Everything That's On My Mind

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

There’s been a bit of a firestorm in the Godblogsphere (who invented that term, anyway?) in the past few days. The spark seems to have been Mark Driscoll’s new book, Confessions of a Reformission Rev and Tim Challies review of that book. I haven’t read the book, but I have seen a few of the quotes that people are up in arms about. I’ve read other things Driscoll has written and he certainly doesn’t mince words. He has gone a bit overboard a time or two, IMHO. However, one could probably say the same about the apostle Paul. The question seems to be, how blunt is too blunt? Where do we draw the line on language? What qualifies as “unwholesome talk” or “obscenity” and what doesn’t?

Just how blunt was Paul? There are those who persuasively argue that Paul’s language was “colorful” by modern standards. I’m no Greek scholar, so I won’t weigh in on that question. In truth, even the scholars are guessing anyway. There’s no way for us to go back and determine exactly how Paul’s original audience would have reacted to his language. Even if we could, it’s not that helpful. Language is constantly changing, and it is totally dependent on the culture in which it is used. The same language is interpreted differently in different regions, or even by different people in the same region. What is considered coarse language by some is normal speech for others.

For example, the British slang term for a cigarette is a very inflammatory term here in the States. I could probably use the word “darn” in a Sunday sermon and no one would blink an eye, but change one letter and I would probably hear a few gasps…even though they essentially synonymous. The same comparison could be made between the words “poop” or “crap”* and Tony Campolo’s famous scatological expletive. I remember hearing Campolo’s “You Don’t Give A ____!” sermon in person as a young man. There were certainly a few gasps around me, but that was the intended effect. Was it effective use of language or simply gratuitous vulgarity? I suppose it depends on who you ask. I wasn’t offended, but I’m sure there are those who were.

As usual, I find myself in the middle between extremes on this topic. Am I going to use any of George Carlin’s “Seven Dirty Words” in a Sunday sermon? No. Are certain four letter words automatically a sin to utter? Not necessarily. Are we free as Christians to use any language device in any situation? Of course not. Should we judge each other’s faith based solely on our use of language? I won’t even dignify that question with a response. Christians do far too much judging as it is.

I don’t believe there is a universal list of “bad words” we need to avoid. Words convey meaning, and it is the meaning that matters. I can easily engage in “unwholesome talk” without using any questionable euphemisms whatsoever. On the other hand, I will admit that in private conversations with friends I have occasionally used “colorful metaphors” to accurately convey my meaning and I don’t believe I crossed the “unwholesome talk” threshold. I believe the answer is found in this: “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” (James 1:26 NIV) Our language should not be our master, but we should always be the master of it. Any word used carelessly can be harmful, especially words spoken in anger and without self-control. Our words should always be carefully chosen, “full of grace, seasoned with salt.” Not enough salt and the food is bland and unmemorable, too much salt and the food too harsh for the palate.

*I wouldn’t be surprised if some of my readers may even find this term offensive, but that just proves my point. The KJV contains the word “piss” in a number of verses (don't follow that link if you're sensitive to crude language), but you wouldn’t believe (or maybe you would) the reaction I got when as a young man I used that term in front of my pastor.

Culture

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - 09:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Thursday, May 11, 2006

A prayer for the afflicted

May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.

May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.

Selah

May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.

We will shout for joy when you are victorious
and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the LORD grant all your requests.

Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed;
he answers him from his holy heaven
with the saving power of his right hand.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.

O LORD, save the king!
Answer us when we call!

Psalms 20 (NIV)

Quotes | Prayer

Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 09:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Sunday, May 07, 2006

Screwtape on The Da Vinci Code

The Screwtape Letters has long been one of my favorite books. That probably reveals something about my character...although it's no surprise to those who know me well. I've always loved playing the role of "the devil's advocate." (Boy, that really sounds bad.) Over the years, many authors have tried to take up the mantle of C.S. Lewis and translate other missives of old Uncle Screwtape. The latest is Eric Metaxas in his essay Screwtape on The Da Vinci Code. He does a decent job, but no one will ever match the original. It's like someone trying to imitate Shakespeare. It's fun, but it never quite matches up. Still, it's an enjoyable read.

Culture | Silly

Sunday, May 07, 2006 - 09:02 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Saturday, May 06, 2006

Singing the Blues

“But you see, David was the first blues singer. As well as praising, he was there shouting at God—you know: ‘Where are you when we need you?’…‘We’re surrounded’…‘Your people are starving’…‘Are you deaf?’ That type of thing. He’d be wailing, this militant mind, this poet musician with enough faith to believe he had a deal with God…believed it enough to get angry when it looked like He wasn’t coming through.”

~Bono

I've loved the blues for a long time. Even before I knew what the blues was, I loved the blues. There's something cathartic about the blues. It's raw, it's passionate, it's not quite under control, it's a little bit threatening. Most of all, I think I love the blues because it's honest. There are no pretensions, it is what it is...like it or not.

The Psalms are like that. Some of them are very raw and dangerous. We get a little uncomfortable when David starts calling down judgment from heaven on his enemies. It doesn't sound very "Christian" to call down fire upon the heads of your enemy. It's even more difficult when David questions God, wonders where He has gone.

All this makes me think about the definition of faith. Growing up, I got the impression that "having faith" excluded such thoughts. People of faith were perpetually happy people, everything was always great. Perpetual smiles and "isn't God good?" always on their lips. Now I'm not so sure. If David truly was a "man after God's own heart", then must we at least wonder if the "whining" Psalms are appropriate for the life of faith as well? Maybe you can be a person of faith and still feel depressed every now and then. Maybe Bono has a point. Maybe getting a little upset every now and then is a sign that we really do believe in God's promises. We're just a little impatient waiting for them to come to pass.

Ah, patience, now there's the rub.

So now I'm thinking that a little blues every now and then is a good thing. The key is to be more like David. No matter how bitter his complaint, he rarely closed a Psalm without a reminder of God's goodness and faithfulness, and an exhortation to patience. So we can sing the blues, as long as we don't give up hope. After all, suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character...hope. I think I may need to get that tattooed on my thick skin someday.

Faith

Saturday, May 06, 2006 - 09:01 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Yak Shaving Razor

Yes, I know. I haven't been blogging much lately. I'm sure all three of my faithful readers are going through withdrawal. Sorry folks, I just haven't been inspired lately. I must be in mourning for the Red Wings, yeah that's it.

In lieu of a real blog post, I offer a link to Joe Carter's regular "Yak Shaving Razor" feature at The Evangelical Outpost. I don't know where Joe finds these things, but every week he seems to provide at least one great tip that I had no idea about. I especially like his Google tips.

So, what's a Yak Shaving Razor you ask? You'll have to visit Joe's site to find out.

Silly | Technology

Wednesday, May 03, 2006 - 09:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Friday, April 21, 2006

Bring It

And so, another playoff season begins...along with sleepless nights when the games are on the west coast. During one of the Red Wings previous playoff runs, I remember having a conversation with a fellow pastor about the dilemma presented by west coast playoff games on Saturday nights. For the record, I have generally been disciplined enough to go to bed on time on Saturday nights, even when the game is still going. :-)

While it does present a time management problem, it's great to have the top teams in both basketball and hockey in Detroit. We've always been a great sports town, even when our teams weren't good. When the teams are good, however, this town goes nuts. I still remember the insanity (in a good way) when the Pistons one their first championship. Lori and I were newlyweds living in the city of Detroit and it was a lot of fun.

I've blogged about my love for the Pistons before, so I guess it's time to give the Wings their due. I was a basketball fan from a young age but despite the fact that my dad was a hockey player I never really got into the game until the 80s. The impetus behind my interest in hockey was a quiet young man by the name of Steve Yzerman. Drafted in 1983, he singlehandedly revived hockey in Detroit and laid the foundation for what is now known as Hockeytown. After 22 seasons, it is likely that he will retire after this playoff run. Hockeytown will carry on, but it will never be the same without him.

I have great admiration for Yzerman. Throughout his career he has exhibited the textbook definition of perseverance. His knee was shredded in 1988 when he crashed into a goalpost. (This incident and others lead to the development of the break-away goal posts in use today) He recovered, obviously, and has continued to fight through many adversities throughout his career. He is one of the few athletes (fellow Detroiter Frank Tanana is another) who has completely changed his style of play and continued to have success. In his youth, he had all the speed and make-you-look-silly moves that you see in someone like Pavel Datsuk today. When his knees couldn't keep up with his creativity, he transformed his game to fit his damaged tools and continued to be productive. Despite multiple injuries that would have caused many to give up, Yzerman continued to doggedly pursue and acheive excellence in his sport. I hope Stevie goes out with a Cup over his head but whether he does or not, he's an inspiring champion and one of the few good role models in the world of sports today.

Now if we could have a two-team victory parade down Woodward Avenue this summer, that would REALLY be something.

Sports

Friday, April 21, 2006 - 08:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Communal Faith

I have a love/hate relationship with academic studies and marketing research. Obviously I believe in the usefulness of research to verify assumptions, but I find it ridiculous that our society seems to need an academic study to determine if the sun shines. That being said, I appreciate George Barna's newsletter and the research that he does, even if his conclusions can be frustrating at times. His most recent findings fall into that category, confirming what I've said for years. American Christianity has succumbed to the individualistic nature of our society. American Christians no longer believe the community of believers is a critical component of their faith.

This trend has been obvious for years. The over-used phrase "a personal relationship with Jesus Christ" is a perfect example of the mentality of many Christians. "It's a personal thing," they say; "just between me and God." The problem is, that's totally wrong. Scripture makes it infinitely clear that our faith is a communal activity. We are not effectively part of "the body of Christ" sitting at home watching Joel Osteen on the TV. For iron to sharpen iron (Proverbs 27:17), we must be involved in each other's lives on a regular basis. The early church met together daily, we have a hard time fitting one hour a week into our schedules. No wonder our faith lacks power.

What is needed is not just attendance at regular church services, although it does start there. Real first century-style Christianity requires real community. Real community takes time, and time is one commodity that most of us are very unwilling to part with. It's easy to blame our society and economy for making us too busy, but the truth is we make our lifestyle choices and then consider how to cultivate our faith as an afterthought. Barna states it quite well:

"We want to be ‘spiritual’ and we want to have God’s favor, but we’re not sure we want Him taking control of our lives and messing with the image and outcomes we’ve worked so hard to produce."

If we truly want to see the power of God at work in our lives, we need to commit to the kind of communal faith that can truly have an impact on us and those around us. That kind of commitment requires sacrifice, and that is one word we all hate to hear.

Community

Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 08:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Saturday, April 15, 2006

Permission Evangelism

I'm grateful for the Christian Book Summaries web site. It's nice to get a preview of a new book beyond the typical dust cover fluff. Their latest summary is of a book called Permission Evangelism by Michael Simpson. It's now on my wishlist over at CBD. He articulates many of the views I've expressed about evangelism. The whole idea of evangelism has been gravely distorted, and most people seem to equate evangelism with preaching a sermon to a complete stranger. Some people have that gift, the ability to strike up a spiritual conversation with a complete stranger. Most of us don't, and that's OK. That doesn't mean we're left out of the process. If we don't isolate ourselves within our Christian communities, we'll have relationships with people who need to hear Good News. If we're loving and attentive to the Holy Spirit, those relationships will naturally give us opportunities for spiritual conversations. If we're open and honest about what God has done for us, then we've done our job. The Holy Spirit does the rest.

Missional

Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 08:55 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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