respectfully submitted: healthcare

Senator Evan Bayh, IN

I have contacted your office on a few occasions, but am willing to do so again and again until you commit to stopping the current Healthcare legislation from being imposed on the American people. It has become clear in the past months that this has little to do with health care, bipartisanship, economic stimulus or the objective of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This is a grab for power and privilege by an out-of-control minority who do not reflect the desires of the American people.

On an issue-by-issue basis, this President does not have a majority on ANY major activity of his administration. Yet, all we hear about is our inability to accept 'change' and our supposed suspicion to a minority President. These are cowardly responses to the desires of Exceptionally Average Americans who hold firm in their deeply held beliefs that this country was founded on the greatness of freedom. And that is why we have achieved far more than any other nation in history - including healthcare, which is far from being broken. And now this is being threatened, along with our entire way of life because a few have made their quest for power the central theme of their lives.

Those who are too good-natured to play political games have for too long been silent while this erosion to the values which made this country great have chipped away at our freedom and patriotism. Now the stakes have become too high and Americans are standing up for their guaranteed rights under the Constitution (a document which seems to have been conveniently swept out of ANY legislative discussions lately). But this is already known, for there is no other reason to ram-rod this bill through the House and Senate . . . you and I (and just about everyone else) knows that after 2010 this legislation will be DOA, because the winds of change are blowing strong.

So, I could challenge you to your place within government; I could ask if you are willing to sacrifice your office for one or two votes. But I cannot make good on such threats - they are inconsequential. I will, however, challenge your commitment as a United States Senator - a position designed by our Founders to represent the will of the American people, not to advance agendas because the high and mighty voices in your ear are telling you to do so.

This current bill before you has the 'public option' which will be disastrous to the entire enterprise of healthcare. It also includes funding for abortions, which I find morally reprehensible and will refuse to pay at any point in my life. And it looks toward the 'death panels' which were supposedly not there, but find their way in rationing and end-of-life counseling. This is not about health care and life . . . it is about power and death. (And there are many fine doctors, my own included, who will resign because of moral impositions which will necessarily come with the implementation of the government-system.)

This is disastrous at best and morally deplorable at worst. Do not allow this legislation to pass.

As always, I will pray for you and yours as a leader in this great nation of ours. May God find ways to bless us still.

Respectfully Submitted.

no sbl this year

I will not be attending SBL this year, which is a bit disappointing but not entirely a let-down. There are so many things going on right now that this would seem oddly out-of-place, and perhaps I need a bit of a break from some things right now.

It shouldn't need to be stated that my biggest loss is the exhibition floor, where books flow and friendships connect. I've come to the point where I don't even pretend to be excited about the sessions - aside from a few gems which arise once in a great while. It's all about the experience, and the most fruitful time is spent in the company of scholars who are genuine enough to befriend you (if only for a moment).

Well, start planning for a return to Atlanta . . .

quote: reading, preaching and damning

"No Evangelical whose reading habits are a disgrace to the seriousness of the Christian ministry, or who spends more time before a television set than he does in serious reading in his study has the right to damn Nietzsche from the pulpit to some gruesome place in the in Inferno."

Bernard Ramm, The Devil, Seven Wormwoods, and God (Waco: Word, 1977), 61-62.

(HT: DG)

bittersweet

Today I am more convinced that the constant state of believers who welcome the will of the Lord in their lives can be captured within on spiritual-emotional concept: bittersweet.

I write this having come to another changing of seasons in my life, knowing that the future rests within the promise of my Creator and that the past has demonstrated his faithfulness. And where faithfulness and promise come together - where past and future meet - is what we quickly experience as the present.

When the time comes to depart one ministry and begin another, there are many difficulties and emotions and situation through which one must pass. Sometimes these are less-than-emotional breaks, for the failures of our ministries and our personalities to bind together within the common love of the Spirit make it more of a relief that we part company than a difficulty. But then there are those situations when saying good-bye is now a challenging task, for the blessed fellowship of the saints has made for strong cords and faith. And I now arrive at the latter.

So, it is perhaps the most common experience of life on this side of eternity that we have a bittersweet taste on our journey. Believers who follow the leading of God will be united in passion and purpose, discovering the bitter taste of moving forward to the next tasks. Yet there is sweetness in knowing that it is the will of the Lord who will make all things new and right, who guides our steps and whose Spirit never allows us to break from one another. Not completely, at least.

Bittersweet is like having to mourn as part of the coming kingdom. Jesus said that we would be blessed (happy, fortunate, to be congratulated) when we mourn . . . for our hearts will be near to God's own. The bittersweet is the Spirit's experience of the journey. It is not void of peace and comfort, but it is a reality nonetheless.

So we welcome the will of the Lord, trust in his guidance, and follow his calling.

little messiahs

"After the resurrection, God's kingdom, which had begun to manifest itself in Jesus himself, would continue to transform the world through the community of empowered disciples. The church is an extension not so much of the incarnation as of the anointing of Jesus. Jesus is the prototype of the church, which now receives its own baptism in the Spirit. Spirit, who maintained Jesus' relationship with the Father and empowered him for mission, now calls the church into that relationship, giving it the power to carry on the mission. There had to be, after Jesus' departure, a colony of heaven, living the life and power and experiencing the freedom of the kingdom. Spirit indwells the church as a perpetual Pentecost and communicates gifts to its members. Spirit ecclesiology focuses not on the quality of the members but on the power of God at work in and through them."

Clark H. Pinnock, Flame of Love: A Theology of the Holy Spirit (Downers Grove: IVP, 1996), 114.

A couple of important clauses in this perspective of the Spirit. First, however, is the notion that we are not so much the continuing incarnation of Jesus as we are the continuing anointing of Jesus. This means that we are brought into his anointing - his Messiaship - as those who participate in his life, death and resurrection (think Romans 5, et al; but also consider places such as the risen Christ's promise of sharing his reign given in Revelation 2:26-27). The implication here is that (once again) the focus of the Christian faith is not personal salvation but the renewal of creation - the work does not cease when we have experienced the resurrection part of the story . . . it goes on to share in the experience of his messianic anointing.

And there is an interesting connection to baptism on this: for Jesus was baptized primarily as vindication and anointing of his messianic vocation (his was not a baptism of repentance), just as our experience of baptism should inspire us to bring the kingdom of heaven into earth more than solidifying our security as those who are 'saved.' But does this also help nuance our perception of Peter's famous words: 'Repent and be baptized' (Acts 2:38)? Is this a moral decision followed by a public announcement? Or is this a moral decision with a directed purpose for the outworking of a newly adopted lifestyle?

Once the passion and purpose of the action repent and be baptized have been actualized, then we can see the emergence of the church as a 'colony of heaven' which lives within 'a perpetual Pentecost' of anointing for mission. The church seems very quick to share in the resurrection of Jesus (though not so much participate in his suffering and death). If we are going to rush for the co-heirs motif then we must realize that the path is through the work of the kingdom which he initiated and gave to those who would willingly bear his name.

Perhaps it is less appropriate to think of believers as embodying the presence of Christ to the world and more appropriate that we believe our work to be the continuing of his Messianic office.

worship: how to

(HT: Steve Walton)

barnabas' triad

Within the Apostolic Fathers is The Epistle of Barnabas (which probably doesn't have anything to do with the person mentioned in Acts, but nevertheless displays some early Christian teaching). He admonishes the intended recipients of the letter with 'three basic doctrines' gleaned from Jesus' teaching.

"Well, then, there are three basic doctrines of the Lord: the hope of life, which is the beginning and end of our faith; and a righteousness, which is the beginning and end of judgment; and a glad and rejoicing love, which is the testimony of works of righteousness. For the Master has made known to us through the prophets things past and things present, and has given us a foretaste of things to come. Consequently, when we see these things come to pass, one thing after the other just as he predicted, we ought to make a richer and loftier offering out of reverence for him."

(trans. Michael W. Holmes, The Apostolic Fathers 3rd ed, 382-383)

Reflecting on these three aspects of our faith reminds us of the importance of daily witness. It is not enough to claim to be followers of Christ, we must also demonstrate our sincerity with the fullness of our lives. Many people can claim that they have hope, but few take the time to make genuine hope turn to a new reality for the hopeless. Our culture continues to seek justice and righteousness, but it always seems as though it eludes our ability to achieve it in this world. And it seems like everyone is talking about love (or the need to love), with so few people showing actual love to their neighbor.

These ideas are of divine origin, and the world cannot replicate them. Simply stated, we try to make these happen without the work of the Spirit or submission to the Savior, and that is why we fail to actualize. That is also why we can hear a lot of people who say they can bring a culture of hope, righteousness and love, and never make it a reality. All sorts of people have been promising this for generations, but without any lasting change in the world. The reality of our broken and fallen world returns to remind us that we are unable to fix ourselves - it will take a more radical solution.

The heritage of faith ought to remind us of such things, by looking back at the saints who have gone before. They kept the faith alive by showing how to live out faith, righteousness and love (among other things). Our remembrance at once gives us challenge and inspiration to face the uncertain days ahead with the unwavering proclamation of the gospel - to remember that Jesus, and Jesus alone, is Lord of this world. As the work of his church continues to bring the fullness of his kingdom, I pray that each would have a blessed All Saints' Day.

quiet quote

"What deadens us most to God's presence within us, I think, is the inner dialogue that we are continuously engaged in with ourselves, the endless chatter of human thought. I suspect that there is nothing more crucial to true spiritual comfort . . . than being able from time to time to stop that chatter including the chatter of spoken prayer. If we choose to seek the silence of the holy place, or to open ourselves to its seeking, I think there is no surer way than by keeping silent."

Frederick Buechner, Telling Secrets (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1991), 105.

extreme makeover

The concept: Locate a family dwelling in poor living conditions, often with a hardship or crisis that they cannot quite overcome or have problems dealing with, and rebuild their home in seven days with a professional design team and an army of skilled and unskilled volunteers.

This is the essence of what is now a well-known and popular television show in the US. When Extreme Makeover: Home Edition rolls into town it is with no small disturbance to live-as-usual. I don't get to watch all that many of them, but I will confess - I'm a fan. There is a strong emphasis on human emotion, hope and life restored built into each episode. In the process of helping out one family, the crew is able to pull together an incredible number of volunteers and donations to remake an entire home within a week's time - often having competing contractors swinging hammers side-by-side for the common goal. It takes the dire condition of one family and turns it into a hopeful situation. By remaking a house.

In a few hours this team will be revealing their latest completion which is just a few miles from where I live. The Cowan-Brown family will drive up the road and have their new home given to them, a place where they can face the future with a renewed spirit. I was unable to go and watch the building, and will not be at the reveal today. But I did keep up with much of the news coming out of the plethora of activities there . . . FYI, the local Chipotle went and rolled over 300 burritos for volunteers one night. It has been a flurry of excitement for the past seven days, ever since I passed the production bus - complete with police escort - coming down the highway last Wednesday. (Until then, I didn't even realize they were coming!)

A great concept and perhaps one of the best uses of television entertainment. But, without intending to throw a wet blanket on everything, it is imperative to ask of ourselves: Where is the church?

I was told by one person, 'This family attends our church' without any pause for why their situation was so dire and hopeless. That is where I started to wrestle with this, especially knowing that the process of show-selection considered three other homes for production . . . this means that at least two families in this area need help as well. Who will come in and change their lives? Who will restore their hope? Who will reshape their future?

And why does it take a television show to do the work of the church? Extreme Makeover: Home Edition comes in and does an incredible work. They restore, remake, renew and reignite individuals, families and entire communities. That sounds like the definition of church more than it sounds like the definition of TV show. My only answer is that our current culture is more inspired and motivated by money, ratings and notoriety than it is by the power of the Spirit. That's the only thing I can come up with . . . because churches and parachurch organizations which focus on this area cannot seem to generate the same enthusiasm or volunteerism.

The church might not be able to make things as flashy or refined as the production crew of this show, but it can certainly reach into itself and keep people from the conditions which are highlighted at the beginning of each episode. Especially within the context of believers, it is inexcusable for this level of 'extreme' need. Such a situation reeks of the conviction found in 'Go in peace, be warm and well fed' faith without action. Our churches are looking a bit too much like as-long-as-I'm-ok Christianity, and it takes a television program to reveal ourselves.

Congratulations to this family. But now . . . what about the needs which remain?

(2)COR leadership5

5. Those who minister through the gospel may expect persecution as a result of their work.

(2 Corinthians 11:16-33)

In this particular passage Paul gives the Corinthian church a listing of his 'spiritual credentials' to show that if faith were about boasting, he would be far better qualified than his contemporaries. And, while he could choose to claim such superiority, he knows that faith is not about such things - and our boasting is pointless and futile. Thus, he chooses another path to defend himself against those who challenge his ministry.

It should again be noted that Paul is being charged on several levels as a sub-standard minister by many of the other workers in and around the Corinthian church. Perhaps as is so often the case today, those who were challenging Paul were doing so on the poor theory that because of his hardships his message and ministry must have been flawed. The failure of this evaluation is that it imposes worldly values upon a heavenly activity; such methodology measures success by means which are external to the gospel. Paul seems to evaluate his own ministry from a different perspective . . . and if he is forced to defend himself against such opposition he will challenge them to match his sufferings.

Paul's own list of sufferings is much more than many ministers (both ancient and contemporary) encounter. Perhaps this is because so many ministers do not thoroughly engage the world enough to have opposition.

In the end, however, Paul reserves his greatest concern for those who are under his spiritual care (v 28), a stark reminder that ministry is not about us as ministers. What a far cry from so many modern pastors, teachers and leaders who begrudgingly take upon their roles and who secretly (and some not-so-secretly) despise the very people for whom they are responsible! That Paul is willing to look past his own sacrifices for the sake of the gospel and still place others in his view of concern is remarkable. He chooses not to blame the congregations that are associated with his sufferings but rather counts the communal hardships as validation of his work. Far too long has modern evangelicalism allowed pastors and leaders to come with an attitude of 'I-really-really-hate-doing-ministry-but-I've-been-called-so-there's-nothing-else-I-can-do-about-it.'

The choices before Paul are clear: to abandon his mission (or perhaps continue through spite) or to see his circumstances through the eyes of the kingdom. He goes with the latter and is thus able to boast in his weakness and suffering. Yes, this is to say that is is not in his own strength, but through his weakness that the work of the gospel continues. And it is through his sufferings that his message is vindicated and his resolve emboldened. Our models of ministry and evaluation would do well to revisit guidelines on handling suffering.