Here is the audio from my sermon yesterday, looking at the joy we experience through the Jubilee of Jesus
December 8, 2011
Holy Sex Life, Batman!
Is the phrase holy sex life an oxymoron? What does God want for our sex lives? Is this going to be an another awkward pastor talk about sex? (Probably, I will try to be honest and forthright without TMI) Those are three pretty legitimate questions to begin this post with. I promised in my post on the Virgin Diaries that I would offer a secondary post today on some ideas about having a Holy Sex Life. So here are some initial thoughts about this. I really am writing a chapter in the book I am slowly but surely working on that covers this topic. So here is a bit of my thoughts around making spiritual sense of our sex lives.
December 6, 2011
I can’t not post about the Virgin Diaries (Yes the double negative was intentional)
It was a normal Sunday night, I was watching football, reading a book and chatting with my wife. Little did I know my life would be changed (in disturbing ways) by a show that just happened to flash by on the TV. I am speaking of The Virgin Diaries on TLC. This is a “reality show” (I put that in parenthesis because there is very little reality to these shows, they are very scripted) that brings us into the stories of adults who are……. virgins.
There were several different subjects of the show, a Christian couple in their late 20s (they had never even kissed), a 35 year old man who is a virgin not by choice, and three Canadian female roommates about 30 years old who are virgins. (Actually two were virgins and one was a reclaimed virgin or recommitted virgin or something, she confused me) Here are the messages I got from the show. There is a naturally uncomfortable reality to life as a virgin, especially if you tell people that you have never had sex. Double the amount of uncomfortable silence if you tell this to someone on a first date. If you haven’t had sex then you probably have some seriously misguided notions of sex. From Shanna the bride whose enthusiasm for getting married and having sex was matched only by the creepiness of her father talking about it, to the roommates who were waiting until a character from Disney movie showed up to take them away to a magical new life there seemed to just be a disconnect from normalcy, reality (see I told you this isn’t a reality show) and wholeness.
So why am I blogging about it? Well it seems that in my time as a pastor speaking to teenagers and adults about sex, offering marital and premarital counseling, and hearing a multitude of stories about sexuality that there was far too much reality in that reality show for my liking. This is especially true for the church. There seems to be two extremes in the evangelical church in regards to sex. There is the super-conservative group represented by people like couple from the show who are so weird about their sexuality, both in regards to how they talk about and how they express it, that they leave you shaking your head and unsure of what you should think. Seriously watch this preview for the show and see their first kiss. (Try not to watch it with a full stomach)
On the other end of the spectrum are the seeming majority of Christians whose sexual practices are exactly like the worlds. As a pastor do you have any idea how rare it is for a couple to ask me to marry them who isn’t already living together? The majority of people who have asked me to marry them in the past three years already had at least one child together as well. Beyond that, however, is the reality that differentiating Christians from the world based on sexual practices and attitudes is very difficult. What I am proposing is that it is possible to stand out from the world in regards to our attitudes about sex and our practices without going to either extreme. I believe God calls us to, get this, a HOLY SEX LIFE. That deserves its own post, so maybe tomorrow or Thursday I will write some more. (It is also getting its own chapter in my book)
Until then I would love to hear your thoughts about how our sexual attitudes and practices should stand out in the world and how we can do that without awkward creepiness.
December 5, 2011
Mondays are for John the Baptist Ramblings…
Every Advent we have the privilege of going back and looking at the life and ministry of John the Baptist. He may surface again sometime around Lent as we talk about Jesus’ baptism and his venture into the desert, but this is the season for John. This season of preparation is John’s season. What great joy there is then and going back and really thinking through John’s life and peculiar role in the coming of the Kingdom of God.
During my sermon yesterday I took us into the story of John. (You can listen or download it here 12.4.11 – An Unusual Love Story)I actually thought about preaching a first person sermon as John, but my time wasn’t sufficient last week to prepare a first person sermon. So instead I did what I do best, I simply told a story. I choose to begin with Hezekiah and his fateful decisions that led Israel into exile and carried that story through the inter-testimental period all the way through John’s baptism of Jesus. John is such a fascinating figure and his story, his person, and his mission lend themselves to vivid description.
In retelling this narrative I had to add some of my own creative elements and borrowed from the work of other writers who have speculated on and illustrated from the life of John. But here are the questions I would most love to know about John.
1) Since John is the only person who was ever born with the Holy Spirit what did John’s communion with God look like. Jesus talks about being one with the Father, but we don’t get John’s voice on his connection to the Father. I would love to hear John speak about intimacy with God.
2) Did John and Jesus know each other? We know that Elizabeth and Mary were somehow related, cousins of some sort, but did John and Jesus ever know each other? If so, what was their connection before Jesus’ baptism?
3) Was John part of the Essenes? What we know about John and the Essenes seems to indicate a strong resemblance between the two. It makes sense that John would have lived in such a community. If so, how long was he there? Did his parents, who were much older when he was born, die early in his life? Did he live out a large chunk of his life there in the wilderness?
4) What was John’s reaction to being told that Jesus wasn’t going to rescue him from prison? Did John question God as to why he was being left to die in Herod’s prison? Did John recognize that his role was complete or feel like he had more to be done?
5) Did John think about dropping everything and following Jesus after his baptism? John’s life with its Nazarite vows and Essene like existence outside of the culture would not have fit well with Jesus’ incarnational living. But was John tempted to go with Jesus and be part of his ministry?
Those are some thoughts on John the Baptist for this fine Monday. It is so beautiful to spend time with John during Advent and to hear his message again.
Spend some time today thinking about John and considering again his words of preparation.
From Luke -
John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”
15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you withthe Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.
November 30, 2011
Announcing My Candidacy for President of the United States
On this my 35th Birthday I am finally eligible to run for President of the United States. So let me officially start my write in campaign. Here is my platform for changing America.
1) Sandwiches. Sandwiches can change America. A sandwich can be hearty, healthy, delicious, practical and economically responsible. We need to help people eat more and better sandwiches. Just like earlier promises for a chicken in every pot, I pledge there to be a sandwich in every lunch box. A tasty one at that. We need to guarantee people their right to sandwiches. We need to use the sandwich as a guide for fixing our budgetary problems. Just take the issue and think, now if I was making this problem into a sandwich how would I do that?
2) I am immediately quadrupling what we spend on education in this country. Teachers are getting big raises, and we are going to go out and recruit the brightest Americans to the classroom. None of this money will ever be wasted.
3) Candidates for president should be limited to campaigning via social media and free airspace on TV and Radio. No more purchased TV ads, TV specials, or ridiculous campaign contributions. If you can’t let everyone know who you are and what you are doing via social networking, a couple of debates and an interview then just forget it.
4) I am proposing giving every candidate a mandatory test on world geography, world leaders, world religions, American history, the political system and the 1991 Washington Redskins and then publishing the results.
5) We are going to get rid of the designated hitter, prohibit lockouts from ever occurring again, get rid of all sideline reporters, and give college football a playoff system and impose the same rules about leaving a school that players have to follow to their coaches.
6) Let’s add more states! 50 maybe nifty, but let’s add more. Why not add Guam or Puerto Rico or see if some of Canada might want to come on down. Wouldn’t Bermuda or having the city of Vancouver as part of our country be kind of cool? Maybe we can even have an application process!
7) DC is going back to PG County. Those of us who grew up in PG County, MD know that we donated the land for Washington, DC in the first place. We want it back, they want to be able to vote like a real state and the Redskins already play in PG County. Done, that is a settled issue.
8 ) Congress will be paid via an incentive based performance review. The idea of reviews determining pay for teachers seems so popular that we can apply it to congress. Congressmen will be paid based on whether they made the country a better or worse place during their term. Of course this means that many will be end up owing the government money by the time their term is up.
9) I promise to love and care for old people, poor people, immigrants, women and children as much as I care for rich people, white people, and sandwiches.
10) I pledge to find a way to get the following TV shows that ended too soon back on the air somehow: Firefly, The Dresden Files, Friday Night Lights, and Arrested Development.
November 29, 2011
Black Friday Religion Fail
I found both of these items out shopping last week and was disturbed by both of them.
I was disturbed by the dancing Rabbi because of how much I wanted one. Good to know that commercialization of religious holidays has extended outside of Christianity to Judaism as well.
The WWJD movie just made me sad. It was appropriately priced in he $5 bin at Walmart, but a WWJD movie starring John Schneider, he of the Dukes of Hazzard fame? This can’t be good.
November 28, 2011
Mondays are for Advent Ramblings…
My daughter keeps asking, “Dad is Advent when we give up stuff and make a list of goals or when we have the calendar and the candles?” I am not sure if this makes me want to add more fasting to Advent or more candles to Lent. Either way, it is indeed the season of Advent. Thanks be to God.
Yesterday we began our celebration of Advent looking at Jesus’ words to his disciples in Mark 13. Jesus said, ““Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
(Here is the audio from the sermon if you want to listen. 11.27.11 – Hope)
Watch, that is a a great word to begin Advent with. Jesus told his disciples to watch for his advent, for his coming to them. It is the word that defined the people of God before the incarnation. They watched, they waited, they hoped for a Messiah to come to them. It is the word that defines us now as we watch, expectantly waiting once again for the advent of the Messiah, the return of Jesus. So what should our watchfulness look like during this Advent?
Well I am pretty sure that Jesus never intended watchfulness to be passive. It isn’t an excuse to inactivity. In Acts we have the disciples chastised for passing watching at Jesus’ Ascension. The angels had to come and tell them to get a move on. Stop staring up at the sky watching for Jesus’ return, go back to Jerusalem and wait on the Spirit. The Spirit will teach you how to watch actively. We have no shortage of activity preparing for Christmas, but how much of it is watchful, anticipating the return of Christ and preparing for the coming of the Kingdom of God in all its fullness? Two moments this past week got me thinking about this.
Early Friday morning/late Thursday night I accompanied my wife, my mom, and my sister for some Black Friday shopping. For the record I went under protest (not for any moral reasons, just because I was tired). When we got there the line at Target at 11:45pm was wrapped around the entire building. It took over 45 minutes for the entire crowd to even be let into the building. There was such anticipation, such excitement, such willingness to stand there waiting for great deals. I wonder how often my desire for Christ daily, for his participation in my life, and for my expectation of his return ever mirrors that Black Friday crowd?
As I was getting a beverage at the convenient store near our church yesterday about 6:15 am the clerk looked at me and said, “How’s business for you guys? Do you have enough work?” The clerk sees me frequently on my way in to work but doesn’t remember that I told her I am a pastor. So I responded to her, “Well I work at the church, so you business is pretty good. We are staying busy. The world certainly isn’t fixed yet.” She just smiled and nodded her head.
While we are watching we should be busy with our preparations for the wedding. The groom is coming and this place is still a mess. People still need to be invited to the party. The bride is struggling to get ready. The site of the wedding is a tremendous mess and needs some serious attention. We are watchful. We are attentive. We are waiting. We are expecting. We are an Advent people, for this season and for all seasons. Come Lord Jesus Come.
November 16, 2011
The End of Sexual Identity
I just read a really interesting review of the book The END of Sexual Identity by Jenell Williams Paris over at Jesus Creed. I haven’t read the book yet, but I am adding it to my short list of books to read soon. Here is an excerpt from the review. If you are interested in this area of theology this sounds like a must read.
(I)n our world today sex sells, and the reason sex sells is because it has become intrinsic to who we are, except not in a good way.
Paris describes the root of this problem when she says “Whether it’s in the area of shopping, sports, jobs or sex, Western values encourage people to discover what they really want and then go for it; the happy person is one who can freely do what he or she wants to do. Desire and action are closely linked, so harmony between wanting and doing is believed to bring fulfillment” (pg 126). This understanding may be the norm for us living in the Western world, but it shouldn’t be the norm for those of us who want to live in the kingdom. Everything about Christianity involves giving up what we want and doing the will of God instead – sexuality is included here. Human desires are fleeting, but God’s intentions remain firm.
The issue of sexual identity and its overpowering role in our culture is at the root of most of our struggles within the church in exhibiting and teaching a Godly sexuality. We make sex too big a deal in some regards and not nearly a big enough deal in others. We overvalue what it means to us personally and undervalue what it means to our spiritual life. I will definitely start digging into this book soon. Has anyone out there read it?
November 15, 2011
Tuesdays are for God’s Time and God’s Place Ramblings…
Some times you plant the seed, some times you water the soil, sometimes you do the weeding, and sometimes when you are really privileged you get to bring in the harvest. Those roles are all vitally important in creating a crop. They are all essential for the desired end result to be achieved. In the harvesting work of the Kingdom of God, sometimes we don’t know which role we are playing, whether we are cultivating or harvesting, but being part of either is a tremendous privilege.
This past Sunday we celebrated the reception of new members into our church and we baptized four adults. As part of their baptisms we shared the stories of how God had connected these people with our church and how he had brought about transformation in their lives. Each of the stories was a story about being in God’s place at God’s time. In the sermon I compared them to the story of Philip with the Ethiopian official in Acts 8.
For one person his story was rooted in a decision several years ago by the men in our church to move our softball team from the church league to the city league. We wanted to be more visible and to connect with different people. Well one day this guy was driving by the fields, saw a team playing and asked if he could join. The guys who greeted him, welcomed him onto the team and offered him a place in their fellowship cultivated a seed of God that had been dormant for a long time and gave it room to grow. Sunday we saw the harvest of that seed planted long ago.
Another story was of a woman who wanted a place for her kids to connect. She had been other places, but had never connected and had never really experienced the transformation of God. Someone from our church simply invited them to come and now not only this woman, but her four kids are being shaped by God in our community. There will be generations changed by that invitation.
For a teenager growing up in a house without God it simply took a friend inviting him to a lock in. From there community, acceptance, identity and rebirth followed. Sunday was a moment when he knew that he now had a much bigger family, a family united in God where he is given a new identity as a child of God.
For a single guy in his 20′s Sunday was the culmination of friends that invited him to discover something more for his life. From the moment he came he knew this was something different and God wanted something from him here. Acceptance, a willingness to serve others, and a connection to his Father have all come from people simply being good friends.
Each day is an opportunity to play a role in redemption. We don’t know which part we will play, but if, like Philip, we learn to listen to the voice of God we will find ourselves in God’s Place at God’s Time to play the role he has given us. What a joy it is to reflect on the lives we have impacted and the role we have been privileged to play simply being being in God’s place at God’s time.
November 9, 2011
Radio Interview
Last week I had the privilege of being interviewed on Calvary Radio here in Valparaiso. If you are interested you can hear the program via this link.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/45278902/Mixdown%20for%20arts%20and%20media%20part%201.wav
December 12, 2011
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