The BBC is carrying an interesting article in which one of England's MP's is speaking out against what he calls, "Christianphobia." His concern is that, in the name of political correctness, Christianity is being sidelined and marginalized. As his country wrestles with tolerance of all religions and freedom of religion, he feels Christianity, and the Christian roots of England are being pushed aside. One symptom of that, from his perspective, is the decline in the number of schools doing nativity plays.
Sounds familiar, doesn't it? It seems that this time of year the Christmas wars heat up. Feisty Christians seeks to cram Christmas down the throats of one and all, demanding Christmas displays in secular and sacred venues. Feisty non-believers want all trappings of Christmas removed from every inch of the US.
The issue is not as clear cut as the extremists on both sides of the debate want to make it. Christmas, by its very nature, is a Christian holiday. Though we also include the "secular" celebration of winter (and why should that be secular--aren't the changing of seasons sacred moments to celebrate and enjoy?), trees and carols and manger scenes remind us that Christmas celebrates the beginnings of one of the world's major religions. Our country in particular has been highly impacted by Christianity and we certainly want to be careful of losing an important part of our heritage by wiping it out of all "secular" settings.
On the other hand, Christianity is not meant to be imposed on people legally or through the government. If people have developed a phobia toward Christians, we Christians need to step back and ask why? The way to overcome that phobia is not to impose Christianity on others, but to lovingly influence them with the essence of Christmas--grace. That comes through loving, gracious words and actions, not legal challenges and name-calling.
Ironically, as I wrote in a recent post, the true story of Christmas continues to permeate society gently and usually unobtrusively through radio, TV, lawn displays, and major concert events. (I say unobtrusively because these are all free expressions of Christmas. Radio execs, TV networks, homeowners, etc., are not being forced to participate in Christmas against their wills.)
So let the extremists keep on fighting. Jesus will continue to show up at Christmas in the strangest of places. And so will grace-hearted Christians.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Musings on Joseph
In our Pastor Buddies Bible study today (a group of local Lutheran Pastors) we looked at Matthew's account of the story of the birth of Jesus. We began to imagine what it must have been like for Joseph.
His fiance' turns up pregnant--and not by him. When he demands an explanation she tells him it was the Holy Spirit. Yeah--right! His fiance' has brought public shame on him. She has embarrassed him. He has every right to break off the engagement.
An angel finally appears to set the story straight for Joseph. But that was in a dream.
Get this--as far as we can tell, Joseph never really got to see Jesus be...Jesus. Joseph is nowhere to be seen when Jesus is an adult. So he never saw Jesus heal. He never saw Jesus forgive others. He never heard Jesus teach about the Kingdom of God. He didn't see the death and resurrection. He lived every day for the rest of his life with the word of his wife and an angel in a dream that Jesus was the Son of God. Not much to go on!
But he took Mary as his wife and raised Jesus as his own.
That's faith.
His fiance' turns up pregnant--and not by him. When he demands an explanation she tells him it was the Holy Spirit. Yeah--right! His fiance' has brought public shame on him. She has embarrassed him. He has every right to break off the engagement.
An angel finally appears to set the story straight for Joseph. But that was in a dream.
Get this--as far as we can tell, Joseph never really got to see Jesus be...Jesus. Joseph is nowhere to be seen when Jesus is an adult. So he never saw Jesus heal. He never saw Jesus forgive others. He never heard Jesus teach about the Kingdom of God. He didn't see the death and resurrection. He lived every day for the rest of his life with the word of his wife and an angel in a dream that Jesus was the Son of God. Not much to go on!
But he took Mary as his wife and raised Jesus as his own.
That's faith.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Crass Christmas Commercialism? Bring it on!
I just returned from a few days at Disneyland to celebrate my 50th Birthday. As we always do, Jan and I headed over to Knotts Berry Farm for a Chicken Dinner. After lunch we walked around their craft fair. At one point we stopped and listened to their carolers. They sang a few of the "secular" winter/Christmas songs but also did several songs about Jesus--right in the middle of Knotts Berry Farm. On the way there and back we listened to the COAST FM, playing all Christmas music. Many of the songs on this "secular" radio station were about Jesus.
At Disneyland the place was decked out with the trapppings of Christmas. While the cast members are always careful to say Happy Holidays, Jesus is all over the place in the music and reminders of the Christmas season.
Here at home KEZ FM plays Christmas music for 5-6 weeks, most of the songs about Jesus.
Many Christians complain that Christmas has gotten too commercial. Perhaps. But I say bring it on. For at least 4 weeks people are hearing about and thinking about Jesus through "secular" vehicles like radio, TV, Disneyland, and Knotts Berry Farm. That kind of witness for Jesus leaves me "gobsmaked" every year.
As the church we have the chance on advent weekends, and particularly on Christmas Eve, to re-interpret the story for hundreds and thousands who only attend church this time of year.
So maybe Christmas is a bit crass and commercialized. It's better than not talking about Jesus at all.
At Disneyland the place was decked out with the trapppings of Christmas. While the cast members are always careful to say Happy Holidays, Jesus is all over the place in the music and reminders of the Christmas season.
Here at home KEZ FM plays Christmas music for 5-6 weeks, most of the songs about Jesus.
Many Christians complain that Christmas has gotten too commercial. Perhaps. But I say bring it on. For at least 4 weeks people are hearing about and thinking about Jesus through "secular" vehicles like radio, TV, Disneyland, and Knotts Berry Farm. That kind of witness for Jesus leaves me "gobsmaked" every year.
As the church we have the chance on advent weekends, and particularly on Christmas Eve, to re-interpret the story for hundreds and thousands who only attend church this time of year.
So maybe Christmas is a bit crass and commercialized. It's better than not talking about Jesus at all.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Christmas Lights--New International Rule!
Jan and I love to take our dogs out for evening walks this time of year to enjoy the Christmas lights. And as we've done so I've come up with a new law I'd like to see enforced throughout the entire universe:
If you put up Christmas lights, you have to turn them on at night!
We have a few homes in our neighborhood which have elaborate decorations but they are never on! What's up with that? Like sin, they tempt but never deliver.
It seems a bit Grinch-ish to create a rule for Christmas lights, but in the end, it's a rule that will bring peace on earth and goodwill to all.
Please alert your local officials, your national leaders, or your country's dictator to this blog and let's see if by 2008 we can have this new law on the books throughout the world.
If you put up Christmas lights, you have to turn them on at night!
We have a few homes in our neighborhood which have elaborate decorations but they are never on! What's up with that? Like sin, they tempt but never deliver.
It seems a bit Grinch-ish to create a rule for Christmas lights, but in the end, it's a rule that will bring peace on earth and goodwill to all.
Please alert your local officials, your national leaders, or your country's dictator to this blog and let's see if by 2008 we can have this new law on the books throughout the world.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
God Never Gives Us More Than We Can Handle?
My daughter-in-law, Amber, was telling us about one of her co-workers. During work the co-worker received a call that her brother had committed suicide. This on top of the news that she needs a very dangerous surgery done on her spine. She then had to call her father with the news. She has recently started getting back into her faith and so in the moment was trying to balance faith with utter fear and heartache. Amber said her co-worker kept muttering to herself, "God never gives us more than we can handle. God never gives us more than we can handle." Finally she said, "I can't handle this!!!"
This woman was in obvious pain. And obviously she can't handle it. Who of us can? We were never created to handle such unbearable crises.
But stepping back from the very raw emotions of her ordeal, a few thoughts:
1) The phrase, "God never gives us more than we can handle," isn't in the Bible, although many well-meaning Christians quote it all the time. The Bible does say that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear and will provide a way out. But no where are we promised that life will not ever become unbearable. In fact, stories like Job affirm how utterly hard life can be.
2) To say God never gives us more than we can handle suggests that God is the author of our heartache. In this case, that God caused or allowed her brother's suicide and her spinal illness. That view of God is at odds with the God Jesus proclaimed--a God who enters life to put to rights what life breaks.
3) God's response to our heartache is to climb into it with us. God knows we can't handle the tough stuff of life alone. So he walked through the worst life has to offer, taking it all on the cross, so that we would not have to face it alone. And so that we would know that ultimately the tough stuff of life will not have the final word but God will, and that word will be good.
Obviously, what this co-worker needs is not some pompous pastor-type correcting her theology. She needs grace. And that's my point:
God gives us grace when life is more than we can handle.
This woman was in obvious pain. And obviously she can't handle it. Who of us can? We were never created to handle such unbearable crises.
But stepping back from the very raw emotions of her ordeal, a few thoughts:
1) The phrase, "God never gives us more than we can handle," isn't in the Bible, although many well-meaning Christians quote it all the time. The Bible does say that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear and will provide a way out. But no where are we promised that life will not ever become unbearable. In fact, stories like Job affirm how utterly hard life can be.
2) To say God never gives us more than we can handle suggests that God is the author of our heartache. In this case, that God caused or allowed her brother's suicide and her spinal illness. That view of God is at odds with the God Jesus proclaimed--a God who enters life to put to rights what life breaks.
3) God's response to our heartache is to climb into it with us. God knows we can't handle the tough stuff of life alone. So he walked through the worst life has to offer, taking it all on the cross, so that we would not have to face it alone. And so that we would know that ultimately the tough stuff of life will not have the final word but God will, and that word will be good.
Obviously, what this co-worker needs is not some pompous pastor-type correcting her theology. She needs grace. And that's my point:
God gives us grace when life is more than we can handle.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Turning 50
As I've mentioned in a few posts, I am turning 50 on Tuesday (Dec. 11). I'm spending my big day in Disneyland, pretending I'm a child!
As I've been reflecting on this big moment in my life I thought I would share the 50 best things about turning 50:
50
49
48
47
46
45
44
43
42
41
40
39
38
37
36
35
34
33
32
31
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
I got nothin!
:)
As I've been reflecting on this big moment in my life I thought I would share the 50 best things about turning 50:
50
49
48
47
46
45
44
43
42
41
40
39
38
37
36
35
34
33
32
31
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
I got nothin!
:)
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Musings
Tuesday afternoon/evening--5 pm
My Beagle is sitting next to me staring at me with her big brown eyes letting me know it's Greenie time (Greenies are healthy dog treats). She has an internal clock that knows exactly when it's time for food or treats. Unbelievable.
Our Pastor Buddies Bible study looked at repentance today. John the Baptist and Jesus called us to repent. So often we see that as a law word or a condemntation word. But it's always a grace word--repentance is our response to God's love. Rather than living away from God we repent, change directions, and live with God. When I married Jan, for example, I repented. I turned from the single life to a married life. There are many things I turned my back on, i.e., dating other women, in order to enjoy the married way of life. There are certainly times when the call to repentance takes on a more prophetic tone, especially when we stray from God. If, for example, I started to stray from Jan I'd need a two-by-four whack on the head to get me back on the right path. But even then, it's a gracious whack as it's for my best. Sometimes grace can be painful.
During December I listen to Christmas music non-stop. XM radio has a few stations to choose from. I find lately I tune most often to the traditions station--the one playing all the golden oldies from the likes of Perry Como to Bing to Dean Martin to Frank Sinatra. I grew up with those voices. Perhaps it's a mid-life thing this year as I am officially one week shy of 50. Or maybe it's that they just don't make them like they used to (Barry Manilow and BJ Thomas the exceptions!)
My Beagle is now laying (or is it lying) on the floor waiting for her treat. So it's off to feed her!
My Beagle is sitting next to me staring at me with her big brown eyes letting me know it's Greenie time (Greenies are healthy dog treats). She has an internal clock that knows exactly when it's time for food or treats. Unbelievable.
Our Pastor Buddies Bible study looked at repentance today. John the Baptist and Jesus called us to repent. So often we see that as a law word or a condemntation word. But it's always a grace word--repentance is our response to God's love. Rather than living away from God we repent, change directions, and live with God. When I married Jan, for example, I repented. I turned from the single life to a married life. There are many things I turned my back on, i.e., dating other women, in order to enjoy the married way of life. There are certainly times when the call to repentance takes on a more prophetic tone, especially when we stray from God. If, for example, I started to stray from Jan I'd need a two-by-four whack on the head to get me back on the right path. But even then, it's a gracious whack as it's for my best. Sometimes grace can be painful.
During December I listen to Christmas music non-stop. XM radio has a few stations to choose from. I find lately I tune most often to the traditions station--the one playing all the golden oldies from the likes of Perry Como to Bing to Dean Martin to Frank Sinatra. I grew up with those voices. Perhaps it's a mid-life thing this year as I am officially one week shy of 50. Or maybe it's that they just don't make them like they used to (Barry Manilow and BJ Thomas the exceptions!)
My Beagle is now laying (or is it lying) on the floor waiting for her treat. So it's off to feed her!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
