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Bar the Exits?

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The most recent issue of The Christian Chronicle, contains an excellent editorial by Bobby Ross, Jr. He’s commenting on a survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. (If you have time to kill, follow the link and check out all of the interesting surveys, polls, and descriptions of American religious life.) In particular he comments on a finding from the US Religious Landscape Survey that says about 44% of Americans have changed religions from the one in which they were raised (if they were raised in one at all).

That means that nearly half of the American public will change their religious affiliation at some point in their lifetime. He notes that Churches of Christ are not exempt from this. A recent survey conducted by the Harding Center for Church Growth estimates that only 60% of those who grew up in the Churches of Christ remain with the CoC into adulthood. Further, he astutely asserts that, if we were to investigate the numbers of people who have changed churches rather than denominations, the number would sky rocket.

So how do we react to this? Ross notes two reactions. I can identify with both of them.

One possible response is worry, anger and blame. He has a quote from a minister who attributes the shifts in membership to a younger generation that is short on commitment and tall on selfishness. They leave because they are looking for whatever scratches their particular itch.

I hate to say that I understand this impulse all too well. As a minister, I worry far too much about people coming and going. I especially take it personally whenever someone leaves our church to go to another local church.  I wonder why they choose “that” church over our church. What does that church have that we don’t? In my worst moments I get defensive. I tell myself that “those people” don’t know how to commit.

Let me be clear. I don’t like this reaction. I try not to worry about it too much, because I think that, for me at least, it’s just part of being me—occasionally insecure and defensive.  It’s become a good opportunity for honest, confessional prayer.

I prefer the other response that Ross points to. He includes a quote from Jeff Foster that is worth repeating:

People, by and large, are starved for a faith that is genuine and relational-based rather than institutional and traditional…People want to know Christ, not simply know about Christ.

Wow. He’s right. My best response—one that comes through God’s grace—is to remember what truly matters. It’s not our job to get more members. It’s not our job to create institutional loyalty. It’s not our mission to build the “Church of Christ.” It is our rather important task to introduce people to Jesus, and, as difficult as it may be for someone as neurotic as myself, let God worry about numbers and transfers.

After all, our mission is “Changing Lives through Jesus,” not “Engineering Brand Loyalty.” I wonder what would happen if we were to take Jesus’ advice and “Seek first his Kingdom” (Matthew 6:33).

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Finding Our Way

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Who’s your favorite person in the Bible? And you can’t answer Jesus, because everyone knows that’s who you’re supposed to answer. Who is your favorite non-Messianic man or woman from scripture?

Far and away, my favorite is Jacob. No contest. I like Jacob, because he’s so imperfect. If you were to paint a picture of Jacob, there’s no way he would deserve a halo. He’s a schemer and a scoundrel. He’s so flawed. He buys his older brother Esau’s birthright with a bowl of stew. With his mother’s help he steals Esau’s inheritance by deceiving his old, blind father. After running away and living with his uncle Laban, he manages to leave with all of Laban’s best livestock. And in spite of all of this, Jacob, prospers. Scripture is very clear to say that the LORD blessed Jacob.

But of course, the blessing is never quite what we expect, right? Like they say, “Be careful what you wish for.” Jacob prospers. He has numerous servants, wives, children, and livestock. He is rich. But he is also deceived by his family. He must run from the anger of his brother and of his uncle. And on the night before he is reunited with his brother, he spends an entire night wrestling with God. Finally, toward morning, Jacob asks for a blessing from God. He gets it, but he also walks away with a limp that he carries for the rest of his life.

In Jacob Beuchner’s Son of Laughter, a fictional retelling of the story, Jacob compares the blessings of the LORD to a runaway camel. Eventually all he can do is hold on for dear life.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Jacob’s runaway blessings lately, and the warning about “being careful what you wish for.” This morning I want us to start talking about how Jesus changes lives. If that’s are theme for the year and our mission as a church, we would do well to think about what it means to ask Jesus to change our lives. And the best place to start seems to me to be this question: Do we really want Jesus to change our lives? Do we dare ask Jesus to change our lives? And if we do, will we get a runaway blessing?

It reminds me of a quote from Ben Witherington’s blog in which he’s talking about the place where Jesus is born. He concludes it this way:

The old medieval Christmas poem said 'though Christ a thousand times in Bethlehem be born, if he's not born in you, your heart is still forlorn.' Let me just tell you however, if you let that Guest into your inner sanctum, even if you put him in the very back, he will surely take over and become the center of attention in due course. (benwitherington.blogspot.com/2007_12_01_archive.html)

Jesus will change our lives. Are we prepared for the changes he’ll make?

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Spare Some Change?

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This Sunday I’m beginning a series on our theme/mission: “Changing Lives Through Jesus.” And, once again, I find myself frustrated with the concept of preaching. Every once in a while I think about it and it strikes me as bizarre that I stand in front of you for twenty or so minutes and tell you what I think. Refresh my memory, why do we care what I think again?

I’m especially feeling it with this theme. It just seems like, in my life, this idea of “Changing lives” is in real danger of being little more than a slogan. Every advertiser in the world says that their product is life-changing. Certainly Jesus changes lives on a deeper level than, say, shampoo or floor cleaner or power tools. So help me think about this. Here are some questions I want you to think about and answer.

  • How has Jesus changed your life? Really, how has knowing Jesus made a difference to you? What are you today that you would not have been had you not come to know Jesus?
  • How is Jesus changing your life today? Where are you feeling the call to “higher ground” in your life? What aspects do you feel Jesus challenging you to change?
  • How do you resist this change? This one is for the courageous of heart. How do you dig in your heels with Jesus? How do you resist making your life different? Why?
  • What gives you the courage to let Jesus change your life? What is it that finally brings you around?
  • How do you feel God calling this church to change? Is there some place you feel that he’s leading us?
  • What ways can we be sharing this with each other? What forums can we be using? This blog has great potential, but what other media could we be using?

I just want to have an authentic conversation about what we really mean when we talk about “Changing Lives Through Jesus.” So help me out! I talk to myself enough as it is. Throw in your 2 bits. Actually, it’s most important that you ask the questions for yourself. Then if you choose to share what you come up with that would be even better. I hope to hear from a lot of you.  You can post a comment here.  You can send an email to robert.lee@norfolkcoc.org.  You can just tell me about it.  As always, anything you email me or tell me will not be used in a public arena unless I get your permission first.

On a totally unrelated subject: I’ve been telling some of you about “Carrier,” a documentary airing on PBS at the end of the month. Basically a film crew embeds on the USS Nimitz for a full deployment, and we get to follow various people and hear their stories. The reason I’m talking it up is because I want to hear from those of you who have first hand experience. How close are they? Where do they miss it?

If you have some free time next week, there will be two free screenings of it here in Hampton Roads. The producers will be there. You can go here for more information on the screenings.  For a preview of the show, click here.

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He Lives

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I’m not much for creeds. The Churches of Christ have not traditionally given them much attention. Like I’ve said before, they seem to divide more than unify. They’re as liable to confuse as to clarify. One exception is the Apostle’s Creed. Even though it’s not without its problems, it gives a pretty basic and historical summary of what it means to be a Christian. Here are some excerpts:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the creator of heaven and earth.
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit…
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.

Let me stop here. If this was all that could be said of Jesus—that he was crucified, died, and was buried, his life would hardly be noteworthy. Granted, there are the claims to divine birth and sonship of God. But neither of these things was without precedent. As we’ve talked about before, the rulers of Jesus’ day (Egyptian, Roman, Persian, etc.) commonly made claims of divine birth.

And his crucifixion certainly wasn’t unique. Crucifixion was a favorite method of execution for the Roman Empire. Largely reserved for slaves and citizens of other nations, it was a shameful death that reinforced Rome’s claims to power. Rome frequently made this very public statement in order to maintain control. At the end of the slave revolt led by Spartacus in 71 B.C., 6,000 surviving rebels were crucified along the road between Rome and Capua. So what sets Jesus apart? Let’s go back to the creed:

…On the third day, He rose again from the dead.

It’s the resurrection that sets Jesus apart. Of the many thousands of people crucified by the Romans, Jesus of Nazareth is the only one to have been raised from the dead. The gospels and the writings of Paul testify that he appeared to his followers—one time as many as 500 of them (1 Cor. 15). Many of those witnesses went to their executions testifying that “Jesus is risen.”

It is why we are here today. We are followers because both facts are true. Jesus died and was raised by God. The resurrection makes a universe of difference. The question for us this morning is what does the resurrection mean to us right now? How is our day to day life different because of it? I hope it gives you hope and teaches you how to live. Happy Easter. Christ is risen.

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Contemplation and Good Friday

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I’ve been wanting to dwell on art that depicts Christ lately. There’s something about it that helps me focus. It helps me leave wherever I am sitting, usually at a desk in front of a computer, and place myself somewhere else. It allows me to stand before Jesus in a new way. For the most part, the only way I’ve ever been taught to come into Jesus’ presence is through prayer—a certain type of prayer, the kind of prayer that is dominated by words. I encounter Christ by going through everything like a list: “Lord, help me with this;” “Jesus, forgive me for that;” “Lord, please be with ________.”  And that kind of prayer does have an important place.

But if I think about my relationship with my wife, some of the most important moments in our relationship have been beyond words. They have taken place in silence. They have happened with glances, with held hands, with smiles, and sometimes through tears. Whatever they were, those moments defied words. And in those moments Rachel became more real to me.

I guess I’m seeking out some of those moments in my relationship with Jesus. I want him to become more real to me just by sitting with him. I think John would call that “abiding” in him (see John 15:4 in the King James Version). I also think (though I’m not sure) that this is partly what is meant by “contemplation.”

Likewise I’ve found that I can, if I’m not careful, go too long without noticing Rachel. Life becomes all about accomplishing tasks. We move from one chore to another--getting kids ready for school, figuring out what to do for dinner, scheduling events. And before long I have failed to pay much attention to her.

I think I’ve done this even more with Jesus. My relationship with Him has become (has always been, really) so task-oriented. But to work beside someone is just one way of getting to know them. The other way is to sit with them and look them in the eyes.

So today I would challenge you to sit with these images from Good Friday. Click here.  Click here.  Click here.   Finally, click here.  Just a warning, though--they are not very comforting.  Especially the last one.  I find them challenging because they remind me of the severe ramifications of the cross. Like I said last Sunday, we move too quickly from Jesus’ crucifixion to his resurrection. But isn’t it possible that, in doing so, we somehow temper the joy of Easter? I’ll let you react to them in your way. But to me they are reminders of the death, the very real death, of the Son of God. May we have the courage to face the awful consequences of our sin, and then celebrate all the more God's immeasurable grace.

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Not Fit For Church

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Today you will hear a story not fit for church. Which is ironic, because if it weren’t for this story, our church would not exist. Neither would any church, for that matter. But honestly, in some ways the story of the crucifixion has very little place in our church atmosphere. Think about it. Just stop from your reading for a moment and take a look around you. What do you see?

I’m imagining you seated in a pew before the beginning of our worship service. Light from the three large windows fills the room. Perhaps there is a buzz of conversation taking place around you, punctuated by the occasional squeal from a baby. People are laughing and greeting one another with hugs and slaps on the back. Children are talking to each other while their parents are herding them to their seats. Colorful slides are rotating on the screen at the front—pictures of parties and baby showers and other joyful events.

What in the world does this place have to do with Golgotha, the place of the skull, the scene of the crucifixion? How can we possibly be expected to confront the savagery of a place like that while seated in a place like this? How can we possibly hear the screams of agony that come from Christ, and the screams of derision that come from his persecutors, and the cries of sorrow that come from his family and friends while we are here in this room filled with gentle voices?

And I will not mention the horrible sights. There is a reason that Mel Gibson’s movie was Rated R. These sights are difficult to process when we are surrounded by neatly manicured people dressed in vibrant Sunday clothing.

Nevertheless, today I will talk about the crucifixion. Not in grisly detail. Actually I don’t plan on dwelling on the physical aspects of Jesus’ death at all. I’m much more interested in the spiritual nature of it and what that means for us.

But don’t be fooled. The spiritual details aren’t pretty either. They, too, are hardly fit for church-at least the spiritually sanitized church that you and I generally prefer. The spiritual situation that brought about the events of Jesus’ death are not easy to talk about or sit with. In examining the crucifixion, we are confronted with the worst of human nature. If we sit back and ask ourselves, “How did it come to this—the execution of an innocent (a perfectly innocent) man?” then we are confronted by the sin that we all carry around with us.

But there is good news. In the midst of the spiritual and physical horror there is more than enough love. If there weren’t, then Jesus would have never been crucified. We’ll talk more about it this morning.

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Jesus & Vader

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I don’t always pay attention to how long I preach, but sometimes I take note. When I finished Sunday’s message, the clock at the back said 11:45 a.m. I didn’t note my beginning time, so the length could be due to something else (late beginning of service, longer than usual Greeting, long Lord’s Supper, etc.). Anyway, I generally try not to preach too long.

Which is why I didn’t end up talking about this. However, if there were such thing as a “Director’s cut” or a “deleted scenes” feature for my messages, I would have given you this illustration.

You’ll recall that Sunday I talked about Jesus’ “triumphal” entry into Jerusalem, and how it actually wasn’t all that triumphal. Rather than enter Jerusalem on a war steed with a legion of angels following close behind, he enters Jerusalem on a donkey. Matthew says it’s to fulfill the scripture in Zech. 9:9 that describes Israel’s king coming to her “gentle and riding on a donkey.”

Jesus could have chosen the way of force. He could have compelled Jerusalem, Rome, and “all the kingdoms of the earth” to bow before him. Perhaps this would have been a quicker solution.  Satan tempts him with this option at the onset of his ministry. Instead Jesus chooses the way of humility and service. He wins people over, not through compulsion, but by serving them (healing them, washing their feet, feeding them) and then inviting them to follow him. This is a more difficult way to win people over, but it is more reflective of the character of God.

Had I the time, I would have directed your attention to the story of Darth Vader. (If you’re not a Star Wars geek like me, just indulge me for a second.) For many of us who grew up in the 70’s and 80’s, the Star Wars movies were a borderline obsession. So when the last installment of the original trilogy, Return of the Jedi, was released in 1983, a nearly 20 year wait ensued for Episodes I-III.

Since we knew how the story ended, what could possibly manage to keep us interested for all of those years? One of those things was the story of Vader. How was this monster created? How did one of the great archetypal villains of cinema come to be? How was he transformed from a cute (if also a little annoying) kid in Episode I, to the sociopathic, mass-murdering, half-robot of Episode IV?

Turns out it’s the same thing that Satan used to tempt Jesus. Anakin is drawn to the dark side of the force because he wants to save the people he loves, first his mother, then his wife Padme and their unborn child. He has a dream that tells him Padme will die in childbirth. (He assumes that means the child will die, too.) So when Anakin’s tempter arrives in the form of Chancellor Palpatine, he succumbs. Palpatine tells him that there have been other Dark Lord’s who were able defy death. The promise of being able to save his wife and child is enough to draw Anakin over. 

As Episode III draws to a close, it’s clear that Anakin believes that the end justifies the means. Of course, the darkness is too great, and Anakin is not powerful enough to save his wife or himself from the evil that consumes him.

All of Jesus’ acts, including his not-so-triumphal entry, show that he chose the riskier, more difficult path. Rather than make a deal with the devil, he sought to conquer the world through love and service. Obviously, it’s taking a longer time, but the outcome is so much better.

At this point I could go on about how this might influence our behavior—the way we treat our friends and neighbors or how we address our spouses, children and parents. But my time is up. The “blog clock” is way past 11:45.  What do you think?  What does it look like to change the world through love and service rather than force?

Connections Sunday

Just like a tree needs roots to grow and branch out, we need to find a way to connect with one another. April 13th is the day to get connected. You’ll find out about new LIFE Groups, and ministry opportunities. Join us for a fellowship meal after services. We’ll be having BBQ and sides. Please see the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board for what to bring. If you are a ministry leader, help us prepare by sending pictures of your ministries in action.

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Show of Force

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One Sunday morning a while back I asked the congregation what superpower they would most like to have. I got a wide range of answers. Someone said they would like to have super strength. Others wanted x-ray vision, others wanted to be able to read minds, and somebody wanted to be able fly.

The other question I’d love to ask is: How many of you would be tempted to use your superpowers to “break the rules?” Would you be tempted to profit illegally from those powers? Would you be tempted to steal? Would you seek revenge on all of those who had ever hurt you? Would you use your power to control others?

There’s a movie out right now called “Jumpers.” I haven’t seen it, but as far as I can gather, it’s about people who have the ability to teleport anywhere in the world. They hang from Big Ben in London, have a picnic on the top of the Sphinx, or show up in the Coliseum after it closes. They can also break the rules. Wouldn’t you be tempted to steal if you knew that your powers gave you the ability to break into any bank in the world?

Since we’re sitting in church, my immediate answer would be, “No.” Of course I would only use my powers for good! I would be a member of the League of Justice instead of the Legion of Doom. I would join the X-men. And I would never dream of abusing my abilities. But I must acknowledge how tempting it would be.

Would you believe that Jesus faced this temptation? Scripture is very clear about it. This morning we’re beginning a series of lessons that will follow Jesus through the final week before his crucifixion. We’ll watch Jesus during his week in Jerusalem. We’ll walk beside him as he goes to his crucifixion, and we’ll celebrate his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Today we’re going to be looking at a passage where Christ is tempted to misuse the power at his disposal. And we’ll see that he chooses the way that is right, even though it’s the way that is difficult. In entering the city of Jerusalem for his ultimate show down with the forces of darkness, Jesus teaches us what kind of a King he is and what it means to be members of his Kingdom.

It’s a good reminder for us as we talk about changing lives through Jesus this year.

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Nun on the Run

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No really this is it. I’m GOING to blog regularly. It’s just that, in spite of the fact that I have a computer, I’m still something of a luddite (word of the day) when it comes to this web publishing. So I haven’t been getting on here regularly. But Ray’s been doing way too much good work on the design of our website for me to ignore it. Sorry, brother.

Anyway…

Even though I don’t look like the poster-child for Runner’s World magazine, I do actually enjoy running. I like the solitude. I do some great thinking while I’m running. I like lacing up the shoes, putting on the headphones, and “clomp, clomp, clomping” on down the road. And boy do I clomp. A while back I ran in a 5K race. The official registration form actually had a “Clydesdale” category. That’s me.

Imagine my admiration, then, to see a recent feature story on “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” about Sister Madonna Buder—the triathlon nun. There are many things that make Buder remarkable. She has run over 300 triathlons. Over 30 of them have been the notorious “Ironman” in Hawaii. She has endured numerous injuries, including a triple fracture of the arm.

Oh, and she’s 77. She didn’t even begin her running career until she was close to 50. At 75 (!), she became the oldest woman to ever finish the Ironman.
 
Astounding physical accomplishments aside, I also admire the way that Sister Buder sees her running as an extension of her faith. She ran her first long distance race after hearing about a family member’s struggle with alcoholism. She saw it as a way to suffer with th is person. In the “Real Sports” feature, she stops by a hospital before competing in the Ironman, so she can pray with someone. Her faith has become evident to other runners, many of whom ask her to pray for them before events. If you want to, you can read more about her here, or here, or you can just Google “triathlon nun”.
 
(I wonder what people would Google to find me? Maybe “TV Watching Preacher.” Who am I kidding? That’s most of us.)
 
I think it’s easy to put the activities of our day into nice, neat categories. “God” stuff (prayer, Bible Study, church) goes here in this box. “Life” stuff (work, school, play, hobbies, family-time) goes there in that box. But that keeps us from seeing how God sustains us in everything. And it leads to a shortsighted walk of faith. We fail to see how God is present in all of the things we do.

I wonder what parts of your life you could start viewing as an extension of your faith. What hobbies do you have? How can they be an opportunity to draw near to God? How can they be a chance to serve others? What about at work or school? How is your job as a parent a spiritual exercise?

The psalmist says “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1). May we see today the sacred nature of everything we set out to do.

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One Long Year

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You’ve probably heard the following joke, but it helps me make my point, so I’ll tell it again:

A young man named Johnny was lying on a hillside one day and watching the clouds roll by. Feeling inspired, he decided to talk to God—

Johnny: God?
God: Yes, Johnny?
Johnny: How big are you exactly?
God: Bigger than you can possibly imagine.
Johnny: Help me understand.
God: Ok. To me a million years is like a minute.
Johnny: So what’s a million dollars like to you?
God: Well, it’s like one penny.
(Long pause)
Johnny: God? Can I have a penny?
God: Sure, Johnny. Just a minute.

In Peter’s second letter, he’s dealing with the apparent delay in Jesus’ return and the response of certain critics who wonder out loud, “Just where is this coming that you speak of?” And Peter responds with a reminder that God’s sense of time is not like ours. He says: But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness (2 Peter 3:8-9).

Over and over again we get the idea that our concept of time and God’s concept of time are not the same. Sometimes that’s bad. We want God to deliver on a promise or answer a prayer or take care of a need or rescue us from something. And what must be a brief time to him feels like an eternity to us. Sometimes it appears to work in our favor. God exerts little or not effort to show the small amount of patience with us. That patience translates into an entire lifetime for us.

When it comes to today’s passage I’ll gladly take God’s understanding of time over ours. Jesus says that he has come “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:19). Now that could mean one of our years. In which case, God’s favor lasted 365 days and was exhausted around the year 32 A.D. Or a year in this context could mean one of God’s years which, to us, is ongoing and almost limitless. Fortunately, I believe Jesus is talking about one of God’s years.

And that’s the good news for this morning. You and I are so lucky, so very blessed, to be living in the year of the Lord’s favor. Let’s not let it (or our whole lives) pass us by. Let’s enjoy it today as we worship together.


 

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God vs Science

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A science professor begins his school year with a lecture to the students, "Let me explain the problem science has with religion." The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

"You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"

"Yes sir," the student says.

"So you believe in God?"

"Absolutely."

"Is God good?"

"Sure! God's good."

"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"

"Yes."

"Are you good or evil?"

"The Bible says I'm evil."

The professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!" He considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?"

"Yes sir, I would."

"So you're good...!"

"I wouldn't say that."

"But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could.
Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't."

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. "He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"

The student remains silent.

"No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

"Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"

"Er...yes," the student says.

"Is Satan good?"

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. "No."

"Then where does Satan come from?"

The student falters. "From God"

"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"

"Yes, sir."

"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?"

"Yes."

"So who created evil?" The professor continued, "If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil."

Again, the student has no answer. "Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?"

The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."

"So who created them?"

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. "Who created them?" There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me," he continues onto another student. "Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor, I do."

The old man stops pacing. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"

"No sir. I've never seen Him."

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"

"No, sir, I have not."

"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

"Yet you still believe in him?"

"Yes."

"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?"

"Nothing," the student replies. "I only have my faith."

"Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith."

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. "Professor, is there such thing as heat?"

"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."

"And is there such a thing as cold?"

"Yes, son, there's cold too."

"No sir, there isn't."

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees."

"Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.

"What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?"

"Yes," the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't darkness?"

"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word."

"In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?"

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?"

"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed."

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. "Flawed? Can you explain how?"

"You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains. "You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought."

"It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it."

"Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"

"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."

"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

"Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?"

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided.

"To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean."

The student looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into laughter.

"Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir."

"So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?"


Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. "I guess you'll have to take them on faith."

"Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life," the student continues. "Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?"

Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

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Free Eye Exam

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Camp is coming soon!

Just wanted to say that. It seems far away right now, but it’s not really. In fact, I’m going to be coming after you very soon, wanting you to sign away a week of your life in July. I will not be turned away. You will not be able to refuse my call to make a difference in the life of a kid. In fact, when I ask you to volunteer your services I am going to have one of the wonderful kids of our congregation with me. Then, if you’re tempted to say no, I’ll say, “Don’t look at me! Look at them as you say no.” (Oh yeah. I’ll do it.)

Actually I was thinking about camp as I was preparing for this morning’s lesson. Right next to Camp Idlewild is the Sky Anchor Ranch. There, right beside the driveway that leads to Idlewild is Sky Anchor’s disabilities course, a series of stations designed to emulate life with a variety of disabilities. Campers for our session got to go through it last summer. They tried to throw a shot put from a seated position. They had to trace a picture by looking in a mirror (like dyslexia).

The most popular activities were the blind folded maze and the blind BB gun shoot. Campers had to navigate the maze with a walking stick. They had to shoot the gun with the help of a laser sight and voice commands from their partner.

At each station, the campers learned what life would be like if they didn’t have one of the senses that they (we) take so much for granted. I pray that I never have to adapt to something so drastic, but there’s a decent possibility that some day I will. Some day, if I live long enough, I may very well have to learn how to live without some ability that I once had.

This morning we’re going to read about the opposite kind of process. Jesus declares in Luke 4 that part of his mission on Earth is to enable rather than disable. He says, “I have come to give recovery of sight to the blind.” In most cases that sounds like good news, particularly when Jesus give someone physical sight. But as you and I will see (no pun intended), it’s not always an easy process to gain our spiritual sight. Sometimes it’s a little painful when we get clarity about who we are.

This morning, I hope you’ll be courageous. I hope you are willing to try and see yourself as God sees you. There’s good and bad news there. I’ll be sharing both.
 

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Prison Break

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I sometimes have a recurring dream. It usually comes back to me when I’m feeling pressure or anxiety about something that I have to do. Maybe I’m facing a deadline, or I’m feeling overwhelmed so I’m not feeling up to the task at hand. There are different variations, but all of them share a couple of elements.

First, I have somewhere that I’m supposed to be. When I was in college and graduate school, I was supposed to be taking an exam somewhere. But now I often feel like I’m supposed to be preaching. And, usually I’m somehow aware that the audience/congregation is waiting for me. The last song has been sung. The songleader has told the audience, “You may be seated.” And now there is this awkward silence punctuated by the occasional cough or squeal of a child. People are looking around and wondering where I am, some in amusement, others in anger.

Second, for whatever reason, I can’t get there. It’s often because I keep finding myself distracted by other, urgent tasks. A person runs up and begins talking to me. I can’t find my notes. Sometimes I simply can’t find the place where I’m supposed to be speaking.

And that right there is the entire dream. I spend who knows how long trying to get this place where I’m supposed to be so that I can perform this task that I’m supposed to perform. And all the while I am completely in capable of making it. I can’t believe I don’t kick my poor wife senseless just running in place lying down. Finally, as I wake up my panic is washed away in flood of relief as I realize that it was just a dream.

Of all the dreams, though, the worst ones are the ones where I am physically slowed down somehow. I know I need to hurry, but I can’t. It’s like I’m walking in molasses, or it’s like I’ve been drugged. Sometimes I’ll be unable to open my eyes properly. These dreams are maddening. As the feeling of panic rises, my inability to make my body work increases. I HATE having these dreams. I feel so trapped.

But what would it be like if, in the midst of that dream, I were to find myself able to move quickly? What if my arms and legs were suddenly infused with energy? What if my eyes were suddenly wide open and I could see everything clearly? What a liberating ending that would be to my dream.

I would hope that these dreams are the closest I will ever come to being imprisoned. But I do know this—whenever I wake up, I feel truly free. I feel as if someone has just sprung me from jail.

Maybe your life feels that way today. Maybe you are somehow feeling trapped. Trapped by decisions you have made, trapped by bad things that have happened to you, trapped by weaknesses that you have. Maybe you have somewhere you would like to go or something you would like to be, but you feel like you can’t get there.

The good news for this morning is Jesus’ mission statement in Luke 4. Jesus has been sent to “proclaim freedom for the prisoner” and to “release the oppressed.” Jesus can set us free. We’ll talk about it this morning.
 

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