The Road Not Taken

2008-08-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

Matthew 15:21-28
8.17.2008, Pentecost 14

"Jesus Outside the Boundaries"
When I was little, like many children, I used to have bad dreams. They could be about anything really, but the one that I still remember is a recurring dream that I used to have about robots. Yes robots. Not like Wall-e from the new Disney/Pixar movie, but big, scary ones. My bedroom in the house that I grew up in for most of my childhood had a loft in it, and this is where I had my bed. Directly across the room from the loft was a closet. And I kept having this recurring dream about robots being in the closet. And I wouldn’t dream that they were coming to get me or anything like that it was just that they were there and it really haunted me and made me uneasy.
Like the dreams of my childhood, the story from our text this morning is a story that haunts me a little bit. This is one of those stories that has the potential to keep you up late at night, but not because there are monsters, goblins, or robots, but because of the implications and significance of the story. It is one of those stories that is messy; one that dosen’t make a whole lot of real sense. After all we have an account of Jesus seemingly mad and wanting to reject this woman. It dosen’t seem to flow with the rest of this part of the Gospel narrative and so we are tempted to try to “sweep it under the rug” so to speak. There is a tendency to want to leave it alone, and move on to the more savory stories and images in the Gospel of Matthew. But here this story sits, in the 15th chapter, glaring at us, like a scary dream from my childhood. And this is precisely why I wanted to share it with you today; because I want this story to haunt you a little bit, not in a scary way or in a way that makes you fearful of the Gospel story (that would be counter-productive right?) but in a way that forces you to come to grips with the fantastic and overwhelming implications of this story.
The story opens by telling us that Jesus and his disciples have traveled away from Jerusalem and to a place called Tyre and Sidon. Tyre and Sidon was north of Galilee and was the only non-Jewish place that Jesus went in his recorded life. Tyre and Sidon was not a nice place, it was a “wild-west” kind of place with lots of idol worshipping, fertility cults, and other things that Jesus and his disciples found repulsive; it was certainly a place that was out of the boundaries of what might be considered safe and normal. But Jesus didn’t really go there to preach like he had been other places; the Bible tells us that he went there to get away, he knew that this was the last place that the scribes and Pharisees would come looking for him. He had many things to tell his disciples about; namely, what was going to happen to him and what that would mean for them. He went to this place to compel them to understand some things. And he wanted a safe and quiet place to do so.
But even in these foreign parts of Palestine, Jesus was not free from the demand of human need. Like the story says there was a woman who had a daughter who was grievously afflicted. The woman must have heard somehow of the great works and miracles that Jesus had performed at earlier times in different places and so now she came in hopes of having her own miracle performed. And she followed the disciples around everywhere desperately crying and begging him to help her and her daughter. And it seems pretty clear that she was becoming quite a nuisance to the disciples. For starters she had several things going against her: First of all, we have to recognize the fact that this was not just any woman - this was a Canaanite woman. In the time of Jesus, a Canaanite would not have been considered within the circle of ancient Judaism. She would have been thought of as a person who would be suspected of worshiping false gods. That's strike one against her. Strike two is the fact that she is a woman, simply female. For in ancient Israel as is true throughout the world today, the place of women is often not recognized as being in leadership within religious life. Women were not to speak of such things. In the time of Jesus, most particularly, women were still considered the property of their husbands or their fathers. That's strike two against her. She is a Canaanite; she is a female. And strike three: she's pushy. When a man speaks out, that man is often considered decisive or leader-like. When a woman speaks out, she can be accused of being nagging, pushy, annoying or uppity.

And then there’s Strike four, if there is such a thing: is that being a Canaanite she was probably involved in what were called fertility cults, and without going into great detail understand that if I did you would understand why Jesus calling her a dog was more than metaphorical. She was a Canaanite; a gentile, she was a woman; the property of her husband, she was pushy and demanded to be heard in spite of her social status, and she was involved in the fertility cults, not a nice someone the disciples wanted around them. This was a person who was way outside the boundaries of acceptance.

And so the disciples were embarrassed by her, and they told Jesus in no uncertain terms just to give her what she wants so they “could be rid of her.” The disciples didn’t really act with compassion and Jesus really didn’t appear to at first either as he said, “I was sent only to the house of Israel.” And a little later he adds, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” The implication being that he came only to save the House of Israel, and that he didn't want to waste "food" on dogs like the Canaanite woman. Jesus sounds rather arrogant here doesn’t he? And this is part of what could be disturbing in this story. Where is the Jesus that is so welcoming, that is smiling, where is the Jesus from the song, “Jesus loves the little children.” Where is the Jesus that fed 5,000+ people, who walked on water and calmed the stormy waters? Jesus says, perhaps in a moment of frustration or anger, I haven’t come to save you, only the lost sheep of Israel, and metaphorically says that I am not going to waste the time of giving you, a dog, food that belongs to the children of the house of Israel. It seems that he and his disciples do not want their private meeting, their private retreat, their time to get away from the pressures of the Pharisees and the scribes to be disturbed by the local riff-raff, especially since she was the epitome of what good orthodox Jews disdained; a Canaanite, a woman, and perhaps a participant in fertility cults, someone from the margins of society.

But in the woman’s pleading, we see her real reason for coming to Jesus. We see that the primary reason she comes to Jesus is because she is motivated out of love. It is after all because of her daughter that she so desperately pleads to Jesus to save her. And what else could Jesus more closely relate to than the kind of sacrificial love this woman was displaying. So, rather than having some kind of lapse of judgement and flying into a rage at this woman, I think that Jesus knew all along what was going on and he knew what he was doing when he called her the worst name of all, a dog. Different commentators and scholars have said different things about what was going on here. Some say that there was a clever play on words with the word "dog," others say that Jesus really was caught off guard but that he quickly remembered who he was. However, what I want you to understand is that Jesus did not reject this woman who sought after him so earnestly out of concern for her daughter. Inspite of her social standing and the life that she lived, Jesus did not reject her.

But then something happens, and she responds, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat crumbs that fall from the master’s table,” and in an instant Jesus’ frustration at the situation turned to compassion and he saw that she had faith, and the story ends saying, ‘“Woman! Great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.’” Even though this woman was far from being a saint, she was motivated by love to come to Jesus, and Jesus was ready to hear her. And Jesus is always ready to hear us and everyone who so desparately comes to him. So here are the startling implications for us: try as we might, we can never run from our calling from the savior of the world, even by going to a place like Tyre and Sidon, a place outside the boundaries, to love the unloveable, to help those in need, to be accepting of those in the margins, even those whom we despise, who have terrible reputations, those who live out of the boundaries of normal.

You have heard me talk before about a person named Robbie Burns. He lived just a mile or so from the church where I was involved in the youth program and so we invited him to join us in our activities, everywhere we went. The thing is though, Robbie was different; while he might have been the same age as us he was mentally handicapped, not severely, but to the point where could easily be taken advantage of by the people around him. The house he lived in didn’t have running water or they couldn't afford to pay it and so he rarely bathed, and had a distinct odor about him as well. And then he also had a tendency to say embarrassing things when we were in public places. So much so that we became known by many people as the, excuse the expression, “youth group with the retarded kid.” At the time that label was just something that came with including Robbie in everything, but as the years have passed I have thought at what a perfect picture of the Gospel story that was, and how similar that is to our story today. There are no doubt a lot of "Canaanite women" out there, there are a lot of "Robbie Burns" out there, I would submit that we are in many ways just like them, except many times we hide our problems behind smiles and handshakes. And we are all coming to Jesus, not because we think we deserve it, but because we are in desperate need of him. This is the lingering thought that should haunt us, that Jesus Christ came to love all people, especially those whom nobody else liked, and his church should reflect that attitude. In the spirit of living outside the boundaries, Amen.

It's that time of year....

2008-08-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. A time when the heat of summer is beginning to fade ever so slightly (for those of you reading in South Carolina, my apologies, I am sure it is still hot there) and you can feel the coming of fall in the cool, damp, morning air. I can almost smell it. It's the time of year when all the toil of gardening in the heat and humidity begins to pay off with a bountiful harvest. It's also the time of year that football season begins; which, now that I have become a has been athlete, is an annual time when the fond memories of great victories won and lifelong friends made come rushing back to mind. All of these things refresh my mind and body from the long, hot summer which inevitably seems to be filled with non-stop travelling, meetings, visitors, and church activities.

As Kaylor and I and Jacob were hiking in the beautiful and rugged Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge the other day, it occured to me that God is ultimately the reason for the sights, sounds, smells, and memories that seem to bring refreshment to my mind and body. It is such a simple fact, yet contains such profound truth. It seems that everytime in my life when I have gotten worn out by "the long, hot summer" that God reminds me of his presence in all things, including my life, and that fact is more wonderfully refreshing than any fond memory, bountiful harvest, or Presbyterian College football game. Here's to everyone experiencing refreshment in their lives.

I'm speechless

2008-03-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is why Christians are stereotyped as ignorant.....I can't believe this guy actually has a church
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDxcyqeRc-4

2008-01-22T08:27:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't posted in like a month and a half. I have been pretty busy though. Between final exams, holidays with the family, our new revitalized youth ministry, and reading for J-term class, the blog gets pushed to the side. I am working on a few posts...here's something to ponder in the meantime.

I just recently read for the second time Shane Claiborne's "Irresistible Revolution" and found it just as disturbing, offensive, profound, and theologically correct as the first time I read it. A friend once described this book as perhaps the most theologically correct book he had ever read. Shane Basically poses the question "What if Jesus really meant what he said?" And how does this shape the way we live, and do ministry? I think my first or second post ever was about this book, so check it out if you like in the archives.

Santa and God

2007-12-05T06:51:00.000-08:00

More on this later after my Exegesis of Joshua 24:19-24 is finished, but consider this:

Why is it more comfortable for our culture to teach our children to believe in:

That Christmas is about a fat, jolly, bearded, old, white guy sneaking into your house while you sleep to deliver presents while he has reindeer waiting on the roof to carry him to the next house....

vs.

That Christmas is about the birth of the saviour of all humankind, in all places, in all times, God incarnate...who would later defeat death so that we might have the opportunity for salvation

Today's Greek Lesson...."methistemi"

2007-11-27T06:39:00.000-08:00

I'm not really that good at Greek, I'll leave those honors to scholars who spend their entire careers immersed in the ancient language. However, there were two words in this past weeks sermon text that seemed to jump out at me more than normal. In Colossians 1:13 (the entire text was Col. 1:11-20) most english translations read, "He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." The word I want to draw attention to is the word "transferred." In Greek this is "Methistemi." What I have found really interesting about this word is that it has a special meaning often times used to describe the practice in those days when a conquering army would transfer (methistemi) the citizenship of the surviving citizens in the conquered land to their own empire. So what the text is saying is that through Christ, God has transferred the believers' ultimate citizenship into the Kingdom of God. What an insight! When we profess faith in Christ, we have allowed God to conquer our personal kingdoms and transfer our citizenship to the kingdom of God. God has transferred us from darkness to light, from slavery to freedom, from condemnation to forgiveness, from the power of Satan to the power of God.

The second word is "eikon" which most of the time is translated as "image" in English. This word occurs after verse 15 in as I like to say Paul's introduction of the real Jesus to the church at Colassae. The text here says that Christ is the "image (eikon) of God." Once again, in Greek, there is a deeper meaning to the word. If the image or "eikon" was perfect enough, the meaning of eikon would mean not just image but manifestation. So in the face of what would become known as Gnostic philosophy which at its core claims that Christ was only an emanation or spirit and not fully human, Paul is saying that Christ is the perfect manifestation of God. He was not a spirit, ghost or emanation. Christ is the perfect manifestation of God, the full revelation of God to mankind! So if you want to know God, look to Jesus. This is incredibly important for the believer because it confirms that Christ was real, and so his defeat of death brings us the opportunity for salvation.

Hope you enjoyed your Greek lesson....

How Would You Introduce Jesus....

2007-11-15T16:39:00.000-08:00

Those of you Greek "scholars" have already seen this, but it is an interesting thought. If we had the task of introducing Jesus Christ, how would we do it? Would we introduce him like we would a friend, a colleague, a boss from work? Would we read his stats like a sports superstar? If Jesus is all he is cracked up to be (and I definetly think he is) I think all I would be able to do is fall on my face and worship. If I came face to face with God incarnate, who healed the sick, made the rich poor and the poor rich, who raised Lazarus from the dead, who turned the world absolutely on its head, and who defeated death so that we can defeat death, the only thing I could do is fall on my face in awe and wonder. Anyway, here's how Steve Harvey introduced Jesus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvCd_ANIKys

Check this guy out...

2007-11-11T17:25:00.000-08:00

Honestly, this guy, William Dembski is one of the nerdiest types I have ever met and seen speak, however, he spoke here at Asbury three times last week and was incredible. Dembski is one of the leading proponets of the science (yes I said science) of Intelligent Design. Dembski is not just some quack that has read Genesis a few times and claims to know how and when the world was created. He has five degrees (BA,MA x 2,PhD, MDIV) from places ranging from the University of Chicago to Princeton. Anyway I have a post coming on this but for now check this guy out. It is eyeopening.

Frosty morning....

2007-11-11T17:04:00.001-08:00

God's Creation..

2007-10-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

"The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork."
(Psalm 19)

Here's some more of Jacob....

2007-10-07T13:58:00.001-07:00

Here's Jacob at his best, asleep....and watching his first football game with Dad

musings about calling....

2007-09-28T16:42:00.000-07:00

There is a somewhat now famous sermon that was preached here at Asbury last year in which the Dean of the Chapel, Rev. JD Walt put a huge and very gaphic image of the crucified Jesus on the multimedia screen behind the pulpit and proclaimed... "Behold, this is your syllabus..." A lot of times we 'pastor types' talk about calling as if we are somehow supremely chosen to a task so high that no one else deserves to stand with us in that endeavor....just look at those pastors who are most prevailent in society today...the ones you see prancing around on Sunday mornings. However, if I recall Jesus didn't say "Go therefore and become pastors and clergy baptizing all in the name of the trinity..." Jesus just said go....Certainly we are called...but above all else, we are called to Christ, and we must remember that in every endeavor. Here is an excerpt of a paper I am writing for a class here at good ole ATS that has to do with this subject. Writing this paper helped me with a lot of things

“Calling is the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion, dynamism, and direction lived out as a response to his summons and service.” (Guinness, pg. 29)

There have been times in my faith journey that I have thought myself especially worthy of the calling to parish ministry; an arrogant and prideful way to look at a vocation which requires exactly the opposite. The above words are found in the opening pages of The Calling. And it is with these words that Os Guinness defines calling for all people in all places and in all time, including me. I must never forget that God has sought me out not as a Pastor, a student, a father, a brother, a husband, a teacher, or a coach. First and foremost God has called me to be a Christian. It is with the understanding of that definition of calling that I can begin to talk about my spiritual autobiography because it seems, looking back on every major event in my life, that they have all been a part of God’s call.

Both of my parents are ordained deacons in the South Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. So, needless to say that I was raised in a Christian home, with great Christian influence, and my values were surrounded by that faith. This background in Christian faith may be a reason why I can always remember having been aware of God’s presence, at least to a certain extent. I didn’t always listen or like that fact, but I know that it was true. From a young age I can remember thinking about God, wondering who he was, what he was capable of. In 1995 a tornado ripped through the town I grew up in destroying large parts of it. I was 11 at the time and can remember praying and asking God to pull the town through this tragedy and time of sadness. In the tenth grade I had what can be described as my “Aldersgate experience” at a youth retreat at the beach, when, for the first time I can remember openly professing Christ. When I was about to graduate College and was applying to various seminaries, and going through the certification process for candidacy, I was asked to write about my calling and in doing so was required to look back on my life and my calling. And it seems to me now that all those experiences from musings on God as a child, the tornado, to my own conversion experience, happened not because I was special, but because God was calling me. God used those events in my life (and many more) to draw me near to him. At such a young age I did not know to what he was calling me to and still do not know the whole story completely; just that he was and is calling me, as Guinness says, “to himself (Guinness, 29).” I find it very true what Dr. Johnson-Miller said in a lecture the third week of class. She was talking about the fact that if God had revealed to her everything that was going to happen in her life all at once, all the ups and downs and details in between, that she would not have been able to handle it. Similarly, if God had told me at the age of 10, 15, or even 20 all of the experiences that I would have from then till now (not counting what is in store for the future) then I would be completely overwhelmed and not believe that I could do these things. So God simply called me to himself through musings as a child, tragedy, and happiness. This is what Guinness calls God’s primary call on someone’s life (Guinness, 31), the call to him. At a young age, because of the environment and values that I was raised in and around, I was able to hear God’s primary calling on my life. My call to ordained ministry and to wherever that takes me is my “secondary call”, always subservient to my primary call as a Christian believer (Guinness, pg. 31).

Having established my primary calling, I can now talk about my call to Christian ministry in light of God’s mission to the world. I think there are several passages in scripture that can fall under the heading of God’s mission to the world. But I think that one of the best and most simple is the Great Commission text. To me there is nothing more simple than Jesus’ command to go out and make believers. What is interesting here is that Jesus dosen’t say “Go into the world and become pastors, baptizing them….” It just says to go and do it. There have been times in my life when I have felt like the only way I could serve God would be by being a pastor. I thought that if I wanted to minister to people I could only do that in a church, or church setting. But I have discovered that I was entirely wrong because I know people who are not members of the clergy who have served as a great Christian witness as business men and women, as there have been times in my life when I have served Christ and others but not been a member of the clergy. I have ministered to others as a teammate, classmate, co-worker, and friend. So, my call to Christian ministry came as a process; processes of discerning God’s will and his purpose for my life. In Divine Guidance, Susan Mutto and Adrian van Kaam address this issue writing that discovering God’s will does not come in a sudden flash or singular event. Rather, discovering the will of God for your life comes through “a universal call to holiness.” Only when I follow the “intimate Christ” can I discover the divine will for my life (Mutto and van Kamm, 13). I had experienced God’s primary call to all people and in all time when I was younger, but not until later, as I draw closer to God through personal holiness, did he begin to reveal to me the next step. Only when I answered my primary call to draw closer to God, was I truly able to discern a secondary calling. In college I was involved in a small group ministry and really found my “nitch” there. So when it came time to graduate, I began exploring what I could do and do the same kinds of things that I did in college ministry. For me, that was parish ministry; fulfilling the call to ordained ministry. This is what Guinness talks about as a secondary call. Specifically he defines our secondary calling as: “Our secondary calling, considering who God is as sovereign, is that everyone, everywhere, and in everything should think. Speak, live, and act entirely for him (Guinness, 31).” I am a follower of the most high God first, and only second am I a future minister.

2007-09-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

so here's Jacob....more to come soon

2007-09-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

“We in the West find it incomprehensible that theological ideas still inflame the minds of men, stirring messianic passions that can leave societies in ruin. We had assumed that this was no longer possible, that human beings had learned to separate religious questions from the political ones, that political theology died in 16th century Europe. We were wrong. It’s We who are the fragile exception.” The New York Times Magazine, August, 2007

I was in Starbucks the other day looking around at all the quirky ultra-hip things that Starbucks sells in their coffee shops. You know what I mean, those special “Starbucks” edition CDs from artists who need a career boost, the various “organic” drinks and sodas that are flavored from pear, to guava, to pineapple (what ever happened to Coke?), crappy art on the walls, and the list goes on. On the magazine rack next to the aforementioned CDs, were a few leftover copies of last month’s New York Times magazine, with the quote from above adorning the cover. After reading this intriguing quote, I had to read the article inside, which I did and found that it was completely the opposite of how I interpreted the cover quote. What I found inside the magazine was a typical arrogant liberal Western writer talking about how the great ‘secular state’ was in danger because of religious extremism. And how they were aghast at how people could merge theology and politics. While I certainly don't condone religious extremism, especially killing in the name of God, these words started turning things in my mind….

I’m a westerner, and I still believe that theological ideas can inflame the minds of men, that messianic passions can leave societies in ruin, albeit in a good way. It seems that in every major Christian revival throughout history, theology has merged with politics. Look what Jesus did. In a world ruled by the rich and the powerful, his Gospel was for the weak and humble. He turned the world upside down. Fast forward to Europe in a time when the church was the state, and corrupt at that, the reformers stepped in and turned society upside down. And in a time when religion had become endless dogmas and practices came the awakening of heartfelt faith from the likes of Wesley, Whitefield, Finney and the list goes on. In light of these events, I certainly don’t think that it is incomprehensible for theological ideas to inflame the hearts of men - history shows that.

I loved the imagery found in the quote: “inflame”, “minds of men”, “messianic passions.” Increasingly delving into the history and practice of Wesleyan theology, these images are bold to me and stir within me an attitude of renewal and revival. Have we as Christians become so caught up in our society that we have forgotten the roots of our faith? As a Methodist church (for those who are not Methodist insert your denominational affiliation here) have we forgotten the roots of our beginnings? I pray for the day when ‘theological ideas’ do turn society on its head again.

More on this later….

I'm still here

2007-09-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

For those of you ravenously awaiting my next post, sorry it has been so long...I've been pretty busy between the church, the restart of school this week, and the impending birth of our first child at any moment...more to come soon

2007-08-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

I can't claim authorship of this post. This is from one of my professor's blogs (Ben Witherington) who also happens to be one of the world's leading New Testament scholars. Anyway, watch the video, it will shock you....
--Brian

Dr. Witherington writes...
Below you will find a link to a brief video made by a Jewish young man named Mr. Max Blumenthal. He decided to visit the recent CUFI (Christians United for Israel) meeting led by Rev. Hagee and his friends. There are many things that are chilling about this video but here are my top five:1) the Anti-Christ will be a person who will seek to make peace between the Arabs/Palestinians and the Jews2) Armaggedon is something to look forward to, when we will have 'the cleansing of the earth'.3) U.S. support for Israel should be unconditional, regardless of how they treat Palestinian Christians4) If we want to participate in the second coming of Jesus, then we have to unconditionally support Israel from now until then, regardless of their policies or behaviors, otherwise we miss out on the parousia blessing.5) It's a Biblical idea to have a pre-emptive strike on Iran before they cause more trouble for Israel.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/rapture-ready-the-unauth_b_57826.htmlOh yes, there was also the tidbit about Hagee's multi-million dollar salary, ranch etc. So much for following the examples of the early church as described in Acts 2-6, who forsook all self-centered self-indulgent, self-aggrandizing behavior.It seems that Rev. Hagee has given up on the beatitudes of Jesus, which among other things blesses the peacemakers and the poor. Indeed, it seems Rev. Hagee has managed to give up on the sovereignty of God as well since the NT is perfectly clear that 'vengeance is mine, I will repay' says the Lord. The NT is emphatic about Christians leaving issues of final justice in the Middle East and elsewhere in the hands of God, and not taking up weapons to try and exact some poor flawed human vision of justice. No one is worthy to unseal the seals of the wrath of God on human wickedness except Jesus himself, according to the book of Revelation. No One. Not the U. S. , not Israel-- no one. We have no more to do with Armageddon than the Israelites had to do with causing the original plagues on Egypt. Indeed Armageddon is according to Rev. 20-21 the day when Jesus simply calls down fire from heaven on the ungodly. There will be no final battle, simply a word of judgment by the Lord and then the end. And none of the events in the Middle East right now have anything to do with Armageddon. That's all in God's hands, not ours.What is perhaps most disturbing about this video is not how many Christians have bought this horribly distorted view of the Gospel and the future, and fervently believe it too, but how very clear it is that the mixing together of bad theology with bad politics results in a Devil's brew which makes the Gospel say just the opposite of what it says. Christians, are called, here and everywhere to be followers of the example of the prince of peace, and to be peacemakers. If they wish to be vocal supporters of any persecuted group, it should be their fellow Christians including Palestinian Christians in the first place and others thereafter. Even more disturbing is the schitzophrenia of affirming the Gospel of peace for one's personal life and spiritual development, and longing for peace for oneself, whilst support the politics of destruction, bombing, and general mayhem in the Middle East. Jesus said "inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me." Perhaps, you will remember how Saul was confronted on Damascus road about his persecution of Christians. Jesus' words are chilling "Why are you persecuting me?" Well frankly, this is precisely what Jesus is asking Rev. Hagee right now because of his support of the destruction of the homes, families, and lands of Palestinian Christians by means of Israeli policy.We should all be praying for the peace of Jerusalem, as Jesus himself did. And we should do all we can to support the recent efforts to bring peace between President Abbas and the non-Hamas Palestinians and Israel, so Jews and Christians and Moslems can live in some sort of uneasy peace in the Holy Land until the Lord returns, whenever that may be. It will not be politics at all that sorts things out in the Middle East-- it will only be the return of Christ. Short of that we are called upon to pray for and work for peace in that region.

2007-08-13T07:08:00.000-07:00

So here are some more recent pictures featuring the 'unique' wildlife and landscape of Kentucky....

hope you enjoyed...more to come

"Sicko"

2007-07-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

Micheal Moore has a new movie called 'Sicko' that is out now and it is about the healthcare industry, namely why it is so expensive, the reasons for that, and what we shoud do about it. Let me first say that I haven't even seen the movie but I saw Moore on Hardball with Chris Matthews the other night and he was fielding questions from the audience that raised excellent points. Secondly, I don't think you really need to see the movie to understand that there is something wrong with our healthcare system. Nearly every other "industrialized" country in the world has some sort of healthcare system that allows everyone to have free healthcare, not based on citizenship, race, or class but because they are a human being. The U.S. is the only country that still has a healthcare system based on making money-sure the hospital staff is nice, and so is the insurance person you talk to on the phone, but they are getting your money why wouldn't they be nice? Now I know the argument about how in other countries they pay so much higher taxes and thats how it is paid for, but I'm not sure that after adding my insurance premiums and the part they conveniently don't pay (deductables, copays) for that we are paying less. And then theres the argument about being about to choose your own doctors. But don't all doctors have to pass medical board exams, making all of them qualified? Perhaps the boards should be made harder to pass so that all we have is good doctors, so we don't need to worry about 'not choosing our own doctors.' Of all people I was shocked to find Moore actually using the what would Jesus do argument when dealing with healthcare. So, what would Jesus do? Would he reject someone healthcare because they weren't an American? Or because they couldn't afford it? In fact Jesus didn't charge anything for healing people of their illnesses. He tells the woman with the issue of blood in Matthew that it was her faith that healed her. So the dilemma I am having is seeing and understanding the stories and works of a God I worship, who healed people and casted out demons. Jesus did these things not because those people deserved it, but because he loved them, as he loved and still loves all people. And then I comparing them to our current healthcare system. Sure you can have great healthcare, if you can afford it. Healthcare needs to be afordable for all people, however that can be achieved.

Irresistible Revolution.....

2007-07-17T07:18:00.000-07:00

I am reading this book aptly named, Irresitible Revolution, by a guy named Shane Claiborne. Shane is originally from East Tennessee and grew up in the burbs and in a church outside of Knoxville down there - a past many of us can relate to. However, Shane took a drastically different direction with his life after High School. He has lived with lepers in Calcutta with Mother Teresa before her passing, lived in the verdant suburbs of south Chicago, organized protests from Wall Street to D.C. on an array of different topics and now he lives as a homeless person in a community called the simple way in Philadelphia. He has dredlocks, makes his own clothes, and farms his own food (yes in downtown Philadelphia!). He is what I would call a modern day John the Baptist type figure. His book is a book that essentially poses the question, "What if Jesus really meant what he said in the bible?" What if Jesus meant what he said when he told the rich young ruler in Matthew that he must sell everything he owns in order to inherit the Kingdom of God. Or, what about when Jesus said in order to follow me you must deny yourself and take up your cross? Or, the fact that Jesus, the Son of God incarnate, more than once assumed the role of a servant in order to make the point that this is how one should lead. What would our foreign policy look like if we took turned the other cheek? Or our healthcare system if we really want to provide for the poor? In light of scripture, what would Jesus say about the 'American Dream?' I think that the main point that Shane makes is not anything groundbreaking because the Gospel has been around for a long time. But I do think that he serves as a neccesary force to urge us to rethink how we do religion. What would Jesus say if he saw himself on a commercialized t-shirt that said "Jesus is my homeboy." Would it be better to buy a new stainglass window for 120,000 or give that to the poor and needy (an actual story from the book). What would Jesus have done? What about that new car? Can anyone really justify the need for an 80,000 dollar car except as for a status symbol? A very thought provoking book, that I encourage everyone to read.......I'm only halfway through, more when I finish.

2007-07-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

So recently I came into ownership of a new Sony cyber shot camera so I am going to post my latest attempts at amateur photography....more to come soon

Kentucky

2007-07-10T12:07:00.001-07:00

I have lived in Kentucky for almost a year now. It is a beautiful state with much creation to admire. However, the longer I live here, the more resentment I here from the 'natives.' That is, those who have been born and raised here. This is a picture I took about a mile from our house. This is also the former Kentucky. Untill the late 1990s, Kentucky was one of the Nation's largest tobacco producers. Then big tobacco was finally forced to admit that their products kill people, and they had to pay billions in payouts. This meant that thy didn't buy as much tobacco from the local farmers, including thousands of Kentuckians. So the government made an arrangement to pay for all the surplus tobacco so that many farmers would not fall into poverty. The only problem was that this payout didn't cover farms less than 200 acres, which left a lot of people out. I have several members in my church who are in this group of people who, because they did not have large commercial farms, were left out of the settlement. Many of these people had to either quit farming all together or plant something new (many have gone to corn). Big tobacco still makes big money, at the expense of small time farmers, and alot of distrust and resentment has been bred into future generations because of it. Sorry to be depressing, just an observation of events below the surface.

...A Road Less Traveled....

2007-07-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

If you are reading this, you have somehow stumbled onto my blog. Well, welcome however it is that you came to see this.

The title? Yes I know, it's a Robert Frost poem but I wanted to create a blog that honors what I think are the most defining events in a person's life. It's never the "normal" decisions that we make that seem to make the most difference in our lives. Many times it is when we take "the road less traveled" that set the most defining moments in our life into play. People have called it luck, destiny, karma and the list goes on. I like to think that God is the one who sets these events into play. So heres to you following God's plan for you life and choosing the road less traveled.