St. Aelred of Rievaulx

I mentioned yesterday that I have been reading "Spiritual Friendship" by Wesley Hill. In his book he researches the history of friendship and spiritual friendship in the Church. One historical example he offers is  St. Aelred of Rievaulx. Aelred developed a theology of friendship based on what he saw in scripture, what Jesus said and how the disciples behaved with each other and toward one another.

I did some internet searches on Aelred. He is an interesting man. According to The Dominican Friars of England and Scotland,

St. Aelred was born in Hexham in the North East of England in 1110. He came from a family whose members were noted for their learning, and had noble ties. Aelred was educated at the court of King David I of Scotland, and served as steward of the king’s table. During this time, he read Cicero’s On Friendship, which had a lasting influence. At the age of twenty four, he entered the Cistercian Abbey at Rievaulx, and was elected as its Abbot in 1147.

 Monastic life has at its heart a tension, between the eremitical dimension and community life. Each monk is in some sense a loner, a solitary. But nevertheless, he lives in community, in relation to others. This reality has important lessons for all of us. We are all unique individuals, but we must also relate to others. So often, modern 'spirituality' emphasises the individual and his or her lone quest for God. But the search for God is one which requires relations with others. Aelred's Spiritual Friendship is about this very thing - the role of friendship in the search for God.

 Aelred presents a dialogue between himself and other monks, whom he considers his friends. It starts as a dialogue between Aelred and Ivo, with a third, Christ, present with them. They aim to learn about friendship from a friend, and in the presence of Christ, who calls us friends. The dialogue shows a process of mutual discovery. The two friends identify that there are different levels of friendship. There are friendships based solely on sense pleasure, which is the lowest kind. There are also friendships based on temporal advantage and possessions. The highest level of friendship is based on Christ's New Commandment of love, a 'spiritual friendship' attained through conforming to Christ by wholesome interaction, without thought of gain. This kind of friendship is important because it is humanising, and raises the two friends to love of God through their love for each other.

The five vices Aelred thinks are most destructive are slander, reproach, pride, betrayal of confidence and detraction. Unless both parties are perfect, these vices will inevitably show themselves. However, they can be overcome if there is repentance and a purpose of amendment. Those who are quick to anger, the fickle, and those who are overly suspicious of others will struggle to find true friendship unless they are able to amend their ways. True friends treat each other with a Christ-like gentleness and sympathy. They are constant in their love, frank, and congenial. When the friendship has these characteristics, it can be said to be a true friendship, a 'spiritual friendship', one which builds up both parties and helps them journey towards God. 

There is much to be said for Aelred's approach to friendship. While he seems to be turning the process of creating a spiritual friendship into a Christian work to achieve salvation, he also sees the mutual benefits of such a friendship for all parties involved. I love the idea that Christ is always the third friend in the mix between two friends that are learning to love each other and growing spiritually through their journey together. It is very much in line with Jesus' words in the gospel of John,  

³³ “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

This is only a small portion of John 13. In the chapter, Jesus washes the feet of His disciples. It is a bit heart wrenching to read that the Creator of the Universe is serving His creations in this way, but He does it none the less, and He tells these men that this is how they must serve each other. There is also contrast in this chapter in that Jesus makes direct reference to His betrayer. Friends and a not so friendly betrayer all enjoying the Passover meal together. Do you think Jesus washed the feet of His betrayer? I do. One has to wonder what was going through the mind of Judas as this happened and how it was that he could do what he did after that fantastic act of love. Judas' heart was never right. 

Whatever else you see here, please know this. Jesus changed the very nature of friendship, love, empathy and what it means to serve with this act. His was a new command. We are no longer to lord it over those differently blessed. We are to love them. Share our privilege with them. Become Jesus to them. We are to be spiritual friends of like mind, not as a Christian work to achieve salvation, but because we love as our Lord loves. 

This is our highest calling.  

Friendship, Spiritual Friendship and Ministry

I do not have many friends. I am not ashamed of that. I think that it has to do with my definition of what a friend is. I prefer quality to quantity

A friend is someone that I can be totally honest with and not lose them because of my personality flaws. I have many. They are willing to be brutally honest with me when it's required, telling me what I need to hear, even if it pisses me off. Their personality characteristics should complement mine and not necessarily be like mine. They need to be intelligent enough to argue with me and gracious enough to forgive me. I need to be able to depend on them when I need support; a favor I am always compelled to return. Most importantly, they have to love me.

I get all this and much more from a handful of people in my life and these people have one thing in common. Consistency. They are always available to me and they love me. It is a spiritual thing.

Love is different for me because I am celibate. No sex. No marriage. Only friendships. Since the first two are missing in my life the last one has to fill a major void. There are many that do not want to get that deep with me. Usually it's because they are married or very private or not accustomed to this depth of friendship with someone other than maybe a spouse.

For me there is nothing better than a spiritual friendship. It's kind of like marriage without sex and the added bonus that you can go home at the end of the day. To know and be known. There is no greater bond. For me it is the closet thing to falling in love. It's emotional, it's intellectual and it can even be physical to a certain point without sexuality. These kinds of relationships can be difficult to navigate early on, you can get you heart stomped on if you choose poorly or you can create a bond that will last a lifetime.

Many people will say that this kind of friendship is unnatural for older adults, that this kind of friendship should be reserved for marriage and maybe that it's even homoerotic in some cases.

Well maybe. I don't care what people think. If you are my friend, you will experience the love and loyalty of a marriage partner without as much luggage. I'm kind of high maintenance. Don't worry about it. Please just be there. I will be fine. I'm self repairing in most instances.

I have been reading a book called, "Spiritual Friendship: Finding Love In The Church as a Celibate Gay Christian" by Wesley Hill. He is a very wise and well read man (he's a teacher) and he seems to understand what I talk about above in the same unique way. He is of the opinion that all Christians should become the type of friends that I describe above and he writes about it very eloquently in his book. His research centers around how the nature of friendship in Christian circles has changed through the centuries. He thinks we need to recapture many things that have been lost or replaced with shallow acquaintances that seem almost unspiritual. I have to agree with him. I would recommend his book to you. It would certainly help you to understand me better if you are trying to be a friend to me or if you think I have too much interest as my friend in your personal life. To that last I would say 'fear not'; you can trust me.

I guess what I am getting to is that if you really want to minister to people and be effective, you have to be willing to get involved with people intimately on a personal level. We have got to get to know them. We have to be willing to risk hurt and pain and being pissed off to move forward in a Christlike manner in relationship and spiritual friendship with others.

You can find such friendships in the Bible. They are natural and normal and sometimes hurtful, but they seem to be worth the trouble. David and Jonathan or Jesus and John come to mind. Oh to be John. Think of the things you would have been privy to.

To my brethren in the church, I would say this. We need to be closer. We need to be more honest with each other. We need to share our struggles and victories and how Christ helps us work through these. We need to be more than just shallow acquaintances that discuss fishing, lawn mowing and Aunt Mabel's nephrectomy as we gather at the church coffee shop.

I have been fortunate enough to experience spiritual friendship. I would like everyone to know the joy. There is nothing like it.    

Empathy and Privilege

On June 4th I wrote about sympathy and empathy. As I recall, I believe I said that sympathy was not something that has the Biblical  seal of approval, but empathy is deeply embedded in scripture and should be practiced by all believers. This is because it requires something of you besides a feeling. It is more than saying, as James put it, "be warmed and filled". It is actually making that happen. It's more than "raising awareness", as the kids say today. Empathy is about becoming actively involved in someone's life and ministering to their needs.

Jesus and the apostles actively taught the practice of empathy. They were especially sensitive to management of wealth as a tool that should be used to assist and minister to others. Those that did not use their material blessings to help others were received warnings. Those that loved their wealth more than God had a problem. When you boil it down, God is the source of everything we have, be it life, liberty or property or talent. He did not distribute it all equitably. Rather, He arranged it so that we could all share with each other the privileges we enjoy as gifts. I think the plan was to force us to need each other. So why don't we?

The social justice warriors (SJW) in our culture wield the word "privilege" like a weapon to beat down those that enjoy certain abilities, occupations, social positions or even political power in an effort to force the "privileged" to share. It should not be this way in the world or even in places like the Church; even so, the privileged continue to deny their privilege in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary.

Think about it for a minute (or an hour). If you are a white heterosexual male, you are at the top of the privilege pyramid. You don't even need money or power or social position to exercise your privilege. You are welcome and welcomed wherever you go by others of your kind. What's worse is that you don't even realize it. You do not think you have privilege simply because you are white, straight and a man. You might even argue the contrary. Think again boy!

Despite leveling of so many cultural institutions, white men still own 99% of everything. We still grow up learning to assert ourselves in ways that women do not learn until much later. Have you ever been in a business meeting with female coworkers? They have trouble being heard many times because the alpha male in the room is dominating the conversation and minimizing anything the females say. I have seen this a lot. It's not pretty.

Now imagine that you are a female person of color that is a lesbian in that situation. You become a token and an outsider in a group of white straight men that might find your peculiarities entertaining.

What I am saying is that if you are born with more privilege in a caste society, you have more responsibility to help others with less privilege or different privileges. Those of us that are differently blessed owe it to those who are higher to let them know what we have to contribute and how it can be useful.

As a white male, I did not understand this for years...decades. As a gay man now out of the closet, I am becoming very familiar with it.

God did not create us to oppress each other and hold each other down. He made us to use our individualities together to His Glory. He loves variety. To Him, vanilla is just another flavor and not the most popular. There is a rainbow of possibilities...pun intended.     

Two of Seven Reasons to Get a Goat

Here goes....

4. Security

Everybody knows the efficacy and safety provided by a good, loyal watchdog. But what about a watchgoat? Goats will bleat at everything and everyone that passes by your house, so you will always be kept aware of when somebody is near your property.
The surprise of hearing a goat bleating can startle off any potential intruder or solicitor.

5. Companionship

Though one might not immediately think of goats as a logical choice as a pet, these animals surprisingly exhibit many character traits that make them wonderful animal companions.
The fact that they are not as traditional as dogs, cats, birds, or fish, goats can actually provide wonderful companionship, entertainment, and joviality to your home.
Because most people associate goats as being only petting zoo or farm animals, they do not realize that they are actually very affectionate, loyal, intelligent, curious, and loving creatures.
This is why more people are keeping goats as pets with great success!
If you own a property with ample fenced-in outdoor space and an outdoor shelter, large goat breeds such as Nubians or Swiss Alpines are a great option.
However, even those with more limited space – but still with a decent amount of land – can look into a smaller breed like pygmy goats.
There are a few key things to be aware of if you are interested in keeping pet goats. First, keep in mind that goats are instinctively herd animals. This means that they naturally crave the presence of another of their own species.
Because of this, it is ideal for you to keep at least two goats as pets. This way, you will not have to leave your one singular goat by itself if you are not at home and tending to it.
Because they are intelligent and curious animals, boredom and loneliness may lead to destructive behaviors or attempts at escape. Do not let this warning deter you!
The same holds true for the more intelligent dog breeds as well. A goat’s intelligence and natural curiosity should be nurtured by you through a variety of rich stimuli and varied diets.
Also, make sure that you have enough space on your property to prevent your goats from feeling restricted.
Lastly, be sure to check with your city ordinances and find out the policy on animals and pets. Some municipalities do not consider goats as pets and, instead, only livestock.
If this is the case, it may not be legal for you to keep goats in a residential area. It is worth check up on, however, as having goats as pets can be a truly enriching and wonderful endeavor.




I think I'm a goat.

Lost

There is a line in the last stanza of a song called "Hard to Get" by Rich Mullins that I can relate to in ways that most people do not understand. Here is the line.

I can't see how You're leading me unless You've led me here
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led

The entire song makes for a good description of my spiritual life and I would encourage you to look up all the lyrics or maybe a video of Rich singing it. It is pregnant with profound meaning.

Back to the actual line though...sometimes we have to get completely lost on our journey before we get to the point where we are willing to let God drive. It begins with brutal honesty, first with yourself and finally with others. You then have to get out of the car, get into the passenger side and hand God the keys. Relinquishing control is the hard part because even if you are riding, you still want to tell Him how to drive.

I don't want to drive anymore. I want to go where He is taking me. I am now willing to shut up about His driving skills. I am now to the point where I just want to know if we are there yet.

It seems like everyone else around me knows exactly where they are going, but I also get the impression that they have not surrendered control to Him. They have their own destination in mind. I wonder if they are going to a destination that He would approve of. I wonder if they are hearing His Voice or if their own voices are drowning out the One.

We need, sometimes, to be reduced to our simplest form before God can use us. Some painful deconstruction needs to take place before rebuilding can begin. I think I have been through that and God is trying to build something in me and with me that can be useful to others. I feel like I am ahead of the the flock and even the shepherds in these things in some respects. Does that sound prideful and self righteous or is it possible that this is correct? If it is correct, then why will no one listen?

It's is because they are not lost enough yet to let themselves be led. I think they all may be there real soon though. Lord, please send them your Messenger for the time when they are ready to admit it. Take them gently and guide them. I will try to help if I can. I long for the day. I hope I am still here when you make life spring from death. Lord, you can do anything. I know you can do this. Make the rocks cry out so they will hear You. Shine Yourself directly in their eyes so they will see You. Blind them with Your glory and deafen them with Your holy noise. Please make them understand Who You are and what You want. In Your name Lord. Amen

Forever

That song is still going thru my head. "Who Wants to Live Forever?" If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's the music video I posted last night. Adam Lambert is no Freddie Mercury, but he has an incredible voice and I think Freddie would have approved.

The song itself is kind of tongue in cheek in that the answer to the question is a kind of sarcastic "not really". And there is something to that. Who wants to live forever when they're old or sick or debilitated? That's how Freddie Mercury's life ended. He died of AIDS. He wanted to live forever, but as a healthy younger man I think. Certainly not in the decay of his final days.

Someone said that youth is wasted on the young, and I would say that's true for some. When we are in our 20's, we tend to burn the candle at both ends for a brief time prior to becoming responsible. Others of us never make that transition. We do not become responsible in the classic sense. We continue to live as we did when we were young and foolish and it can kill us if we aren't careful.

This is why I always say, moderation in everything - except moderation. We have to be extreme in our moderation. It's one of the keys to a long life I think, but I digress....

Our Creator made us to live forever and to live forever with Him. We were never intended to experience old age, sickness or death. Our ancestors thought they could live on their own without Him and do as they pleased and this was successful for awhile. Eventually though, separation from God brings about separation from life. We die. The process is wholly unnatural, but it happens because we choose our own will over His and so separate ourselves from Him who is the source of all life. 

The Lord God created us to live forever with Him. He is our eternal parent. We were never intended to be separated from Him. Sure, we grow up and are able to function in the world, but we are designed to always need Him in our lives. God has no grandchildren. We are it. We will always be His children whether we leave or stay by His side, but only He can ensure that we live forever.

Though we will all die as our ancestors did, our most important part will live on. The day will come when our spirits will be united with a new and uncorrupted body and we will live forever in this form. It will be glorious. The future is bright! 

⁵⁰ I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹ Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”^[h]

⁵⁵ “Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”^[i]

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

You see? Now do you want to live forever? I do. See ya there.  

Queen + Adam Lambert - Who Wants To Live Forever - Live at The Isle of W...

E.L.O-Roll Over Beethoven Live 2001 HQ

5250 Pale Ale - Shivers Brewery

A growler of beer is just enough to know that 5280 Pale Ale from South Dakota Shivers Brewery in Lead, SD is just enough to get you all smiley faced, but not enough to make you drunk or give you a headache. It is a very smooth beer that actually tastes like beer. Not too hoppy, but with real flavor. I thoroughly enjoyed what our neighbors brought back. I think he should buy the brewery and bring it to Iowa.

I have to say that I feel really good about it (;^))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

     

You've Gotta Love Millennials - Micah Tyler

The Armor of Light

¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

For whatever the reason, no one ever messes with me. I think it's because I have it. It's better than a hand gun, it always fits and it will protect me forever. What more could I want? It's the Armor of Light!  

Pro Gay, Pro Gun?

This is an interesting development. Since the Orlando massacre, there has been a move in West Hollywood, CA for the gay community there to arm themselves. According to The Daily Wire, 

"On Wednesday morning, posters suddenly appeared in West Hollywood, California featuring a gay version of the Gadsden Flag featuring a rattlesnake on top of the gay rainbow. The flags also had the hashtag #ShootBack indicating a more proactive approach to gay self-defense.
The posters were attracting attention in front of the Pacific Design Center, The Abbey, West Hollywood City Hall and in front of artist Chad Michael Morrisette's house.  Morrisette had covered the roof of his house with 50 mannequins to make a statement about the Orlando shootings.

 If one picture is worth a thousand words, the series of posters surely represented an eloquent plea to the LGBT community and other Americans to stand as one (thus the "Don't Tread On Me symbol of the American Revolution), as well as a marked attempt to encourage the LGBT community to eschew their traditional pacifist role and take up arms to defend themselves, in the manner of Americans from the Minutemen of the Revolutionary War to the armed service members who defend American values to this very day."

This will create a rift in the left if this movement takes hold. I have to say I like the idea. I was thinking on Monday that if just one man had been armed at Pulse, he could have dropped Omar Mateen in his tracks and sent him straight to paradise.  

Then there's this from FOX 31 in Denver,

Gun sales are surging in the wake of Sunday’s deadly mass shooting in Orlando, Fla. The tragedy is generating new debate over gun control reform and the right to bear arms.
Gun shops typically see a spike in customers after mass shootings. But this time, many are seeing shoppers they’ve never really seen before: More gays and lesbians.
George Horne, the owner of The Gun Room, Denver’s oldest firearms dealer, said Tuesday business is booming at his store.
"For this time of year I’d say its three to four times what we normally have," he said.
Background checks that once took minutes can now take hours. It's a sales surge similar to what happened after Sandy Hook and the Aurora theater shootings.
“We’re not surprised by it,” Horne said.
However, what’s different this time around is the clientele. Mike Smith, a firearms instructor in Colorado Springs, is one of many closely tracking the sudden surge in gays and lesbians buying weapons.
“I think right now because of what happened, people are looking for answers,” he said. “You walk into a gun shop and you expect to see people, frankly, who look like me. I think we forget we’re a country of all people, not just people who fit that predetermined mold.”
The Pink Pistols is a national gun club for gays and lesbians. It saw its membership soar from about 1,500 members on Saturday to 3,500 on Monday.

The whole "Pink Pistols" thing is cute, but really, it's only logical that more gay people would know how to use firearms. We have been in the military and on your police forces for decades. Maybe it's just a case of gay self defense finally coming out of the closet. If so, the nation should welcome it.

The whole country needs to think about shooting back when things like this happen. We cannot be ruled by fear. Shootings like the Orlando incident would disappear or be minimized if perpetrators knew they would meet resistance. I like it.    

Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin? Really?

I have always despised that expression because it conceals so much self righteousness. I like Mark Lowery's take on it. Please see below. There is both truth and humor in his words.

Church and State

It's been an interesting year from a political standpoint. Our choices in the presidential race betray where we are as a nation. We are divided and divided in ways that we have never been divided before. Donald Trump stands out because, even though he runs as a Republican, he is not really one of them. He has become the standard bearer of what is coming and what people really want from government; pragmatism and the ability to choose something other than one size fits all government policy. I could go on, but just let me say, he almost convinces me that voting might matter.

That's right. I don't vote. I don't need to because my vote will not make a difference. Neither will yours. Voting and democracy are an illusion. Don't be tricked.

From a Christian standpoint, there is nothing in scripture that prompts me to take part in the political process. It is inherently corrupt and corrupting. It is something I would ask all Christians to avoid like the plague. It's true that what government does, effects us all, but in the big picture of things, it does not matter for us. We are Christians. We may live in the United States, but as Christians, we are foreigners and aliens. Our citizenship is in the Kingdom of God. Our King is Jesus Christ. Nowhere in scripture are we told to try to influence the path government or politics. We already have an everlasting kingdom. If the world chooses a different path, that is their choice. Let them go. Our responsibility to them is to preach the gospel. Plant that seed. If it grows, then we teach them what it means to be a citizen of the Kingdom. Otherwise God will be their judge. They are free to choose.

Every time in history when the church involves itself in the power mechanisms of the state, it becomes corrupted. It is one of the reasons that there was a reformation movement. We need to steer clear of the political arena and share only the gospel in the public arena. In the privacy of our fellowship, we can educate each other about the tenets of the faith. We cannot expect the world to live as we do if they do not accept Christ's lordship. The notion is ridiculous. We need to tolerate them so that they will tolerate us.

I offer again here I Peter 2:9-17

⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
¹¹ Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. ¹² Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
¹³ Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴ or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. ¹⁵ For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. ¹⁶ Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. ¹⁷ Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

Pretty simple eh? 

On Loving Sin

In the Christian world, we are taught to hate sin because God hates sin. Our faith demands that we turn away from it and toward Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith. But how does all that work from a spiritual standpoint?

I know that there are sins that I hate. I do not practice them and I abhor them in others, but what about those other sins; the ones I commit fairly often? Do I really hate them as I am supposed to? Do I really regret the things in my life that I have done that were contrary to God's will? Am I truly sorry?

My thought is that, far from hating sin, we all love it, even those of us that try to live by faith. There are things I have done in my life that were sinful, but they were also enjoyable. Nothing negative happened to me because I did them. I never received consequences. In the end they were harmless to me and in some respects, even good experience for life in the real world.

So how do we counterbalance our love of sin with what we believers see in the Bible? What has to happen to overpower our love of things that are contrary to God's will?

Some will say that we just have to 'man up' and stop doing whatever it is. God will give us the power to overcome our desires. We simply have to resist our desires and the will of the evil one; be strong. Stand firm.

Let me suggest that this will not work. You will not be able to overcome your own sin habits with will power, spirit power or intense prayer and self deprivation. Let me further suggest that these things may actually make everything worse because eventually you will fail at whatever it is you are trying so hard to prevent, you will fall into despair and depression and you may even lose your faith for a time.

Instead, let me ask you this. How much do you love Jesus?

What I find is that I am able to avoid sin because I love Him. If we can get to the point where we love Him more than we love our own desires, it becomes easier to say no. Sometimes it does not even come to mind because His love is so satisfying.

Even so, sin is like that old boyfriend that comes around once in awhile. There is still some love there. You remember the fun, but not what a jerk he could be and it goes on from there.

In those times, remember how much better loving Jesus is. If you still fail, then go to Him. He is faithful to forgive. He knows you better than you know yourself.

It all just becomes easier when you finally love Jesus more than yourself.

Orlando

I have been silent about this, waiting for more facts to emerge in regard to the shooter and I find myself puzzled by many things.

Initially we heard and read that Omar Mateen was an Islamic extremist and terrorist for ISIS that he had been investigated by the FBI in the past. As more facts came out, we learned that he had been going to this particular bar (Pulse) for quite awhile. An ex-wife has said he was gay. His current wife said he had homosexual tendencies. Some of the regular bar patrons said Omar had been patronizing Pulse for a long time, maybe as much as 3 years, that he would drink to excess and that he could be found on gay dating and hook up apps. And this is what confuses at first, but really explains it all in the end.

What kind of Muslim does these things? A bad Muslim. This guy was gay and he liked to drink. He kept a wife and family as a "beard" and trolled for boyfriends by night. His entire life was a contradiction to what he was supposed to be by faith.

It is a testimony to what an extreme religion can do to a man living in the closet that is unable to process who he is with what his faith demands.

I find myself wondering if this man was ever introduced to Christ, if he would have done any of these things. Christianity has been described by some as extreme. Christ followers have been called haters. I ask you, has a Christian of any stripe ever done anything like this in our society?

There has been much vitriol in the gay community and the Church over the morality of alternative sexualities, but there has not been any bloodshed like this. I hope and pray that it never happens. We need dialogue and we need to understand that if people reject Jesus, it is their choice. Ultimately God will judge us all. It is not for anyone to take justice into their own hands and punish. As God says, "vengeance is Mine. I shall repay". I know some of us just want to be about our Father's business. We need to remember, it's His business and not ours.

What Omar did was the result of a very confused mind. The contradictions between his faith and his desire were more than he could handle and apparently the ISIS leadership took advantage of this and offered him a one way ticket to paradise if he would do this thing.

Jesus could have given Omar that and a way to balance the apparent contradictions between who he was and what faith in the One True God demands. The way of love, grace and peace could have made Omar a true child of God. No suicide mission with death and mayhem of the many would have been required.

The whole thing is an unfortunate mess and I do not try to diminish the enormity of his crimes by saying he was confused, but all he really needed was Jesus. It would have fixed everything.

Gun control would not have stopped this.
Banning homosexual behavior would not have stopped this.
Banning Islam would not have stopped this.

Submitting to Jesus would have changed everything for Omar and saved all the lives lost at Pulse.

Islamic immigrants and LGBT people need the opportunity to hear about Jesus free of judgement, in the way of love and grace.

Is anyone really doing this? Please tell me. I want to know.  
  

Final Exhortations

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

1 Peter 2:9-17

⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

¹¹ Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. ¹² Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
¹³ Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴ or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. ¹⁵ For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. ¹⁶ Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. ¹⁷ Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the king.

Rich Mullins - Brother's Keeper

Rich Mullins - Qouting Deuteronomy To The Devil

Then and Now

I was thinking about the events in my life in the last three weeks and the last six months as I was trying to wake up this morning, standing in the cold water spray of the shower. Yes, cold water. Even at 58, there are things that just will not subside without a dose of cold water. But I digress :^)))

Anyway, as I was standing there on the edge of hypothermia, it all came together in my mind.

I am sooooo saved. I feel like I have aged 100 years in the last three weeks, but the events have not thrown me into panic or depression as it would have a year ago. I am good with whatever happens because He, the Lord, is with me. I have done what He wanted me to do. I did it six months ago and I have been steadfast to do what He wanted in the last three weeks of the current difficulty.

There is peace of mind in obedience.

I know that many of you think I am an unsubmitted, unregenerate sinner at this point. To this I say, I am a sinner, but the Lord's Spirit within me is now, and has been, changing me. I see things I have never seen before with a clarity I wished I had at 23. The path is clear to me and there is no turning back. I will, I must continue to help others like me find the way to freedom. There are many places that this can be done. I do not really want to move on. I want to stay and work where I am, but I do not want to be the house homo that proves how loving and accepting everyone else is. I want to be me and I want others like me to join us. Some are already in the house, but they are now afraid to speak and be themselves because of recent events. There is a chill in the air that was not there before. It's as though someone said, "this far and no further".

I think what I need to do is dial up the hot water and try to melt the hearts of those that bring the chill. There are some whose hearts are so hard, they will just crumble to dust. So be it. The Lord always loves a remodeling project. I just cannot, at this point, bring myself to pull up stakes and move on. Now is not the time.

------------

Lord, you never gave up on me. I praise your name for that. Who am I to give up on my reluctant friends and even those that oppose me. I cannot. I must love them and do the right thing even if the whole process frustrates me and those I am loving cannot see the forest for all all the trees in their way. They are yours too. Even so, please soften their hearts, open their minds and invigorate their souls. Help them to see the contradiction in their behaviors then and now. Help me to be patient and not angry, to be merciful and not self righteous, to be loving and not vindictive.

Lord, I love you. In Your name I Pray These Things

Amen

Behold His Mighty Hand

Sometimes, despite protests to the contrary, we really have no desire to be free. We sacrifice freedom for safety and security and a life of comfort and calm. We depend on government and law to protect us from those that harm us and we depend on our employers to see to our material needs. We love our grocery stores and discount stores and paved roads and air conditioned homes with two car garages with room for a boat. Why would anyone want to get free of all that?

What we fail to realize is that we have these things because we are slaves. We have been laboring so long in the land of Egypt that we have forgotten what it means to be free.

For most of a year, Moses and his brother Aaron labored alongside the Lord to bring His people, Israel, out of slavery in the land of Egypt and into a new life where their only leader was the Lord God and their only life was one of uncertainty and trusting in His guidance. The proposition was a scary one. I can imagine that many of these people thought, "we can trust a God we cannot see and go with Him to who knows where or we can stay here in the peace and safety and plenty of this land of prosperity building monuments to dying kings."

The choice was one of trusting in uncertain circumstances versus no trust required. It would have been a no brainer for many. Why give up all of this to wander in a desert toward a place we have never heard of, lead by a God that we cannot see? Is all that suffering and uncertainty really necessary?

In the end, they decided to go, but all the way along the road people had second thoughts. Those regretful moments began on day one at the shore of the Red Sea and they continued throughout their 40 year journey.

Day One -   ¹ They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? ¹² Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
¹³ Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. ¹⁶ Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.

Most of you probably know that this attitude of fear and doubt among the people and their never ending desire to appeal to the power of the state to protect them, feed them and save them, did not end well. Of all those that came out of Egypt on that day, only two families of that generation ever saw the promised land. The others of that generation died in the desert in their rebellion against a God that had set them free. Only Caleb and Joshua with their families were spared and this for their obedience and lack of fear. It was them that lead the second generation to the promised land.

You might ask, "So what's your point Jeff?"

Last year I stood at the shore of my "Red Sea" deciding whether I would obey the Lord and cross over into an age of uncertainty and adventure with Him as my only guide. I decided to cross. I trusted the Lord and His people with my last secret and I went to the desert with Him and everyone else. 

Now there are many that want to go back. They want to appeal to Pharaoh to save them rather than trust in the Lord our God for our journey. To this I say, Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.

The time is now to obey the Lord. Please come with me. Enjoy the security that comes with trusting in the Lord. It will not be what you were used to in Egypt, but one day you will have a land of your own flowing with milk and honey. Turn away from the kings of this world and put your eyes on Jesus. He is our King and Our Savior. Do not stand there crying out to Him. Rather, move forward in faith to an uncertain future in the desert with only Him as your guide. 

Are you ready to go? Or do you still want to seek Pharaoh's permission one more time?

Thanks Lord

Thanks Lord for a day filled with hope; for the emails from those who pray with me for peace. I lift up again their prayers to you and also mine.

Please guide the leadership of our church tonight as they move through the decision making process on things that will effect so many. Help them Lord to walk for a minute in the shoes of others. Help them to put on your sandals and know the empathy you feel toward those lost and without faith and to those with faith that need the encouragement and help of their brethren.
.

Put upon their hearts your love and grace and compassion. Help them to turn away from the path of wrath and defiance and fear. Cause in them a desire to embrace those that need you in a consistent manner and not with olive leaves in one hand and a sword in another. Help them...help us all to fear only you and nothing else.

In Your Name We Pray,

Amen! and Amen!

Glorified

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[i] have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

I am feeling glorified this morning. There is a lot of crap going on right now in my life and in the lives of others in my world, but I think it is going to resolve itself in a way I do not expect and it will ultimately work out for everyone involved.  

I am up for that adventure. I started one last Sunday. I need some more.

I've been feeling betrayed or maybe 'used' is a better word. I am so over that today.

I am beginning to move on. I suppose we are all traitors to something. I am not perfect either. I know I should strive to be perfect, but I am not, and it does not bother me all that much. I find that the less perfect I am, the better I understand and relate to people.

I know self righteousness because I have been self righteous.

I know judgmentalism because I have been judgmental.   

I understand the angry because I have been angry.

And I understand stupidity, because I have been stupid. (I know. I can't believe it either.)

I have become all things to all men so that I might commiserate with some of them.

Somewhere in heaven Paul is laughing...or maybe not. 

Whatever. I am moving forward with the Lord to a glorious future

Wanna go?

Albert Einstein

The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.

Albert Einstein

Model The Church That You Want

Christians, by in large, tend to gravitate to churches that support them in ways that go beyond their faith. We all want to learn and do what the scriptures teach, but there is divergence on some life issues about how to proceed in practical ways that will not be damaging to the Body internally or be harmful to those that might be seeking Christ from outside the body.

It can be a divisive matter if we let that happen, especially if leadership within your local body is not hearing what they need to hear, or out of ignorance, behaving in ways that may not be beneficial to the long term good. And while it's true that God can take even the worst scenarios in this genre and make them work out to the benefit of all believers, we should not act hastily or out of anger or even righteous indignation in an effort to resolve them. Instead let me suggest an alternative.

I read somewhere that we have to model the church that we really want to go to. Our behavior among our brethren needs to reflect what we have concluded Christ wants from His church. So instead of saying, "I'm mad", "I'm Unhappy" or "this is wrong so I am leaving", we should become the church that we want to worship at.

So here's the deal. Find like minded believers. Begin to model the church you want to see. Begin to do the things that you have been lead by Christ to do. Help those that you disagree with to see the advantages of this kind of church. Help those undecided to see the possibilities. Increase in numbers. Enter positions of leadership.

Influence your brethren through your behavior. Stand up and show them the way. This will be hard. There may be persecution, but if we are truly doing the work of Christ, we should not expect an easy road. Opposition from fellow believers can be exasperating or it can be a joyful event if one is motivated correctly to do the will of the Lord and to love one another. We can all learn and teach each other by doing things for Jesus.

Some say there comes a point where this is too late and it's time to move on. I am not there yet. I will not jettison those I love, even if I believe them to be in grievous error and have failed previously to convince them to live differently. Instead, I will live in the way I believe I am being called to live and model that for others. My presence does not support them. My presence will act as an eternal reminder of an alternate path still available. 

So when is it time to shake the dust from the feet and move on? I would say it's when no one has an interest in alternatives, but only rule of law.       

The Rising Sun Youth Choir In Yale, Iowa

I had what you could call an unusual experience today, at least for me. Instead of teaching a bunch of adults as is my normal Sunday gig,  I was invited to go on an adventure by my friend and sister in Christ, Karla Van. She is the director of the Rising Sun Youth Choir. They are currently performing their music at local area churches. This one was in the small town of Yale, Iowa. I have not been on a choir tour since I was in RSCC Teen choir back in the Day, c.1972-75, so this was all quite refreshing for me in my current dottage. But I digress.

It was a small, but mighty group.

Zach Stemsrud (future preacher I think)
Emily Hurley
Madison Rowland
Stephen Keys
Grace Rowland
Abby Hurley
Alaina Stemsrud
Lars Seiberling (future comedian)

Sponsors included Karla Van (director), Johnny Kurtz (pianist) and Nancy Curry (sound). Also assisting were Denise and David Keys.

I hope to go with them next week to Bayard, Iowa. I hope I get by with just watching again. Thanks Everyone. It was good therapy for a tired old man. I felt young again for a few seconds.

Pastor Gene Lockling is standing in the left of this pic. He is 85 years old. A determined servant of the Lord!

 A white peoni in the church garden. Beautiful.

Lunch was wonderful. We gathered in the church basement. There was fried chicken, egg rolls and crab rangoon among other things. It was a good time and good fellowship.

Lord, I'm looking forward to an interesting summer. I hope you have other plans besides these. this was certainly a good start. Thanks so much for these people. Please bless them and give them a safe, successful and uneventful trip again next Sunday to Bayard.

Sympathy and Empathy

Did you know that the Bible condemns the practice of sympathy?

¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Yes, showing sympathy to someone's plight is all too common in our culture and even in the church. We wish people well, we send condolences, we are sorry for someone's unfortunate circumstance, but we never do anything about it!

Jesus never called us to be sympathetic. He called us to be empathetic. It was something He practiced all the time during His ministry. 

So what's the difference? How is sympathy different from empathy? Well, from what I have seen, sympathy is where you think understand how someone feels and you want them to feel better and you might even express that wish for them. Empathy, on the other hand, involves spending time with those afflicted or aggrieved or injured or marginalized in some way and then using what you have to help make their situation better.

Think about the story of the Good Samaritan, You all know it. A man is injured along the road, badly beaten and robbed. Two religious types, a priest and a Levite, pass him on the other side of the road. They do not help. They may have been sympathetic to his plight, but they had to be somewhere and also, they had to maintain ceremonial cleanliness as a requirement of their occupation. If they were made unclean by this man's blood, they would not be able to serve at the altar. They forgot that God prefers mercy to sacrifice (Hosea 6:6 I think).

However, a Samaritan passer by saw the man and his sympathy for the beaten and robbed man, turned into action. He gave medical attention to the man's wounds and paid to put him up in an inn until he was able to travel again. The story goes on from there, but this is a prime example of empathy and I will tell you why.

The Samaritan knew what it was to be looked down on, ignored, despised and feared. He knew the pain of the man that lay by the road and it drove him to act. He did not do this to be honored or rewarded or to receive public accolades. He did it because he cared - he had empathy.

Many times we church folks have a lot of sympathy for the plight of others. We see their need, we welcome them and then we fail to give them what they need to become a successful part of the body of Christ. We do not give of what we have to see to their needs in their time of trouble. We do a fair job of seeing to people's physical needs, but oft times we do not help with their spiritual needs because we find who they are to be distasteful for whatever reason. We welcome them, but then say, "you're on your own". We may not use those words, but our lack of action to help the spiritually injured says that in spades.  

Many of us are blessed with spiritual wisdom and biblical knowledge that could help our less fortunate brethren. We have spiritual privilege. Those privileges should be used to help others, but instead we ignore the problems or offer sympathy and no empathy. 

The world is full of people that need to hear what Jesus has to offer. Even so, we guard that information inside of spiritual fortresses in suburbia where we meet. We do not reach out to help. We might bring them in, but we do not give answers. Instead, we offer a smile, a welcome and polite conversation about lawnmowers and lunch with the mother in law over a latte a the church coffee shop.     

Is this what Jesus called us to? Just wondering.

CHRISTIANS: 4 tips for talking to your gay friends

Synchronicity

I do not know any other name for it. It's that thing where you look at your phone or your digital clock and it says 11:11 or 12:12 or 1:11 or 2:22 or 3:33 or 4:44 or 5:55. Repeating numbers, every time I check the time.

It's been happening to me with alarming frequency. Now some will say, "well, you just remember that because it's odd. You don't remember all those other times you checked the time because it was not unusual."

That would be called confirmation bias, or more technically, the Van Restorff Effect.

Maybe, but I do not think so.

There seems to be something almost spiritual about it. It happens at home and it happens at work. At home I have an alarm clock that projects the time on the ceiling. I woke up the other night to see 3:33 projected on the ceiling in big red letters. I've also seen 4:44. At work, I usually get 11:11. It's just weird.

Does this happen to anyone else? Is it just a temporal anomaly? It's just very odd.

Feel The Everlasting Power of The Word of God

There is no commentary required here. Read these words my brethren and know the power of our Lord and Savior. Do we need anything more than Him? I love you! See you soon.

Philippians 4:4-9

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Ephesians 3:14-21

 
¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

It is well with my soul - Chris Rice

Dead Man Walking

That's what they call someone facing the death penalty in a prison - a dead man walking. And that's how I feel today. I'm still breathing, but I can see from here the time when I will not be.

Life is like walking down a very long hallway. On the way down the hall we enter the various doors to the right or left and spend time in those rooms with different people, but eventually we always end up back in the hallway, moving in one direction toward the exit. I can see the exit sign from here and those ahead of me making their departure. Some try very hard not to leave. Others fly through the door like it was not even there.

I will be taking that last option. It's not an exit. It's an entrance to something more glorious than I can even imagine. Victory is at hand just beyond that door. That sentiment grows stronger within me daily.

I am tired. I long for that final peace that passes all understanding. I want to look back on it all and say to myself, "why did I struggle so?" My hope and true home has always been on the other side of that door. I may well be a 'dead man walking'. I'm good with that.

I Have Failed

I wish I had been a more effective teacher in my church. I suppose I may have not been focused enough or I should have studied more or maybe I'm just a lousy teacher. It's probably the last one. Obviously it's that last one. I just wish somebody had told me before now. It makes everything else just that much harder.

I would like to thank my church for the opportunity to teach. I wish it could have been better. I would also like to thank you all for helping Jesus set me free from my last secret. The months since November 29 have been some of the best. 

I spent the last quarter attempting to teach the book, Messy Grace. I do not think it generated much enthusiasm. I apologize for that. I wish we could have all caught the spirit of that book, but it does not seem to have worked.

If any of you have taken offense to my recent writing, both in private and publicly, I'm sure we will both get over it one way or another.

Whatever you think now, know this. I love all of you. I would not have raised the current issue as I have been doing if I did not love our church. My concern is that a grave error is about to be made that will forever label us before sinners as a place to avoid at all cost. I cannot abide that.

I cannot abide the use of this legacy, our church, as a pawn in legal battles. For three generations, my family on both sides has worshiped with you. It tears me up that anyone would think so little of that and willingly use a church nearly as old as the state of Iowa in a legal test.

There has to be a better way. I hope you find it and so avoid the course of the law.

There is no courage or concern in legal courses of action. There is no love. There is no grace or mercy. It says to all in witness, "I defy you."  The day may come when we have to do that. That time is not now and this issue is not worth it.  

Courage is when you stand at the door and say "come in" to people that are different from you. Legal action says you're not so friendly, maybe a bit touchy and maybe a bit unwelcoming.

It's been a good run since 1997. It's been good to be home. Home is not always where you think it is though. Sometimes there just isn't one.     

Joke Du Jour

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are in a bar. Donald leans over, and With A smile on his face, says, "The media is really tearing you apart for That Scandal."

Hillary: "You mean my lying about Benghazi?"

Trump: "No, the other one."

Hillary: "You mean the massive voter fraud?"

Trump: "No, the other one."

Hillary: "You mean the military not getting their votes counted?"

Trump: "No, the other one."

Hillary: "Using my secret private server with classified material to Hide my Activities?"

Trump: "No, the other one."

Hillary: "The NSA monitoring our phone calls, emails and everything Else?"

Trump: "No, the other one."

Hillary: "Using the Clinton Foundation as a cover for tax evasion, Hiring Cronies, And taking bribes from foreign countries?

Trump: "No, the other one."

Hillary: "You mean the drones being operated in our own country without The Benefit of the law?"

Trump: "No, the other one."

Hillary: "Giving 123 Technologies $300 Million, and right afterward it Declared Bankruptcy and was sold to the Chinese?"

Trump: "No, the other one."

Hillary: "You mean arming the Muslim Brotherhood and hiring them in the White House?"

Trump: "No, the other one."

Hillary: "Whitewater, Watergate committee, Vince Foster, commodity Deals?"

Trump: "No the other one:"

Hillary: "The funding of neoNazis in the Ukraine that led to the toppling of the democratically elected president and to the biggest crisis that country has had since WWII ?"

Trump: "No the other one:"

Hillary: "Turning Libya into chaos?"

Trump: "No the other one:"

Hillary: "Being the mastermind of the so-called “Arab Spring” that only brought chaos, death and destruction to the Middle East and North Africa ?

Trump: "No the other one:"

Hillary: "Leaving four Americans to die in Benghazi and go to sleep?

Trump: "No the other one:"

Hillary: "Trashing Mubarak, one of our few Muslim friends?"

Trump: "No the other one:"

Hillary: "Encouraging and supporting the murders of Palestinians and the destruction of their homes, towns and villages by Israel ?"

Trump: "No the other one:"

Hillary: "The funding and arming of terrorists in Syria, the destruction and destabilization of that nation, giving the order to our lapdogs in Turkey and Saudi Arabia to give sarin gas to the "moderate" terrorists in Syria that they eventually used on civilians, and framed Assad, and had it not been for the Russians and Putin, we would have used that as a pretext to invade Syria, put a puppet in power, steal their natural resources, and leave that country in total chaos, just like we did with Libya?

Trump: "No the other one:"

Hillary: "The creation of the biggest refugees crisis since WWII

Trump: "No the other one:"

Hillary: "Leaving Iraq in chaos? "

Trump: "No, the other one."

Hillary: "The DOJ spying on the press?"

Trump: "No, the other one."

Hillary: "You mean HHS Secretary Sibelius shaking down health insurance Executives?"

Trump: "No, the other one."

Hillary: "Giving our cronies in SOLYNDRA $500 MILLION DOLLARS and 3 Months Later they declared bankruptcy and then the Chinese bought it?"

Trump: "No, the other one."

Hillary: "The NSA monitoring citizens' ?"

Trump: "No, the other one."

Hillary: "The State Department interfering with an Inspector General Investigation on departmental sexual misconduct?"

Trump: "No, the other one."

Hillary: "Me, The IRS, Clapper and Holder all lying to Congress?"

Trump: "No, the other one."

Hillary: "Threats to all of Bill's former mistresses to keep them quiet"

Trump: "No, the other one."

Hillary: "I give up! ... Oh wait, I think I've got it! When I stole the White House furniture, silverware, when Bill left Office?"

Trump: "THAT'S IT! I almost forgot about that one".

Passive Resistance

Well, I could not even last for 24 hours. Yes, I am supposed to be on sabbatical, but for some reason, I am unable to shut off my mind and my mouth. I have to speak and this seems to be my favorite venue.

As someone once said, "you don't have to read it". Unfortunately, I do have to write it. I am incurable.

So...passive resistance.

I am all about passive resistance. It seems to be an inborn part of my character. It is what I do when I want to rebel against the current state of affairs, whatever that might be at the time. It started, as near as I can tell, when I was about three years old. I would be ordered to comply with whatever by the parental units. My immediate refusal would be forthcoming. I would fall to the floor, arms crossed and cross legged, joints locked in place. I could not be moved, except with physical dragging by the parental units. There would also be much screaming on the part of the aggrieved party which was always me. When done in public, it appeared to all concerned, to be child abuse. No amount of paddling, detention or other parental persecution could dissuade me to admit any error on my part. I was always right and righteous in my own eyes. I would call upon God to vindicate me in my persecution and especially when I was asked to apologize for something that I was never sorry for. I would not lie. That would be unrighteous. There could be no compromise.

I have never learned not to do that. It is my mode of operation. To this day, I see no need to try reasonable means in pursuit of justice. It's my experience that true justice is never forthcoming. The cards are always stacked in favor of the authorities. One must not compromise with evil and one must not use the tools of the enemy in an effort to defeat them. Their tools are designed for their use against us; hence they will not work well when we attempt to wield them.

All of that brings me to this.

If you wish to fight injustice that is dictated by government, governmental bodies or the enforcement arms of either, you should avoid using their means to appeal. You will get nowhere very fast. You may receive a delay. You may prolong the arrival of the day of reckoning, but they will always and inevitably win...unless you passively resist them. No lawsuit, no hearing for a TRO, no amount of lobbying of legislative bodies or courts or commissions will avail you like passive resistance.

In the style of Gandhi and MLK, Christians must learn the art of passive resistance as governments and unelected bureaucrats encroach on territory that God has placed in our hands. We are commanded to spread the gospel. We must obey and we must passively resist any attempt to silence the Word of God in our communities. It was the way of the Church in its first 300 years and it should be our way.

I will not stand with you if you appeal to Caesar. He is already set like flint against the Kingdom of the Most High.  Nor will I stand with you when you use irrelevant issues like bathroom privileges to demand justice. It only demeans our cause. It makes us look like idiots.

I will however, stand with you for the sake of the gospel!

I will stand with you when they come for us. I will throw myself to the ground with you and lock arms. I will go limp as they pepper spray and zip tie us and take us to jail. I will chant "we shall overcome" and "the whole world is watching"' as they beat us with night sticks like they beat the evil ones. I will be with you when they send their dogs. I will help you passively disrupt and short circuit what passes for authority and justice in this corrupt world.

The time is at hand friends when we will be forced to take our stand with Christ. The courts will avail us nothing. They are controlled by the dark prince that opposes us, may the Lord rebuke him.

I say let them come. The world needs to see that no one is safe in their persons or property or faith from the powers that are currently rising. Some of us may even have to die before people wake up and smell the coffee that has been brewed for us.

Now lets all practice...drop to the ground, lock arms and say "no" to all that can hear. What comes after that will not be easy. It will hurt. It will sting. There will be pain, but in time, others will join us. Can they incarcerate us all? They can try. They will fail.

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor is not in vain"

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery."
  
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."   

Are you scared? You should be. Once the battle is on, it will not stop until there is a winner. Are you ready? That remains to be seen.

A Sabbatical

Ya, I know I have not been doing this long enough to take a sabbatical, but I need some time off. I'm not sue how long I will be gone. Could be two days or two years. I might not make it through tomorrow. We will see. I seem to be losing some rationality. Can't seem to get my mind right. I fear I'm turning into a hater. I gotta let it go.

Thanks for reading. I will return to annoy you at a later date.

No Mercy, A Different Mess

In my pursuit of a messy church I have recently been befuddled by a church leadership that embraced and loved me as I am. Their recent contradictory behavior, the resolute fear and loathing I sensed this past Sunday, has me doubting the sincerity of their desire to welcome sinners, people different from themselves and those that fit no one's mold of what a human is.

It took me awhile to process what happened Sunday at the congregational meeting that I am not supposed to talk about. There is a desire by my brethren, those that would shepherd and lead me and other church members, to "protect us" from men that think they are women. More specifically, they are concerned that these transgendered people will want to enter the women's restrooms.

I think the real concern here is the Iowa Human Rights Commission and their interpretation of recent executive orders from Washington that requires all restroom and locker room facilities be made available to everyone. If you are a man that believes he is a woman, you should be able to use the women's restroom or locker room or shower. Likewise for the women that think they are men. There is currently no regulation about people that think they are giraffes, but I sure there will be something forthcoming.

There is no regulation that specifies whether the transgendered person is pre-op, post op or non-op. In fact, a man could surreptitiously claim to be transgendered so that he might enter premises previously reserved for women only. The nefarious intent of such an individual I will leave to your imagination, but I think as this plays out, more people on every side of the situation will begin to object to implementation of this policy. Indeed, 11 states have already filed suit against the federal government over theses executive orders.

My opinion is that these executive orders represent an overreach on the part of the White House and the Iowa Human Rights Commission and that implementation of these orders should be fought. But who should be responsible for doing this?
   
Increasingly, there is a desire within certain evangelical and conservative churches to take on this fight themselves in the courts out of the fear that if we give up this ground, they will soon also be regulating speech in church and even the promotion of the gospel message.

Let me suggest another way.

Let them come. Instead of fighting, why don't we bring in some transgendered people, give them the full use of our facilities - all of them. Let them see who we are. We could even love them and welcome them, all the while sharing the Truth with them.

Going with legal remedies says two things.

1) We are afraid. We cannot handle what the dark prince throws at us as we pursue Christ. We are faithless and loveless and fearful. And so we build our middle class fortresses to keep the sinners out in our efforts to protect ourselves and the Truth.

2) We are law keepers and rule keepers bent on controlling others, forcing them to submit to the way we live, all the while refusing to tell them why they should do so.  There are obviously some sinners that are too sinful for salvation.

I ask you, are these the crosses we took up in our pursuit of our salvation? Jesus said, "deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me." Did we really sign up to fight bathroom rules, gay rights, placement of the 10 commandments in public places, abortion or prayer in public schools?

My answer is a categorical "NO". Our mission is to seek and save the lost - all of them. We cannot exclude cross dressers and trangendered people when they want to use the "wrong restroom". It is not our place in the kingdom to deny access to anyone that has an interest, even wrong headed interest, in what we do.

There was once a pharisee among the Jews in the time of the apostles that was feared far and wide for his persecution of Christians. Christ Himself changed the man and made him the greatest missionary of all time. His name was Paul. You might recognize the name. He wrote a large chunk of your New Testament. If the gospel turned him, I'm sure a man in a dress will pose no problem. Just sayin...

So let's reorder our priorities. We preach the gospel. As we face the prospect of persecution by the state, we preach the gospel. As they fine and arrest us, we preach the gospel. As we die for the sake of the lost as our King did, we preach the gospel.

No other issue is more important. No other issue should take precedence. All such distractions must be ignored. A messy church will have messy people. Only a few will be transgendered or gay or bisexual or desire to use the wrong bathroom. Some, probably many more, will be self righteous pharisees. We all need God's love and grace for our sins against Him as we all become one in the Body of Christ.

A church with no mercy and no love is a different kind of mess. A church that excludes and engages in court battles is using the tools of the enemy. We have done this for too long and to no avail. We need to change our tactics, change our attitudes, love those that Christ loves and offer His salvation to those that want it.

So what do you want my brethren? Do you want to attract every legalist for miles around or do you want to be a place about which outsiders say, "see how they love one another"?       

We need to be building a hospital to welcome the spiritually sick and not a fort to keep them out.
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Lord, please open the eyes of our hearts. Teach us to submit to you and take the gospel to the world. Please Lord, crush those that would lead us down the path of the enemy, using his tools in a fight that does NOTHING to promote your Kingdom. Please put mercy and grace and vast amounts of courage in the hearts of those that would lead us and show them how reckless the path is that they are embarking on. Make sure they know that You will NOT be going with them. Please destroy organizations outside the church that detract from and obstruct Your work to save. Lord, I think their intentions may be good, but their methods are simply wrong and wrong headed. They confuse their citizenship here with their true citizenship in Your kingdom. Remind them again of where they belong and whose they are.

Help us to open our hearts and minds toward other sinners as we pursue our life with You. Help us to embrace what might seem like a mess to us in the same way that you daily embrace our messes and our junk. Give us a heart for your kingdom. Create is us an awareness that we may not always be comfortable here as we seek to bring others into Your house. Lord, it's going to be a long strange trip if we do it right, but it will be worth it and I hope, worth the blood of Your precious Son and our King.

It is in His Name I pray...

Amen and Amen    

I will sing...