And Now for Something Completely Different

Frank

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.” (John 5:8-10)

From the helps in my Life Application Bible regarding the Jewish leaders: “They threw the miracle aside as they focused their attention on the broken rule, because the rule was more important to them than the miracle.”

A couple of headlines that have caught my attention:

“Teen suspended for going to girlfriend’s prom” because he attends a Baptist school and they forbid dancing. Sadly, “suspended” includes being prohibited from attending his own graduation. I guess the plus side is his instant celebrity. “Frost didn’t go to school Monday. Instead, he and his girlfriend are heading to New York for a Tuesday morning TV interview.” Priorities, you know.

The other, “Celebrity priest backs celibacy but may marry“. I guess this popular priest, dubbed “Father Oprah” was spotted by a tabloid getting too touchy-feely with a woman on a Miami beach. According to Father Alberto Cutie (ironic last name, no?) he’s been “romantically involved” with this woman for two years. Oh, he said that on the CBS “Early Show”.

Oh, to be a Christian celebrity.

I don’t want to throw either of these under the bus. But I do want to point out how their respective denominations care more about the rule than the miracle, so to speak. Biblically, based on what’s publicly known anyway, neither has done anything wrong, but are being disciplined by human institutions based on long-held traditions.

Jesus said, “Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.‘” (Matthew 15:6b-9, referencing Isaiah 29:13)

And Now for Something Completely Different

Frank

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.” (John 5:8-10)

From the helps in my Life Application Bible regarding the Jewish leaders: “They threw the miracle aside as they focused their attention on the broken rule, because the rule was more important to them than the miracle.”

A couple of headlines that have caught my attention:

“Teen suspended for going to girlfriend’s prom” because he attends a Baptist school and they forbid dancing. Sadly, “suspended” includes being prohibited from attending his own graduation. I guess the plus side is his instant celebrity. “Frost didn’t go to school Monday. Instead, he and his girlfriend are heading to New York for a Tuesday morning TV interview.” Priorities, you know.

The other, “Celebrity priest backs celibacy but may marry“. I guess this popular priest, dubbed “Father Oprah” was spotted by a tabloid getting too touchy-feely with a woman on a Miami beach. According to Father Alberto Cutie (ironic last name, no?) he’s been “romantically involved” with this woman for two years. Oh, he said that on the CBS “Early Show”.

Oh, to be a Christian celebrity.

I don’t want to throw either of these under the bus. But I do want to point out how their respective denominations care more about the rule than the miracle, so to speak. Biblically, based on what’s publicly known anyway, neither has done anything wrong, but are being disciplined by human institutions based on long-held traditions.

Jesus said, “Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.‘” (Matthew 15:6b-9, referencing Isaiah 29:13)

Call Your Mother!

Frank

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. -John 19:25-27

Even in Jesus’ most trying time, he remembered to take care of his mother. Even after being arrested, humiliated, beaten, and crucified his mother stood by him to the end. Thank God for moms.

Happy Mother’s Day

Call Your Mother!

Frank

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. -John 19:25-27

Even in Jesus’ most trying time, he remembered to take care of his mother. Even after being arrested, humiliated, beaten, and crucified his mother stood by him to the end. Thank God for moms.

Happy Mother’s Day

National Day of Prayer

Frank

Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. -Jeremiah 29:7

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. -James 4:1-3

I wish they all could be California girls…

Frank

No, not really. Especially if they’re anything like Miss California, Carrie Prejean. Is anyone tired of this yet? She was asked a question on gay marriage from an openly gay host whose only claim to fame is running an online tabloid and having a name similar to Paris Hilton. She was open about her faith in interviews leading up to the pageant and California is home to the controversial Proposition 8, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. What did she expect to happen?

So she lost. So she said it was because of her answer opposing gay marriage. So what.

So Miss Prejean did what Evangelical Christians have learned to do, not from the example of Jesus Christ, but from their political brand of American Christianity (TM)- she played the “persecution” card. Now she’s a celebrity to the Religious Right (scroll down down at the 558 mark and listen to the podcast if you want to hear this “great” interview) and a spokesperson for the National Organization of Marriage (I’d never heard of it before she came along, and I’m against gay-marriage).

Yes, the Perez Hilton went over the line by taking her response personal instead of crediting her for her honesty and not being tempted by peer pressure to be politically correct. He then left the line far behind in his rear view mirror when he went public calling her a “b—h” and “c–t” just because she thinks differently than he does. But that does not come close to equalling Christian persecution.

I’ve written several times before criticising the “persecution complex” of American Christianity (TM), and I’ll repeat myself by saying her crying about losing a beauty pageant is an insult to the thousands of Christians across the globe whose lives are threatened because of their faith.

Did I mention this was a beauty pageant? An celebration of vanity if there ever was one. And last I checked, vanity is a sin. It doesn’t help her cause that she got breast implants before the competition and that they were paid for by her California sponsor.

I’m sorry, but I have little sympathy for this woman. Was she treated unfairly? Yes, of course. Was it because of her faith? Not sure if it was as much a matter of faith than of politics. Is she being persecuted? Yes to a degree, but only because she’s elevated herself to the level of national celebrity. I’ll certainly pray for her and wish nothing but the best, but I won’t claim her as speaking for me, my politics, nor my faith.

Instead I turn to Jesus, who never backed down from persecution. “At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ “(Luke 13:31-32) But his goal wasn’t political or to change the social norms (though admittedly he did speak out against some of them, emphasis on some) but instead to offer redemption to the world through shedding his blood.

3 Year Plan

Frank

This week I started a new job. Actually, it’s the same job, but new employer. I’m proud of the fact that I’m now on my fourth employer in the last 18 months. A brother in my Small Group has me beat though. He’s had four different jobs in the past year!

Despite pretty much having the same job for seven years, I’m now under a three year probationary period with my new employer. That will put me at 10 years professional experience, a magic number if I look for jobs elsewhere. But more importantly it gives me three years to get my act together.

I expect and accept that my professional goals and my spiritual goals will someday diverge. And while I feel the Spirit pulling my heart, I don’t know where that leads. But one thing I do know, is that I want to write. That’s part of the point of this blog- to help me get my thoughts and feelings out there and to get in the habit of writing regularly. I also intend this blog to be more of a ministry than a simple outlet.

With that in mind, this blog is really the second step in a four-part plan. The first step was a failed attempt at an online newsletter linking churches, ministries, and friends with the goal of spiritual unity without any mandate from church leadership. It started out well, but at the time I wasn’t able to follow through and make it consistent.

This is the second step, and I’m a couple of years in. I want and pray for more traffic because I want this blog to be a pebble in the swamp of the internet sending ripples out from it.

The third step I’ve begun with some fits and starts, and that is to put the theme of this ministry, Public Christianity, into practice. So far I’ve steered the lessons and Bible Talks in my small group to be consistent with this and I plan on broader church-wide activities in the future.

The fourth step is the most intimidating and that is to publish. I already have the ideas for multiple books in mind but I need to set a deadline for myself to force me to write something down. So that’s three years from now.

Call it a fleece, if you will. In three years, if I finish my first book and can’t get it published, then I consider that door closed. If it’s published and I receive the same tepid response as this blog, well then I’ll keep plugging at it until it’s clear the effort is futile. If it’s published and creates the ripple I pray it will, then I’ll go forward full-bore. The trick, at the end of my probationary period at work, will be to see if this will balance or conflict with my career. So that will be the biggest leap of faith in three years.

So please pray for me. I don’t know how it will go, or even if it even if it should go at all. I trust the Lord to reveal what he has in store for me and to guide me along the way.

“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” (Pr 16:3)

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD‘s purpose that prevails.” (Pr 19:21)

So Much for Kings

Frank

Well that didn’t take long. Only a few episodes in NBC has thrown in the towel on its series Kings, a loosely modernized adaptation of 1 and 2 Samuel. No, they haven’t cancelled it, instead putting it off until this summer when no one is sitting at home watching TV. Then again, no one was sitting at home Sunday nights when it first aired or Saturday evenings either after NBC moved it the first time.

Add this show to the likes of Jericho and SportsNight (and I’m sure you can list your favorites) as shows that were critically acclaimed, well written and acted, and not pushed by their networks before dying an inevitable death. It’s too bad too, I think the story was just beginning to pick up steam. Though the plot so far seems more like Frank Herbert’s Dune than the story of David from the Bible.

I was thinking about this the other day while watching the latest episode. David doesn’t yet seem like a “man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22) and Jack is nothing like the Biblical description of Jonathan. But King Silas rocks as an ego-maniacal version of Saul. If you’re looking for a better adaptation of David’s story I’d recommend instead A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards. Or if a book written as a three act play isn’t your thing, check out either Kyle Baker’s King David one-shot comic or David: Shepherd’s Song originally published by Alias Comics.

(And yes, this is just a shameless post since “Review of NBC’s Kings” seems to be the only Google search that hits this site.)

Purpose

Frank

Purpose. It’s become a loaded word in my fellowship of churches. Some of you may recall the debate (still ongoing in my heart) between our “purpose” as Christians and our “mission.” I won’t get into that debate here other than comment that my heart has recently been challenged with a recent run of sermons on this topic. I want to stand up and shout, “our purpose is not to bring people to church!” The topic of evangelism always makes me queasy, because I relate that to “numbers” and “accountability” that were used as abusive, manipulative, incorrect means to the correct end. To me, evangelism isn’t about church invites, or “visitors”, or “cranking.” Instead it is literally about “sharing my faith” with someone else. If they respond, amen! If not, that seed is planted and I trust God to do with it what He pleases.

Sadly, whenever I hear “purpose” or “share your faith” in a sermon, my ears tune out the message and my ego turns on with defensiveness. So it took an outside source to shake this from me. I was listening to a radio sermon last week (if you haven’t read my last post, let me sum it up: if you listen to a radio ministry, support it financially!) and the topic was Purpose. Right away I wanted to listen thinking that this lesson would validate all my feelings on the subject. It didn’t. Instead it reaffirmed the Christian purpose to “seek and save the lost.”

This lesson referenced Philippians 1:12-30 where Paul is referring to being imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel: “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel… The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice…I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death…If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me…Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.” (Phil 1:12,18ff,20,22ff,27 emphasis added)

While the context was Paul’s sufferings, his encouragement to the Christians in Philippi was that this suffering can be used to advance the Gospel and therefore to not be discouraged by any hardship. With that in mind, I want to focus on how Paul was evangelistic here. Obviously he couldn’t invite his captors to church, where would they go? Instead he used his circumstance to explain his conviction. This is something we all can do, and is more literally sharing our faith than a simple invite to church.

Something else he points out here that is very important to me. He talks about “Christ being exalted in [his] body,” and, “conducting [our]selves in a manner worthy of the gospel.” Our lives should reflect the gospel of Jesus. Our very lives should be our evangelism. In my wallet I have a business card that reads, “How have I been Christ’s presence today?” I keep it in front of my driver’s license because I consider this my real ID. In this context, evangelism to advance the gospel of Christ is very much my purpose.

Purpose or mission, it’s all really just semantics anyway. The real question is how have you been Christ’s presence today?

Christian Payola

Frank

Today is the final day of the “Air 1 Revolution,” a drive to raise money to cover the station’s operating expenses. Listening to the radio the last couple of days made me feel like Homer Simpson in Missionary: Impossible, who pledges thousands of dollars to PBS to stop the pledge drive so he can get back to his favorite show. When he welshes, he has to flee to a South Pacific island and become a Christian missionary. (Save me Jeebus!) But I digress. I’m not meaning to knock Air 1, it is their choice to be ad-free. I only want to bring to light the challenges faced by Christian radio.

To give perspective, as of this morning they were 68% funded, increasing about a half a percent an hour. Over this hour, they marked off between 30 and 50 supporters committing a dollar a day. Extrapolating gives a total need on the order of $2 Million a year. Where does all this money go?

The obvious answer is advertising and promotions, but these more or less pay for themselves. The less obvious answer is licensing their stations. Back when radio first started to be broadcast in this country, the decision was made to offer this service free to consumers (notice all the “free music” ads on the radio to counter the popularity of outlets like Pandora or iTunes). But that service still costs. The provider has to pay for the license ($2900), the station frequency (auctioned up to tens of thousands), the tower and equipment (hope one exists, otherwise it’s another $600,000) and this is before labor costs, licenses and fees for the music you’re playing, and you can see how this adds up quick! To hammer the point even more, this is for a single station- imagine a nationwide network. (For more information than you would probably ever want, go here.)

So why reference “payola“, the scam of pay-to-play on the radio, in the title of this post? I showed you how tough it is to be a station, now imagine you’re a half-hour preaching ministry. Because of the costs above, oftentimes ministries have to pay these stations to be on the air. Here, the costs are daily, per station, costing hundreds of dollars a single day for a half a sermon to be broadcast nationwide on multiple stations. If it was illegal for music in the 60’s, (and for third-party promoters more recently) why isn’t it illegal on Christian radio? Because the stations mentioned above are non-profit. Worse, they generally operate, like Air 1, with little or no advertising. There’s simply no other way to make up the costs.

You can decide for yourself whether this actually hurts spreading the Gospel. But to put it in real dollars for a listener like you or me, I recently purchased a lesson series from a particular ministry. I also bought the study guide to go along with it. By the time it was all said and done, including shipping, it cost me $90 for an 8 CD set. If I wanted to buy last Sunday’s sermon at my local church, it would cost me a little over a buck.

***edit***
After hopping in my car and turning on the radio, I remembered a couple of points I left out. First off, I’m not against “listener supported radio”. My “Homer Simpson” reaction above is just my human nature. Instead of being flippant, I simply wanted to bring attention to the nature of the business and pray that it would change to enable these ministries to thrive without the stress of wondering how to stay on the air.

Some numbers from Air 1 that I forgot to mention above: For every 100 people listening, only three financially support it. In other words, 97% listen without any personal investment. Also, to run enough ads to cover the cost, they would have to broadcast the equivalent of 78 days worth of advertisements a year. To the station, that’s 78 days they’re not pursuing their ministry.

***update***
Only a couple hours left for Air 1 and they’re now almost at 80%.