Of Matt Lauer and the crisis hitting America

I don’t remember how old I was, maybe 8 or 10.  I just remember the feeling.  A scantily dressed and attractive young woman was bending over a few feet away, her backside up in the air, pointed at everyone.  The older gentleman beside me tapped my arm, pointed her way and said, “Take a look at that.”  There was a part of me that knew I shouldn’t.  There was another part that wanted to.  But all of me knew the comment and thought was wrong.  Why did he think such a comment was okay?

Whether we meant to or not, this is the culture of objectifying women we somehow all created, and the recent allegations agaisnt Matt Lauer bring what has been in the dark to light.  We created the porn industry, that dampened our senses to what is right and wrong.  We created a world in which whistling and cat-calling women on the street is a punchline in sitcoms.  We created a culture in which otherwise God-fearing, married men say things like, “Just because I’ve already eaten doesn’t mean I can’t look at the menu” when talking about ogling a beautiful woman.  We didn’t, as a culture, intend to raise sexual predators.  But we never tried to be holy.  In fact, holiness has too often meant you were a prude.  This culture where the lines of what is acceptable sexual behavior (particularly for men) is more evident now than ever before.  Weekly, we are hearing of another actor, politician, and most recently, a beloved TV personality who acted inappropriately toward a woman or women.  My hunch is that much of the problem is that we passed what is appropriate a long time ago, and without those boundaries, base instincts took over.  It should almost go without saying that in all the cases that have come to light recently, we need to be careful to inject blame when the possibility remains that some of these men are innocent.  People do lie to hurt others.  But many of these women have been truly hurt.  There are enough women sharing “Me, too” to warn us all that this is a pervasive problem in our culture.

Something about this culture we’ve created has never sat right with me.  It’s not the way I wanted to be as a man.  In college, I met a group of mostly seniors who loved Jesus, had godly relationships with their girlfriends, and sought out a kind of purity I’d frankly only heard about, but never seen.  My relationship with these men changed my life.  I haven't perfected it, but I have worked very hard to be my best for the sake of my heart and my marriage to my incredible wife.  For the women who were hurt by any of these famous people, I’m so sorry you went through this.  For the women who have been hurt by people that weren’t famous, and some of them even family, I’m so sorry.  I hope they are brought to justice.  I want to try and help men in a culture that has normalized sexualizing and objectifying women become holy.  Here are some things that have been and continue to be important to me.

1.   What your eyes see gets in your head and heart.  One of those guys in my college Bible Study would flip over any magazine in a dorm room (like a weightlifting magazine) that had an attractive woman on the front.  What your eyes see on TV, movies, and the internet shape our reality.  If we see things repeatedly that treat women as objects, we begin to objectify women.  Porn will rot your soul.  It will ruin your relationship with your wife and tarnish the way you were meant to see women and sex.  But soft core porn is everywhere.  Be careful what you see.  Jesus said lusting in your heart is the same as adultery.  I always took Him at face value with that statement.  I don’t want to do either.  You vowed your eyes to your wife.

2.   Work hard at it.  You can’t get away from everyday life, and it's not a sin to find someone attractive.  Work hard to make sure your eyes are reserved for your wife (or future wife).  Make her the apple of your eye.  Don’t diminish how you see her because you can’t stop looking at other women.  If you don’t work hard at this, it will deaden your senses.  You’ll begin to think you have the right to stare.  You’re one step closer to thinking you have the right to touch.  On your computer, if you have to, put of firewalls to keep you away from pornography.  Work hard at it.  It’s too important.  

3.    Boundaries. Boundaries. Boundaries.  It’s almost a joke in our church.  I won’t meet with a woman alone.  We’ll need to meet in a public place.  I’ll stand outside and talk with someone rather than go into an empty building together.  Billy Graham took this pretty seriously, too.  I mostly offer the patented “Side Hug” to other women in church.  If another woman touches my arm or says something flirtatious, or I have an emotion that I shouldn't, my wife is the first to know.  I want her to know that my thoughts are accountable to her.  You see, I want to value women and honor my wife, so I set up boundaries on the front end.  I don’t want to get into situations where:  A) I have let my guard down and might be vulnerable to make a huge mistake B) hormones take over or C)  I can be falsely accused because there are no other witnesses. Boundaries protect your heart, your marriage and, if you're a pastor, your ministry.


We are in a crisis right now where left and right it is coming to light that men have forced themselves on women.  I'm sure someone told them not to -- that this isn't appropriate or acceptable. But maybe before that they weren’t told to not touch them.  And before that they weren’t told not to say something vulgar.  And before that they weren’t told not to stare at them.  And before that they weren’t told not to stare at any of them.  And before that they weren’t told they were wrong for even thinking that they should stare at them.  And that’s how you create a culture.  All men aren’t like this.  And if you’re not, it’s probably because you worked hard not to be that way.  And someone taught you better.  We can’t fix this damage, but let’s teach our boys better.  The Church ought to be known for how well we honor the gifts of men and women, and maybe the Church can be the place that teaches men how to be holy.

On Politics, Faith and Who's Right

Just as we've celebrated our nation's birthday again (can you believe in a mere 10 years we'll be 250 years old -- that'll be a great party!), I soberly remember that we are almost exactly four months from perhaps the most contentious election in U.S. history.  This Friday will be the four month marker to November 8th.  The glow of the fireworks and our unity in red, white and blue will soon fade to mud-slinging and name-calling.  I wish it weren't true.  But it is.

Pastors hold an interesting place in the political spectrum of America.  I lead a congregation and seek to reach a community that is surely comprised of Democrats, Republicans and everything in between.  My goal in ministry is never to sway votes because earthly elections seem so small in the face of my eternal calling.  I'm trying to sway people to Jesus, not Trump or Clinton or whatever local leader that's up for election.  That doesn't mean I don't have opinions.  I just kind of pride myself in the idea that you'd have to have a crowbar to get them out of me.  My political opinions are my opinions, and they're not much helpful to my cause as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus.  Moreover, I'm increasingly convinced that I am grossly ill-informed and uneducated as to the depths of most political issues.  I am inclined to not have strong opinions about things in which I know my knowledge is limited.

I am greatly concerned about the next four months, though, as it relates to the Body of Christ.  I am troubled at how we might portray ourselves in these next four months.  Church, can we please be the Church, at it's best, this election season?  Can we live Proverbs 13:3,

"Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin."

If you are not a Christian, that's still some pretty good advice.  If you're a Christian, it's in the book.  We're supposed to do it.

A key concept for me to recall is that most of the political issues that any of us get all hot and bothered about are very complex.  I recently starting reading John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage.  In the foreword, his brother, Robert, says that any democracy exists "in the struggle for solutions which are very rarely easy to find."  John Kennedy later writes, "There are few if any issues where all the truth and all the right and all the angels are on one side."

It's why speaking rashly comes to ruin.  When we sit an think things through, we can at least see other angles to the story.  Our 'side' in a political debate almost never has all the right on its side.  We'd do well to recognize and admit that.  We can understand that it's very complex. And we understand a bigger picture.  For the Christian, the bigger picture is eternity.

Church, convincing someone to vote for your candidate will not secure their eternity.  Convincing someone to follow your Christ will save their soul.  But you and I won't do it with words.  I'm not saying it's not an important election.  I'm just saying there's something far more important at stake on which to focus our energies, so let's guard our lips.

*John F. Kennedy. Profiles in Courage.  New York:  Harper Collins, 2003.

Do we get to vote about what "Christian" means?

It's Super Tuesday, and Americans are heading to the polls to vote.  And this election seems more important than ever.  The candidates are about as different as possible.  The stakes are high for the Church, and let me explain why.

Let's all be honest with each other, our next president will be one of five people:  Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump.  All but Sanders identify as Christian, who identifies as Jewish by birth.  Over America's 240 year history, we have never had a Jewish president, so that would be a particularly big event.  All but Kennedy (who was Roman Catholic), identified as Protestant.  What does that tell me?  History says our next president will be one of the other four.  But rest assured, they will all carry the Christian banner on the campaign trail for one reason:  if you are Christian, they want your vote.

But they also want your vote if you are Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Atheist, or Agnostic as well.  They just want your vote.  Now, I've never met any of these candidates, and even if I had, only God knows the condition of the human heart.  I have no idea if they are genuine Christ-followers or what they are thinking when their head is on the pillow at night?

But all of this scares me.  You see, when they say they are Christian, they become front line faces for our faith, and I'm not sure, based on what I've seen from all the candidates, that's entirely accurate.  Now let's put it all out in the open here.  None of us Christians are entirely accurate representations of what a disciple of Jesus is supposed to look like.  But I'll bet you've got a grandma, uncle, friend, small group leader, pastor or niece whose walk with Jesus looks a lot closer than these candidates.  I'll bet you know someone that you'd like to show your non-believing friends and say, "Hey, y'all, THIS is what a Christian looks like."  Maybe that person is even you.

I hope you vote and vote your conscience, but for those of us that are believers, let us be careful not to parade these candidates around as representations of what a Christian is.  I'm afraid it will fall terribly short of what a Christian is supposed to be.  Full obedience obedience to the Heavenly Father usually doesn't get you elected -- it gets you crucified.  Following Jesus doesn't mean picking up electoral votes, it means picking up your cross daily.  Making decisions based on your discipleship usually doesn't win you a nationwide popularity contest, it wins you crowns in heaven.

Most importantly, believers must do two things in this season:

1.  WE need to be the ones who display what genuine faith in Christ looks like.  We need non-believers to see in Christian friends and acquaintances a true representation of discipleship.  No candidate is going to usher in revival.  Let's actually BE the Church in our communities.
2.  We need to PRAY for all candidates.  Pray for God to lead them, convict them, and to search their hearts.  Pray for them to be faithful to God and serve ALL the people of the U.S.  I believe you can do both with integrity.

Finally, if you're not a church person, I don't know where these candidates really stand on their faith in Christ.  I've seen enough in debates to make me curl my nose and say, "Don't do/say that."  They might very well be Christians and feel badly for some of those very things.  But know this:  just because they are upfront and on-stage, they don't represent the totality of what it means to be Christian.  They are not our savior.  Jesus is our Savior.  Visit a local church in your area, and I promise you you'll meet some fine Christians.  You'll meet people who will love you no matter what, who want what's best for you, who will cook a casserole for you and hug your neck when you need it.  You'll meet people who will pray for you and cry with you.  You'll meet people who care about you and your soul.  You'll meet the real deal.  They won't be perfect either, but they'll be authentic.  That's the whole point.  You'll meet broken people who know they are sinners but have put their faith in the grace of Jesus.  People who believe Jesus died for their sins and forgave them.  People who believe He did the same for you.  And whatever path you choose, I hope you'll know that THAT'S a lot closer to what we believe it means to be Christian.

Trust builds relationships

We live in a world where there is an incredible lack of trust.  We don't trust anyone to do anything.  We don't trust that others won't sue us, so we have waivers for nearly every activity under the sun.  We don't trust our community, so we have video surveillance.  We don't trust our kids, or even ourselves, so we have have firewalls on our computers.  Yet, trust is THE currency for relationships, and it builds and strengthens relationships like nothing else.  We just rarely see it anymore.

That's why I was shocked on Monday when I went to eat lunch at a local restaurant.  They don't take cards, only cash, and the server/cashier said, "Don't worry if you don't have any cash, you can just pay us next time you come in."  But I had never been before.  And how did she know I was coming back?  What if I was from out of town?  I had cash, so I paid my bill, but it was still staggering.  But you know what?  It made me want to come back.  The burger I was about to order was now going to taste better because she trusted me.  She believed in me.  She thought there was good in me.  Often, we find what we're looking for.

Trust is believing there is something good in others.  Now, people will disappoint us and hurt us, but we don't do each other, society, and our families any good when we don't trust each other.  Instead, when we trust others, we can often bring out the best in them because, deep down, we humans don't really want to let each other down.

If you want deep relationships, you have to trust.  This is what is so profound about our relationship with God.  He trusts us with so much.  He trusts us with our freedom, the earth, our families.  He trusts us with His Church and His message.  He trusts us with His heart.  And when we don't trust Him, our relationship with God suffers.  Trust is THE currency of relationships.  When we withhold trust from God, we are saying that we aren't sure if there is good in Him.  We are unsure of Him.  We are thinking He might let us down.  He won't.  Think about all He has trusted you with.  It's because He loves you and believes in you.  That ought to inspire us to trust Him.

I certainly wanted to trust Casey's in downtown Winder with my business again because they trusted me.  BTW, the Bacon Pimento Cheese Burger with Sweet Potato Fries is spot on.

Ashley Madison, the Virginia shooting, and our mirror

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."  -Hebrews 4:13

I thought all the Ashley Madison clients whose names and emails were laid bare when I saw this passage.  I thought about all the men who thought they could 'get by' in secret with their lusts and betrayal.  I thought of the secrets that are now no longer secrets that are wrecking marriages as we speak.  And I thought about how we all have secrets that could destroy us.

Then, in broad daylight in Virginia, a disgruntled former employee went up and shot two innocent people, a reporter and a camera man, right on live television.  Sometimes our sins aren't even secret.  The tragedy in Virginia and the tragedy of the Ashley Madison scandal is a reminder of how broken our world is.  We are a sinful bunch, killing each other, physically and emotionally.  We are selfish and vindictive.  We are lustful and quick to react.  We are a mess.  We need Jesus.  We need His forgiveness, and we need him to shape us.

It's so easy to point fingers in these situations.  Men seeking sex outside the covenant of marriage is wrong.  A man walking up and killing two people is wrong.  But we don't really need to be reminded of that, though it does make us feel good sometimes to point a finger.  What I am reminded of in these situations is how much we have these things within us, and when we see ugliness on full display, it's a good time to look in the mirror.  You might not seek out a secret online affair, but what secret sin are you holding onto?  In what ways are we looking outside our closest relationships for affirmation and intimacy?  What do we have the capacity to do if we thought we could do it in secret?  And how have we let rage boil up in us so hot that we could just kill someone?  Maybe we wanted to hit them.  Maybe we did.  Maybe we just cursed them, to their face or behind their back.  Maybe we gave them the ol' 'unfriend' on social media.  Maybe we wished they were dead.

This is uncomfortable, but it reminds me that not only does our world need saving, not only do people whose sins have been in the limelight need Jesus.  I need saving.  I need Jesus.  If my life were laid bare, I'd be ashamed of the mean-spirited and hateful thoughts.  I'd be ashamed of my anger.  I'd be ashamed of my pride.  I'd be ashamed of my selfishness.  I'd be ashamed.  You would be, too.  I am convinced that the ONLY way this world will find peace and rest is if we each, individually, allow Jesus to change our hearts.  I believe that kind of change has the capacity to rub off on people.

First Try

This past weekend we had a first around the McInnis house -- my 11 year-old son helped cut the grass.  Well, sort of.  He did the weed-eating.  It certainly saved me some time.  It was not the prettiest weed-eating job you'll ever see.  The aesthetics left a little to be desired.  It was a little choppy and a little scalped in various places.  But it was his.  He was proud.  It was a landmark moment that Dad believed in him.

But it was also a landmark moment because he came out while I was working in the yard and said he wanted to help.  He wanted to do the work his father was doing, and because of that, I wanted to give him more responsibility.  I wanted to give him more freedom.  I believed in him more because he was about my work.

Does God have to poke and prod you to be about his work, or do you go outside and ask if you can do what your Heavenly Father is doing?  When we ask to be a part of what God is doing, our Father is happy to give us more responsibility and freedom.  He begins to believe in us even more.

We spend a great deal of time talking and thinking about our belief in God, but one our biggest hurdles in life is coming to the understanding that God believes in us.  He trusts us with earth.  He trusts us with our lives.  He believes in us, especially when we demonstrate that we get it.  When we ask to be a part of what He is doing instead of staying inside and doing our own thing, God believes in us even more.  I'll bet God looks at our work and it's a little choppy.  I'll bet he'd describe it as not the prettiest job in the world.  But he's proud.  And (get this), He's able to concentrate on doing the things that only He can do.  Riding the big lawn mower is too big a job for my son right now.  Only I can do that, but he can handle the trimmer.  There are things that only God can do in our world.  But, the bigger question is what are we NOT doing simply because we won't join in God's work.  He believes in you.  He trusts you.  He wants you to be involved in what He is doing.  Go ask him how you can help.  It's okay if it's not the prettiest result in the world.  Your Father will be proud.

Land of the Free

The five Marines who were killed in an ugly display of evil last week in Chattanooga are some of the reasons we live in the land of the free.  The Marines, along with the rest of our military, help ensure that we are a nation that enjoys freedom.  Our founding fathers set the United States on a unique course at that point in history:  that we would seek freedom for all.  I am so grateful for the men and women that defend freedom on my behalf and on behalf of much of the world so that I can live a comfortable life in suburban America.  I am forever indebted to them.  I mourn for the families of the Marines who lost their lives.  I'm saddened for the people of Chattanooga, a community in which I have dear friends, because their freedom was interrupted with tragedy.

If there is one thing that I believe America has gotten right -- it's freedom.  Freedom is the gift God gave humanity.  We are free to choose good or bad.  We are responsible for our freedom.  People often want to ask in the face of tragedy like we saw in Chattanooga, "Why would God allow such evil or allow such a thing to happen?"  Well, God allowed freedom.  And we're either free or we're not.  There's not really an in-between.  We're free to choose good or chose evil.  But we have to live with the consequences of that freedom.  The man that killed those five Marines had the freedom to make a tragic choice.  God gives us that freedom because God wants us to freely choose Him.

We can certainly have laws that protect people, but we will never, ever be able to legislate people choosing wisely, because we always, ultimately have the freedom to choose poorly.  So what do we do?  We use our freedom for good.  We have the freedom to choose good every single day.  We honor the Marines who died in Chattanooga by using the freedom that service men and women have given us and that have been endowed to us by our Creator for good.  And choosing good makes a difference.

Recently, I've seen what I believe to be a father jogging around Grayson, but he's not alone.  He pushing his handicapped teenage son on a 3-wheel bicycle contraption.  He is always sweating and he is always smiling.  He could choose anger or bitterness.  He chose good.  He's choosing to soak up as much time with his son as possible.  He's choosing fitness and joy.  And I think about the stresses I have about parenthood.  They are meager.  I have the freedom choose good every day as a dad.  I can't change what happened in Chattanooga.  I can choose good.  And I believe that choosing good honors the freedom we've been given and inspires others.  It's all we've got.  Choose God.  Choose good.  Who knows how one decision might change someone's life to choose good the next time they are considering choosing evil?  That's how we make the world a better place.

The Difficult Issue of Religious Liberty (in which I don't solve much)

Religious liberty has become the 'hot-button-issue-of-the-day" in America.  From what I've seen, people are really quick to form an opinion.  I have been very slow in forming one, and I'm still not quite sure what I think.  The controversy mostly centers around the issue of gay marriage.  A common theme might include whether or not a cake baker has the freedom to deny baking a cake for a gay wedding in states where gay marriage is legal.  Or, is that baker forced to bake a cake for all who walk in the door.

I'm no politician, and I have not interest in being one.  My calling is to discover what it seems like God has called people of faith to do.  So, how should we respond?  What is the faithful witness Christians should have on this issue and those that relate to it.  Well, I think it's a very complex issue, which is why I've been slow to form an opinion.

First, let's be honest:  gay marriage will be legal in every state in a very short time.  So, we've got to figure out how to navigate this issue.  If you want to know my thoughts homosexuality and gay marriage, you can check them out here, here, and here.  The short version is that I believe homosexuality is not in line with Christian teaching, but gay people and the issue of homosexuality have been treated terribly by the Church.  I believe there is a way for us to be in community and dialogue together.  Though I can't faithfully affirm homosexuality and believe that God has a better plan, that doesn't mean we can't be friends with people with which we disagree.  And it doesn't mean that we can't love each other genuinely.  The Church ought to be a place where people from all walks of life dealing with all kinds of issues can come to connect with their Creator.

As for the issues we're facing now, I would ask a Christian cake baker, "For whom do you bake cakes?"  The problem here is that I don't think the issue is Christian marriage.  Would these same cake bakers bake a cake for a man and woman who were living together before marriage or had engaged in pre-marital sex?  Would this cake baker make a wedding cake for an atheist couple who planned to have a civil ceremony with no mention of God?  Would this cake baker make a cake for a couple that had been divorced?  What if it was their 3rd, 4th or 5th marriage?  Would this cake baker bake a cake for a serial cheater?  What if the wedding is "Christian" at a local church but everyone plans to get rip-roaring drunk at the reception down at the country club?  What if the cake baker doesn't think people from different races ought marry because they have been (wrongly) taught that?  Is it okay for them to deny mixed couples?  Does this baker only bake cakes for Christian couples who kept themselves pure in courtship, are actively engaged in a local church, and have a Christian wedding in which the name of Jesus is invoked?

Is the witness Christian business people in our country want one of the exclusion?  Do we want to be known for closing off our lives to those in the outside world?  Is that what Christians did in the New Testament?  Is that what Jesus did?  Is that why Jesus went to Levi's house to have dinner with his tax collecting friends and sinners?  Was Jesus 'endorsing' their sin because he went and ate with them?  There was one group that thought that :)  I don't really wanna be in that group.  It seems we should bake the best cake we could as a witness to our love for people.  It seems like one cake could start a relationship which might lead to a conversation which might lead to our Jesus.  And when people meet Jesus -- things change.

Of course, the problem we're having here is that we're seeing how ill equipped our laws are to deal with what are moral issues.  And this is just the beginning.  Soon, people will be asking, "If the government can't tell me what gender I can marry, why should the government tell me how many people I can marry at once?"  OR, "Who is the government to tell me what the legal age of marrying should be?"  In other cultures, polygamy is common and people marry at much younger ages.  As the U.S. becomes more and more diverse, those questions will continue.  Do we reach a point where the laws can make no moral judgments about love and marriage?  And to what extent do have the freedom to live by the convictions of my faith.  I don't really know, I just know that this issue is at the heart of the matter.

And that points to how complex it is -- because then there's me and pastor's like me.  Now, I'm pretty up-front in my premarital counseling.  If couples are living together, I ask one to move out until the wedding.  I ask them to be abstinent.  I've counseled couples to not get married, that I didn't think they were ready or didn't feel like I could stand in good conscience and ask God to bless their union.  Does the government have the right to force me to marry anyone?  What if my faith, denomination and personal convictions stand against that?  Should our church building be subject to the same demands as the baker?  It's a little different.  The church isn't in a for-profit business, but it raises questions, doesn't it?

Where do we draw the line?  A good friend of my has a daughter who runs her own photography business.  She does weddings, senior portraits, and family photo shoots.  What if someone approaches her to shoot some pornographic images between consenting adults?  It's completely legal?  At what point does she have the freedom to stand on her convictions about who and what she photographs?

See there.  It's complex.  I'm not sure what the answers are.  I just know that I hope for three areas of discretion and patience.

1.  I would hope that all people, but especially my brothers and sisters in Christ, would be diligent in forming an opinion about an issue about which it is so easy to draw quick conclusions.

2.  I would hope that Christian business owners would prayerfully consider how they can help live out, display and spread the Gospel in every situation.  But we don't have to protect it.  The Gospel will take care of itself.  Death couldn't hold it down.

3.  I would hope that those on the other side pushing hard in the name of equality would understand the concerns about where the line stops.  Most Christians I know don't won't to hurt people, but they wonder what will come next and, if this isn't where people of faith draw the line, where exactly do they?

See there.  I told you I didn't solve much.  We need to be prayerfully consider these things.  We need space for conversation and understanding.  It's too easy to jump to conclusions.  God wants more thoughtfulness from us.  This issue deserves it.  People deserve it.  Our calling to reach all people demands it.

Sunday Preview & July 4th Thought for the Week (7.4.14)

Happy Independence Day Church of the Way!

I hope you're having a great July 4th.  After all of your Independence Day celebrations, I hope you'll make plans to be at worship on Sunday.  For the next five weeks, James and I will be teaching a series pointing to where God is taking our church in the next season.  I'm super excited about what God has in store.  I hope you'll be there for "Go Beyond:  V15ION."  We'll be talking about where we're at in moving toward a permanent facility, and how God is calling us to reach more people with his love in the next year.  And we've got some exciting news about some things happening this August and September.  I get excited just thinking about it.  Can't wait to share with you on Sunday!

Thought for the Week
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17

This passage in 2 Corinthians is the backdrop from one of my favorite worship songs.  In fact, you can listen to it right here.  I can really get a good jog in when that one is rockin' in my iPod.  The old King James Version of the Bible says "Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."  Freedom.  Liberty.  Typically those are words we associate with the 4th of July.  Surely, Independence Day is a time to celebrate the freedoms we have in our country.  We should be grateful for that.  But, the kind of freedom we experience DOES have parameters.  We still have rules.  We have a limited freedom, and the rules give us boundaries within that freedom to protect us and allow us some level of choice.  But, our adherence to the rules are for our own preservation, not our devotion to an ideal of freedom.  Let me put it this way.  If there were no speed limits, how fast would you drive?  Now, you probably speed a little, but you keep it 10-15 MPH above the speed limit mostly because you don't want to get a ticket.  So, you might go 45 in a 35, but that's it.  If the sign instead read:  "It's probably safe to go 35-45 MPH here, but do whatever you want"...how fast would you go?  That's the kind of freedom God gives.  His love is free.  And we have freedom to be ourselves and not who anyone else tells us to be.  We are not guided by rules, but by His Spirit.  But, God still gives us clear commands, but have a choice to follow or not.  And He won't love us any less if we 'speed' right through.  We obey in freedom because of our adoration and love for the One who gave us freedom from our sins and brokenness.  But we don't have to.  What will you do with the freedom God has given you?  Follow him or follow your own path.  I know for me, that's an every day decision.  Decide today to follow the Freedom-giver.

In Christ,

Carter 

Faith & the Flag

The flag in front of our home.

In the last week, I have driven by a number of churches of all denominations that have their front lawn lined with American flags.  Now, I love Ol' Glory.  Above is a picture of the small one in our front flower bed.  I enjoy a patriotic celebration as much as the next guy.  During the first Gulf War, I wore a homemade Desert Storm jacket that my mother decorated with flags, stars and military symbols.  I get a little teary during a flyover at a football game, and some of my best friends have served in the military.  Oh, and I still get choked up when Lee Greenwood sings "God Bless the USA" in the Stone Mountain Laser Show.  I mean, what red-blooded American doesn't?  I am so grateful to live in a country that has afforded me the opportunities and freedoms I've enjoyed throughout my entire life.  I do not take lightly the price of that freedom and those opportunities.  I am thankful of the men and women who have fallen, served and continue to serve.

Still...I can't help but wonder what kind of message we are sending when the Church joins arms with patriotism.  The religious leaders of Jesus' day wanted faith to be nationally focused.  It was for Israel.  Jesus made a new way.  It was for Non-Jews, too.  The Apostle's struggled in the Early Church with this concept, but God gave Peter and Paul a vision to reach the Gentiles.  Jesus commanded His Disciples to "make disciples of all nations" and told them they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

This church thing has always been about 'all nations.'  The Church is a global movement, not a national icon.  My faith does not bid me to raise the flag of my country but to raise the flag of my surrender to my Redeemer.  When we link faith to patriotism we run the risk of confusing the message.  Is this church only for Americans?  That's critical in the community in which I serve, which has people from all over the world.  What if I do not align myself as American...am I welcome in a church lined with flags?  Does being an American make you a better or more superior Christian?  One can make an argument that being American hinders our ability to surrender our lives to Jesus because we have so much, so many blessings to surrender.  When we place the flag beside the cross, do we endorse all they both stand for?  We fully endorse the work of the cross and all it means.  Are we ready to say that we stand for all the flag has stood for and stands for?  Certainly not.  The flag and our country are like us, limited and fallible.  America does things we're proud of, and America does things we're ashamed of.

This is critical for Christ followers.  We are Disciples first.  I believe Jesus meant what He said in Matthew 16:24, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."  Deny everything, pick up a cross and follow Jesus.  Deny all that makes us ourselves to embrace a new self.  God didn't create us as Americans -- God created us in God's image.  All of us.  Every tribe, every nation, all peoples on earth.  We are about helping all nations experience the restoration of that image.  When we stand before God, our allegiance to Jesus, not our allegiance to the flag, will be the only thing of any importance.  

Celebrate this July 4th.  Celebrate the country in which we live. We have the best justice system, the most freedom, and the greatest country that I believe has ever existed.  America has done more for goodwill in the world than any other nation in history.  We have become freedom fighters not only for our people but for people all across the globe.  I am so proud to have been born here and to live here, but let us not forget that our nationality is of secondary importance to the one in whom we were born again and offers us life.  It is this life that the world needs from Christ's Church.  Let us offer this life, for it alone is the only hope salvation for the world.

  

Nelson Mandela didn't do labels, and we shouldn't either

Last week saw the death of Nelson Mandela, and we'll see countless specials and documentaries about him in the next week.  His story is certainly one worth telling.  He was at times controversial but always compelling.  He was a complex man with complex politics, but certainly a hero in the fight for freedom for all people.  I read a quote by Mandela that stood out to me:  "A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones."  That sounds like it ought to be in the Bible.  It is.

My brothers, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.  For example, a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor man dressed in dirty clothes also comes in.  If you look with favor on the man wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or, “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,”  haven’t you discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?  -James 2:1-4

We live in a world obsessed with labels:  rich/poor, famous/ordinary, athletic/uncoordinated, smart/challenged, computer geek/computer illiterate, black/white/olive, male/female, lower class/middle class/upper class, public/private, corporate/local, republican/democrat, liberal/conservative, progressive/evangelical, SEC/Big 10, Sporty/Artsy, educated/working class, churched/unchurched, saved/lost, Army/Navy (especially this weekend), American/European, first-world/third-world, boomer/millennial, vegetarian/vegan/carnivore, android/ iPhone, traditional/contemporary, Ford/Chevy, baptist/methodist/presbyterian/lutheran/pentecostal/anglican/roman catholic/non-denominational, liturgical/charismatic...that's all I could come up with.

We want our shoes to have labels and our phones to have labels.  And we label people.  But, people are just people.   People are made in God's image.  That means that God looks like everyone of us.  There are not some that are valued more because they're wealthy, athletic, brilliant or beautiful.  God looks like movie stars.  God looks like migrant workers.  God looks like those standing in line at the welfare office.  God looks like Olympic swimmers.  All are image-bearers.  God has dreadlocks and a shaved head.  God wears a $2,000 Italian suit and a Nike T-shirt, God plays video games and baseball, God drives a BMW and rides the public transportation system.  

The Church ought to be the best at what Mandela hoped for and the Bible demands.  We are the ones who believe that people are made in God's image.  Labels mean nothing to Christians because labels won't last.  They are not eternal.  The deepest part of our theology is that labels don't matter.  The inside matters.  Hearts matter.  Souls matter.  Spirit matters.  If there is a gift that Christians could give to the world, it is the feeling that their we can see through their labels.  The rich and famous wonder if anyone sees them for who they really are.  The poor wonder if anyone sees their potential.  The middle class wonder if anybody notices them.  I want you to know something:  there is One who sees who you really are, sees your potential, and notices you every day.  You are not your label.  You are not a skin color, a logo, a job title, or any kind of adjective.  You are a person who looks just like God.    This has been a dream of our Heavenly Father long before freedom fighters took up the mantle.  This is the way things are supposed to be.  What a gift we could give to the world if those that follow Christ could see God's children as He does.

Prison Break

Have you heard about Ryan Ferguson?  If you haven't, click on the link.  He's 29 and was just freed from prison after being in there for 10 years for a murder he didn't commit.  That's right, he missed all of his 20s because he was wrongly accused.  First, I am very impressed with him and his attitude.  I can't imagine the range of emotions he's feeling.

When I heard one of his comments, I thought about something our LIFE Group was talking about last night.  Ferguson had made the comment that it was very easy to get wrongly accused and put in prison, but very difficult to get out.  Once you're in, you have very little power.  They both pointed to one source as their saving grace:  their attorney.

You know, the word that Jesus uses to describe the Holy Spirit is a word that comes from the field of law.  Many versions translate it as "Counselor."  Another uses "Advocate."

You and I are much like Ryan Ferguson.  We won't get out of prison without an advocate.  Unlike Ferguson, most of us can recount the steps of how we got there.  Now were are stuck.  Stuck in addiction.  Stuck in debt up to our ears.  Stuck in passionless marriages.  Stuck in lies.  Stuck in a career that we hate but can't afford to leave.  Stuck in a pattern of sin.  Stuck in rages of anger.  Stuck being the parent we promised ourselves we wouldn't be.  Stuck in despair.  We're stuck.  Trapped.  Imprisoned.  You won't get out without a Counselor.  You need an Advocate to fight for you.  That Advocate is ready.  And here's the trick.  Are you ready?  Do what the Advocate says.  Can you imagine if Ryan Ferguson would have gone against his counselor's orders?  Can you imagine if he'd scheduled an interview she didn't want him to have or said something to a fellow inmate she advised him not to?  He'd still be in prison.  When you're in prison, you've got to trust the advocate.  Do what He says.  If you listen, if you study the Bible, if you really open your heart up in church, if you seek the counsel of wise, trusted, Christian friends, and if you pray...you'll start to hear what to do.  Now, hear me out.  It will take a while.  You're not getting out tomorrow.  All you're responsible for is the next step.  Take the next step.  The good news is this.  Jesus, through his grace has freed our souls from the prison of sin and death.  That's Jesus' work.  That's done for us through His death and resurrection.  But we often don't know how to live like free men and women.  We have to learn to walk...to take the next step.  Like Ryan Ferguson, you are in a prison you don't have to be in, but get out you're going to have to listen very closely to your Advocate and do exactly has He says.  So listen for the Spirit.  And do what He says.