Liberal Values

Liberal values ARE Biblical values. See if you can't spot these values in the following passage of Scripture: Empathy, Community, Compassion, Responsibility, Peace, Love, Humility, Integrity, Equality, Dignity, Respect.

What's missing? War, Revenge, Privilege, Apathy, Indifference, Fear, Anger, Indignation, Selfishness, Bigotry (both latent and overt).

Romans 12:14-21New International Version (NIV)14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.Do not be conceited. 

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 

19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Get Fruity!

When you think about it, these are like Jesus' character traits. Why wouldn't anyone want to be more like Him? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you develop these in your own character and life.

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Relativism vs. Absolutism

Conservatives are always railing on what they think is the greatest evil of our time, relativism.

Ya know what? They may be on to something, because I believe that there are at least a few real absolutes in this world; God's grace, God's mercy, God's kindness, God's patience, God's forgiveness, and most absolute of all, God's unconditional and undeserved love.

Thank God for how absolutely amazing these are. And may God use us to share them with others. Amen?

Anger Management

“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. ~Ephesians 4:26-27

A lot of people have used part of this verse as marital advice and rightly so. Couples that make a point of resolving their arguments avoid building up resentment and building up walls between each other.


But this verse is important to so many more people for so many more reasons.


Anger is Normal


Anger is not necessarily a bad thing, unless we get carried away with it or try to quench it in unhealthy ways. Jesus got angry with the money changers who had changed His Father's house into a den of robbers. 


God the Father was angry throughout much of the Old Testament. Some people mistakenly think this is a bad thing or that He's somehow a different god than the New Testament God until you look closely and see what He got angry about; injustice, idolatry, cruelty, self-indulgent hedonism with wanton disregard for other human beings, rape, human sacrifice to false deities, etc. etc. 

"But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." ~Romans 2:7-9

Anger is just a feeling. God has emotions just like we do.


God is jealous and wants us not only to love Him, but to love others as ourselves. He created us for relationships and community, interdependence. He has every right to be angry or indignant when we deny, defile, and disparage Him, His creation, and those He created in His own image (everyone).


Psalm 103 promises that "He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his angerforever;" and that " The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love."

Bad Examples


People often site the Apostle Peter as an example of a Christian who struggled with anger issues. This should not be used as an excuse to let ourselves get carried away with anger. I'm sure Peter would tell us he wished he didn't get so angry so quickly so often. Call it impulsiveness, zeal, passion, or over-enthusiasm, he could be like a charging bull until Jesus rebuked him.


Peter's not the only example of Biblical figures with anger issues. Moses struck the rock in anger and frustration without giving God credit for His miraculous provision of water in the desert for the Israelites. 


Paul's thorn in the flesh may well have been guilt over how as Saul (before his conversion), he so zealously pursued not just persecution of the early church, but virtual genocide. One might call what motivated him indignation, "defending" his Jewish/Pharisee faith from the infidels, or you could call it anger & hatred, religious bigotry.


Anger is often a reaction to hurt or fear


Think of an animal backed into a corner. Ever seen a cat or an opossum hiss? Generally it's because they feel threatened. Bears, honey badgers, rattle snakes? Same thing.


I contend that most people who claim to be Atheists aren't. If someone genuinely doesn't believe in God, then they may be incredulous of believers, but mostly they're indifferent about religion. 


Most people I've know who claim to be atheists are seething with anger. Sometimes they have a right to be angry with human institutions like churches or religious or political movements, or perhaps with their parents or some pastor or other religious figure who were hypocrites.


But sometimes I think that they're wounded or disappointed and blame God for not doing things differently. 


Be Proactive, not Reactionary


Legendary UCLA Basketball coach John Wooden told his players that emotions could be their enemy during a game. He wanted them to be prepared for anything, to be so well practiced, that their reactions would be automatic. Getting too caught up in emotional responses to situations could impair their judgement.


When we allow our anger to determine our behaviors rather than Godly principles like love, grace, forgiveness, mercy, etc. we are prone to get ourselves into trouble- not to mention do a lot of damage. 


Think about when you most often succumb to temptation- or for that matter, go looking for it. Often it is when you're angry. 


When do people resort to violence? Use profanity? Make over-generalizations? Use racial slurs? Indulge in pornography? Over eat? Abuse drugs or alcohol? Impulse buy?Take advantage of other people? Become most highly competitive? Commit adultery? Cheat? Vandalize? Steal? Slander people? Start rumors? Conspire against someone? Over react? Demand our own way?


Yep. When we're angry. At least I know that's when I'm most likely to sin or make bad choices. I bet if you think about it, this may be true for you as well.

We use anger to justify putting our own interests ahead of other people's rights, needs, and desires.


Oh, you might say that people do those things when they're sad or lonely or hurting or depressed or feeling sorry for themselves and you might be right, but what is depression? Isn't it self-hatred? Someone once called it anger-turned-inward.


When you get down to it, anger is often about feeling resentful that you aren't getting your way. Bottom line, it's often triggered by selfishness. Wanting control. Lucifer wanted that. Adam & Eve wanted that. Cain wanted that. Anger and pride go hand in hand. Anger can lead to idolatry.


Ironically, Coach Wooden would tell you, giving in to anger takes away the very control that it seeks. Anger can make you reckless.


You can't dig your way out of a hole


As soon as you try to feed your anger with sin instead of seeking God's help, you are "giving the devil a foothold." Often we give our spiritual enemies leverage to use against us by giving in to our anger and pursuing it rather than surrendering it or finding ways to dilute or dissipate it. 


If some one budges in front of me in line, will shoving them back make things better or just escalate the problem? Two wrongs don't make a right, right. If one partner is unfaithful, does it really solve anything for the other partner to "get even" by cheating too? 

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate:only love can do that." ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Strategy for Chilling-Out


Anger management is not just a new Charlie Sheen sitcom. It is slowing down and thinking things through. One trick is to count down from one hundred backwards, another is rhythmic breathing, and a great one is just taking a deep yoga cleansing breath.


There's an old trick that recovering addicts have found that sometimes helps them. When they most have an urge to give in to their old addiction- they tell themselves to HALT. 


They ask themselves, what could be causing these feelings? Is it hunger? Low blood-sugar makes people cranky, even irrational. Just like anger. Grab a snack to help you feel better. Just like those Snickers commercials.


Are you genuinely angry? Is there a good reason for you to be so angry? Are you justified in your anger? If so, wouldn't it be better to be rational, deliberate, and strategic about how you deal with the issue? Think it through, talk to wise people you trust for advice, and especially pray about it.


Lonely? Seek fellowship with those who will bring you back to joy rather than anger, with those who will encourage you and build you up- not contribute to the negativity or indulge your self-pity. If nothing else just get out and be with people rather than sitting and stewing. So what if they're shallow acquaintances rather than anyone you have some deep intimacy with. Social interaction is vital. So what if they're platonic friends and not some romantic ideal? The key is being with people. And remember that you're never truly along because God is always available. Always, always pray- no matter how angry you think you are. God has a way of calming you down.


Tired? Yeah, guess what, just like hunger, fatigue and sleep-deprivation also make us really irritable. Crankiness looks a lot like anger. Get some rest. As a matter of fact, while it may not be good to "let the sun go down on your anger," it may be better to let the dust settle and sleep on it for a while and look at things from a fresh perspective in the morning.


The best thing about the HALT trick is that it reminds you to be responsible for your behavior- rather than letting it be controlled by your feelings or your physiology.


'Let go and let God'


Why is it so important not to let yourself get carried away with anger? Not only does He tell us not to take revenge (Romans 12:19), but "human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires." ~James 1:19-21

Too often many Christians allow themselves to be motivated by fear and anger. We thinks somehow that we have to "defend the faith." I for one would much rather have God defending me. God doesn't need you to fight His battles for Him, but we would do well to let Him fight our battles for us.




PRAYER


Dear God,
Shape my being into earnest kindness,
A reflection of Your perfection.
Grant me the grace of self-control,
That I may not display any anger.
Should I have such an outburst,
Instantly remind me to seek redress,
For such is offensive to You.
In Jesus' name,

Amen

Prayer from  http://www.catholic.org/prayers

Breathe in me, Breath of Heaven

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.

Adapted from a prayer by St. Augustine

Love by Serving

"Go my children, fed and nourished, Closer to Me;
Grow I love and love by serving, Joyful and free. Here My Spirit's power filled you; Here His tender comfort stilled you.
Go my children, fed and nourished, Joyful and free."
~Luth. Service Book #922

Confirmation, Welcome to the Grown-Ups' Table

I remember my confirmation. Maybe I was too into King Aurthur, or the Chronicles of Narnia, but it is such a solemn right that I couldn't help imagining that confirmands were receiving a special anointing, like knighthood, we were being commissioned as members of God's kingdom into His service.

It is been hard to hear kids gripe about the requirements of confirmation class. When my wife and I were youth counselors and when I taught high school Bible study class it was discouraging when kids didn't attend or didn't want to participate in youth group.

There's a line in our denomination's confirmation liturgy that always gives me shivers; "Dear Baptized in Christ,. P: Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confes- sion and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?" This is a BIG commitment, as big or bigger than marriage. I wonder how seriously most 12-14 year olds (and their parents) take it?

These first few comments sound full of law, demanding, maybe even judgmental or condescending. I don't mean to be. After all, "see what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are!" 1 John 3:1

Jesus loved you enough to die for you. What an amazing thing it is to publicly declare that you're grateful for that and that you want to continue to be connected and engaged with Him in an active relationship! And that you want to begin taking on grown-up responsibility as a participating member of His family via your congregation/fellowship!

My hope and prayer for all the kids around the country getting confirmed this time of year, including my nephew (and next year my daughter) will see this as a launching point, the starting line for the great race that Paul talks about in Philippians, not merely as just another rite of passage.

"What is confirmation? Confirmation is the rite by which a baptized person renews his baptismal vow, publicly confesses his faith, and is received into communicant membership by the congregation." (from 1943 LCMS Catechism)

"What is confirmation? Confirmation is a public rite of the church preceded by a period of instruction designed to help baptized Christians identify with the life and mission of the Christian community. Note: Prior to admission to the Lord's Supper, it is necessary to be instructed in the Christian faith (1 Cor. 11:28). The rite of confirmation provides an opportunity for the individual Christian, relying on God's promises given in Holy Baptism, to make a personal public confession of the faith and a lifelong pledge of fidelity to Christ. Matt. 10:32-33 & Rev. 2:10." ( from 1991/2005 LCMS Catechism)

God's blessings on this weekend's confirmands and their families. Remember, this is not "graduation" from Sunday School. May this be only the beginning of a lifelong, committed and always growing relationship with Jesus and lifelong, commitment to active participation in the body of Christ, His church!

May God bless you and keep you as you continue to grow in" faith toward Him and fervent love toward one another," in Jesus name, Amen.

Evening Prayer for the Weary

"Be present, merciful God, and protect us through the hours of the night, so that we who are wearied by the change and chances of life may find our rest in You: through Jesus Christ, our lord. Amen"

~Compline service, page 257 Lutheran Service Book

Hey Culture Warriors, 'Live by the Sword, Die by the Sword!'

So Rick Santorum is claiming President Obama's faith is "phony," just political posturing?

Here we go- will the bogus culture war turn into an inter-Christian-denominational civil war? This is the very reason our founders came up with the separation of church and state, pluralism was the antidote to hundreds of years of wars between Protestants and Catholics in Europe.

Republican thinking: So... unemployment's down, the stock market is up, Detroit's back and both the automakers and the banks have paid back their bail-outs. Meanwhile Bin Laden and Gaddafi are dead, we're pulling out of Iraq & Afghanistan, Al Qaeda's on the run, and people all over the world are demonstrating for greater democracy. Better start a "Culture War."

Of course, I also can't help feeling that there's just a tinge of racism involved here too- under the guise of class warfare. Good suburban white Christians abstain from sex where as those poor urban people just can't help themselves is the insinuation.

But lets face it, the real difference between Santorumism and Obamaism, as I see it, is Legalism vs. Grace- as I've talked about many times on my Prophet, Priest & Pirate blog there's the letter-of-the-law side and the spirit-of-the-law side.

Some Christians want to control the morality of society by banning gay marriage and contraception use, punishing abortion with the death penalty, teaching creationism and demanding mandatory prayer in public schools, denying climate change and using the military to build God's empire here on Earth. These are people actually convinced that poverty is God's punishment for being sinful, irresponsible, lazy, or dependent on the government. They ascribe to Social Darwinism but call it being called, predestined, blessed and exceptional. They stir up anger, fear, resentment and division.

Then there are those who recognize that you only change hearts and minds with things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control. You make friends and convert believers by loving your enemies and praying for those that persecute you. They believe Jesus called us to feed the hungry, heal the sick, and visit those in prison. They read a Bible that calls on them to protect the oppressed, widows, orphans and aliens. They believe that you help build God's kingdom by what you do, not by what you demand others stop doing. They sow empathy, hope, compassion, and tolerance.

It's NOT a matter of who's the better Christian, or a matter of "Real" Christian and "Fake" Christian, it's between those who claim to be arguing for religious liberty but really want to impose their morality on everyone else and wage wars on everyone they deem to be infidels, and those who believe that true religion is a personal matter of the heart, a relationship with God that motivates you to join in God's ministry of reconciliation.

If I'm going to err too much on either the side of the law or the gospel, I would rather err on the side of the gospel.

I know my Republican Christian friends and family no doubt fear for my very salvation...
but I would rather stand with Jane Addams than Ayn Rand
I would rather stand with Martin Luther King Jr. than with Jerry Fawell,
with Billy Graham than with Franklin Graham,
with sinners and tax collectors than with Pharisees and white-washed tombs, and with Barack Obama than with Rick Santorum.

As Martin Luther once said, "Here I stand, I can do no other."

Read the Red-Letters

‎(NET) Matthew 6:6 But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

I've been reading through the book of Matthew during my morning devotions and it's really reinforcing for me Tony Campolo's concept of "Red-Letter Christians," that if you read the red-letters, the words spoken by Jesus Himself, it's pretty difficult not to adopt a progressive point of view or abandon a hyper-conservative one.

Matt 6:6 for example flies in the face of pushing for mandatory prayer in public schools or publicly flaunt one's praying like GOP candidates Michelle Bachmann and Rick Perry have done on the campaign.

Loving our enemies & praying for those who persecute us in Matt 5, storing up treasures in Heaven in stead of serving money as a god in Matt 7, not judging others in Matt 8, giving to the needy in Matt 25... So much of Jesus teaching seems contrary the ideas of this world, of America today, and of the Republican party and the "1%."

Rick Santorum may tap into many Christians fear and anger about abortion and homosexuality, but I for one think he could stand to read some of the "red letters." I'm not saying that we throw out the book of Leviticus, but I encourage Christians to spend some more time in the book of Matthew.

We can't follow, imitate, emulate or obey Jesus if we never read what He Himself taught. 

This year, make it a goal to read through Matthew. Pay attention to the red letters and are if God doesn't change your mind about a few things, open your eyes about a few things, plant a few things in your heart and do some new things in your life. I DARE you!

Once you do, pass it on (especially to your Republican and independent friends!)

EVERYONE's invited (part II)

(NET) Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female - for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."

I had a college professor who used to welcome students to Bible Study by proclaiming there there is "neither graduate nor undergraduate!"


Could we include distinctions like these; neither Black or White, Asian or Hispanic, Native American or European. Neither Liberal or Conervative, progressive or libertarian. Neither natural born citizen or immigrant, neither doccumented or undocumented. Neither gay or staight.

Just as ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ALL are equal at the foot of the cross and ALL are welcomed into the family of God and the arms of Jesus.

This new year, resolve to see everyone we meet as what they are, a unique and precious creation that God loves, created in His image.

Everyone' invited

(NET) Revelation 7:9 "After these things I looked, and here was an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb dressed in long white robes, and with palm branches in their hands."

EVERY tribe, EVERY nation, EVERY language. Jesus died for EVERYONE's sins. God wants EVERYONE to accept His love, grace, mercy, & forgiveness.

How can we DARE to hold on to our racism, prejudice, & tribalism? We are ALL God's children.