New Bible or "New" Bible

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

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?

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

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...

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"

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

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:

1. Bring the preachers some hats. Some of them don’t have hair and I think their heads get cold.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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