people of Scottish descent aren’t a truck driving lot. My people ride horses, paint their faces blue, wear kilts and go to war with the imperial Brits… or play a lot of golf. I’m sticking with my truck. I’m allergic to horses.

Contrary to public opinion and practice, scripture counsels us to excel in our uniqueness. We were created as individuals, not as an amalgamation of the corporate whole. This reality provides us the ability to break away from the natural drift to sameness. The gravitational-like pull toward a corporate commonality is not at all scriptural. Was Paul one of his generation’s eager average? James? Peter? No, none of these people seemed content to settle for average, nor did they chose the easiest route through which to navigate life. They stood for something that transcends all cultural norms. History demonstrates that these stances are often lonely and from time to time end with a violent death. It happened to these guys. They lived for something and they died for something. They lived; they died; they raised the bar.

I surmise from this that it is O.K. to be unique. Uniqueness is a major step in the direction of having the inner-strength to take a stand and to not fear the trivial consequences. Please don’t get hung up on the use of trivial. If we are honest we can admit that before one is prepared to die for their convictions one must first be able to withstand being insulted or shunned. Humanity seems to crave the company of people who float along and never rock a boat of any type. Rocking boats is best left to the odd and unique types. Taking a seat is generally preferred to taking a stand.

If you love and follow Jesus you are asked to take stands, merge away from the cultural template; while, remaining firmly attached to culture. It’s a conundrum of epic proportions. We work to be different while remaining in the midst of jillions of people who haven’t yet located their ability to be different. Jesus is the answer for their malady and we are the conduit for the remedy. We could run off with our own kind and dance around celebrating our uniqueness; although, sooner or later our uniqueness would fade. We would simply become a corporate lot that dances around and celebrates excessively. We must be different within the larger scope of humanity. It isn’t easy; it’s often lonely; and people have died for their efforts. Jesus never said it would be easy. Therefore, we must entertain this question from time to time: Is my difference showing? It really is the difference between life and death.

Michael McCullar

Why Does It Always have To Be a Baptist?

2010-02-11T10:45:00.000-08:00

Isn’t it enough that many in our society see Baptists as dimwitted dinosaurs and serial bigots? Isn’t it bad enough that people tend to believe Baptists handle snakes and play Deliverance music in church? Does it sit well with you that Baptists are thought of as people who do not play nice with the other children of the world? Ask a people group or denomination what they think of Baptists and you may not like the reply.

Is any of this true? Well, Baptists would have to admit that a few odd apples have poisoned the pie from time to time. Baptists would also have to admit that getting along with each other is a true feat; and, Baptists should consider that their longstanding superiority complex, historically exemplified by the many, is not a badge of honor or piety. All of this means that Baptists are human and foible-prone much like other religious groups who have warts and carry heavy baggage. It’s also true that on occasion a genuine nut surfaces that dominates the media attention. Sadly, this is why Baptists tend to be painted with the same broad brush used on the occasional oddball. The majority of Baptists may be compassionate and principled, but the larger society sees only the unique aberration who receives the airtime. It’s the same issue faced by people after a tornado or other natural calamity. It seems the media always chooses to interview a person that least exemplifies the populace: Yep, me and the little missus wuz sittin’ down to a mess of collard greens when a big noise cummed up and next thang I knowed the barn blowed by the winder. And you know whut? It did sound like a freight train.

It only takes a few members of any group to provide an inaccurate picture of the larger body. The Idaho missions team caught taking kids out of Haiti exemplifies this problem for Baptists. These people may have had good intentions, but good intentions never trump the laws of a country. International adoptions are long and arduous affairs that cost great deals of money. I know this because I’ve gone through it twice. It is uniquely horrible for Haitian kids right now but this dubious attempt to save thirty has made things worse for all of the children of Haiti. Today it is difficult to airlift seriously ill children out of the country and honest adoptions are at a standstill. History will show that it all began with a few woefully unprepared Baptists with flawed plans who, even with good intentions, made Haiti an even worse place for children. That’s hard to do. So I can’t help but ask, why did it have to be Baptists?

MM

What to Do with Pat Robertson

2010-02-01T04:51:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago an earthquake literally ripped apart the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti leaving thousands of already-impoverished people dead, severely injured, homeless and, many children orphaned. It has been reported that this level of destruction and devastation is among the worst in world history. The United States is sending aid workers into the country, as well as military personnel, and relief organizations have people on the ground providing food, medicine and drinking water. Baptists of all stripes, including JCBC, have responded to this crisis, as have other religious groups, which is how it should be as mercy and ministry is inherent in our Biblical mandate. It should be a given for Christians to be among the first to provide support to Haiti. It’s a spiritual D.N.A. thing; an automatic response; a duh, it’s in the instruction manual act of compassion. If that’s true, which I wholeheartedly believe it is, then what’s up with Pat Robertson?

Don’t know of whom I speak? If you have been fortunate and are not acquainted with him allow me to fill in the blanks; but do not hold this against me later. In some cases ignorance is indeed bliss. Pat Robertson founded a college and a television ministry in Virginia. He pontificates daily on the 700 Club; a mish-mash of feel good stories, news and his musings on the world order. There are many people who see him as a step beyond self-delusional and as a person who actually believes he represents Christianity in America. I prefer to think of him as a nutcase. O.K., I just sinned and I’ll admit it. I called a famous preacher and television host a nutcase. Forgive me in lots of twelve Lord ‘cause I’m not finished sinning yet. On his television program he stated that the earthquake in Haiti occurred because Haitians made a pact with the devil in order to be freed from French control. He actually said this and followed with the statement, “true story.” France last held colonial control of Haiti in the early 1800’s. In order to continue control in the late 18th century Napoleon sent in Rochambeau to eliminate opposition forces. He estimated that he would have to kill 30,000 natives to reach his objective and to that end he hung, burned alive and drowned native men and women. On one day in 1802 he had 500 prominent men killed; an act that sealed the fate of France on the island. Opposition forces grew and over a short period of time the French were forced to flee. So tell me again who the bad guys are?

If you do the math, which I’m assuming Mr. Robertson is never allowed to do for the 700 Club, it would suggest that Haiti is paying today for a spurious sin committed over two hundred years ago. Toss out the obvious bad theology in play here and do the math; this earthquake was two hundred years late! Since one has to assume that God sent the earthquake (the bad theology part), then God was quite late on this one. Oh yeah, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day…Silly me. God can take His own sweet time if God wants to “by-dingy.” That last sentence is true but the rest is hooey. God does not send earthquakes; nature does. Port-au-Prince is on a large fault line. Bad events occur within the natural order every day. Sin in the form of bad human choices can lead to tragedy. What happened in Haiti was a combination of corrupt leadership and natural disaster. It was a natural disaster, not a supernatural disaster. God loves the Haitians even if self-inflated bozo’s like Pat Robertson do not. Dang, I’ve sinned again. I just insulted Bozo.

Michael McCullar

You Can Handle the Truth

2009-12-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

One of the best movie lines of all-time is Jack Nicholson’s response to Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men: “You can’t handle the truth.” Premiere Magazine has it rated 92nd on their Top 100 Movie Lines list. They didn’t ask for my views so I won’t quibble, but come on, 92nd? These are the same people who listed Bond. James Bond as 51st. I rest my case. Obviously they couldn’t handle the truth either. Speaking of truth, what is it exactly? Who is the arbiter of truth? Is truth relative to humanity? Is it possible to answer these questions without first completing two advanced degrees in philosophy? This is an arena that few people tread with success. Even Jesus chose to not answer Pilate’s direct question: What is the truth? (John 18:38).

I am a huge fan of Jesus so I will admit bias at this point. I believe Jesus knew the answer to the question. I also believe Jesus could have avoided a horrible death by providing an answer that would have made it easier for Pilate to reject the capital intentions of the Hebrew leaders. The silence of Jesus had a purpose, although it’s anyone’s guess as to what that purpose was. The most quoted guess focuses on the necessity of Jesus’ death for the salvation of humankind. That could be filed under the category of “lowest possible hanging fruit.” Surely Jesus was silent for reasons other than his impending death. A hypothesis put forth by N.T. Wright is intriguing. It is his belief that the silence of Jesus was meant to highlight the collision of postmodernity (truth) and empire. Since Bishop Wright and I exist on different intellectual planets it was necessary to read his text multiple times and to finagle (most certainly a word Wright would never use) with his meaning of Postmodern. Once you get past that, it’s downhill all the way (right)!

Wright defines postmodernity as the question: “What is truth?” He sees the quest for truth as both colliding and colluding with the established world order that depicted itself as the true hope of humanity. He pits Rome as the personification of the “perfect world order” against Jesus as truth that transcends even the greatest plans of humankind. Rome saw itself as the ultimate prescription for the world. Many Hebrews bought into this possibility and as a result further distanced themselves from truth. This suggests Jesus was silent before Pilate in order to signify the absolute transcendent power of truth. Thus, truth is inherently spiritual and cannot be controlled or dispensed by humans, even if their intentions are pure. On that same note, hope cannot be placed in the instruments of empire if it is to survive. The lesson is actually simple: Great empirical intentions ultimately fail. Does this make them wrong? No, in many ways the world is a better place as a result of empires. On its best day, however, the Roman Empire was never the truth. Truth stood before them, they just couldn’t handle it.

MM (handling the truth since 1964)

I Can't Hear What You're Saying for What You're Saying

2009-11-18T04:51:00.000-08:00

It is common to hear psychologists and counselors state that the primary obstacle to healthy and wholesome relationships is poor communication. It would be hard to argue with that premise, especially when one remembers that communication is more than the use of words. This must be a fabric in the mosaic of human DNA as the New Testament regularly mentions toxic speech practices and subsequent damage. Read James and you’ll have a sudden urge to use mouthwash; and he was writing to Christians! Of course, if your mother washed your mouth out with soap you already know that bad language has consequences. That happened to me so many times that I regularly blew bubbles when I coughed or sneezed. If you’ve ever been hurt by words you know firsthand the power of the tongue. Chances are you have also inflicted damage upon someone else with careless talk. Sadly, words go in both directions with ease. Words may seem to be free and easy but in reality they are neither.

Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks are psychologists who have published seventeen books on communication and relationships. The following is a distillation of their seven keys to great communication:

Listen generously (like James wrote, “be quick to listen and slow to talk”)
Speak unarguably (use statements of fact rather than assigning blame)
Appreciation (there needs to be a 5-1 ratio of appreciation to complaint)
Turn complaints into requests
Admit that you may also be part of the problem
Pick your battles wisely
Never invalidate someone’s feelings just because you don’t share them

It’s hard to argue that listening more and speaking less is a plus; or with seeking the positives in people rather than taking the easy option of pointing out their shortcomings; but the biggest lesson might be in not invalidating someone’s feelings. A feeling is what it is and refuting its reality won’t make it magically disappear. A kind word of appreciative affirmation might do the trick, however. So if you ever reach a communication quandary, ask WWJD (What Would James Do)? The answer will be simple: shut up and listen; always be nice; don’t complain; and if all else fails, shut up and listen. Sounds like a plan to me.

MM

Jesus Loves You, But I'm His Favorite

2009-11-09T10:24:00.000-08:00

There is a t-shirt design that reads Jesus Loves You, But I’m His Favorite. I know this because I own one and wear it from time to time. I have yet to wear it without receiving a comment from someone I don’t know. Sadly, most of the comments have been voiced from the “who do you think you are” side of the aisle. Apparently many Christians don’t believe that I am Jesus’ favorite human. My response is always the same: “Hey, what can I say, the truth often hurts.” The conversation normally ends at that point, but the irony persists. I’m not vain and I’m not a theological nutcase. I know that Jesus loves everyone equally (let’s all sing along now, red and yellow, black and white…) but I am also convinced that Jesus loves each of us in a way that is so personal, so intimate, so individualistic, that it’s possible for each of us to feel we are His favorite and all be correct.

I wear the t-shirt mainly to elicit conversation with seekers, the almost-interested and assorted other levels of non-faith persons. I prefer to talk about matters of faith with people who haven’t yet found their place or their purpose in life. If I get to choose between an encounter with a born-again, Bible-believing, “washed in the blood” Christian and a “lost” person, give me the not-yet-found guy every time. I like to exist in a “no church words” environment and many Christians cannot resist using a minimum of three in every sentence. Sharing one’s faith is not about talking about religion or using church words, it’s about telling your unique story. If a t-shirt like mine throws you into a tizzy, you aren’t likely to tell a compelling story about personal faith. If my t-shirt leads someone to ask, “Dude, are you really his favorite,” a door opens to a conversation about God’s love. People need to know that God loves them and has a purpose for their life; they do not need to be told about a list of rules that must be followed. Grace isn’t about rules…it’s about freedom and peace. That would make for a great t-shirt design!

MM

USTABE

2009-10-28T06:56:00.000-07:00

In the South people tend to shorten statements and words whenever possible. We save a lot of time in the South by doing so, although we are also prone to speak slowly and add a few syllables here and there, so any time saved is often lost later in the same sentence. Ustabe is an example of a Southern contraction. “I ustabe faster than I am now.” A cousin of ustabe is ustacould. “I ustacould eat doughnuts all day long and not gain weight. I ustabe skinny but now I aintnomore.” O.K., maybe it’s only my relatives that speak like this, but regional dialects are not the point of this treatise. Whether you say “ustabe” or “used to be” is a matter of choice. The real intent isn’t on contractions but on statements of past performance. When a person says they were formerly able to do something it suggests they cannot do so any longer. To some degree this makes sense as the natural life cycle of aging necessitates the reduction of many actions. A person over a certain age cannot do all of the things they were able to do twenty years earlier. Aging brings restrictions that are often hard to overcome. Dreaming dreams of a better future and goal setting should not be added to that list however. This would be true for people of any age.

Ustabe is not a derivative of the Greek language. The closest thing to this in scripture might read “I ustabe an unrepentant sinner and now I’m free in Christ.” As they say in the trade, “that’ll preach.” We are to be new creatures in Christ and as such we must have a future focus. Dwelling on past failures is not productive to spiritual growth. Focusing on past accomplishments and assuming we no longer have what it takes to make a difference is simply unscriptural. There is no retirement age for our faith lives. There is also no such thing as too small a contribution to God’s Kingdom. It doesn’t take a village to progress a church, it takes a congregation. Congregation is plural and implies everyone. All people have something to share and to contribute. But, God won’t make us do anything. Having a future view and seeking to make a difference is entirely up to us. Coasting is allowed but is not encouraged. Too much coasting will ultimately lead to a ustabe church.

It’s not the mountain we conquer but ourselves. Sir Edmund Hillary

None of us will ever accomplish excellence except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Let us not cease to do the utmost, that we may incessantly go forward in the way of the Lord; and let us not despair of the smallness of our accomplishments. John Calvin

MM (ustabe lost but I aintnomore)

Cup' A Joe For Ya'?

2009-10-21T05:15:00.000-07:00

Americans love coffee. On average Americans drink three cups of coffee each day. What demographic group drinks the most coffee you ask? Surprisingly, it’s not the uber-trendy young adults often seen on television in cool coffee shops, it’s the over-60 crowd. I’m guessing you won’t see a television show about older friends hanging out at Geezer Perk. Who’s next in daily coffee consumption? It’s the 40-59 group. This is hard to believe if you’ve been in one of the swanky coffee establishments lately. Even in a recession the crowds are large and normally on the younger side. Obviously coffee is a multi-generation beverage.

There is also a new language spoken in today’s coffee world. As a purveyor of extremely mild coffee I do not shop at the trendiest spots, nor do I understand the unique language spoken there, but my wife does and upon her request I recently pulled up to a drive-through and placed her order. She told me what she wanted and I remember staring at her in stunned silence. I want a grande skinny mocha caramel latte light whipped. “I thought you wanted coffee?” It is coffee. Sir, may I take your order? “Uh, yeah, it’s a, uh, what was that again?”

You know the world is spinning a bit too fast when it takes seven words to order coffee and coffee isn’t one of them. Where has simplicity gone? Would someone please slow down this merry-go-round ? No, because it’s not possible. We have seen more change in the past fifty years than in all of history combined. It’s stands to reason that we will experience even more in the near future. But, come on, how many cable channels do we need? Do we really benefit from being connected 24/7? Do kids really need to become skilled in every gaming system that exists? Would we all benefit from a slow walk in the park? It’s not my place to answer these questions for others; my job is to begin the conversation and steer it toward the arena of faith. So, ponder what Jesus might say about today’s speed-of-light-lifestyles? Assess the toll that stress has taken due to our deepening dependence on being connected. You know it’s getting out of hand when the laws for texting while driving are the same as driving under the influence of alcohol. It might be time to slow down, take a breath and order a cup of coffee…plain coffee!

MM

So Many Churches, So Many Choices

2009-10-14T06:07:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder why there are so many churches in today’s world? Ever wonder why there are so many different types of churches in today’s world? Well, join the crowd as the mailing list on those questions is quite long. This is especially true for people who are familiar with the formation of the Christian church in the first century. In the beginning there was but one church, and those who worshipped, prayed, studied, and served were Christians. The one church was all about following Jesus. Overtime there were disagreements and subsequent schisms, some small and some large, and the result became the myriad total of different Christian expressions prevalent today. Today it is more likely that a person views themselves as being a _____ rather than as a Christian.

The most recent issue of benign division relates more to worship styles than to denominational or theological squabbles. Sadly, churches across the spectrum have engaged in internal strife over the style and format of worship services. All of this began after a couple of visionary pastoral leaders began churches in places where the historical and hyper-traditional worship formats no longer attracted unaffiliated younger adults. In Chicago and in Southern California these new approaches to “going to church” began to reach large numbers of people and a new strategy for evangelism and discipleship was born. Being “bandwagon-prone,” churches all over America began to copy the styles and strategies of these two mega-churches. In some places the new insights and practices worked well and churches became successful in reaching adults for Christ. Conversely, many churches and eager pastors all but destroyed their churches by instituting new worship styles. The old adage just because it works in one place doesn’t mean it will work in every location was lost in the translation and many people suffered in the process.

Traditional, Blended-Traditional, Contemporary and Emergent churches are all excellent options for reaching people for Christ, which is after all what we are called to do. It’s not that it takes all kinds of people, it’s that there are all kinds of people, so we should have unique worship and church options for all of the different types of people who need a relationship with Christ. One option isn’t better than another option, just different. Each option is valuable and obviously God-inspired. The only rule is to not be nutty. If you are a nutcase pastor leading a nutcase church you cease being a viable option for positively impacting the Kingdom.

In a nearby state there is a church that plans to burn non-King James Bibles on Halloween, along with books by authors who have been influenced by Satan. The Reverend Nutcase in this church deems Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, Mother Teresa and Billy Graham as offensive writers and plans to burn their books along with Bibles not written in Middle English. I’m thinking of sending him a copy of one of my books so I can be in the company of the aforementioned Christian giants (which may be my only shot). Nutty Christians do not profit God’s plans to reach the millions of people who desperately need Him. So remember: unique churches with unique worship styles are good; nutty churches aren’t.

MM

Dear Earth, You're Only as Old as You Feel

2009-10-06T05:35:00.000-07:00

The latest archeological testing has determined that humans did not evolve from apes after all. The 1994 find of a four-foot tall female skeleton in Ethiopia and the just released intensive testing have laid to rest the long held belief that humans evolved from a prehistoric ape. Archaeologists searching for the “Missing Link” now have to regroup and begin looking for this common ancestor of both humans and apes. Those aren’t the only scientists thrown for a loop as a result of this earth shaking discovery. Scientists who date the Earth’s age are also scrambling to find their calculators as our planet is now believed to be even older than previous research had indicated.

Theology will not be immune to this discovery as both protests and affirmations will flow from the two sides of the creation versus evolution debate. Creationists see the world as being only 6,000 years old and reject all tenets of evolution. On the other end of the spectrum are those who view the earth as being millions of years old and who readily accept many of the teachings of evolution as long as it is stated that God was intimately involved. In the middle are those who have no clue and are happy to admit it. Truth be told, that’s the best location to be in the midst of all the rancorous debate. Many of today’s best scientists are swimming upstream against the current after these findings were published. World class scientists held to the ape-to-human evolution track for most of the twentieth-century, only to be proven wrong by one find. Now they know how meteorologists feel on a regular basis. Creationists will continue to say that all of this is hooey and that carbon dating is a hoax. And the fight goes on.

So let’s find a middle ground and settle this silly fight over something so mysterious, so ethereal, and so abstract that we couldn’t possibly understand the actual truth anyway. Here’s the simple answer: GOD DID IT! If God created this rock we live on six billion years ago or six million years ago or six thousand years ago, the real story is that God did the heavy lifting. If God created dinosaurs (which most certainly existed as I saw the skeletons at Fernbank) and they died out, what’s the big deal? If humans and animals looked differently millions of years ago so be it. We’d look different today if we had to forage for food and run from saber tooth tigers and flying lizards with big teeth. No one can empirically prove God or God’s path from day one of creation to today, so why fight about it? These fights are not good for God’s Kingdom.

So go with God. God created all things and God did it in and through God’s dimension. The details are not important enough to fight over. God did it and that’s all that matters to me.

MM

The Existing God

2009-09-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the now infamous article asking the question Is God Dead? It appeared in Time magazine on April 8, 1966 and was authored by John T. Ellis. Mr. Ellis recently died and the news of his passing has renewed interest in the article. In 1966 America was a much different country than it is today. This article provided almost as much fodder for pulpits as John Lennon’s observation that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus, which also occurred in 1966. I believe that Mr. Ellis was attempting to initiate a public discussion on a subject many intellectuals of his day were actively questioning, but one the church was not yet open to pursuing. John Lennon made an off-hand comment that said more about 1960’s culture than about the Beatles. If you have any memory of Beatle-Mania you would likely agree that the boys from Liverpool were in many ways much more popular than Jesus. When was the last time you saw thousands of people fainting from anticipation during a hymn in church or chasing the bus carrying a preacher? In the 1960’s people would do almost anything for a ticket to see the Beatles in concert. Lennon was indicting Christians, not disrespecting Jesus. And once again, the church was masterful in missing the point.

1966 was a genuine turning point for God, Jesus and the church. Questions centered on God’s reality could no longer be dismissed with instant damnation or accusations of treason against all things holy, apple pie and the church. Intellectualism entered the fray like an unwanted guest bent on moving in to stay. Intellectualism planted roots and the church has been slow to adjust. This is not to say that spurts of intellectualism had not been in evidence throughout history, or that all churches were adverse to intellectual discourse in the sixties. The minority of churches dealt with the Ellis article in positive ways and people expanded their theology of God as a result. The majority of churches did not react positively and as a result copies of Time magazine, and five months later Beatles albums, were burned in God’s name. This’ll show ‘em bonfires raged across America and the loser in all of this hubris…was God. Nothing in scripture instructs people to disable their brains in order to become a follower of Jesus. In fact, both Jesus and Paul used intellectual approaches to teach and preach in order to impact the highly intellectual Greeks and Romans and the Hebrew leadership. Even in matters of faith a little bit of thinking goes a long way.

So thank you Mr. Ellis for advancing the discussion on God’s reality. Someone had to do it and you took great abuse for being that person. And my opinion on what God would say about all of this: Thank you for asking about me Mr. Ellis. For the record, I am alive and well. Tell your readers I love them and have a plan for their lives. And never forget that I gave you that magnificent brain for many reasons, and contemplating Me is one of the best. And please ask those bonfire people to stop. One of these days you folks are going to ruin the Ozone layer I put in place for your protection. Stay in touch.

MM (a Beatles fan since 1964)

Vampires Are En Vogue

2009-09-22T07:16:00.000-07:00

If you peruse a book store this week you will find vampire novels among the best sellers. Just a cursory look noted seven new titles in the vampire genre and not one featured Count Dracula. Dracula is old school stuff in today’s Yeah, my boyfriend’s a vampire world. Dracula’s very-AARP, although I understand vampires don’t actually retire. In Dracula’s time it took a stake through the heart or a healthy does of holy water to do in a vampire. I haven’t read any of the new novels nor seen the movies but I’m guessing they’re harder to stop these days. This is confusing if one considers all of the modern safety protocols for interacting with blood. Dentists wear gloves, masks and plastic shields to stay safe; vampires drink blood like it’s going out of style. Hello, communicable diseases…Swine Flu…tainted blood.

I’m going on record as simply not getting it. Why the sudden fascination with vampires. They drink blood to stay alive and cannot take direct sunlight. They’re allergic to crosses and if properly fed can live forever. Is this a fad or is it the immortality angle that makes them popular? America is faddish to a fault so it’s likely that in six months vampires will give way to something else. Remember the Da Vinci Code? There were at least twenty- five similar novels that came out after Dan Brown went platinum and how many can you name? We do fads well. As to immortality, that too is a topic that resonates with people. Every major religion has a doctrine of the life to come, although major differences exist as to how that life will play out. None, however, features endless existence as a blood sucking vampire. So let’s accept vampire novels as mind candy that could make for a good read but shouldn’t be taken so seriously that the meaning of life is altered. Vampires don’t exist, nor do wizards and dragons, and much to my dismay, neither did Camelot or Excalibur. Fiction novels are one thing and life is another, so if we don’t mix the two together to an inordinate level all will be well.

MM

I Dumped Leslie Gore for Shelley Fabares

2009-09-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

Call me a heartbreaker if you must but I was merely following my heart. In 1964 I dumped singer Leslie Gore for singer and actress Shelley Fabares. It was a tough decision and I lost sleep over it, but in the end I had to do it. I was in love with Shelley and I couldn’t pretend any longer. Those were tough days. I was nine years old and both Leslie and Shelley were in their late teens. Older women. Leslie sang on American Bandstand and Shelley was on the Donna Reed Show. Successful older women. I sent them both a letter and although I never heard from either one (very busy older successful women), I’ve always imagined Leslie was too distraught to respond and Shelley didn’t want to give up her career and move to Birmingham. They may call it puppy love but mine was of the Great Dane variety.

I’ve always wondered how emotions like love begin, especially for a young man with nine years of life experience. I didn’t have a pimple in 1964 so how could I decipher the compelling forces of attraction to the beautiful red-haired teenager on the television screen? I couldn’t. The same holds true today. I married a beautiful redhead fifteen years later and at twenty four I still couldn’t dissect the in’s and out’s of love. I knew I was in love but I couldn’t explain it. Thirty years later I can explain complex and abstract theological issues but cannot explain love. In essence, I’ve made no progress since 1964. Love has me stymied. I’m guessing it always will.

I also became a Christian in 1964. I walked the aisle (a very Baptist thing) on Easter and told a bald, chubby preacher that I was a sinner and I wanted to be baptized. I remember the compelling emotions of that day and even though I couldn’t explain them, I knew they were real. I was falling in love with God and even though it was a different type of love (there are several types spoken of in scripture), it was love and it required me to act. Today I tell people that I know God is real because I feel his presence at my emotional center. That’s a better explanation than I could have given at nine, but not by much. There are just some things in life one cannot adequately explain. Love is better demonstrated than explained. So hug someone you love. Tell them you love them. Don’t explain it, show it. And then tell God. He invented it you know!

MM (in love since 1964)

Running on Empty

2009-09-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

I know what it’s like to lose. Eons ago I came in last in a cross country race. Well, last is a bit of a stretch. In reality I came in so last that a search party was being formed. I was so far behind the next-to-last finisher I received an ovation from both teams competing in the meet. I’ve always assumed that the ovation had more to do with hunger and being cold than it did with my finally finishing the course. I’d like to say I came in last due to getting lost, but that’s not what happened. I earned last all on my own. I was simply not ready to race at the level of that particular meet. I was new to the sport at a time when running was not a common activity. This race was two years before the running boom hit and Eugene Oregon became Mecca for runners. Running shoes had to be specially ordered and people asked what you were running from. I guess you could say I was behind my time.

I learned a great deal from finishing last that November morning in Arkansas. I know what it’s like to fail and I know what it’s like to lose. If losing builds character I have character. If losing teaches a person the finer points of winning I am finely pointed. If simply finishing is a victory I came away victorious. And, I am a better person for the experience. Why? Because there’s going to be a loss in every life and the earlier we learn to deal with the failures the better we will navigate life. Imagine if your first major flop came at age forty? How would you deal with it? Not gracefully in all likelihood. Yes, it’s better to learn to lose as a freshman cross country runner in a race you never should have run. So, in case this same thing happens to you, remember that last place really isn’t so bad. In the end, life isn’t measured by when you finish, but by how you finish!

MM

Is This Really in the Bible?

2009-09-01T06:11:00.000-07:00

An Arizona pastor recently preached a sermon that included a prayer request that God strike the President of the United States with a brain tumor and that he die in the manner of the late Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts. A direct quote reads “I hope that God strikes Barack Obama with brain cancer so he can die like Ted Kennedy and I hope it happens today.” He went on to say that he does not condone killing and that his message and position centers on spiritual warfare. O.K., so it is appropriate to pray that God will afflict a person with terminal disease as long as it is benefits God’s own Kingdom? This guy’s a preacher so it is correct to expect that his statement be consistent with the Bible. Where is this found in scripture? The Old Testament possibly? It’s certainly not in the Old Testament book of Jonah. God made Jonah take His message to the arch enemies of Israel, a group who stood for everything Israel opposed. Jonah tried his best to circumvent God’s plans for the Assyrians because he, not God, hated them so. Is there a lesson here for God’s called and chosen leaders?

In short, yes there is. Lesson One: Always remember that you are not only speaking for your church or organization, but for all of Christianity as well. If you say something that is patently unscriptural and that reeks of bad theology you will do damage to God’s Kingdom. Someone will hear what you say and make decisions about the reality of God and the integrity of scripture. Lesson Two: Know scripture and theology. Assuming this Arizona minister went to seminary it is hard to believe that his theology could be so grossly incorrect. The New Testament is built upon a foundation of love, forgiveness and selfless living. The Royal Law found in James puts the needs of other people ahead of our own. No place in scripture reads Thouest hack me off so I pray that God striketh you with a terminal case of boils. Quite the contrary actually. Lesson Three: Mixing faith and politics has always made for a bad stew. Jesus made it clear that believers should not seek to overthrow Roman rule because it differed with the mission of the church. The job of the church is to reach, teach and disciple people and not to be the administrator of the country. Over the past thirty years there has been a great deal of diffusion on this subject and the end result has not been pretty. The church has become smaller and less influential and a large segment of society has written us off completely. Lesson Four: If you are a moron and break lessons one and two on a regular basis and make God look badly in the eyes of those He has called us to reach…seek a new line of work. Enough said.

MM

What Would A Psychic Do?

2009-08-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

I was waiting patiently at a traffic light recently when I noticed a sign staked into the ground advertising a psychic reading and providing a phone number. It was a local number and if I could have reached my pen and pad I would have written it down and placed a call. I’ve always wanted to ask a psychic if they had been expecting my call. It would stand to reason that even a mid-level psychic should have that much grasp of the near future. Hey Michael, I knew you’d be calling me. “Get out. There’s no way you knew that. So what’s my favorite color?” Blue. “You’re good!”

Psychics are a sham and this particular would-be-fortune-teller is likely a recession casualty in search of new income. The sad part is business is likely booming. People want to know things about the future and other things that we have no way of knowing. Most people don’t know the capital of North Dakota but think they should know what tomorrow holds. Scripture deals with the false teachers, prophets, magicians and soothsayers who made a living through the deceit of certain future knowledge. We simply do not have a capacity to know the future. The only reality we have is the “right now.” This is the way God designed our lives and why God bids us to renew our relationship each day and seek new and fresh guidance. People don’t need a psychic, they need God. Of course, God doesn’t have a phone number and doesn’t advertise on roadside signs.

What will the future be like? Will this nasty recession end soon? Will the economy regain its legs and bring back jobs and incomes? Will the world-wide problems between people and religious groups calm down? Will we have health and peace as individuals? Will…? So many questions and so few certain answers. That’s life. We may not enjoy all of the uncertainty but it is God’s design and as such must be for our best. So all we can do is seek daily renewal and trust God for the future. And, if we think it would help all of those people who feel the need to call a psychic, we could display a sign that reads I Have the Answer to Your Questions. Call Me. It won’t be what they expect, but it will be what they need.

MM

To Tithe or Not to Tithe

2009-08-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

With apologies to Shakespeare I put forth the following: to tithe or not to tithe, that’s the question. For many people today the applicable question might read, to make the mortgage payment… or, to purchase groceries… Today’s recession-riddled world is facing challenges of unprecedented proportion and Christians are not exempt. Christians are, however, faced with an issue that non-believers do not deal with: contributing to a church during a season of job losses and lowered income.

What are we as God’s people supposed to do about stewardship in such a mammoth economic downturn? Is the answer to this question found in scripture? In the book of Numbers perhaps? Scripture does not contain a Q & A section that gives handy answers. As great as it would be for God to have a website with a F. A. Q. page, there isn’t one so we are left with reading and praying in order to discern God’s instructions for our stewardship practices. Both Jesus and Paul spoke at length about money and the need to give ownership of all material possessions to God. Reread that sentence slowly and make sure the intent comes across. We aren’t to give all of our money and stuff to God, we are to give God the mental, emotional and spiritual control of our material possessions.

Following that line of theological thinking would lead us to continue to tithe and contribute during a recession if we still have a job. Since Billy Preston first told us that “nothing from nothing leaves nothing,” it’s made sense one cannot tithe from zero income. So pray about your current state and make the decision to continue to faith God through this awful recession. It’s likely we have all lost income and economic stability and as a result our gifts will be smaller. The key is that we continue to give as God leads us to give and we not give into a spirit of fear. Ministry, missions and evangelism must move forward. There are actually more opportunities to reach people than ever before, which is one positive stemming from the recession.

Every church and missions agency I surveyed is behind in both giving and ministry output for the year. It’s even possible that some of these entities will cease to exist if support doesn’t improve. One doesn’t need a F. A. Q. page on God’s website to know that’s a bad thing!

MM

So Many Bibles, So Many Choices

2009-08-13T05:11:00.000-07:00

In my best Andy Rooney voice I ask, “Why are there so many different types of bibles?” This is even more curious when you consider that the letters and writings in scripture were originally penned in the language of their era, either Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek. So if Paul wrote Galations in Greek, why are there fifty different versions available in English? Are we English-speakers that picky? What’s next, individualized translations? Hey, cool Bible. What type is it? My own. I call it “Chuck’s Version, CV for short. I have a guy who did it for me.”

While I don’t own an individualized translation I do have several types of scripture in my stash. I often refer to more than one type when preparing to speak as there are subtle differences in the modern translations. I also own a King James Version that I pull out for funerals and weddings but truthfully for little else. The classic KJV of my youth is a very dated translation that is better suited for aficionados of Shakespeare. There was a day in England when thee and thou was common vernacular, but things have changed over the past four hundred years.

There’s even a new bible for patriots. I’m not sure why a patriot needs a unique bible to read. I’m patriotic and I’m fine with a generic bible. My Dad fought in two wars and he was fine with a general bible. I’m assuming that patriot in this case means Amercian patriot and if I’m right it may need to be pointed out that scripture was written thousands of years before the founding of Jamestown. In fact, the King James Bible was commissioned before any of our ancestors left the “Old Country” and settled here. Is it possible we are getting carried away with uniqueness and have gone all-boutique on scripture preferences. Hopefully the influences of reality television won’t invade and we soon find the Bachelorette Bible, or American Idol Bible, or worse, Big Brother Bible.

It’s true that some versions are better than others due to the skills of the translators, but all in all most modern (non-boutique) versions are good choices. After all, it’s not the version that makes the biggest difference. If we aren’t reading scripture it doesn’t matter if ours is the New American Standard Bible or the Three Stooges Bible. So read your bible everyday. And relax, there is no Three Stooges Bible because nuk, nuk cannot be translated from Greek!

MM