Archive for December, 2006

cussin’ for christ’s sake

Thursday, December 14th, 2006

According to the Supreme Court, a teacher can say "Jesus Christ" or "God" as a cuss-word, but not as a blessing. According to Dobson, swearing like "Jesus Christ!" is protected free expression of speech. I’m not sure how true it is, but it’s fair to say The System has a built-in prejudice against Christianity. Many teachers I meet are terrified of persecution (i.e., getting fired) for sharing their faith. Dobson’s push for the Christianization of schools is no answer, but I do find his observation fascinating.

Here’s what I wonder: can you share your faith in Christ by cussing in Jesus’ name? What a marvelous loophole! But the Fundies wouldn’t touch it…

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friends

Thursday, December 14th, 2006
"Saint" is never found in the singular in the Bible – always "Saints", in the plural.

In God’s vocabulary, His "Chosen Ones" (saints) do not exist alone, and cannot exist alone.

David and Johnathon were the epitome of friends. In 1 Samuel 18:1 "Johnathon loved him as his own soul." It was a choice made by Johnathon, not some accidental relationship. It was a relationship which weathered the pressures and tortchure of Johnathon’s father.

Friendship is sacrificial: he gave David everything he had (later in ch.18), taking off his royal garments and giving them to David, his rival. Johnathon was supposed to inherit the throne, but he knew David was already chosen, and freely stepped aside. David was the son of a sheepherder, Johnathon the son of royal blood. Yet he bore no elitist indifference towards such a lowly one. A friend will always sacrifice for the one loved. Without sacrifice, there is no friendship.

Friendship is steadfast: Johnathon remained faithful to his friend, despite his father’s position. And equally, he also submitted to his father (2 Sam. 1:23). He never built one relationship on the ruin of another.

Friendship is secure: a committed friend will warn you of the trouble in your life, always warn of danger. In 1 Sam. 19:1ff, Johnathon told David of impending danger, and he stood in between his friend and danger.

A friend intercedes: 1 Sam 19:23f "I will stand in between my father and thee…" He tried very hard to plead on behalf of David.

The Bible says, "There is a friend who sticketh closer than a brother." What a treasure such a friend is! Jesus Christ is such a friend. I was running away as fast as I could, and He found me. Jeremiah 23, "With lovingkindness I have drawn thee." Jesus took off His royal robes, put on the clothes of humanity, identified with me and gave up his life for me. He sacrificed and paid with the greatest price anyone can pay: "No greater love has any man than this – that he lay down his life for his friend."

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it takes a village

Wednesday, December 13th, 2006

a familyWhen Hillary came out with her book, “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child” it was met with a howl of outrage and protest from conservatives and evangelicals, who responded with, “No! ‘It Takes a Family to Raise a Child!’” Rick Santorum wrote such a book praised by Dobson and Robertson’s organization.

For generations, the trend among evangelicals has been to view the family as the basis of all spirituality. Santorum’s book was hailed by the Christian organizations as, “based on sound values — including the centrality of the family to all social and political life.” In Western Christianity, “church” is typically a one-hour affair on Sunday morning to serve as a family outing.

The evangelicals were mistaken, however. And therein lies the heart of the problem with fundamentalist conservatism: it’s all about “Family Values”. The home is a fortress against the World System, dominated by fathers, who are often carnal, materialistic and emotionally sick from career-driven lives in pursuit of prosperity.

It isn’t working. My generation (40 and over) is the last one to be familiar with Christianity. Aside from the mass exodus of the church by youth (see the Barna article), there is a wholesale rejection of Christian doctrine and world view:

  • Only 20% of teens (after college) maintain regular activity with a church
  • 70% of evangelical youth will leave their church and denomination.
  • 75% of teens have engaged in witchcraft or psychic phenomenon.
  • Rejection of Universal Truth among evangelical youth: in 1991 52%, in 1996 62%, in 2000 78%, in 2004 91%.
  • Biblical inspiration and inerrancy: in 1995 only 10% agreed, now it is under 4%.

The family is not the highest value in life (a surprise to many), the kingdom of God is. The family stands to serve God (Mt. 6:33). True, there is probably no greater blessing and joy than a Christ-centered family, but it is not an end unto itself. God wants us and our children to be committed to him first, then to the rest of the family (Mar 12:29; Luke 14:26).

Successful Christian families are plugged into a vital, thriving church life, the research shows:

“In situations where children became mature Christians we usually found a symbiotic partnership between their parents and their church. The church encouraged parents to prioritize the spiritual development of their children and worked hard to equip them for that challenge. Parents, for their part, raised their children in the context of a faith-based community that provided security, belonging, spiritual and moral education, and accountability. Neither the parents nor the church could have done it alone.”Barna Research

For this reason, Barna concludes, “ministry to young people may be the single most strategic ministry activity” we could undertake in the church.

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