Movin' across town!

I'm moving my blog to a new location. This one has served me well. But, it's time for a new stage in my life and some new exposure. I can now be found at:
http://mikehelbert.com/
The site is in its infancy. However, I exported the posts from this blog so that they will be readily available to me, and you, over there.
For those who have been following me, it'll be a fun adventure.
I hope that you will join me.

What in the 'World' is the Church Thinking?

Recently, I’ve read a lot about social and cultural ills, and, how the Church ought to respond to them. Some of these have to do with specific events. I read one this morning that just put me over the top with incredulity. David Hayword shared a story that I found totally unbelievable. Here is a link to David’s blog, http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nakedpastor/2013/06/money-women-and-guns/.

Last week I read a post by Frank Schaeffer about human trafficking. This is an issue that is of paramount importance. And, I commend Frank’s voice on it. He has highlighted the role of social media to the modern-day slave trade. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/frankschaeffer/2013/06/facebook-and-google-must-do-far-more-to-stop-the-slave-trade/

I could go on and on about the growing economic disparity between the so-called 1% and everyone else. I could mention how our elected leaders are owned and operated by various special interests…special interests that are only concerned about their own interests. Tony Jones wrote a very insightful piece about this at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/tonyjones/2013/06/08/our-eternal-war/

So, what is the Church saying and doing? From the sermons I’ve heard and the people I’ve talked to, it seems that we are really, really concerned about personal piety and creating a counter-cultural presence. Now, please don’t get me wrong. I’m not disparaging these. (Although, I think the counter-cultural thing is counter-productive. But, more on that some other time.)

I hear so-called Christian leaders speak out against LGBT folks on a regular basis like these people, who, incidentally, God loves. I hear our leaders worrying and complaining because their children masturbate. I listen to well-meaning folks break down to tears because alcohol exists…or tobacco, or pot. I listen to high profile ‘leaders’ talk about gender roles as if they had a hotline to God. Oh, and don’t get me started about science and evolution. What a ‘slippery slope’ these topics present to the ‘faithful.’

So, we reject the culture. We build structures that shield us from the tainted influences of this ‘fallen’ world. We build crap. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/irreverin/2013/06/evolvingfaith/

I think that it’s far easier to identify specific ‘sins’ and issues that differentiate us, that make us exclusive, than to deal with the real task of building God’s reign here, now, on Earth. What does that look like? I certainly don’t have an exhaustive answer to this. I do know, however, some of the characteristics of it. From Jesus, himself, I see his understanding of this vocation. From Luke 4:18-19 we read, “18. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed,  19. To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”(NASB)

I don’t see a lot about complementarianism in this. I do see a mandate for caring for the distressed and marginalized, however. James adds more insight into the heart of God. He wrote in chapter one of his letter, “Religion that is pure and undefiled in the sight of God our Father is to care for the orphans and widows in their distress, to keep oneself pure from the world.” (trans. mine.) Many evangelicals will say, “Aha! Keep pure from the world. That means individual moral purity. Exactly what we’ve been preaching!” My response is, “Not so fast.” What is James’ understanding of what we translate ‘world’? He used ‘Cosmos’ for this. The idea contained in this language has to do with world systems, not individual piety. The systemic abuses of greed and power undergird this verse. Systems that continue the marginalization of entire groups of people are included here. Embedded privilege is condemned in these few words by the apostle. While we nit-pick about masturbation people who Christ loves and gave his life for are set apart as ‘other’ and judged to be something ‘less than’ us. While we look for ways to define who is ‘in’ and who is ‘out’ girls and women are abused and subjected to horrific conditions so that men might cling to their power and privilege. Workers are denied living wages so that some corporation can pay handsome dividends to its stockholders. Hundreds can die in a factory in Bangladesh in order to pad some executive’s pockets with pictures of a guy named George. LGBT people are forced to choose between honesty and self-loathing because some religious leader preaches hate-filled sermons to the ‘faithful.’

No, our responsibility to God and God’s good creation is to be a royal priesthood and holy nation. A place of safety for the distressed and marginalized people of the world. Not to defile ourselves by being a party to the very systems that cause the distress and marginalizing.

An Update of sorts

My deadline of May 31st has come and gone. I think that at this time I am going to press ahead with a fiction. I've been able to get quite a few notes written. Mostly from memories, but some that ask questions. Maybe, too many questions. How do I start? How can I articulate complex emotions and passions in a way that doesn't devolve into some kind of voyeurism? How can I honor God and be a blessing to others? How can I avoid 'preaching to the choir'? Because, I have no desire to tell my story to a very narrow and somewhat 'prickish' segment of the culture. The story is not necessarily about, nor for, the kind of faith communities that I have been a part of. It is a story about human frailty and Yahweh's faithfulness.
I have wrestled with how to present real people in real-life situations, (some of them not all that pleasant). Much stress and a few tears have gone into this part of the process. Thanks to our Good Creator, I came across a blog post by writer Wendy Murray this morning. She is a very sensitive person who has gone through a lot of trials. She loves Jesus and desires to honor him and his people. She struggled with some of the things that I am now striving to deal with. In her post she wrote:

As writers who also happen to be people of faith we have to be willing to look straight into the world as it is and at the people who inhabit it for who they are. They are real. They are weak. Sometimes they have sex outside of marriage. Do you know anyone who says the f-word? Have you said it in the past week?

For me, this was Ruach Elohim, God's Breath, filling my lungs; my mind; my heart. Write what is real. Whether others accept or reject the story is not my worry. My task is to tell the story.
Thank you, Wendy!

How the Holy Spirit can show up anywhere.

This past Sunday I went with my wife to the church that my son and his family have been attending. Before going, I went to the church's website to get some information about them. I was not impressed. And, after attending the service, I was less impressed. It was the same church that I had left. Only it had a better grasp of technology. It was more polished. But, a rock that is polished is still a rock.
They are a typical evangelical church. They truly love Jesus. And, they truly think that they are following Jesus. However, they, like so many other fundagelical churches think that their way is the ONLY way to follow Jesus. I disagree alot.
Their service was very much a patriotic thing since it was Memorial Day. Now, I do not want to take away from that. I am all for the veterans who have given so much for this country. But, I absolutely think that the Church MUST stay somewhat aloof to political leanings and patriotism. Ours is a kingdom that is NOT of this world.
Their guest speaker was Vietnam veteran who had lost both legs to a landmine. Of course, the requisite sympathy was evoked. But, this guy spoke to me. He talked at length about following a call. To me, that is like pouring gasoline on a fire. I do not think that I am following the calling that God has given. I feel like I am prostituting myself in order to pay my bills and keep health insurance for my wife and me. His words haunt me. I am deeply troubled. Could this be Ruach Elohim, the Breath of God, speaking? Could this be the Spirit that Yeshua told Peter and the others would come and teach them all things saying that I had no faith? Maybe. I am not sure. All I know is that in the most unexpected place, God may have spoken.

Privileged, and Mostly Oblivious to It

I am a white male. That's what I've always been. That's what I always will be. I can't help it. It's how God made me. If everything was equal, there would be no problem with that. But, things are not equal. I am privileged in this culture. And, God did not make me that. The systems that have been built over centuries have ensured that I would have a privileged position in society. These systems are so deeply embedded in our culture that most of us who are privileged don't even realize that we are. It's just 'the way it is.'
Recently, Tony Jones, a highly educated, white guy made a presentation that rubbed some people the wrong way. One of the people in attendance,Christena Cleveland, called Tony out for being exercising his privilege. Jones responded with obviously hurt feelings. Now, at first, I didn't see all that much that was offensive in Jones' remarks. Shoot! I've probably said similar things myself! As I reflected on it, though, I became more and more uncomfortable. Then, a few days later Jones, I think in an attempt to show how egalitarian he is, posted a request for women and feminists to join in his blog. Again, an understandable response from a privileged person who sincerely believes that he is above reproach in these matters.
This morning I visited the blog of Caryn Riswold. She pretty much dissed Jones' offer. And, she challenged readers to go and read what people who are NOT privileged have to say. One of those links led me to Cleveland's blog. I spent the next 30 minutes reading a 5 part series that she had posted. What great stuff! You see, we who enjoy privilege are blind to it. We simply can't understand why 'others' don't like us. We don't get it when marginalized and oppressed people don't 'get' us. In fact, many of us don't realize that there are any oppressed people out there. After all, we live in a land of equal opportunity. But, as the old cliche goes, "some of us are more equal than others."
I am adding a link to Cleveland's series. I would encourage anyone who happens to stop by here to take the time to read it. It is of utmost importance if we are trying to be the Body of Christ to understand where the other members of that body live and breathe and have their being. It is important, no necessary, that we embrace kenosis, emptying, as Jesus did if we are to live as God's people. 
 

Moods and the Necessity of Keeping On

Again, it's been awhile since I posted anything here. Honestly, I just haven't felt like sitting in front of my computer and creating something that I think someone...anyone...would want to read. Now, for someone who enjoys writing, that can present quite a dilemma. What happens when a writer just doesn't feel like writing? I don't know. What happens when a doctor doesn't feeling like 'doctoring'? Ok, that's not the same. But, you get what I'm alluding to. I have plenty to write about. That's not the problem. And, hopefully over the next week I'll get some of that out here. No. My issue has been that I just haven't been motivated to do this.
The situation is exacerbated by the fact that as I have been praying over the last year and a half about vocation, I keep being impressed by one word. 'Write.' My response to this voice has been, 'Ok! Great! Uh, write what?' That's a pretty big question. If God wants someone to write, you'd think that there would be some kind of follow-up. "Ok, now here is the inspiration. I have a project in mind and I want you to get 'er done! Write this....."
Well, that's not how it works, apparently. Recently, however, I have been motivated to move forward. With what, I'm not sure. But, since it's harder to hit a moving target, I thought I'd better get to locomoting. I've set a deadline of May 31st to have a project set. Not sure if it will be fiction, non-fiction, poetry or a 'project to be named later.'
That's where I am this morning. Fortunately, I am on vacation for the next 10 days. Who knows what the next week will bring? Already, this A.M. I had a memory return to the front of my brain. A memory of adolescent love. Hmmm.... For those who know me well, this could be a dangerous endeavor. But, one must follow where the muse leads, I guess.
I'll try to update this blog from time-to-time about this leg of my journey. But, getting the brain and hands to communicate can sometimes prove problematic. We'll see. After all, it is a journey...not a project.

Good news from Cleveland this week. Maybe, we can make it even better.

Well, it’s been nearly a week since the news broke that Michelle Knight, Gina Dejesus and Amanda Berry had been found and released from hell. I was in the kitchen when my wife started to carry on about something. I walked to the living room and she said that Amanda had been found. We watched intently as the story of horrific imprisonment and abuse began to unfold before our eyes. Relief! The families’ hopes had been realized. Gina’s mother had been the ‘point’ of years of hope for her daughter. “Never give up hope!” became a rallying cry for her and the countless others who supported her and Amanda’s families.

But, for me, something wasn’t quite right about how the story was being told by the local media. Everyone on air kept talking about the ‘good’ ending to this decade long ordeal. Yes, every year that passed dimmed the hope that the girls would be found at all, let alone alive. And, here they were! Yet, there were years unaccounted for. There was the loss of innocence. There was the loss of family and friends. There was the loss of self as each of these young women became the ‘property’ of one deranged individual Man. And, this is the story that is missing from all of the good news. One human male thought that he had the right to abduct, imprison and abuse these women. One man, Ariel Castro, took his male privilege to the extreme and subjected three young women to inexplicable horror. But, is he only one man? What is it that causes a person like Castro to consider for even a moment that he has such ‘rights’ over other human beings? Why did he think that it was ‘OK’ to take girls for his own twisted pleasure?

A person whom I have come to deeply respect for her views on issues of sexuality and abuse of privilege, Jennifer D. Crumpton, blogged the day before these young women were found and released. I had read her post and viewed a linked video that night. She wrote about the ‘rape culture’ that is so pervasive in our society. I’m not going to tell her story, but she talked about how male privilege covers up male abuse of others. We live by a double standard in which an abuse victim is re-victimized by media and peers while the male abusers are referred to as ‘boys being boys.’ How ridiculous and perverted! We allow male privilege to rape, imprison and kill, then we all act horrified when an Ariel Castro appears. Ariel Castro, who was embodying the very ‘rape culture’ that we allow to flourish in our midst.

Yes, it is great news that Michelle, Gina and Amanda have been freed. It gives hope to the thousands of other families who have missing children. I hope and pray for all of these that they, too, can be reunited with their loved ones. But, the awful truth is that we continue to allow our culture to embrace gender violence in the name of male privilege.

Please read Jennifer’s post:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/femmevangelical/2013/05/you-are-the-voice-to-call-the-divine-into-our-rape-culture/

And, take 20 minutes to  view the linked video of Jackson Katz, PhD.

Perhaps, if we can use the God given minds that we have, and open our hearts to God’s Spirit and to one another, there may be a truly ‘good’ ending to this story.

Grace...the Real Power of God

A couple of days ago during my morning time with Yahweh, I read from Acts. In chapter  4, I read the following:

            v. 33b – And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them All

            34 – that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who     

                    owned land or houses sold them brought the money from the sales

            35 – and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

I found this interesting. The writer, presumably Luke, starts by writing that God’s power was evident among the community of Christ followers. When I think of God’s power I think of healing and deliverance and other acts of power. But, he described the activities of the people as evidence of God’s powerful actions. It seems as though God’s grace and power were revealed through the love and generosity of the people. Lives were changed, i.e., transformed, in such a way that it was visible through these gestures of love a care.

As I reflected on God’s work as we read in the entire Bible, I see most of it deals with this kind of caring for one another. We spend so much time in so-called ‘deep’ theology that the simple acts of devotion go by and are missed. Our church leaders spend so much time trying to build fences to keep the sheep penned up that they give us neither time nor opportunity to simply live and love. But, these couple of verses in Acts shows that the leaders were distributors of God’s grace. Grace that enables people, all people, to detach from the cares and worries and false security offered by this world’s systems. Grace that causes people to develop empathy for others. Grace that is reflected back to the Giver through acts of service and kindness.

Nothing deep. No creeds. No doctrine. No magic beams. Just simple love. Jesus did leave that to us as a command. He never said to go and believe orthodoxy. He said, ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’

Persecution of American Christians...or maybe Not

There’s been a lot of chatter out there in the blogosphere about the perceived persecution of Christians in the U.S. This is not a new thing. In fact, when I was in high school way back when they had film projectors and chalk boards, I wrote a term paper for U.S. History entitled, “Christian Persecution in America.” Of course, back in 1972 there were no real sources to draw from, so I got some interviews from friends, a couple magazine articles about the Jesus Movement, and I think the lyrics from a couple of Larry Norman songs, and got an ‘A’ on the paper. (More likely from my ability to B.S. than to any real substance.) But, if one was to listen to some of the conservative evangelical leaders today, persecution is real and rampant ‘from sea to shining sea.’

I’ve been in meetings and informal get-togethers with these folks and listened to them rant against the government and secular society for a number of years. They bemoan the loss of the 10 commandments displayed in public space as well as the ban on school prayer. Abortion, Gay rights, feminism, immigration, and probably acne, in some circles are not only blamed for every social ill in the culture, but the culture’s embrace of these issues is also cited as the main example of how Christians are being persecuted. They believe that the continued secularization of the culture is a plot by the godless to eliminate God from their lives. It has become personal.

My problem is that I’ve seen evidence and heard stories about real persecution. A quick look at TheVoice of the Martyrs website shows how Christ followers are suffering for their faith. Type ‘Christian martyrs’ into your favorite search engine and many links are available to peruse. Some of them may be helpful in finding places where our sisters and brothers are systematically subjected to suffering that we in this country simply would not be able to understand, or withstand. I think that it would be a good idea for these people to spend some time in places like Iran, Somalia, North Korea or Indonesia. Then, perhaps, they would have a better understanding of what persecution really is.

What people in the U.S. are experiencing is actually something called ‘marginalization.’ The White Euro-American worldview and culture has enjoyed two centuries of privilege. It’s hegemonic hold on most, if not all, influence on the culture is now being threatened by those that have been marginalized. As the culture shifts to a less sectarian model, those who had the reins of power and influence are feeling that slip away. They no longer can simply make statements and policy without some pushback from people who may be adversely affected by those statements and policies. This is something that the predominant culture has not experienced. So, to them, it looks and sounds like persecution. But, like I mentioned earlier, this is NOT persecution, but marginalization.

Now, this could simply be the continuing march of cultural evolution. Humankind is growing up. As we grow and mature those who have been forced to live on the fringes of the culture and society are saying, “Enough!” In a way, we may be living through a kind of cultural coup staged by these people. They are not revolting against God or God’s anointed. They are revolting against the pain and suffering that comes from living on the fringe. And, I say to this, Good! It’s about time that the self-righteous protectors of virtue, Mom, apple pie and the flag have the opportunity to experience life outside of the mainstream of culture. It’s about time that the privileged share in the lack of privilege. It’s about time that those who claim to be Christ followers spend time living in the margins where Christ lived.

Let me take a moment to share what I think is our proper place in the culture. Ours is not to direct society; ours is to serve. Those who want to be disciples of Jesus must remember that it was our Lord and Master who said that his kingdom was not of this world. We have, however, forgotten that. From Constantine forward the Church has enjoyed the power and prestige of being kings among men. (At least in the West.) Popes and emperors and Metropolitans have lorded it over people and extended the so-called Magisterium to influence every area of life. This has served to foment conflict and the enforcement of boundaries that have defined who is ‘in’ and who is ‘out.’ This would be funny if not for the fact that those who have been deemed ‘out’ have had to bear the pain that these designations bring. Now, those who have grown accustomed to sitting on the ‘Seat of Moses’ are finding it difficult to step away. Power and riches are not so easily lost. So it is with White, patriarchal hegemony. We don’t like to share. Worse, we don’t want to serve those whom we consider ‘others.’

It is, however, OK if ‘they’ become like ‘us.’ This is even the focus of our so-called evangelism. We welcome others to come in and be transformed. The lives they have led need to yield to the power of the Holy Spirit so that they can enjoy the good things that God has for them. This is christianese for, ‘Come in and become like us.’ The problem is that there are those who will not become like us. These are the ones who Richard Twiss referred to when he spoke about White Christians saying that God loved the Native Americans, but hated their dance and their drums and their ceremonies. It is all well and good to accept our idea of Christ, but your ideas and culture must be left outside. These ‘others’ that we purport to welcome are African, Asian, LGBTQ, women, homeless, Arab, and a host of other human beings. They will bring their worldview and culture. And, it will NOT be our worldview and culture. These people, in all of their diversity, are the colors on God’s palette. They are the spice that God uses to flavor. They are beloved of God. They are not a threat to God. Why should they be a threat to us?

Arrogance of Medical Doctors Ticks Me Off

I'm sure that many folks in this country have experienced this. You ask a doctor a question and they, condescendingly, ask what your medical background is. Like whatever they may say is so far above your puny comprehension that they cannot be bothered with such things. Or, you tell a doctor that the course of treatment they are taking is not working. They say, 'Trust me'. They think that they cannot possibly be mistaken. After all, they have gone to medical school and done their residency and now are gods that can pronounce truth and justice to the uneducated minions.
I've had this happen to me twice. The first time my mother had just had a very serious surgery. One of the pieces of equipment that was designed to safeguard her failed. Because of that, the doctors gave her too much fluid and almost killed her. During her recovery I went to the attending physician and asked about her condition. He looked at me and asked me what my medical experience was. I looked at him and said that I didn't have any. I was the concerned family member that he was going to talk to...NOW! That got his attention and he took pains to explain what was happening. As a result, we moved my mother to a facility that was far better equipped to help her.
This past week another doctor tried to impress with her vast medical knowledge and experience. My father has been in a skilled nursing facility for rehab from surgery. During his stay he became restless and, as the staff reported, combative. I can see that. He has dementia and doesn't understand much of what is going on around him. The staff physician prescribed a medication that was supposed to settle him down. After a couple days, we noticed that he was becoming agitated and unresponsive. We asked to review his meds and found one that could cause the symptoms we observed. When I questioned the doctor, she assured me that the meds were safe. There was nothing about them that could cause what we were observing. The problem was, we KNEW his behavior. We have been attending to him for the last year and are very aware of all of his issues. What we were seeing was something drastically new and dangerous. We continued to question the doctor. She continued to tell us to 'trust' her judgement. Finally, after more than a week, the doctor started to take us seriously. We had told her and the nursing staff that Dad's behavior was abnormal and most likely caused by the meds he was getting. (Now, it helps that I'm married to a Nurse who deals with these meds. She was instrumental in helping us get our message across to the attending staff. But, what about everyone else who does NOT have someone to help?)
Anyway, the doc discontinued the medication that we suspected was causing problems. Gee, after one day Dad's condition has improved. Whodathunkit?
My point in this rant is that medical professionals, particularly M.D.s, cop an attitude of omniscience that only Yahweh can claim. Family and friends, those who are with the patients day after day, can help when it comes to abrupt and drastic changes in behavior and condition. For these doctors to simply blow off our concerns and observations is simply arrogance. Arrogance that could very well cause harm. Perhaps they should read the Oath again...I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.

Hate what God Hates...Whatever that is

Last week I visited a local church. It’s one that I’ve visited a few times over the past few years. I find meaning in the liturgy there. It’s not like the evangelical free church that I was a part of for many years. This church understands the importance of symbol and celebration in a way that actually embodies, at least how I understand it, the work of God in worship. However, the senior pastor made a statement during a prayer that puzzled me. He prayed that we would love what God loves, and hate what God hates. Now, to most evangelicals, this sounds like a good prayer. It is asking God to show us how and where to direct our affection and our disdain. It seems to be asking for wisdom and discernment. Good things, right? But, there is more to this, I think. First, what does God love and hate? The prayer left this wide open to every speculation and opinion. Although, in his sermon he alluded to some moral concerns, primarily directed to young people, there was no direction for any of us to take in order to discern these things. So, I decided to take a quick trip through the Scripture to see if I could find anything that could help me to love the things God loves, and to hate what God hates.

First, I want to say that this is in no way a comprehensive study. Most Christians would not understand it if it was. This is a quick view that any interested person could do in a short amount of time. It is, in its brevity, accessible to anyone.

In the New Testament I found very few references to God hating anyone or anything. There is a reference to Mal. 1:2 in Romans 9. It reads that God has loved Jacob, but has hated Esau. In the Romans context, Paul was trying to explain God’s sovereignty in the form of election. God will have mercy on who God chooses. It’s not up to human actions. In the Malachi reference, it appears that God was explaining that through divine choice, God considered Esau as an enemy. Again, no reason other than God’s choice. PLEASE NOTE that this is an example of God’s own divine choice. It is not something that we could ever possibly act out on our own. We cannot hate Esau because we do not have a reason to. God alone gets to make that call. Besides, for the pastor’s prayer above to have any meaning for us today, we would need to know who the heck Esau is. We cannot hate Esau.

In Hebrews 1:9 we find that Jesus apparently hated lawlessness, but loved righteousness. Again, no definitions here. What did the writer mean by lawlessness? Kittel, in the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, wrote that in this particular instance, lawlessness could be synonymous with sinfulness. So, the writer was basically making the statement that Jesus hated sin. But, the sin, or lawlessness here appears to be that which Jesus hated in his own life! Not in anyone else’s. Because of this, God set him above his companions. Ok, so we can learn to hate sin IN OUR OWN LIVES. This text does not give us privilege to hate it in anyone else’s life.

There is a statement in Revelation that is a tad confusing. Apparently, God hated the deeds of someone referred to as Nicolaitans. No one really knows for sure who these folks were, nor what deeds are being referred to. Can’t hate what we don’t know about.

So far, there isn’t much that I can find that would help us to hate what God hates. Mostly because, it doesn’t appear that God hates too much.

The Hebrew testament has some interesting things to say about what God hates. Without giving specific references, I found that God hates dishonest gain. Hmm… If we were to bring that statement forward a couple thousand years, perhaps God would not be happy with Western economic systems that reward those who get ‘gain’ using any means, including dishonest ones. Of course, when these people or institutions are found out, there is a great public outcry for a day or two. Then, back to business as usual. Maybe we could find an object of hatred there. But, as Jesus told those who brought the adulteress to him, let whoever is without sin toss the first rock.

The Scripture is clear in many places that God hates idolatry…all idolatry. What can we learn from that? Most people would define idol worship as anything that a person places importance on at the exclusion of other things, especially God. That could be money, house, job, spouse/kids, lover, prestige, RV, or cable TV. Here again, though, it is idolatry that we have in our life that is important here. It’s not up to us to point out the idolatry that we may sense in others. We are pretty much incapable of having accurate discernment.

In Proverbs chapter 6 the writer gave a list of things that God hates. Now, with this kind of list, the main point is usually the last item in the list. In this one that item is one who spreads strife among brothers. In fact, all of the items are interpersonal things. Lying, shedding innocent blood, etc. God apparently doesn’t like it when people treat other people badly. Ok, I can understand that. So, how does that play out as we relate to the LGBT community? What’s that look like as we objectify and marginalize women? Immigrants? The poor? Just something to think about.

There are other texts that I could reference, but, I’ll finish with this one. Amos 5:21-24,

21 “I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.

22   “Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them;

And I will not even look at the  peace offerings of your fatlings.

                   23  “Take away from Me the noise of your songs;

I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.

                   24  “But let justice roll down like waters

And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Perhaps, now I’m just speculating here, God isn’t all that happy when people use that authority of the pulpit to speak for God. At least, when making general statements that are loaded with emotion. Maybe our church leaders would do well to make sure that the words that come out of their mouths are accurate and precise. From what I’ve found out, these are the ones who may experience God’s displeasure.

Our Common Human Frailty

This is not the post that I have been planning to write. That one is going to take another couple of days to prepare. But, I'm really having a difficult and emotional moment right now. You see, my dad is getting up in years. He's 84. That's ok, I guess. But the real issue is the dementia that has robbed him of his life. I just came from the rehab center that is his current home. He had surgery to remove his gall bladder a couple weeks ago and has not been able to return to his 'normal life.' I understand that dementia redefines 'normal.' But, I was totally unprepared for what I saw today. I will not go into details, but suffice to say that the light...no, the fire in dad's eyes has been extinguished. I remember playing tennis with him way back in the day. He never had mercy on me, even though I was some 26 years his junior. He wanted me to learn! Today I looked into his eyes and saw...well...nothing. They are pale blue and lifeless. He even told the nurse present that his wife was gone and I am gone. He knows. The time for exiting this life is ever so near. I am preparing a eulogy. I think that God the Holy Spirit know that Bill's life is nearing its culmination. I pray that I can do justice to the life of this man. Formed in his mother's womb, grown up in the sight of Yahweh, and passing in the grace of God through Yeshua Ha Mashiach.

Selling God

A couple days ago I drove past a local church. It is a fairly large Assembly of God church. On the sign outside were the words 'Healing Service.' Now, I've seen hundreds of these signs over the years. Sometimes the type of service changes. It may read 'Deliverance Service,' or 'Revival Service,' or any number of other kinds of service. I have attended these services in the past. Shoot, I've been part of the administration of them as a worship leader! So, why was I offended when I saw this particular sign? After all, aren't we supposed to encourage everyone to come to the 'house of the Lord'?
I think that part of my reticence has to do with the apparent arrogance of the sign. It implies that only at such and such a time, God will have office hours. If you come to our church during this time you may experience some kind of super-natural intervention that may alleviate your present, less than satisfactory condition.
This opens an incredibly large can of night crawlers. (If your intent is to go fishing, maybe this is ok.)
First, there is the overt arrogance of a small group of people, (re. white males), who have an inside track to understanding the movement of the Holy Spirit. They think that if they can schedule a spiritual event, then Ruach Elohim, the Breath of God, is compelled to show up and do their bidding. As I read the scriptures I see the Spirit hovering over the deep, coming and going like the wind, doing anything other than what is predictable. So, to think that this Spirit can be harnessed into our understanding of time and space is wrong-headed at the very least.
Another thing that stands out is the advertisement of the event. To place a sign outside of a building implies that this particular place is the only place where God will be on whatever particular evening. I don't want to be crass, but the only words that come to mind right now are "bullshit." (Sorry to offend folks who are sensitive to language.) God is God. God does what God wants to do when God wants to do it. We CANNOT be so arrogant as to say that God will be available at whatever time and place we deem proper and in line with our human agenda.
But, the most offensive thing in all of this is that God is commodified. God is marketed on signs outside of churches like a pot-blessing dinner. (How I hate that Christianese term!) God is revealed to people in a way that shows humans as the ultimate arbiters and administrators of Spiritual truth. I don't see God in a box as I read the Scriptures. Perhaps, we should be taking a more human like approach realize that God is God and we are not. No one can control what and where the Spirit moves. Absolutely not on a sign outside of a building.