German's Chocolate Cake

A few weeks ago we were invited to a dinner for 16 people and I asked the hostess what she’d like me to bring. Since I was the first on her invitation list I had dibs on all the side-dish options to choose from. I told her to put me down for dessert and that I’d bring a German’s Chocolate Cake – her husband’s favorite. Knowing how labor intensive it is to make this cake she said, “Oh good, I’m so glad I called you first.” The cake was a success and in a strange way it helped me relate to one aspect of the parable of the Shrewd Manager recorded in Luke 16. If I consider my German’s Chocolate Cake to be wealth, I’m confident my friends will ask me back – and my name might even stay at the top of the invitation list

User Tax

I’d like for my daughter to find her knight in shining amour, but that just hasn’t happened yet. If Leslie were to ever marry, it’s doubtful she would have a church wedding. No, it’s not what you thinking. She’s been raised in the church. Her dream and our desire would be to have a wedding held in the church she has attended all her life. However, the restrictions and requirements for the facility make it almost prohibitive to use. Those now setting policy have put the cost of using the building out of price range for its members. I understand the need to distinguish between member and non-member use, but our facilities were built with tithes and offerings from members and for the members. It feels sort of like co-signing a loan with your kid so he can buy a car and then he decides to charge you to ride in it.

The Good Things

A reader told me, “I hope you’ll sometimes mention some of the good things happening in the church.” To be sure, there are many good things going on in the church that are worthy of comment, but they don’t always lend themselves to discussion and opinion. Paul wrote to the Corinthians exposing their observance of the Lord’s Supper saying, “I have no praise for you…Shall I praise you for this? Certainly Not!” (1 Cor 11: 17, 22 NIV) Paul wasn’t overlooking the good things in the church, but he was giving his opinion concerning their attitude toward the Lord’s Supper. His comments opened a door for discussion and correction – not only for the Corinthians, but for us as well. Attitudes and actions in the church are worthy of comment, but they aren’t always praise worthy.

Infiltration

If new people are added to an established circle of close friends, the group dynamics change. In a similar scenario mainline churches often experience personality changes in their congregation when they have an influx of new members. Strong personalities coming in can take over and, for good or bad, re-make the character of the congregation in a relatively short period of time. I’m wondering how the presence of outsiders might impact religious groups and cults who thrive on exclusion and seclusion. Paul & Company certainly changed the atmosphere in the synagogue. Wouldn’t you just love to see him visit a Mosque?

Watering

In Corinthians Paul tells us that he planted churches, Apollos watered them and God made them grow. We often emphasize planting churches foreign countries, but I’m wondering if we’re neglecting the business of watering them in our own country. Although established many years ago, a small church in a neighboring town is struggling. Without a minister for a few years their membership and finances dwindled. The current part-time minister now fills the pulpit for a stipend. It’s advantageous to the Kingdom for this church, and others like it, to succeed. I think if Paul were here today he’d be writing letters to area churches and telling them to start doing some watering.

FYI

Beginning today I’ve disabled the ‘word verification option’ (the wavy letters) on the Christian Ear blog site. The word verification option prevents automated systems from adding comments to the blog. Some people are having difficulty posting their comments to the Christian Ear, so we’ll see if this eliminates some of the confusion. I do post all the comments I receive on the blog. If you’ve commented and it doesn’t appear then it didn’t come through. Please try, try again.

Terminal

Although my 61 year-old sister has battled both lung and brain cancer, the word ‘terminal’ has never been part of her vocabulary. Even as her health deteriorates, she continues to deny the doctor’s prognosis. During a recent meeting with Social Services, Shelly flatly rejected the notion of Hospice with, “it’s not yet needed”. Trying to break through her defensiveness the clinician finally had to ask, “Shelly, how will you know when you need Hospice?” She replied, “I’ll know. I’ll just know.” Not unlike Shelly, many of us rely totally on our own discernment. It’s no wonder we sometimes feel God is pulling the rug out from under us – it’s the only way He can get our attention.

Two Whale Tale

Delta and Dawn, the mother and calf whale who took a wrong turn up the Sacramento River, now appear to be getting their bearings and are headed back towards the ocean. I’ve been interested in the efforts put forth to save them. The whole situation reminds me of Christians trying to save friends and loved ones. We sometimes stand at a distance wringing our hands while we watch those we care about swim in circles. Other times we come along side of them nudging them in the right direction. We aren’t above trying to scare them in to turning around by shooting threats over their heads or banging loudly on our Bible. We can’t save others any more than we can save whales if they insist on going in the wrong direction.

Staying in Shape

I haven’t been able to walk for exercise for over two months because of a foot injury. Normally I walk two miles a day while listening to a dramatized version of the New Testament on my IPOD, it’s my way of multi-tasking. I regret not finding an alternate way to exercise and study Scripture while waiting for my foot to heal. Since I’ve resumed walking, I’m amazed at how out of shape I’ve gotten in such a short period of time, both physically and Biblically. Hopefully it won’t be long before my stamina returns. In the mean time, Advil gives relief to my stiff and sore muscles, while the concordance is helping to sweep away the Biblical cobwebs.

Really Good Person

We often talk about getting to heaven and being surprised by who we find there – other denominations, the born-again former atheist and even the thorn in our side. I can just imagine the, “I can’t believe you made it” look running across some faces while the mouth is stammering out the, “I’m so glad you’re here” greeting. Actually, I think I’ll be even more surprised by who I don’t find in heaven. I know I’ll be searching for some loved ones who aren’t there. While on earth we can cloak ourselves in good deeds, respectable positions and acts of righteousness – but salvation isn’t weighed on the he’s-a-really-good-person scale.

Memorial Day

For many people Memorial Day doesn’t seem to personally touch their lives. They’ve not lost a loved one on the battlefield or served in the military themselves. Often there is no understanding of the sacrifice and blood that was shed for this country – and for them. As a Military Veteran, I honor those who’ve lost their lives in service. I’m also a Christian Veteran and I honor those who, in persecution, gave their life for the cause of Christ. The church, not unlike many organizations today, lives in the moment and plans for the future. However, we are remiss if we fail to look to the past and honor those who’ve left us a Christian heritage.

The Mandate

The back of our weekly bulletin asserts WE ARE A “CONNECTING” CHURCH. It then proceeds to list Our Mission, Our Mandate, Our Methods and Our Motive. I’ve never been comfortable with the Mandate, which reads “Grow up and Move Out”. Really now, doesn’t that just sound like something a parent would tell a kid who just lounges around the house and won’t get a job? Actually, a mandate as defined by Webster’s is an authoritative command; a formal order from a superior court or official. So, my question is who is giving this authoritative command? I suppose you could argue Jesus, Paul or the Gospels expect us to mature or grow up - and they do. However, I can’t think of any Scriptural context in which believers are told to move out. Personally, I think many of today’s church leaders don’t want the responsibility of shepherding the flock. It’s much easier to bottle feed the lambs and tell the older sheep to grow up and move out.

Reversal

Fox News reported that a Bakersfield, CA school district will once again put Christmas break and Easter break on the school calendar. These titles were previously removed in favor of generic terms such as Winter and Spring break. According to a school board representative, “We don’t want to be incorrect in order to be politically correct.” The speaker went on to say that going back to traditional holiday titles represents the view of the [predominately] Christian population in his school district. I think the church too has removed traditional words from its vocabulary for the sake of society’s acceptance. For me, ‘worship’ is not the same as, nor can it be replaced by ‘celebration’.

I'd Rather Die

Some people have to be in control and no one, including God, is going to tell them what to do. As my aunt’s physical and mental heath deteriorates, she’s distraught about the prospect of going to a nursing home. In a last ditch effort to remain in control of her destiny she angrily said, “I’ll do myself in before I go to a nursing home.” Please hear my exasperation, she’s not going to do herself in. I’d almost like to call her bluff though and ask, “What do you need help with?” Bless her heart, what she doesn’t understand is she’s already doing herself in by refusing to cooperate with those who love and want to help her.

From the Grave

Jerry Falwell was a political thorn in the side of politicians and their platforms. While his opponents often tried to silence him, it’s ironic that in death the media gives him another chance to speak as they replay sound bites from his religious and political life. I find God’s timing for Falwell’s death fascinating. Just as the 2008 presidential campaign debates begin we’re hearing his voice from the grave reminding us that conservative Christians can and do make a difference. At times Jerry Falwell was careless with his words. Like the rest of us, he too will be held accountable for the careless words he has spoken. In Jerry’s case he just happens to have his recorded on earth as well as in heaven!

Unfinished Business

According to Washington Post reporter Joe Holley, Mel White quit his position as speechwriter and ghost writer for Jerry Falwell in 1994 when he [White] announced he was gay. White continued to attend Falwell’s church and they remained friends. In the interview White said, “I invested so much in believing he could change, but he went and died instead.” My first reaction was, why would you even think that a Christian of Falwell’s character would ever consider changing his stance on homosexuality? Then, the more I thought about it, I realized it’s not beyond the realm of possibility. We’ve all seen the homosexual agenda forcing change in religious leaders and denominations. Apparently Mr. White thought if it can happen with others, it could happen with Jerry Falwell. Hopefully, when the time comes for someone to eulogize Mr. White they won’t be saying, “…but he went and died instead.”

Meeting God

I caught a snippet of a TV interview with a deep-sea diver who found himself in deep trouble while swimming with sharks. Describing his fear he said, “It’s as near to God as you can get. The trick is to stay near to God - and not meet Him.” Obviously the man has some level of understanding about God, mortality and judgment. Eventually we’re all going to meet the Lord, but for believers the trick is to stay near to God - and be ready to meet Him.

Creative Editing

We know there are always two sides to every story. Whether it’s a news program, a reality TV show or the retelling of a story, there’s an element of creative editing involved. Although we might hear only portions of a story, the reality is we’ll never know all the details behind every situation. It’s my perception that Christians often feel an obligation to know the whole story before they can offer an opinion or view. After all, who wants to be labeled a gossip or be charged with leading someone astray for not having all the facts? Actually, I think God has told us just enough of the story so we’ll have the desire to express our opinions and views.

Leveling a Church

More and more we’re hearing about denominations breaking up. Whether a major congregational split, a small group splintering off, or a local body ignoring their higher authority, denominations are showing signs of stress fractures. Discussing the turmoil a friend recently said, “If God can destroy His own temple, then He certainly isn’t above destroying a church.” Say what? We usually think in terms of God disciplining and pruning the church, but few of us can imagine God destroying my church. Can you envision God destroying your church?

Accountability

Vying for a million dollars the final three contestants on Survivor Fiji got an ear full from the jury of their peers. I was especially interested in the confrontation between Boo, a member of the jury, and Dreamz, a runner-up. Not only did Dreamz seal a promise by swearing an oath to God , he portrayed himself as a street survivor, a man of faith, a truth teller and one who wanted his son to be proud of him. In reality, he was none of those. Boo verbally confronted Dreamz’s by comparing his actions with his professed Christianity. It was hard to listen to, but what a powerful statement. On one hand I felt embarrassed for Christianity being publicly flayed on primetime TV, but on the other hand, Christian hypocrisy needs to be exposed. Later during an interview Boo was asked about his aggressiveness toward Dreamz. He said, “I think Dreamz wants to do the right thing [to be a man of his word]. I wanted to pull that out of him.” When we fail to do the right thing, we need others who are willing to pull it out of us.