The Crap & Splendor of Christmas

Horoscope readers
Low-income laborers
Teenage mother
Uneducated trade worker
Pungent farm animals

These were the guests of the very first Christmas party.  They translate as:
The Magi
The shepherds
Mary
Joseph
The animals

The scene is so cutesy in the paintings, but when you think of someone giving birth in this dark, unsanitized setting, you can see it wasn't pretty at all.

The God of the universe, the majestic One, the Creator.  How does He come?  Like this?  Seriously?

Here's why it matters: one of the greatest gifts we get from Jesus life on this earth was that He showed us the Father.  He made it crystal clear, just what God was actually like.

And here we see God's heart: One that humbles Himself so as to be with us in our life-in the midst of all it's crap and splendor.  The Father is FOR us.

This is a tiding of comfort...and joy.

Merry Christmas.

Feeling Hurt and finding Home Base

I'm sitting here listening to an album from 1990.  Yep, old stuff.

It's funny.  We all branch out, but when times get hard we go back to home base, where we started.

For me, my human life began in 1976, but my true life began in November of 1990 when I asked Jesus to work in my life.

I've done lots of thinking and exploring over the decades since.  I love thinking and wrestling about the deep stuff of life.  All of that has been a part of my journey with Jesus and has deepened and enriched the way I see life, see my Father, and love.

But, today, as my wife and I feel some hurts my heart went looking for something to hold onto.  So many things that I have learned are helpful, but they just didn't give me a place to rest.  But then I went back to home base.  Home base for me is: the sense of peace and exhilaration I feel about following Jesus wherever He leads in this life.  Everything else comes around that.

I think about a song called "Keep Me Running" by Randy Stonehill (a different one from the one I sing in chapel).  I love the image of running through life, wind whipping my face, following Jesus, but in reality, being propelled by His ubiquitous presence as well.


It's where it all started for me: an aimless teen with lots of passion, but nowhere to go.  Suddenly at age 14, thanks to a friend, I heard that Jesus wanted me, yes me, to live my life for him.

And all of this came back to me at age 39 when I'm feeling hurt.  Home base just gave me the perspective and the impetus to keep running, keep running, keep running...after Him.  What a dangerous, but "worth-it" adventure.

If there's some take-away here, I'd say it's to ask yourself: do you have a home base?  And if so, what is it?  Where will your mind and heart go when hurt and despair tries to wrestle your soul to the ground?  Find that home base and cling to it.

Can a Christian Be Gay?

This subject has led me into many mental and spiritual wrestling matches.  I have read, studied, talked, and prayed about it, knowing that it is a defining issue of our time in the western world.  I have even changed perspectives several times, trying to follow God's heart.

And, of course, it's not just an "issue."  It's about real people, with real lives, real hopes and dreams.  It is so much more complex than I ever thought it was when I was younger.  Having read and heard perspectives from Jesus-followers on both sides of the debate (and in the middle), I particularly found the podcast in this post refreshing.

The speaker is Wayne Jacobsen and this is his podcast called The God Journey.  The subject of same-sex relationships is not his usual topic, but here he gives such a compassionate, honest, and relate-able explanation of where he is one this journey.  He also reads from an article that differs from him and also plays the audio of a story of a Christian man with same-sex attractions.

I implore (fancy for: beg) you to listen to all of it.  I know it's long, but I think if you stop part way through you will miss the full nature of Jacobsen's answer to the question: Can a Christian be Gay?

Noah: cute story or mass murder?

Sometimes, when we look again at biblical occurrences without Sunday School blinders, we may find that they are much more complicated than we think.

Take the story of Noah and the ark.  Is this a story about cute animals on a boat or the story of an angry, irrational God lashing out and destroying men, women, and children indiscriminately?

This radio show podcast addresses these issues in a logical and analytical way.  I think you'll find it insightful, provocative, and even entertaining.  Dennis Prager is a Jewish radio show host.  He also plays several quotes by noted atheist Bill Maher.

Can I really DO something about Paris?

When you hear about something like what happened in Paris, you want to do something.  But what can you do?  

People on Facebook are changing their profiles to french flag colors to show solidarity.  Cool,

but, honestly, what does that do?

A man I respect, Wayne Jacobsen, wrote the following post that I find quite significant.  In it, he gives us some real answers to the question, "What can I do about what happened in Paris?"  Check it out:

We can grieve for the people in Paris. We can pray for God’s intervention in these desperate circumstances and for the wisdom of global leaders to deal with all the chaos in our world. But it will help to realize that our media overwhelms us with storylines that invite our emotional responses to situations we cannot influence. And that can be crippling. We grieve for people we don’t know and fear circumstances we can’t control. 

I don’t know how to comfort the people in Paris, or to end Islamic fundamentalist aggression in the world. But I do know how to love the people around me today. I know people going through painful circumstances and grief of their own and can comfort them. I know those who treat me with disdain and betrayal and what it means to love them is very clear. 

We can’t really love “the world” in any meaningful way. It’s too abstract and generalized at a macro level to make any difference, but is richly powerful in the immediate circumstances of our own life.
 

Is that why Jesus asked us to, “love one another,” not to love the crowds or the whole world? Love is applied in the singular, not the plural. 

If you want to be the change in the world, get your eyes off of circumstances you don’t control and

on to those people and circumstances right around you where your loving can make a difference. 

If you grieve for the people in Paris and feel powerless to help, think of someone you know going through deep grief or challenge and find a way to encourage them today.  Instead of living in fear or frustration of ISIS, find someone who has done you wrong and ask Jesus if there is a way to love him or her today that will begin to reverse the cycle of evil that only adds pain to pain.

We overcome evil in the world not by fussing and fretting, but by loving some one in front of us.  Every act of generosity and kindness brings light into the world.  Every time you comfort a broken heart, offer kindness to a stranger, or make time for someone who is lonely you pour a bit more of the kingdom in the world.

Wherever our fear gives way to love in the immediacy of our own circumstances, the world changes a little and the power of wickedness is broken. Find someone to love, encourage, or bless today and you will have been part of something significant.  You can leave the bigger things in Father’s hands, who is well up to the challenge. 

I love Jacobsen's solution because we all can do this, even teens.  In the words of a famous saying, "It's better to light one candle than to curse the darkness."

Is it lust 2

I wanted to make a small clarification about the Brad Watson article that many of you read the other day.  Let me compare lust to anger.

Jesus says in Matthew 5 that “You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘You must not murder anyone.' Anyone who murders another will be judged.’  But I tell you, if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be judged.”

Is Jesus really saying that we should never be angry at someone?  By “angry” we mean feeling frustration at someone else for what they have done.  Of course, we can’t believe that’s what Jesus is talking about.  Being realistic tells us, He must mean something else.

Most of us would come to this conclusion: Jesus is saying that just because you don’t kill someone, doesn’t mean it’s okay to be nasty to them, speak ill of them, swear at them, or hope you can do wrong to them.  It is the ACTIONS that flow from a HEART that desires to harm, not our THOUGHTS. 

In other words, “Okay, fine, you haven’t murdered that boy that made fun of you, but you harm God’s heart still by talking nasty about him at lunch and looking for ways to embarrass him, if you could.”

The same is the case with lust.  Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Jesus is not saying, “Don’t have sexual thoughts” or “Don’t be turned on by the sight of attractive people.”  He is saying, “Just because you don’t have sex with this other person, doesn’t mean it’s okay to make them feel uncomfortable with unwanted touches, or looks, or unwanted flirting.  Just because it doesn’t work, when you try to get them into a sexual situation, doesn’t mean you didn’t hurt the Father’s heart.” 

It is the ACTIONS that flow from a HEART that desires to take advantage of others.

Also, we must remember that Jesus is targeting married people.  Jesus was speaking to people in a time, when it wasn’t unusual for a man to have to leave his wife for long periods of time (because of slow travel or work etc.).   This left wives at home alone, unprotected, and vulnerable in a male-dominated society.  In essence, he was probably saying to some of the men, “You know that woman who is your neighbor whose husband is gone right now?  Just because you haven’t succeeded in seducing her, you have already harmed your Father’s heart by trying.” I suspect that Jesus was targeting this situation more than anything.

Appearance Myth #5: Good Looks are the Key to Finding a Good Guy/Girl

Image is important, yes.  But, here’s what’s really important: Becoming a person, hear that: a person, that is attractive.  It may seem like the best ways to win a guy are to show that you can party and are willing to hang all over him regardless of morals-that’s what our media tells young people at least-but a real “catch” is a girl who knows how to be fun, playful, sweet, inviting, and yet has dignity, knows how to stand up for what she believes in, has a real relationship with God, and has a life all her own without needing a guy to make her happy all the time. 

Ok, that may be a tall order for anyone.  We’re all in progress and we all have varying personalities that make some of these attributes more difficult or easier to come by. 

Anyway, these were the traits I was looking for when I met the girl who I married.  Honestly, I think she dresses more attractive today than she did back when I met her.  What I mean is that, yes she was good-looking, but her personality, the way she held herself, the passion she had for the Lord, her sweet, funny spirit, was the thing that attracted me to want to marry her.  I loved that we could laugh together and also have important conversations. 

I remember that when I would see her she would ask “How are you?”  Then we would talk.  Then, later in the conversation, she would ask “So, how are you really?”  I was blown away that this girl wanted to talk beyond the surface and had the guts to ask!  And, mind you, this was before we were dating. 

This equally applies to guys.  Yes, flirting has its place (I should say “flirting that is not degrading or done in a way that takes advantage"), but the best way to attract the kind of girl you really want is to be a guy that can be trusted, that has a listening ear, that knows how to treat a girl with respect, kindness, and yes, as the saying goes “like a princess.”  You know what most girls really want: a guy that knows how to communicate.  Learn how to talk about how your day was or what you are thinking…AND to ask others about those things. 

You might think: The girls always fall for bad guys.  Or guys always go for the girls who flaunt their bodies.  Just because a lot of people make bad choices, doesn’t mean you should change to turn into one of those choices.  On one hand, even ‘nice guys’ can learn to become adventurous (in positive ways) and even ‘plain girls’ can learn to express their femininity in a way that still feels comfortable.  And, yet, if you’re patient, smart girls will ditch the bad boys eventually and look for ‘good guys.’  And smart guys will eventually find ‘good girls’ to be the hottest thing out there.

Rappaccini's Daughter Audio Tracks

Here are audio versions of "Rapaccini's Daughter" for those of you in my English class.  You can listen to them here or download them (click on the down-pointed arrow).  They are divided by page number, though, if a page ends in the middle of a paragraph, I read through to the end of it on the next page.  The next page audio then begins with the first full paragraph.

Rappaccini's Daughter Audio Tracks

Here are audio versions of "Rapaccini's Daughter" for those of you in my English class.  You can listen to them here or download them (click on the down-pointed arrow).  They are divided by page number, though, if a page ends in the middle of a paragraph, I read through to the end of it on the next page.  The next page audio then begins with the first full paragraph.

Rappaccini's Daughter Audio Tracks

Here are audio versions of "Rapaccini's Daughter" for those of you in my English class.  You can listen to them here or download them (click on the down-pointed arrow).  They are divided by page number, though, if a page ends in the middle of a paragraph, I read through to the end of it on the next page.  The next page audio then begins with the first full paragraph.

Image Myth #4: How I Look Affects How I Feel About Myself

This is one of those, “not entirely a myth” myths.  People do say “it doesn’t matter what you look like.”  Yes and no.  As mentioned in previous posts, it does matter… in certain areas of life.  One particular area is in romantic relationships.  It does matter.  Guys are wired that way.  However, life is not only about romantic relationships.  Therefore, our self-esteem need not be based on one area of life. 

It is good to feel good about the way you look.  My wife feels better about herself when she is eating well and exercising.  It feels good to her to look fit and attractive to me.  Yet, she would be the first to admit that there are parts of her body that she wishes were different. 

 
But here’s the difference: my wife’s ‘center’ is not how she looks.  Her ‘center’ is also not based on if others find her attractive.  Her ‘center’ is: God intimately, personally, passionately loves me.  No one will ever have the perfect image, or anything for that matter.  As Psalm 62 says, let your soul find rest in God alone.  He is your rock and your fortress and you will never be shaken.  Once you have that peace, you can enter into making yourself look good (in a way that fits you) without worrying about it defining your self-worth.

Image Myth #3: Some girls are pretty and some aren't

There are many kinds of girls and there are many kinds of guys.  Guys vary in what they find attractive.  Some guys like a more relaxed style, natural girl, some like sharp dressing girls with makeup.  So, be you.  But you can do a lot, no matter what your size or shape.  There are very attractive heavier girls and there are some unattractive thin ones.  It’s irrelevant really.  In fact, I know of a woman who is at least in her 50s that looks better than a lot of girls in their 20s.  She works at it.  She makes her hair cute and she dresses in a way that reflects her femininity with style and dignity (and no, she doesn’t look like she’s trying too hard). 

Have you ever seen that home makeover show?  You can change the appearance of something with just a bit of care and by trying out a little bit of style.  When we moved to Berea we bought this ugly, brown, 1950s ranch house (BTW, the house in the pic is not ours).  But, my wife brought her sense of style to it in lots of little ways and we love our house now!  The same is true for any person’s appearance (girl or guy, for that matter).

Appearance Myth #2: It shouldn't matter how I look

This is the other side of the coin: Guys are wired visually.  They are attracted to girls’ forms.  It is very difficult for girls to relate to this because, generally speaking, they aren’t AS attracted to purely physical things.  Of course, a good looking guy is great, but most girls are into “specific” guys.  Few girls like staring at men’s legs.  It’s almost funny to think about.  But the opposite is absolutely true. 

So, what you wear does make an impact on the guys around you.  Something that might, to you, seem cute or trendy, might very well be a turn on to some guys.  Is that bad?  No.  It just is reality.  There was a time when guys were attracted to a “well-turned ankle” because that was the only part of a woman’s body that was exposed in public.  I think it is just good for girls to be aware of what typical male nature is like.  They like the female form and more skin or curves will be noticed by them. 

So, what should you do about it?  Well, first of all, accept that you are a young woman.  God made you feminine.  Some girls get afraid of guys’ attractions so much that they hide their femininity.  You don’t need to do this.  There’s nothing shameful about expressing your femininity.  On the other hand, you are not required to show it off in ways that make you uncomfortable.  Don’t let fashion tell you what to do. 

Is it okay to show off your femininity?  Yes, but be aware of what you’re doing.  There are times and places to make yourself more noticeable.  You may want to attract someone.  But be aware that you will get more attention, even from those you might not want it from.  Again, I’m not making judgments here.  It’s just good to understand the reality of how guys are. 

Again, you are not responsible for guys’ reactions, no matter how attractive you dress.  They can control themselves.  Yet, do be aware that guys are what they are. 

Appearance Myth #1: Men can't control themselves

Not long ago I read the prequel to a book that we read later in the school year called The Prisoner of Zenda.  It’s called The Heart of Princess Osra.  Basically, every chapter follows the life of a different man who falls in love with Princess Osra.  Every one of them either must leave the country or die because her beauty has driven them mad with love.  In one case a man, who has disguised himself as a soldier to get close to her, ultimately decides to kill the princess so that honest men will no longer suffer because of her beauty.  He, of course, can’t do it, but instead dies to protect the Princess.  After this Osra asks the King to make her a nun so “that she might trouble honest men no more.”

This is an entertaining story to read, but is a pack of lies for girls.  Let me address five myths:

Myth #1: Men can’t control themselves.

Bull.  There are men who don’t control themselves, but that’s true of anyone, right?  What you wear, or how you look, doesn’t make a guy do anything.  In the Christian world we talk about girls causing guys “to stumble” by wearing clothing that might cause them to lust.  Girls don’t cause this.  This is important because lots of girls feel ashamed of themselves when they have been violated (physically or verbally or by text etc.) by a guy.  There is part of them that feels like they caused it or “asked” for it.  I’d like to drive 100mph on the highway because it would be a thrill, but I choose not to do it.  But, if I did, and got a ticket, I can’t say “movies with chase scenes” made me do it.  If a guy blamed you for a violation of his, he is lying. 

In the next post I'll address the next myth: It doesn’t matter what I wear or how I look.

How to find love

It seems that about 90% of songs, movies, or books are about finding love.  Even Disney's Frozen,
while being unique in that a sibling relationship was the focus of the film, still had a romantic love story running through it.

So, how do you find love?

There are a lot of practical tips to give, but I want to give one that you probably won't find in Teen Magazine.

To find love, make sure that you are loved.

Huh?

Yeah.  Sounds weird, right?

Here's the deal: if you see yourself as an empty cup that some future boyfriend or girlfriend will fill up with love there will be two problems:
1. They'll eventually fail you (humans have a tendency to do that :)
2. You will have expectations of them that they won't be able to fill in the long run.

In both cases, you end up a half-full or even an empty cup.

But what if you already felt loved?  What if, being securely loved already by someone else, you could then enjoy a relationship with someone without expecting them to be your 'all in all' or to 'make' you happy?

One of the ancient Psalm writers wrote, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."  Another of the Psalmists wrote, "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone.  My hope comes from him."

Do you truly believe you are loved by God?  Do you believe He loves you, not just your accomplishments?  Do you believe He thinks about you, even when you're not in church?  Do you believe He really cares about your daily life, your struggles, your joys, the things that make you laugh, and the things that get under your skin?

The cross was not just about forgiveness.  It was also about making a very clear statement to each of us individually, that He is willing to do whatever it takes to bridge the gap between us and Him.

If you can truly trust and live inside of the Father's love and affection, you will find that you don't have to be so desperate about getting a boyfriend or girlfriend.

But also, when you do get one, the pressure is off: He doesn't need to make you happy.  She doesn't need to make you worthy.  You're already loved.  Now you can enjoy simply blessing the other person and bringing extra joy to their life.

Plus, you also have the peace knowing that if you come to the conclusion that you aren't meant for each other, you can break up, and still have peace and love in your heart, despite the pain and hurt that naturally comes from breaking up.

So, how do you find love?  The first place, I believe, is to fill your cup with His love first.

Longing to feel okay

Don't you hate that feeling?
The one where you feel like crap.
The one where you wonder why anyone would like you.
The one where you seem like such a screw up.
The one where it seems like you're not good enough for anyone.

I hate it too.
But I used to feel it a lot more often.  In fact, these days it's pretty rare for me.

Check out the following quote I heard on a podcast recently:

The moment your well-being is hinged to another person's response, you will manipulate them.

To manipulate is to try and make someone else do something by pressuring or tricking them.  Most of us wouldn't manipulate to get money, but we do when we need to feel okay.

We pressure, we threaten, we cry, we yell, we give the silent treatment, we ignore-whatever it takes to get someone's attention that we really crave.  And we crave it because we cannot feel good about ourselves without it.

When God gave the commandment: "You shall not have any other gods before me" he was not being self-absorbed.  He was being smart...for our sake.

You see, when we stake our well-being in anybody we are setting that person up as a god, as our source of meaning.  Naturally, they can never completely come through when we need it, so we then get mad and manipulate them to get what we want from them.  In the process, in the long term, we slowly deteriorate the relationship.

But when, as David said, "My soul finds rest in God alone" (Psalm 62), then we can live without manipulation, because as we learn to rest our souls in God, we are free to enjoy people without needing them to make us happy.

Sexual humor-is it okay?

What's okay to say to someone?  What is okay for someone to say to you?

It's less and less clear for many of us.

Not long ago, my wife Beth and I were at an event where we met and talked with a couple that we didn't know.  They were totally fun to talk to, but there were a few moments that bothered me.  A couple times the guy made humorous sexual comments.  In one case my wife said something random and the guy jokingly took it in a sexual direction.  Admittedly, it was funny and we all chuckled.

The comments were purely in jest and weren't personal, but still, I thought, why does this guy think making sexual comments around my wife is okay?  (not to mention the fact that his girlfriend was there as well).

Now, I'll be honest, the way my wife worded what she said was accidentally funny because it sounded like a double entendre (a simple phrase that can be misconstrued sexually).  But here's the difference: I didn't say it out loud, but the other guy did.

Sexual humor is funny.  As a married person it is something that can become a fun, flirty part of your relationship with your spouse.  But wisdom has taught me: you must be careful about it.  When in mixed company (guys and girls), it's just, well, inappropriate.  I know, it's such a 'teacher'/'parent' word.  But I use it because, honestly, it has an appropriate time.  We all laugh about things that make us uncomfortable.  It's part of life.  The question is: when is it inappropriate?

If you're a guy, I get it: our sex drives are a very, very powerful part of our makeup.  That's not bad.  Our Father designed us that way.  We are more likely to joke sexually because it's on our minds a lot!  However, girls are different.  They experience their sexual side in a very different way and making sexual jokes will not (did you hear? NOT) be a turn on to them.

Sexually-laced texts and comments about their bodies in texts will not be taken romantically.  Let me put it straight-forward: it's wrong.  It makes girls feel unsafe, even violated.

If you want to communicate you're attracted to a girl, do what girls like (not necessarily what you as a

guy would like): be sweet, ask questions, encourage her, be funny, open up to her, compliment her.

Even if you're not attracted to a girl you're around it is still inappropriate to make sexual jokes.  She's still a woman and should be respected.

If you're a girl, first, it's important to recognize that most guys are not 'perverts'.  God made the male sex drive quite prominent in their thoughts.  They have to learn to hold back those thoughts and actions.  Most guys learn this through good parenting, role models, and spiritual growth, but not always.

On the other hand, you don't have to act like you like sexual comments or jokes.  In fact, it would be ideal for you to say you don't appreciate them upfront if a guy starts doing it.  I know that is hard to do socially, though.  If nothing else, ignore them or drop subtle hints of disapproval through facial expressions or comments.  You're a lady, and you deserve to be treated like one no matter what your age.

I think the above is true whether you are a Jesus follower or not, but even more so, for those of us who follow Christ, we want to act, as Paul once put it, "above reproach."  Men and women are different-that's a beautiful thing-but let's respect it too.

Why are you here? Part 4

….Then came a fateful day:

I walked into chapel on a Tuesday in November planning to sleep, or at least act like I was sleeping.  I had the seat at the top of the bleachers where you could lean in and ‘rest.’  I figured that yet another pastor or teacher would drone on.  However, it was one of the guys I had been hanging out with on the weekend that was speaking that day.  Crazy!  Wait a minute, I thought.  He’s funny!  Why would he be talking about God?  He gave a simple message that day: live for God.  Live for God every day.   Something burned in my heart.  I’m not making that part up.  Seriously, I physically felt a yearning in my soul to have that kind of purpose.  I really believe God was calling my soul. 

 

That evening, in my room, I knelt and asked God to begin working in my life like he had been in my friend’s.  I had finally found something worth living for.   I found purpose.  My soul had found what it was meant for: to connect to my Creator and to live for His glory.  What does that mean?  Well, I hope that is a part of what comes out on these blogs.  The key for me was that, instead of God being a part of my life that I pulled out for special occasions and Sunday mornings, He became my whole life. 

So, why are you here?  Like any really worthwhile thing in life, you can’t answer it with one sentence.  Worthwhile things are too complex for that.  But I’d suggest that real, exciting, meaningful life begins here: connecting personally with the Father. 

Why are you here? Part 3

I was a freshman at LW in 1990.  Yes, I went to LW.  Weird, I know.  I grew up going to church and went to a Christian grade school.  I believed in God and even had moments of ‘I dig God,’ but something struck me on a Tuesday in November of that year. 

I was pretty stoked (how’s that for a ‘90s terms!) about high school because it was so different from grade school.  Teachers weren't harping on you for every little thing and there were so many new people!  In particular, I had made friends with a few upperclassmen and that was a major thrill!  I danced for the first time at a dance (what a concept!), actually liked some of my classes, and best of all, I started to go out on the weekend with friends. 

 

It was about this time that I began being really conscious of how I felt about myself and my life.  Maybe when I was younger I just didn’t think about it.  But, now, with all this exciting stuff happening I knew that I could feel good about myself when I had had a good time.  Going out with my upperclassmen friends on the weekend was a huge part of whether I could feel good or not. 

It was pretty shaky ground to base my life upon, however.  Arguments with parents, criticism, a boring weekend, getting dumped, all of these made me feel crummy and depressed.  Still, most of the time, I was in good spirits.  Then came a fateful day.

Why are you here? Part 2

Ok, so we addressed the survival element last time.  There’s got to be more to going to school than that.  Why are you here?

First, why ask?  So, let’s say you’re going to catch a plane in a few days.  Imagine how hard it would be to pack if you didn’t know where you were going.  Outside of that, think of how it would affect how you feel too.  There would be a big difference between finding out that you were going to a funeral versus going to Myrtle Beach.

Ok, yeah, I know most are saying “I’m at LW because my parents are sending me here.”  Ok, fine, we all have to deal with the fact that we don’t have control over everything.  Like it or not, you’re here.  Now start dreaming.  Yes, dreaming.  School is an opportunity.  Most of the world envies the chances you have.  This is the point where most people start thinking about careers.  That’s what school is for right?

This is where I’d say: we need to go higher.  We need to go from “Why are you here (at LW)?” to “Why are you here (at all)?”  I believe that our life experience is entirely affected by what we believe to be the answer to this question.  I’ll let you ponder that one until next time.

Why Are You Here? Part 1

Why are you here?  It’s a question worth asking in anything you get involved with.  Could it be that God has you here at Lutheran West on purpose?  My guess is: yes. 

So, high school.  What do you want from it?  Ask yourself that question.  Don’t worry about what you’re supposed to say.  What do YOU want? 

Let’s start from the ground floor.  There is a survival element going on.  You may simply want someone to eat lunch with you or say hi to you.  Some of you came in with friends, some have none, but even if you know people, you may not have them in every class.  In this area, you need two things: patience and guts.  It will take you time to get comfortable.  You could look at this as a nerve-wracking tragedy or…you could see it as an adventure.  You’re going on the ride either way so you might as well find joy in it.  Either way, in time you, yes you, will actually have a table to sit at in the lunchroom and will have people to say hi to in less time than you expect. 

But you also need guts.  I’m an introvert, so I know this is hard, but look o u t w a r d.  Instead of waiting for someone to invite you to sit next to them in a class or at lunch, why don’t you do the asking?  At the end of class ask someone what the homework was again (even if you already know!).  Say hi to that upper classman who has a locker next to you.  If they grunt, oh well.  20 bucks says that next time they’ll respond.  When you step toward people you are saying to them “I care about more than myself.”  People will feel drawn to you and feel comfortable with you and, go figure, you’ll get the friends you were looking for.

BTW, I know this is majorly difficult for you if you consider yourself “quiet.”  Do it anyway.  You don’t have to be the life of the party.  You just have to make some “first move” gestures. 

Consider this:  You’re doing more here than just getting comfy.  You’re becoming more like Christ.  Paul wrote in one of his letters : “Don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.  Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” Philippians 2: 3-4.

Should America Be the World's Policeman?

Today is Patriot Day.  I honestly didn't know that.  I saw it on my planner.  So, I looked it up and discovered that Patriot Day is a day of remembrance for the over 2000 people who died as a result of the Islamic, Jihadist attacks on September 11th, 2001.

I remember that for a short while after these attacks, our country rallied together and truly believed we had a duty to defend, not only ourselves, but also to intentionally protect and foster freedom around the globe.  What other country in history has done this?

Of course, it didn't take long before people started saying again, "The US shouldn't be the world's policeman"

In this video, Pulitzer Prize winner Bret Stephens argues the opposite.  In true Patriot spirit, he believes that there is a very, very good reason for the US to be the "world's policeman."

How to Be Happy

Here is a great talk from nationally syndicated talk show host Dennis Prager to a high school on how to actually be happy.

The Fault in our Stars...er Selves

Two years back I read The Fault in Our Stars.  The title, as I see it, really means "The Fault with

God."  It's an understandable issue, especially for the characters who are struggling to find a reason for the existence of their lives and the universe mixed with the fact that they are teens terminally ill with cancer.

I wanted to turn the question of fault, though, to ourselves.

Many of us, who grow up in church often hear phrases about The Fault in Ourselves like this:

You are a poor, miserable sinner.

Don't trust yourself because you are fallen.

Your heart is deceitful above all things.

Jesus, I want less of me, and more of you.

You are nothing, God is everything.

This seems so pious, so religious, so good, but it's also problematic.  If taken to its full course, you might as well say, I'm a pile of crap that can't do anything good, so Jesus should inhabit my body and turn me into a God-robot.

Didn't Jesus say, "My sheep know my voice" (John 10:27)  and "You don't need anyone to teach you." (1 John 2:27) and "shine like stars" (Phil. 2:15)?  This means that Jesus actually trusts His followers.  He knows that they know him, like they know anyone they love, and even have the ability to follow His heart and ways even without constant instruction.

On the other hand, yes, we must recognize our inherent faults or weaknesses.  This is beneficial in any relationship.  I have to be honest with my wife.  She knows my weaknesses.  She knows how I can get overstressed, for example, or how sometimes I avoid asking for help, when I really should.

So, I think we need a balance here.

I am not a worthless piece of sinning crap; I am an invaluable son of the living God.
While I am an invaluable son of the living God, I still need His grace to follow Him.
And yet, the more I live in the Father's affection, the more I naturally live in ways that honor Him and bless others.

And, guess what? He even trusts me.  Weird, right?  But the Father's love does that-it makes you become the person He always dreamed you could be.

Should, Want, & God

So recently I spoke in chapel about the value of worship in God's heart.  I've been asked to give a
"Why worship" chapel at the beginning of the school year for probably 5 years now.  I always struggle with the tension between: "You should sing" and "I encourage you to want to sing."

You could apply the "should"/"want" dichotomy to almost anything related to our relationship to Father.

For me, when I was younger, I was so good at doing what I "should" do that it also hardened my heart and I didn't feel close to God.

When I finally let myself experience Father's affection and felt truly loved (once I really believed I (1.) needed that love and (2.) didn't have to earn it), then I found the pleasure of "wanting" the things that my Father loved.

I guess I'd put it like this: I "should" be sweet to my wife, but if I lived my relationship to her with all "shoulds" she would know it and it would lose its real value.

What she wants and truly loves is when I "want" and take delight in her and being sweet to her.

I think this is why Paul wrote, "God LOVES a CHEERFUL giver."

Katy Perry tweets from the Bible?

Every once in a while, instead of writing my own post, I copy another one that I really liked from someone else.  I thought this was an interesting look at a celebrity, her faith (or not), and what that means for our own.  The article originally appeared here.

65 million Twitter followers saw it. Before the halftime show of the recent (and most watched) Super

Bowl, Pop Superstar Katy Perry quoted Psalm 118:24,

“Today is the day that the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Then according to her, this happened, “It’s funny, I was praying and I got a word from God and He says, ‘You got this and I got you.’ 

And then I was on top of the lion and a guy, a random guy, just looked on me with a headset that I’ve never communicated with before and he just looked me straight in the eyes and said, ‘You got this.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, this is God confirming I can do this.”

The religious critics were unleashed! Like hounds they sniffed for the heresy of her words. And filled with righteous anger they said, “How could God speak to such a sensuous and evil person?” “Of course it wasn’t God! She’s a rebellious, divorced, LGBT defender who has abandoned the one true faith.” “She’s stupid and part of the Illuminati!”

Maybe.

Maybe it was her own mind who made it up. Maybe it was the devil tricking her. Or maybe it was God. Because maybe (just maybe) He still speaks to those who are broken and afraid. Maybe God is still a father, and maybe He still likes to encourage. People will say that it is impossible for God to be nice to Katy Perry right before she was about to sing “I kissed a girl and I liked it” in front of millions of people. But if God refrained from speaking to humans based on the proximity of their next sin, trust me friend, no one would ever get to hear His voice.

Who knows? Maybe God said those things because,

His kindness leads us to repentance.

I believe the God of the Bible is interested in being the God of the people. And Jesus proved that by not setting a new religious standard but actually signing for us, a new contract of relationship. It is very clear that Jesus came for the lost. That was His mission. (Maybe we should join Him, because that includes us.)

Katy Perry still has a tattoo that reads “Jesus” on her left wrist. She got the tattoo as a constant reminder of her religious upbringing, which will always be a part of her. In 2009 she told Katie Couric “I knew I wanted this on me because no matter how much changes around me or how much I change, there’s not really an eraser for this.” She says that when she plays the guitar, “It stares right back at me. It’s like ‘remember, you came from this, and you can always go back to it.’”

Yes she can–Always come back. But the better news is that God has never left her. He’s always available, to all His children, whether they are home or they are drifting.

And if we are so sure that Katy Perry can’t hear the voice of God then we need to question the Burning Bush for the murderer Moses, or the encounter on the road to Damascus for the terrorist Saul, or the multiple times the adulterous King David entered the presence of God. You see, Scripture is full of undeserving hearers who somehow (just before or after sinning) got to hear God’s voice, and their lives were changed forever.

Long before Katy was singing about kissing girls, she used her talents as a “Christian singer.” (And you can buy her Christian album as Katy Hudson in Amazon – for more than $100 dollars!) She once told Vanity Fair that as a child, her parents, both evangelical pastors, wouldn’t read any book to her other than the Bible and refused to let her listen to non-religious music. So she questioned Christianity from an early age.

In a 2013 interview Perry said that she no longer identifies with a specific religion, but still feels that she has a connection with God. “I’m not a Buddhist, I’m not a Hindu, I’m not a Christian, but I still feel like I have a deep connection with God,” Perry said. “I pray all the time for self-control, for humility. There’s a lot of gratitude in it. Just saying ‘thank you’ sometimes is better than asking for things.”

So I’m not sure, but I want to believe God spoke to Katy. I want to believe He’s still speaking to her right now! Because that’s my hope for everyone who is lost or broken or famous or perfect, that they will hear the vibrations of love and the sounds of Salvation Himself.

Perry’s dad, Keith Hudson, is a pastor in California, and has said that he’s proud of his daughter, despite previously criticizing the messages in her music. (And that’s probably similar to what God the Father would say.)

I believe Jesus wants to share so much redemption and beauty with Katy Perry. So I pray that she would continue to remember the good seeds planted by her mom and dad (and forgive all the bad ones). But most of all, I pray that we the church would continue to focus on the plank in our eye, instead of the speck in everyone elses.

Yes, I’m always tempted to judge the ridiculous excitement we feel when someone on TV says the

word, “God”. But somehow I feel hopeful about this one. I don’t feel hopeful because I want her 65 million Twitter followers to hear about her, “Born Again Experience.” I feel hopeful because I know that God loves His daughter. I know that He’s been there when she’s ignored Him. And I know that His mercy has been new through her brokeness and shame.

Just as He has done for me. Just as He has done for you.

So let’s join sister Katy and declare with a smile,

“Today is the day that the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it!”

Now maybe (just maybe) we will also get to hear His sweet encouraging voice.

Peace.