So, what did you do on Wednesday?

Let's see. On Wednesday, I woke up, got showered and ready for work, work up the kids and Mrs. E, then headed out to my third day on a new job. After that I spent most of the day sorting through a bunch of new information at my new job and started to do some real work instead of just getting to know the place. Then I left work, picked up Mrs. E and the kids, ate dinner with them and attended a mid-week bible class at our church. Tucking the kids in and going to bed rounded it out.

Pretty average and boring day, wouldn't you say?

But the people at IJM in South Asia were a little more busy than me. They stayed up for the better part of 24 hours as they raided a business and rescued 19 people from slavery! One man was held there with his children and grandchildren. A little girl, nine years old, has pneumonia - I can only imagine how her disease would have progressed under the slave owners, and pray that she can recover in the hands of people who care for her, now.

Now, that's an exciting day! Kinda makes me feel like a slacker. But, I do what I can in this process - and so can you. Prayer is the first step, and considering some kind of monetary support. But there really is more that we can do, without ever leaving our living rooms. Go read some of what Gary Haugen had to say to me last week when I asked him some questions about this. Or go read Anne's post - she took better notes and has some great quotes from the chat.

Honestly, I am throwing this out as a challenge. I know that a lot of people (at least three or four!) read this blog. No one wants to talk about modern slavery, or women and children (even under five) being sold for sex. It's uncomfortable, and frankly a bit repulsive. But as long as speaking the truth is taboo, this disease will fester and grow. We know the Great Physician; so let's implore Him to heal this rot.

Tags: Modern slavery, Gary Haugen, Challenge

Questions, questions, questions (and music!)

Later this month I'm planning on heading to the Arts*Music*Justice Tour, featuring Sara Groves, Brandon Heath, Charlie Peacock, Derek Webb, and Sandra McCracken. This whole shebang, organized by Sara Groves, is sponsored by International Justice Mission and Food for the Hungry. I talked about it back in April and the time has finally arrived, with the tour having just started. I must say that I'm excited about all of these artists and can't wait for the show. I read a review from Relevant Magazine and that just got me even more ready.

But, in the meantime, I need a little help from you. Maybe not so much need as want your input. I'm also getting ready to sit down and chat with some of the people from IJM for an post to go up on Inspired to Action, talking about the work they do, things they hope to accomplish, the AMJ tour, and other topics. I've got a list of questions, but what do you guys want to know from IJM?

If you could pose a few questions for IJM, what would you ask them? Fill up my comments with some good ones and I'll pick a few from there to pose the IJM people when we talk.

Oh, and while you're pondering what to posit I'll give you something else to do. Go over to NoiseTrade and find the sampler of music from the AMJ Tour. You'll get a pair of songs each from Sara Groves, Sandra McCracken, Derek Webb, and Charlie Peacock for free, just by telling a few friends about it. You can even use me if you're running out of friends to tell.

Tags: International Justice Mission, Food for the Hungry, Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken, Sara Groves, Brandon Heath, Charlie Peacock, Concert, Arts*Music*Justice Tour, NoiseTrade

Assuaging my arrogance

I was looking to myself
And I forgot the power of God
I was standing with a sparkler in my hand
While I stood so proud and profound
You went and burned the whole place down
Now that’s a fire

from Sara Groves' "Jeremiah"

I'm not even close to this level of dedication and desire. Oh, sometimes I might think I'm getting there; but then I get reminded (sometimes less than pleasantly) that I'm not there yet. Maybe even going the wrong way without a clue. I completely understand the sentiment in this lyric, cause I'll start thinking I'm someone big or important.

I'm not.

I don't know about you, but I need this reminder. Often.

Here's the full song. I love the string arrangement on this - sets the whole tone of the song.

Tags: Sara Groves, Jeremiah, Pride, Arrogance, Reminders

Did you ever stop to think . . .

Did you ever stop to think about the fact that the worship of Yahweh predates any codified forms of worship of Him?

Let it sink in.

Good. Now that you've thought about it for a second, you're probably saying "Well, yeah, cause Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all worshiping God before Mosaic Law was put down in writing." And to that I would say that's true; but there's more. Given a little more thought you would probably come up with Melchizedek, the king of Salem talked about in Genesis 14 and Hebrews 7, who was called a priest of God and to whom Abraham presented a tithe as tribute to God. So, Melchizedek was obviously also a worshiper of Yahweh before a written religion existed. You might also think about Job: if you didn't know, Job (by scholars best estimates) was a contemporary of the patriarchs. This means he, too, worshiped God without a written prescription to follow. And, it also means that he did a good enough job of worshiping and loving God that He chose to allow Job to be tried by Satan while He was off forming the nation of Israel through the patriarchs.

So, what on the face of God's green earth is Euphrony getting at?

Good question. I was thinking about this this week, and my thoughts turned to wondering this: what did worship of Yahweh look like before a canonical set of scriptures existed, over which we could argue the meaning, ad nauseam? (I'm not trying to say that scripture is bad - far from it, I cherish the words God has passed on to us. It's just that I'm trying really hard to not make my religion worship of that scripture rather than worship of God. So I think about questions like how Job or Abraham or Adam or Enos worshiped Yahweh.)

Me, I cannot help but think that the worship of someone like Job was characterized by compassion, love and generosity, conversation with God, care for mankind, and humility (like the denial of the importance of my own plans in favor of whatever God brings to my life). Sure, I bet there were "traditions" even then, but somehow I like to believe that it was less fractious than it is these days.

I was also thinking that this is what we have been talking about for the last 40 days, with the 40 Day Fast. And it is what we try to talk about all the time on Inspired to Action. Setting aside myself to save the life - temporal and eternal - of God's children in need of Him. It's been a great 40 days, and I hope that everyone reading this on my goofy blog has also been following along, at least some, with the great things that the 78+ people have had to talk about - talking about the work of God, the worship of God, and the needs of His children here on earth.

What do you think? Have you ever considered these questions? What do you think worship was like pre-Bible? What have been your impressions of the 40 Day Fast - have you been inspired to do something?

Hey, Ma, I'm on that radio thingy over yonder!

So, if you haven't been following, your's truly will be on the radio "live" this afternoon. Charley, the nice guy at Cross Driven Radio talked to me a few nights ago and will be playing his interview with me on this afternoon's broadcast next Thursday's show (schedule change). Go on over to his website, and notice on the right-hand side where he tells you how to listen live over to the webcast from 2-3 eastern time on WEBR. This week you can hear Charley talking to Brody and Amy. Sharing the show with me next week will be Kristin, also from Inspired to Action. We both talk about blogging, I2A, the 40 Day Fast, and other things. If you miss the show, he'll have the podcast up on his site in a few days.

Here's the thing. I can't listen in. You see, I'll be at a rheology conference all next week, and when the show runs I be sitting in on some great talks about rheology. Even if I were at work, like on a normal Thursday, I couldn't listen; my work blocks all streaming media, so no chance. So, if you listen, please tell me I don't sound goofy and that I didn't make a fool of myself. I'll even pretend that you're right when I finally hear the podcast. Thanks.

Oh, and speaking of the 40 Day Fast, tomorrow's the last day. It has been a phenomenal 40 days, with some great posts. For my money, if you have missed a lot of posts and don't feel you can catch up with all of them, then just try reading Nancy's post from yesterday. She's not the best writer in the world, but she wrote with passion about a subject that too many of us are ignorant of or choose to ignore - the trafficking of children into sex slavery. As the father of a little girl, the simple thought of such things occurring - even in the "civilized and safe" U.S.A. - brings me to my knees with gratitude that she is safe today and in prayer for those who cry out to be rescued.

Tomorrow, we are inviting everyone to join in the fast. If you missed out, or if you want to spend one extra day in dedication, the join in tomorrow as we collectively fast. Blog about how this fast has been moving you - what have you done to join in? A big part of the idea is to move people to action. What action are you taking? Lets talk about that tomorrow. There will be a link tool up on Inspired to Action where you can link to your blog as you talk about why you are fasting.

Tags: Radio, Interview, Inspired to Action, 40 Day Fast

Doing just a little something . . . Impact Houston

Sometimes, you just have the perfect opportunity. Sometimes, you can do the right thing and it is so easy. Sometimes, well, sometimes it is so easy to serve and worship God by following His call to care for those in need. We had one of those chances last night, and it was a great time. But these opportunities don't usually occur without having a helping hand, that third party that makes things so easy. For Positive Post Tuesday, I want to talk about what we got to to, and who made it so easy.

Last night our church took in 300 kids - elementary and Junior High age - from inner city Houston. We took them in ones and two and threes, we fed them (CiCi's pizza is quite popular with these kids), and we took them to Wal-Mart for school supplies. We bought them the pens, pencils, and paper they need in class, a backpack to carry them in, and some clothes to start off the school year in a few weeks. The picture on the right is of Mrs. E with the girls we were able to help out - one going into 9^th grade and one into the 7^th grade. I talked about when we did this last year and I'm glad we were able to participate again this year.

The people who helped make this all possible, who bussed 300 kids from downtown to our neck of the woods, who interact with this kids every day, are the people at Impact Church of Christ. I've been down to help them out, seen the neighborhood they are in the middle of - one that most people try to avoid for their "safety" and seen the people they help firsthand. A couple of years ago I helped paint a kids classroom in their building, and saw the kids and teachers go crazy for just having something that wasn't a plain, empty wall. I've seen their food distribution, the hungry people waiting for help, and the huge lunches they have every Sunday after worship for anyone who would come. In college, the group I was active with worked with them to bring new underwear to the homeless in the area. Underwear, which we hardly think about; but I also heard the stories of people crying to have new, clean underwear - something they had not had in years.

Impact does some awesome work, and they touch more lives everyday than I may touch in my lifetime. A good friend of mine works as a youth minister their, but feels that he has a different call in his life right now. Mrs. E passed on to me that the older girl in the picture up there is very sad to know he will be leaving. She told Mrs. E that he is the only person she trusts! Please join with me in applauding some people who can make such a difference in the lives of people. I thank God for the people of Impact.

Tags: Impact Houston, Back to School, Inner City, Children

Being the church

Last night the Euphrony's spent a few hours eating dinner and praying over a family, good friends of ours. The DeCarlo's have been friends of ours since we moved to Houston seven-odd years ago. On April 1^st they laughed and celebrated the birth of their second son, Justin (his picture is on the right). And then came the diagnosis, one they had been expecting since they first saw him - Down Syndrome. So far they've had many positive reports from the doctors: no renal problems, his hearing is normal (which means communication should not be hampered). The one area that Justin has real problems is his heart.

In two weeks he goes in for heart surgery. They need to repair a few small holes in the walls dividing the chambers of the heart. There should be two valves inside the heart, but he only has one; the doctors will divide it into two (isn't that amazing!). Also he has some shunts that all infants have in the womb but go away after birth - his are still there and will be removed so blood flows better to the lungs. The whole surgery will last around 5 hours, followed by a few days in ICU and another couple of days in the hospital.

Please join with me in praying for Justin and for his parents, Randy and Danielle. One of the things we do best as the people of God is wrap our arms around those who are hurting or afraid, and show them God's love and compassion. And right now they need peace and encouragement.

Proud parent moment: As we sat in a circle and prayed last night, around 50 of us, Lil'E leaned over to whisper in my ear. I figured she was going to ask if she could go play - I'm glad to say I was wrong. She asked me if she could say a prayer for Justin. So a few minutes later, when it got quiet, I nudged her to let her know she could pray now. She prayed beautifully, asking God to take care of Justin and thanking Him for everyone who was there. And then someone else started praying, because they couldn't hear Lil'E, and she gave me the maddest look for being interrupted. But still, wonderful.

40 Day Fast: Day 2

Man of sorrows
Well acquainted with grief
Drug down to the city dump
Spread eagle on a cross beam
Propped up like a scarecrow
Nailed like a thief
There for all the world to see
You wore the chains so I could be free
Yeah, yeah
Oh Lord, you did that for me

from "You Did That For Me" on Sara Groves' All Right Here (written by Pierce Pettis)

We're on Day 2 of the 40 Day Fast. Thus far, we've had Brant remind us that God is already in the places and with the people we see as hopeless and abandoned, Amy tell us how freedom can be found through the little-considered ability to read, and April tell us the $7 can save lives. That is truly beautiful. I'm grateful for the love and passion that these three have put into their stories - please continue to pray for Amy and April today in their fasting and for everyone coming up.

I opened with those lines from "You Did That For Me" because they are a great reminder. I don't have to cry anymore, I don't have to be afraid, I don't have to know it all - all I need has been given to me already, in Jesus degradation and humiliation on the tree. As I've heard Shaun say many times, it's time for us to remember that for which we have been saved.

Music on my mind

Well, it covers us like rain
It washes and it stains
Poured out from heaven's cup
For you and me to drink it up
And in stubborn spite of my stubborn spite
I am loved nonetheless
I am loved all the more
And I believe there is love enough for the taking

From "Love Enough (or The Ballad of Hansberry Brown)" by Andrew Peterson

Especially the line "in stubborn spite of my stubborn spite / I am loved nonetheless". That line just repeats in my head the last few weeks. It is so descriptive of me. And so amazingly true. I am loved.

Wow.

Tags: Andrew Peterson, Love of God

Shhhhh

Don't tell anyone, but I'm a sinner person of foibles. I may be the last one left these days, at least since the seven deadly sins were discounted to the status of mental disorders treatable through counseling. Don't let my friends know; they may mock me.

Tags: Seven Deadly Sins, Foibles, Sarcasm, Confession

(NOTE: I'm not at all saying that things like counseling, or treatment for mental disorders are bad. I probably need both just for posting this. This is more a commentary on the secrecy of our lives, and the excuses we make for our actions in an attempt to distort the reality of their import and shirk our onus to overcome them.)

Smackdown! OT vs NT

So, this is what I considered naming the class I began teaching on Sunday mornings at church. I was struggling to come up with a nice title, and that one struck a cord with me. Alas, knowing the class I would be teaching would not find it amusing (nor most other people, I suspect) I went with something different. A little more blasé, perhaps, but "From Old to New - God's Unchanging Word" goes a little better in the class schedule under Adult Class #4.

So, what I'm actually teaching about is this: God is eternal, He is the same. Though how He has interacted with His creation has changed, His word is the same throughout. We often refer to ourselves as New Testament Christians - this is a self-affirming statement, as Christ is the new testimony of Jehovah. Jesus' words and actions only exemplify and explain the same things that Jehovah tried to get people to understand for centuries before Jesus ever walked the earth. I will be leading the class through a study of several topics (probably one a week) and how our understanding of this topic from the New Testament (where, by in large, most Christians focus their study) is older by far. We will talk about how Christ's and the disciples teaching echo and clarify what we read in the Old Testament.

So, I hope it will be interesting. They're stuck with me until May. Poor people, don't know what their in for. I'm sure it wont be long until them discover my teaching skills a fraud.

Yesterday I centered the discussion around the ideas of social justice in the bible. From Jesus' distillation of the law, summed up as love God, love your neighbor (echoed by Paul in Romans 13) to His example of the saved and condemned in Matthew 25, it all points to being involved in the lives of others. When proclaiming His ministry (Luke 4:18-19), Jesus reads from Isaiah:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

It seems pretty clear what Jesus intent for how God's people should live was (and is). And it is old, old. The simple fact that Jesus reads this from Isaiah, written some 600 years beforehand, says that. Read Isaiah 58:1-12, or Zechariah 7-8, and you will see just how fed up Jehovah was (and is) with self-centered worship. Don't fast for yourselves, He tells them over and over, but deal with people with truth, with justice, with compassion and mercy, with food and shelter, with hope for the oppressed.

This topic, of course, is easy for me to talk about; it has been so heavy on my heart for such a long time that the words flow. Further topics should prove interesting: grace and mercy, hope, peace/violence, . . . I'll probably post some of the more interesting discussions here.

One thing was raised in conversation after the class: a lady told me about a friend who married a Muslim man and converted to Islam. Talking with her friend, she was told that Ramadan ends up being a contentious period in the Muslim year. She was told that the daily fasting for six weeks ends up making people a tad grumpy and tempers more easily flare. Sitting in my class yesterday morning, she wondered if their practice of fasting is not comparable to the selfish fasts found in Isaiah 58: and Zechariah 7. I think that's a good question, and one not just applicable to Muslims, either. The fasting comparison is very direct, yes, but we Christians have many cherished practices that are at least as equally self-centered.

more . . .
One thing I told the class (stolen from Andrew Peterson) was that I did not want to spend time in there toasting marshmallows on the burning bush. I don't want to rehash the same conclusions we've reached a million times before, not learning anything new. Nor do I want to treat the words of God as old hat. It's not, and if I can't learn at least a little something new every time I hear His word then I've had blinders on and only saw what I wanted to see. This is a big struggle, for me and many others, because we don't like to challenge our beliefs and "knowledge". Anyway, I don't want to approach God and His word to us so lightly that it's like I'm ignoring something profoundly holy. Yeah, and I guess that was another reason to not go with the above title - a little too WWE for what I'm really trying to do.

Worth reading

If you have not noticed the banner link on the right, go check out Inspired to Action this week and next. Over these two weeks the subject of abuse will be broached - something all to often swept under the rug in Christian communities. You can read about Becky's encounter with an abusive boyfriend (Part I and Part II)., and next week read about resources for the abused and abusive.

Also, I had a chance to ask some questions of Shaun Groves and his involvement with Compassion International. Go read his thoughtful responses as to why he is inspired to action.

Music Review: Tell Me What You Know from Sara Groves

Oh, tell me what you know
about God and the world and the human soul,
How so much can go wrong
and still there are songs.

In 2006, Sara Groves took a trip with Gary Haugen (of International Justice Mission) to Rwanda. What she saw there changed her – maybe not radically, but in an accumulation of subtle shifts. Her latest album, Tell Me What You Know, is in a way her conversation with us about what she experienced. Listening to Tell Me What You Know, I cannot help but believe she learned about hope; hope in the direst of circumstances, hope to endure and overcome.

At times stylistically a little different from her previous work, this album has an overall energy that pulls you from one song to the next as Sara explores this theme of hope. The album opens with "Song for My Sons" which is, as you would expect, for her sons (and daughter). As Sara liltingly sings her hope for her sons, you hear your own prayers for your children. But, to be honest, when I play the album I find myself wanting to skip through to the next song "In The Girl There’s A Room" – not because "Song for My Sons" is a bad song, but because I know what is coming up next. "In The Girl There's A Room", from which the above chorus and album title are taken, is a song that sticks in your head. Inspired by stories from IJM (and co-written with Charlie Peacock), Sara looks inside each of these people and finds hope in the face of sorrow and pain and horrors. "In our hearts and souls / an unstoppable refrain / hope stands in defiance". The chanted verses and catchy chorus pull you into the rhythm of the song and stay with you, and "In The Girl" is one of the highlights of the album.

Another highpoint on the album is found in "I Saw What I Saw". This was actually the first song I heard on the album, as a video of this song overlaid with clips of Sara in Rwanda was released on YouTube several weeks ago (the video can be viewed here). Sounding like the piano-driven work of Add To The Beauty, "I Saw What I Saw" recounts how her experience in Rwanda has changed her life.

your pain has changed me
your dream inspires
your face a memory
your hope a fire
your courage asks me what I'm afraid of
and what I know of love

Sara gives us a pair of songs serving as calls for action with "Love Is Still A Worthy Cause" and "When The Saints". In "Love Is Still A Worthy Cause", she addresses our frustration and desire to give up when things do not go as we would wish them; she implores us to press on in our work for God. "when you count the cost and all seems lost / love is still a worthy cause / when you're pressing on though your strength is gone / love is still a worthy cause." With "When The Saints", Sara takes a turn on the traditional song. Instead of focusing on the hope of marching into heaven to see old friends, though, she turns to marching into the battle we face every day to live for God. Beginning with a reference to Jeremiah 20:9 (which goes back to her song "Jeremiah" from The Other Side of Something), Sara talks about the passion to act in God's name and, again, the frustration of so much to be done. "I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard / I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars." Dwelling on the courage and passion of those who have gone before, she calls us to join in step and join in the fight where we can. ("When The Saints" is already available as a single from iTunes and in retail stores.)

The songs "Honesty" and "Abstraction" look at just how well we know ourselves and how well we can know others. With the latter, Sara sings about how, no matter how well we think we know a person, there are depths that we cannot fathom. When we try to understand a person, even ourselves, there is too much for our limited humanity to take in and out of necessity we leave reality and enter the abstract, the simplified, to try to grasp the entirety of the person. In "Honesty", inspired by Dietrich Bonhoeffer's thoughts, she encourages honesty with ourselves as a step towards salvation "only the truth and truthfulness can save us now." Both are very compelling and deep songs requiring us to take a fresh look at our lives and our perceptions of those around us.

With the song "Say A Prayer", Sara is remembering the trials of a childhood lost (or taken away) in the struggle to survive. It was inspired by the prayers of a teenage girl, kidnapped from her home in Southeast Asia and sold into slavery in a brothel in a foreign country. She endured eight months of forced prostitution - with the others mocking her faith in God to save her from this life - before being rescued by an operative of IJM (a scene recalled in a line in "When The Saints"). Sara brings her sorrow and hope to life in this song. "The Long Defeat" is a call for endurance and encouragement in our daily struggles with sin – we've already lost the battle for perfection, but as we continue to strive for this goal we must not shy away from the fight that seems impossible. She prays for inspiration and guidance and relief. With "It Might Be Hope", Sara nicely summarizes the overall theme of the album, how hope lingers on and can still be found in everyone. She closes the album with "You Are Wonderful", an offering of praise to her Savior and friend, Jesus. Given the normal stylistic models of modern praise and worship songs, you might expect this to sound flowing and somewhat grandiose – you'd be wrong. Sara sounds like a girl talking to her good friend in a simply presented, almost bouncy lyric.

How good is the album? Some of the songs don't work for me as well as I would have hoped, "You Are Wonderful" and "Song For My Sons" being examples of this. (Not to say they are bad songs - I actually like the beat of "Song For My Sons", but for some reason it still doesn't work as well as I would like.) There are other songs that keep running through my head as I hear the melody and ponder the words and meanings, such as "In The Girl There’s A Room", "I Saw What I Saw", and "When The Saints". The rest, though not the songs I am first drawn to, I find grow on me more every time I listen to them (it'll take me a while to unpack everything in "Honesty" and "Abstraction"). I would recommend this album to anyone who likes to hear well-written music sung with passion and vibrancy. Overall, it is a very good album and continues Sara's proclivity for producing thought-provoking and entertaining music well worth listening to.

Tell Me What You Know hits the stores on November 6^th. You can hear more song clips, read the lyrics, and pre-order a copy at Sara Groves' store.

(P.S. I would like to thank Christy at INO Records for providing this pre-release. She's such a nice gal!)

Tags: Sara Groves, Music Review, New Music, Tell Me What You Know, International Justice Mission, Rwanda, INO Records, Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Hypotheticals

Hypothetical Situation #1: You are driving down the road, when traffic slows to a stop at a red light. The person behind you, driving a truck and pulling a horse trailer, fails to slow down and rear-ends your car, doing non-negligible but non-critical damage to the read of your car. You proceed to do all the usuals, trading contact and insurance information, and only later find out that their insurance had lapsed. What do you do?

1. Talk to the person, and try to arrange for their reparations of your car.
2. Talk to the police and/or a lawyer and begin some form of legal action to recover damages.
3. Let it drop, since the damage is no-critical.

Hypothetical Situation #2: Same as the above case, with the exception that the person who rear-ended your car is not reachable (phones disconnected or unanswered, etc.). What do you do?

1. Talk to the police and/or a lawyer and begin some form of legal action to recover damages.
2. Let it drop, since the damage is no-critical.

Hypothetical Situation #3: You enter into a business relationship with a friend, investing a fair amount of money into the venture. As time goes by, you begin to realize that your friend was a poor choice as business partner and discover that bad management and actions of dubious legality are resulting in the total loss of your investment. What do you do?

1. Talk to your friend and either force him to straighten up or vacate the arrangement.
2. You cease your part in the business.
3. You begin legal action to possibly recover some or all of your lost investment.

Hypothetical Situation #4: Same as case #3, with the exception that the business partner is not a friend, but simply a partner. Same choices as above.

Hypothetical Situation #5: You discover, round about, that someone or someones at work have been talking badly about you - rumors, gossip, exaggerations, half-truths and outright lies which are both malicious and damaging to you personally and professionally. You quickly discover who has been doing this. What do you do?

1. Vocally denounce the rumors that have spread and try to clear your name.
2. Speak to the person/people who have initiated this to find out why they are doing this and try to get them to stop.
3. Quietly speak to your boss and/or their boss to clarify the matter and defend yourself.
4. Ignore the matter, though hurtful, and trust that your life will speak for itself.

Multiple answers for each question are allowed.

I propose these hypothetical situations as a continuation of the discussion begun in my previous post on Christianity and indemnification. "Defend" in the previous post seemed to be more narrowly defined by readers than I had intended. A good discussion was had on gun ownership, but I intended the topic to be a broad discussion of defense of self, possessions, honor, etc. What does it mean in our daily lives to turn the other cheek, to go the extra mile? (Luke 6:27-36, Matthew 5:39-41) As to the above questions, I don't know that I have good answers - even though several have not been "hypothetical" in my life. As before, I have to ask myself why pursuit of justice ends and vengeance begins. Where is my forgiveness? Where does the legal system that we have, and the protections it allows - which are, mind you, ordained and allowed by Jehovah - cross the boundary of righteous behavior?

Thoughts?

Tags: Punishment, Retribution, Forgiveness, Forgetfulness, Repentance, Justice, Vengeance, Indemnification

The quandary of Christian indemnification

I don't know if you have followed the story at all, but Mary Winkler appeared on yesterday's Oprah, talking about her conviction, her freedom, and her life. As a reminder, Mary Winkler is the woman who shot and killed her husband, Matthew, in May 2006 and fled with their three daughters to the beach. Matthew Winkler was the well-liked preacher at a small Church of Christ in Selmer, Tennessee; the defense that Mary presented shattered the perceptions of those who knew this couple. I have followed this story over the last year with some interest: I, too, grew up in a small Church of Christ in Abilene and my uncle, many years ago, preached with Matthew Winkler's grandfather. I could know this family, seen in a hundred others I've known in my life.

First, let me make it clear that I don't want to debate the conviction and sentence that she received: the courts evaluated the case, based on evidence, and decided that a charge of intent to kill was not appropriate; thus, manslaughter and the relatively light sentence (which, incidentally, Mary Winkler herself told Oprah was too lenient). This decision was made by people who did not have a vested interest in the case or in the people, but rather in the law, and I will trust and accept their wisdom. Clear? No rants from anyone (regulars or visitors) about how she should be locked away for decades, or the abysmal state of the American Justice system. If you want that, go somewhere else. Now. Thanks.

What I do want to discuss is something that I see going on in the aftermath, and how these actions pertain to the calling of Christ's disciples. (This case simply serves as a convenient example, but we've seen it happen in many others as well.) What is occurring, and what commonly occurs, is the family of the victim, Matthew Winkler's parents, are seeking to terminate her parental rights and are suing for $2 million in a wrongful death case. Basically, what it comes down to is that they are, intentionally or unintentionally, trying to make it impossible for her to move on with life. And this is an understandable reaction: their son is gone, even the image they held of him is broken by testimony in court, and all this was done by one of the people they trusted most. In a similar circumstance, I am confident that I would also have the strong desire to act in a similar manner. But, what I ask myself is this: should I, as a Christian, seek this kind of redress?

What cause do we, as Christians, have seeking punitive damages? The sin of the criminal action is (or should hopefully be) dealt with in a criminal proceeding. To my (imperfect) understanding, what passes in civil courts seems to fall squarely under application of such biblical commands such as found in Luke 6:27-36

²⁷"But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹"Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. ³⁰"Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. ³¹"Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. ³²"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³"If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴"If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. ³⁵"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. ³⁶"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

Where, I ask myself, does indemnification fit into such teaching? How can we righteously scream "Make 'em pay!"?

Time and time again, I read news of a criminal given a long sentence or having his life taken for his crimes, and see that the victim's families are there nodding approval. It is rare, indeed, to find the families offer true forgiveness and sorrow over where the criminal's life has taken him. So I ask, where do our actions transition from pursuit of justice to pursuit of vengeance?

Does forgiveness end? All good Christians know the Lord's Prayer "Forgive us our sins, as we forgive others", and so we readily offer forgiveness. But does that forgiveness include forgetfulness? Are we willing to remove the stigma of an offense committed and truly accept with love a brother or sister? In this case, the Winkler's do not seem to be able to do this, as they seek to forever terminate Mary Winkler's parental rights. I don't know their motivations, and I realize that wise actions do include limitations (don't give a drunk a drink is the common example). But is this not, at it's basis, also a denial of complete forgiveness? Does God tell us "I forgive you, but I'll never trust or use you again"?

We ask of a person actions demonstrative of remorse (repentance) when they have committed a wrong. In fact, a big part of the lenient sentence for Mary Winkler was her sorrow over the death, whereas many others are tried much more harshly because they lack remorse. But, do we also ask for proof that they will never sin again before extending our trust and forgiveness? I think, often, that we do just that, judging their hearts to justify our own. This is as true for the murderer as it is for the panhandler on the street corner. We decide on their worthiness for mercy and grace, and we act in accordance with our desires to force them to be different - sinless, perfect, or at least trying really hard. But that's not who we are asked to serve: the Christian should love and serve their enemies as readily and joyfully as though loving and serving their Lord.

One final question I have is this: How should Christians seek to defend themselves? Even more basic than this is should we defend ourselves at all? I spoke about living the life of Isaac recently. He never defended himself, stood up for his rights or his property. No, he just moved on; Jehovah was with him wherever he went, not in the lands where Isaac had been but in Isaac himself. So I find myself questioning the righteousness of any type of suit for redress, be it against a believer (as Paul chastised the Corinthians for) or against an unbeliever.

I have many opinions on these questions, some more recently developed than others. But none are so firmly held that I will not reevaluate my theology in light of God's word and will. Elucidate me - what do you feel about these questions? More importantly, what do you believe is God's will in these matters (beyond personal feelings)?

Tags: Mary Winkler, Punishment, Retribution, Forgiveness, Forgetfulness, Remorse, Repentance, Justice, Vengeance

40-Day Fast: In conclusion . . .

Wow, has it been forty days? Indeed, today is the final day, and Toby writes about his wife and remembering the soldiers. Anyone reading this is also encouraged to join in fasting as a collective today, or if not fasting then be filled with prayer. (I, myself, am not fasting today for a couple of reasons. But my thoughts are with Toby and also with Jim, who fasts today and prays over the Samaritan Center, and with anyone else who fasts today.)

There is still time to get another goat, as one has already been provided for and another is on the way.

How has this period of devotion effected me? In some ways, the change is small. The focus on touching lives for God with both spiritual and physical blessings has been something the Spirit has been molding my life to for several years, now. So, to me, praying over groups like Compassion International, Blood:Water Mission, the Dalit, International Justice Mission, Big Brothers, Big Sisters - this is natural, a normal part of my life.

But, in other ways, the impact of this 40 day devotion has been huge. The focus it has brought in my thoughts and actions is greater than any I've previously experienced. The community, especially experienced through encouragement and prayer, has been awesome. We were never made to walk this path alone, but with the body of which we each are a small part. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow, without a new post from a new person participating in the fast; the expectation of looking for a brother or sister to encourage in their devotion has become ingrained in my life.

Maybe that's where I go from here. I continue in my acting to live the image of God through helping people directly and indirectly. I continue to seek out those who need encouragement, strength, blessings emotional and spiritual and physical. And I act. I do. I pray. I weep. I rejoice. I speak. I devote myself to knowing Jehovah, not through words and descriptions but through companionship and working side by side with Him.

One last thing, as these forty days close out. When I think of fasting, I always think about David's fast over his dying son in 2 Samuel 12:16-23. Despite the pain of his loss, and having fasted for a week, the first thing David did upon hearing the death of his son was not eat. He got up, he prepared himself, and he presented himself before Jehovah in worship. After this, after worshipping God, he ate. As we finish this period of group devotion, let us not forget to bring worship to Jehovah in His holiness. It is to Him we have devoted this time; let us also thank Him for giving us reason for devotion.

Day 28: Monsters in the Land

"Long sleeves or short sleeves?"

This has not been a question of fashion; this has been a threat intermingled with a terrible choice. Do you want your hand cut off at the wrist or at the elbow?

There are, indeed, monsters in the land. Man's cruelty to his brother has proven boundless over the millennia. The Assyrians were feared and hated for their atrocities, just as surely as Nazi Germany still is today. A man or group of men seek to control their country, funded by control of diamonds or oil or whatever, and those innocent villagers in their way are given the above choice of "fashion". A peasantry is afeared of bathing, simple sanitary bathing, because they might be mistaken as affluent Jews and seized by the Inquisition. Nearly a million countrymen die in a hundred days, slaughtered by friends and neighbors for being of the Tutsi tribe and not the Hutu. A man compels a thousand men, women, and children to drink poisoned koolade because he would rather see them dead than out of his control.

Oh, yes, monsters abound though our history. Terrible monsters, with devil faces and black hearts.

We have no shortage of atrocities to respond to, as the people of God. We cry for those who are hurt, by man and by nature. We rush to help, more often than not - and this is to our credit as the image of Christ. There is no shortage of groups that spearhead efforts to "rescue the perishing, care for the dying, snatch them in pity from sin and the grave". International Justice Mission, Compassion International, World Vision; the list goes on. Some are more efficient than others, but they still seek to live as Jesus example and Jesus description or righteousness ("I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me"). Do not turn from the truth of their need.

But there are other monsters in the land. Monsters whose faces are less like the devil and more like your's and mine. Oh, they don't see themselves as monsters (they rarely do) and so don't paint there faces with evil. Their faces, more often, are painted with indifference. Painted with stony, cynical expressions:

You realize that it's all fake, don't you? I mean, yes, your money goes to help poor people, but the idea that YOUR money is going to this SPECIFIC kid is bogus. Do you really think they refuse to help some kid just because nobody has "chosen" them yet? The letters are written by volunteers and your money goes into a general fund. The photos are just random shots they take in the community, and they make up the names.(A deleted comment from Kat's post on Day 1.)

Eyes are covered with gauze, blinded to all but the brightest, the most terrible, or the greatest disasters. The great monsters, they stand out but are more rare; it is much more common that we are the monsters.

We see the genocides, we see the disasters, and we respond. Living in Houston, it was amazing to see the response when thousands flooded into our city fleeing the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. Homes opened, hotels paid for, food and other necessities given. To our credit, that will long stand as our finest hour. But we are not alone when we fail at the more mundane needs. The man on the street corner. The child alone in this world. The grieving widow, the abandoned spouse. The lonely, the depressed, those broken down by this life. Too often, our mask of indifference blinds us to these people and their needs. We turn inward, concerned with our needs, our problems, our solutions: I am a rock; I am an island! How wrong this is; how foolish and selfish. "A rock feels no pain; an island never cries." But we are the children, the living image, of a loving God.

This is grace, an invitation to be beautiful. For too long, I saw the monster in my own mirror. The monster of apathy, of a careless heart, of a self-focused life and religion. This song (from Sara Groves) was not a turning point in my life, but it was a coalescence of the thoughts and ideas, the stirring of the Spirit, that had been growing inside me. I want to see the imprint of Jehovah, not a monster, when I look in the mirror - or, for that matter, when the world looks at me. I want to add to the beauty of God's creation, as He has intended for me since before the dawn of time.

I am fasting today, as a result of a collaboration that more or less began with a plea: Please don't look away. Do not dwell in inaction, break the inertia and step into action when God calls you. Both in global and local needs, simple actions or grand, organized or spontaneous, find the place where God has prepared for you to act. Open your hearts in love to the whole of humanity. In this vein, I present two organizations that I fast and pray over today.

Blood:Water Mission

Northwest Assistance Ministries (NAM)

"The human body is 70% water. A 3% loss of water can reduce a person’s ability work by 20%. For your average 60lb school-age child, that amounts to a standard nalgene-bottle full of water. Under exertion, the human body can sweat twice that in an hour. Now imagine sub-Saharan Africa, 90 to 110 degree heat depending on the season and a 2 mile hike to get water... one way. The average size jerry can used to carry water is 5 gallons, which weights a whopping 40lbs. Now imagine that you are a 7-year old girl. And you make this trek 3 times every day." (source) Did you know that $1 provides one year of clean water for an African? Seriously. $1. Did you know that people living with HIV/AIDS are dependent on clean water to survive? Water-borne pathogens greatly complicate any chance they might have for survival. Blood:Water Mission is committed to building wells in a way that empowers communities to take control of their own development. Sustainability is key. It does no good if a well is dug but not maintained over time because the people in the community have no connection to its building. It also does no good if sanitation is not maintained. That is why Blood:Water Mission partners with community based organizations, which provide appropriate training that is specific to their communities' needs for clean water and overall health. They also provide sanitation solutions such as latrines where they are needed. They work with the communities to create committees overseeing the use, maintenance and repair of their wells. Tell you what, instead of strolling up to the coke machine and buying that bottle of cold, fizzy goodness why not walk on by. Take that dollar and give someone else a chance to have a drink of something that won't kill them as surely, if not as quickly, as not drinking at all.

NAM is a local community service organization, and I am sure you have something like it in your area. It is a collaborative effort between some thirty churches in this part of Houston, along with various businesses supporters, which provides just about anything you can name to people who need it. Their programs include monetary assistance (to meet rent, etc.), a food pantry, a resale shop for low-cost clothing, meals on wheels, a children's health clinic that charges on a sliding scale, shelter for the homeless, education and help in finding jobs, counseling, and a shelter for victims of family violence. They, quite literally, do it all. NAM helped more than 100,000 area residents in need during its last fiscal year, with approximately $.87 of every dollar donated going toward helping people in need. Of the people NAM assisted, 51 percent were children and senior citizens. NAM is a great organization, that helps so many people in our own back yard. They accept donations in just about any form, and need volunteers about as much as they need money. Look for someone like this in your neck of the woods, and help them help the people around you in need. But don't stop with indirect help; reach out your own hand to the man on the corner and lift him up.

Tags: Blood:Water Mission, Northwest Assistance Ministries, Giving, Caring, Loving, Action, Apathy, Monsters, Community

Part III: What is a Spirited life, and why do we have the Spirit?

(After long delay, I am returning to this series on the Holy Spirit. I had hoped to post about two a week for about a month. Instead, I haven't published one in over a month. Oops.)

How has the Spirit moved in your life? I'm not asking for generalities, but can you name specifics of when the Spirit has lead you to (or away from) an action, or given you specific insights, or comfort. Where have you actively considered the action of God's Spirit in your life?

I know there have been very tangible times when I have known the Spirit to be with me, guiding me. We know and are assured that God has freely given us His Spirit, a promise extending back to before Christ spoke of this gift.

I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication

Zechariah 12:10 (NASB)

I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it

Ezekiel 37:14 (NASB)

It will come about after this
That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions

Joel 2:28 (NASB)

The problem with recognizing the touch of the Holy Spirit arises in that we live in a post-modern, post-Christian, post-(pick your own filler) society. Our views as Christians have been influenced by the world: Darwinian thinking, Freud, world religions, societal goals (money, fame, ease), etc. have all been stamped on our views of living a Christian life. These, at times, lead us to seek answers and explanations which are self-reliant, naturalistic, and jaded when the truth is we have experienced Jehovah moving His Spirit to change our lives. Am I wrong on this? Honestly, have we not all found ways to explain away the action of the supernatural with the machinations of the natural?

So, what does a Spirited life look like? An easy example is to look at Stephen in Acts 6-7. Read these two chapters, and see a man who was characterized by the Spirit of God: full of the Spirit (6:3, 5), full of grace, power, and signs (6:8), wisdom (6:10), face like an angel (6:15), boldness (7:51-53), seeing God (7:55), and loving of others who hated him (7:60). I am convinced that much of what Paul taught on the Spirit he learned from watching Stephen on this day, though the lesson took some time to sink in. Read 2 Corinthians 3:18 and 2 Timothy 1:7, among others, and see just how much Paul wrote about was exemplified by Stephen.

Beyond the biblical example, I also like to look at the Quakers for one example of Spirited life. Their belief in being lead by the Spirit is so deep that they do not have prepared lessons in their times of worship; instead, characterized by prolonged silences, they wait until someone is moved by the Spirit to speak. Bizarre? Maybe a bit, but I love their dedication to not speak and lead from their own personal desires and the reliance on and intimacy with the Holy Spirit it shows.

Another view of the the Spirited life can be characterized by the difference of how the Spirit works in a life. I think of this as having been touched by the Spirit verses having the Spirit abide within you. Consider the differences between King Saul and King David, in 1 Samuel. We are told several times that the Spirit of God came upon Saul (1 Samuel 10:10 and 11:6). But we are then told how the Spirit departed from him (16:14). In contrast, we see David in his anointing as king, with the Spirit coming on him "from that day forward" (1 Samuel 16:13). We see that the Spirit touches lives, even those not wholly dedicated to Jehovah - and therein lies a purpose. Go back to the above mentioned Zechariah 12:10 and see that the Spirit is pored out to touch the hearts of a people dead to God, convicting them of sin and bringing them to repentance. This we see fulfilled in Acts 2:37. It is the difference of God sending His Spirit to touch mankind, moving them to repentance, and the indwelling of the Spirit we receive in putting on Christ as our lord and savior; but both are pictures of life with the Spirit.

So then, why have we been given the Spirit? Why, also, is life in the Spirit important? I take the parable of Matthew 12:43-45 to heart: we are slaves to someone. If we choose not to be filled with Jehovah's Spirit, we will be overridden by the evil spirits of this world. We can either choose to be a slave to Christ, in His Spirit, or a slave to sin and death.

But then, look at the Gospel of Mark. Writing primarily to the Greeks, Mark spends a good deal of the opening of his gospel acquainting them (and us) with the Living Spirit. In Mark 1:8 we are introduced to baptism of the Spirit and then, in verse 10, see it exemplified in Jesus own baptism. We watch as the Spirit compels Jesus to enter the wilderness and a time of fasting and temptation (also verse 10). We then see Jesus casting out an unclean spirit (vs. 23-27) and, when word of this got out, demon-possessed people are brought before Him, and the demons cast out (vs. 32-34). What can we conclude from Mark's introduction to the Spirited life? We have been given the Spirit to live a life of danger. The Spirit did not lead Jesus into the desert for a picnic; more like to pick a fight. When we seek to do God’s will, we will be assailed, but in His Spirit we are hedged in and shielded. We are not removed from the battle; rather we are carried through it. As Jesus was, we are baptized with a Spirit of power. This Holy Spirit within us has authority and dominion over unclean spirits of this earth. We do not have to fear possession by one of these demons when we have first become the possession of Jehovah and His Spirit.

To be sure, this is not the only reason for the gift of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also our comforter and speaks for us when we cannot. Jehovah's Spirit is our teacher; in His Spirit, we have the mind of Christ. But, in all honesty, we are in a fight for our lives - our eternal lives - and we are not up to the challenge alone. God is with us, having given us His Spirit, so that we may be able to endure this boxing match without being knocked out.

Have you experienced the work of the Spirit in your life? Have you seen first hand what a Spirit-filled life looks like? How so? Recognizing the Spirit's actions is easier when we share how our own lives have been touched - the big and the small.

Tags: Quakers, David, Saul, Life in the Spirit

Day 5

Kristin fasts today, and talks about Health Education Africa Resource Team and about educating our children. Good thoughts. Pray for her today.

I find today that I have a bit of guilt when I go to eat a meal. Knowing that someone else with whom I am collaborating is going without today makes me feel almost traitorous when I take a bite of food. But, ya know, that's the point of all this. We give up a day to remember and help those who don't have the basic things we are fasting from. So, I'll keep praying for Kristin today, and for Chaotic Hammer tomorrow, and Stephanie the day after that.

Knowing the Holy Spirit, Part II: What does the Spirit do?

In Part I, we talked a bit about who and what the Holy Spirit is - a taxonomy of the Spirit to help us understand who it is we speak of a little better. Now we are going to look a little bit at what the Spirit does. Since everything we read about the Holy Spirit is a couple of thousand years old, I think it important to go back and look at what would be expected of the Spirit's actions in a person's life to a first century denizen.

Most of what we know of the Spirit's actions in our lives in found in the New Testament, which was written to a society that was either Hellenistic or heavily influenced by Hellenistic thoughts. (Indeed, our own society, today, is still heavily influenced by and permeated with the ideas and beliefs of the ancient Greeks.) And the Greeks had some definite ideas about spirit, divided into two basic groups. The Socratic and Platonic camps generally held to the ideas that Socrates and Plato espoused on spirit. In their minds they saw the spirit as that part of us which comprised our emotional motivation for actions. The spirited person would be driven to great acts of bravery and glory. However, these great actions were counterbalanced by hubris; inevitably, those who had great spirit and did great things were destined to fall victim to their own pride. Consider what you know of Greek drama - they loved a good story where the hero came out ruined at the end because of hubris.

The second camp was centered on Aristotle, who saw the spirit not so much as a motivator as it was the simple essence of something. To Aristotelian thought, the spirit was the nature or utility of any object, animate or inanimate. The spirit or nature of an axe was to cut. The spirit of a pen to write. For a person, the spirit of that person would be the basic idea of who he was.

So, how do these ideas of Socratic and Aristotelian spirit jibe with what Jehovah taught of His Spirit through Jesus and the apostles? Well, it seems that the Hellenistic society was onto something, but still had much to learn. Take the Socratic belief: when Jesus preached of a life that must be immersed in Spirit and water (John 3) they would have likely taken this to mean that you would then be empowered to do great things, with a good chance of ending up in tragedy because of overconfidence and arrogance. But then, they could look at Jesus, whose immersion in Spirit was seen and recorded, and instead of hubris they would see humility. His death was not in pride but in sacrifice. Rather than a spirit which is of ourselves and which focuses on what can be done for ourselves, the Holy Spirit is of God and focuses us on what we can do for others.

To the Aristotelian, immersion in the Holy Spirit would be something very profound. To their thoughts, immersion in the Spirit would be no less than a total redefinition of one's life. You would no longer have the same purpose as before, but would be a new creature with a new mission.

Do these sound familiar (new life and power when filled with the Spirit of God)? They should. The Holy Spirit is that with which God changes our lives, taking us from base, unclean flesh to holiness and righteousness. The Greeks had a basic idea that was not far off the mark; but have we considered what role the Spirit has in molding and defining our lives today? We, too, must delve into the actions of the Spirit as we seek to know God.

But what does the Spirit do? How does being imbued with the Breath of Life change us? These are aspects of the Spirit which I will talk about in more detail later, but for now a brief discussion is important. One of the things which is most readily identified as an action of the Spirit are spiritual gifts, talked about in detail by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12 and in other places. We know that the Spirit gives us these gifts to enable us to do that for which we were created. The Spirit is our promised helper, sent to be with us after Jesus death, resurrection, and ascension (John 15:26). Jesus tells us that the Spirit also works in us to convict us of sin (John 16:7-8), which echoes the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10. We also know the Spirit as Life Giver (2 Corinthians 3:6). Salvation comes to us through Christ's blood and the Spirit (Titus3:5-6) and sanctification is found in His Spirit and in faith (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

But these give only the briefest of glimpses at how the Spirit is acting in our lives. The recognition here is that when we enter into Christ and accept His Spirit, then we will be changed, and that the Spirit will always be there for us to guide, strengthen, and keep us close to the heart of Jehovah as we serve Him in life. Next, we will look at what a Spirit-filled life looks like and just why it is we have been given this gift from Jehovah.

Tags: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Hubris, Humility