Category: Christian Living/Church Related

When Disobedience is a Virtue, 1 – Every Christian Must Be A Dissident

This is an excerpt from my book, I Pledge Allegiance: A Believer’s Guide to Kingdom Citizenship in 21st Century America (Eerdmans 2018).  “When Disobedience is a Virtue” is the title of chapter 7.  I intend to offer a series of similar posts, all taken from this chapter of my book.

I give my attention to the nature of authority, its abuse and how easy it is – frighteningly easy – for people to fall prey to the most outlandish abuses by

Swastikas cover the altar of a German Christian church

dangerous authority figures.  The classic example, of course, is the German Christian church under the spell of Adolf Hitler.

No. I don’t believe that the US is now comparable to pre-war Germany, though I will refer you in an upcoming post to an American historian who convincingly argues that the two are closer than you might imagine.

What I do believe, however, is that the mindset controlling vast swaths of American Christianity today, especially in its more conservative sectors, reflects many of the same dangerous errors that eventually led the German Christian church to support Hitler.

Trump may not be Hitler.  But widespread Christian enthusiasm for a morally repugnant president who delights in dehumanizing others – reflexively, without inhibition or remorse – who demonstrates all the traits of a sociopath, suggests to me that conservative Christians in this country have managed to lobotomize the mind of Christ – at least within themselves. We have become expert at steeling ourselves against the work of the Holy Spirit, of silencing the Spirit’s voice, ignoring His conviction, and perhaps of expelling Him altogether.

Resistance is the spiritual imperative for every true disciple.  But who, what

Leshia Evans stands against police while standing up for Black Lives Matter

and where do we resist properly?  And how do we resist in a way that pleases our crucified Lord Jesus?

Here is the first excerpt, from page 98:

“…we all regularly face the challenge of knowing when to submit and when to disobey authority. Often the authority is as seemingly benign as public opinion, the status quo, cultural expectations, tradition, or peer pressure.  Yet, for a people who believe they have been called out of darkness into the light, who understand that living by the standards of God’s kingdom will frequently put them at odds with the practices and expectations of a fallen world, defying authority in some way should be common practice. Perhaps it means befriending the outcast shunned by everyone else at school. Or calling friends to account for laughing at a racist remark. Paul’s admonition in Romans 13:5—to act “because of conscience”—is one of the implications he draws from Romans 12:2: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (see chapter 4). Learning to defy the patterns of this world by renewing our minds after the model of Jesus and cultivating a genuinely Christian conscience requires learning when, where, and how to disobey any authority, no matter how familiar, issuing wrongful directives, regardless of the consequences. From this perspective, every Christian is called to be a dissident. Discipleship is the life of dissent from this world in the affirmation of Jesus and his kingdom.”

What is Christian Worship? Part 3

In part one of our exploration into the meaning of New Testament worship, we did a few word studies of the Greek vocabulary translated by the English word “worship.”  We made an interesting discovery.  The New Testament writers do not like to describe the things that Christians do together in groups as “worship.”

Part two then asked the obvious follow-up question: If Christian gatherings are not described as times of worship in the New Testament, then when and where does worship happen?  We discovered that the New Testament consistently uses worship vocabulary to describe the daily life of obedient discipleship.  Christians worship God as they fulfill the Lord’s calling in their day-to-day lives, doing the things Jesus has sent them into the world to do.

But these observations raise another question.  If Christian gatherings are not “times of worship,” then what are they?  What are New Testament Christians doing when they gather together in groups, large or small?

The answer:  group meetings provide opportunities for mutual encouragement and building up the Body of Christ.

David Peterson hits the perfect note in his excellent book, Engaging with God:

“It is misleading to think of church services as occasions for worship in the sense of prayer and praise.  Paul’s teaching requires us to also recognize the central importance of the concept of edification for the meeting of God’s people…Paul uses the terminology of upbuilding or edification rather than the language worship to indicate the purpose and function of Christian gatherings.” (pages 195-96, 206; emphasis mine)

We shouldn’t miss this important point.  The language of “upbuilding” or “edification” is Paul’s favorite way of describing the different things that happen when followers of Jesus come together.  Here is a selection of New Testament texts describing the wide variety of activities typical of such group meetings.  Check them out and note what is happening in each instance:

  1. Matthew 18:15-20
  2. Acts 2:42-47; 4:24-31; 13:1-3; 20:7-12
  3. I Corinthians 11; 12; 14
  4. Galatians 3:5 (maybe)
  5. Ephesians 5:15-20
  6. Colossians 3:12-17
  7. I Thessalonians 5:16-22
  8. I Timothy 2:1-3:15
  9. Titus 1:7-2:15
  10. Hebrews 10:19-25
  11. James 5:14-18

Let me offer a few general observations:

  • As I mentioned in part one, explicit “worship” vocabulary only occurs in Acts 13.
  • Activities that we would normally associate with “worship” are certainly described; for instance:praise
    adoration
    singing
    hymns
    “spiritual songs”
    corporate prayer
    preaching
    the Lord’s Supper (but, notice, never baptism)

BUT the primary focus of these descriptions is “Body Life” (to use Ray Stedman’s terminology from the 1970s).  In other words, the goal of corporate gatherings is the health of the body of believers in all of its various dimensions

Note the lengthy discussion that Paul gives to the collective operation of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 – 14.  Paul is very clear – without the full-fledged functioning of spiritual gifts, in some way, shape or form, there can be no healthy collection of God’s people.

It is impossible to escape the conclusion that the primary purpose of New Testament gatherings was NOT, first of all, to deepen one’s own personal experience of intimacy with God (even though that may well happen).  Rather, the principle objective is to further develop the overall health and well-being of others believers.

In other words, we come together in order to give ourselves away in service to each other.

Of course, that may happen when a gifted music team leads a time of praise and adoration in song.  But that is only the tip of the iceberg.
Authentically “New Testament-type” gatherings also require intentional moments where people are able to:

  •  share prayer requests
  • hear one another’s stories, both good and bad
  • confess their sins and ask for forgiveness
  • offer personal words of correction
  • teach a lesson from God’s word
  • correct a brother or sister who has gone astray
  • challenge those who have become lackadaisical
  • facilitate personal reconciliation
  • become vulnerable enough to know how to meet each other’s personal needs

Fortunately, the New Testament is not overly rigorous or unbending in requiring a specific model of organizational planning or group structure to accommodate this kind of Body Life.  As long as the leadership ensures that there is always room somewhere for these crucial, communal activities to be happening, the upbuilding and edification of the church will unfold.

And that is the main purpose for gathering together with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Of course, several questions remain to be answered, but I will wait to answer them, as well as offer a few practical suggestions for real-world implementation, in upcoming posts.  Stay tuned!

Don Lemon Exposes the Republican’s “White Men are Victims” Strategy for What It Is, Evil

Several days ago Don Lemon, an anchor at CNN, shared a moving testimony about how he was victimized by a pedophile when he was a young  boy.

Men like Mr. Lemon, and there are many of them, can easily identify with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s account of sexual assault.  They can also relate to the shameful Republican tactics, seemingly successful tactics, to silence the victim.  More than that, Republicans, with Donald Trump leading the way, have not only managed to silence Dr. Ford, they have erased her from their story altogether.

Please take a few minutes to watch Mr. Lemon’s excellent unveiling of the current Republican strategy for normalizing their disregard of sexual assault and all its victims:

Victims of sexual violence are non-entities today, at least in the realm of Republicanism.  They have announced that these women’s (and men’s) stories are not worth hearing.

Women like Dr. Ford are now mere specters floating in a moral vacuum.

Rendered invisible, even as she stands before us.

Made mute by the black magic of partisan voodoo.  Oppressive incantations intoned from the Senate floor.

Yet, if old white men like Donald Trump, Lindsey Graham, Rush Limbaugh and many others are to be believed, this non-existent, mute, invisible, female  victim — who is really a non-victim in their eyes — poses a dire, existential threat to every man…every powerful man…every powerful white man in America today.

Of course, black men like Mr. Lemon don’t count.  And black women aren’t worth mentioning by the likes of these white, old Republicans who strut their stuff from the Capitol steps.

And all the while, white conservative America stands to cheer them on.

They laugh, smile, applaud and cheer as they stand with their young sons and daughters at campaign rallies, watching their Sexual Predator/Serial Adulterer/Misogynist/ Unapologetic Pussy Grabber-in-Chief mock this non-existent, invisible, mute, non-victim named Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.

It goes without saying that most of those white men and women from the  Mississippi heartland, who were applauding the president’s demeaning imitation of a victim’s heart-rendering testimony, would call themselves Christians.  They go to church.  They even read the Bible, sometimes.  They listen to sermons from pastors who gloat as they destroy their old Nike gear in the pulpit.

“Heck of a visual aid, pastor,” they say.

But they know nothing about the victimized, brutalized, beaten, scarred and crucified Jesus of Nazareth, the man who loved abused women (and children), held them in his arms, wept over them, healed their brokenness, and made them equals to the men who followed Him.

Their is no true Christianity without discipleship.  Their is no discipleship that does not share in the sufferings of our Lord Jesus.  No one who shares in the suffering of Christ would EVER laugh at, mock, ridicule or dismiss the sufferings of another human being, whatever the circumstances.

We are watching the putrefaction of America’s false religion, most fully displayed in patriotic “evangelicalism.”  Only from the dung heap of idolatry can such a stench arise.

I’ll give Donald Trump this:  he has torn away the mask of evangelical, America-First piety and revealed this Beast for what it truly is.

EVIL.

Pure, unadulterated evil.

Caitlin Johnstone Discusses the Attraction that Power Has on Manipulators

Caitlin Johnstone has a good discussion at her blog “Rogue Journalist” of why we rarely ever hear politicians apologize for anything, no matter how outlandish.  It is a timely piece, well worth considering at this moment.

I have copied an excerpt below.  You can read the entire piece here.

“…in the highest levels of the most powerful governments on earth, where thousands of human lives can be snuffed out by a single unwise decision and ecosystems and economies destroyed on a whim, apologies are almost unheard of. You only ever see them when a leader is cornered in a complete political checkmate with no other options available to them.

“This is because the highest levels of the most powerful governments in the world are dominated by highly manipulative people. If you serve truth, humanity and the world, you are almost certainly delightful to be around and you will almost certainly never have a career in federal politics. The system is set up to serve a ruling class of plutocrats and their lackeys, so the way to get to the top of the political ladder is in the exact opposite direction of serving the weak and defenseless and being truthful and compassionate. To win elections you first need to win the blessing of the ruling class, and the way to do that is by kissing the right asses while regurgitating the right sound bytes whenever the cameras are rolling.

“This is why all the top career politicians all seem so fake; the Hillary Clintons, Ted Cruzes and Nancy Pelosis didn’t get to where they’re at by serving truth and justice, they got there by manipulating and deceiving in the service of the powerful. They are not interested in honesty and sincerity, they are interested in getting up another rung on the ladder.

“Anyone who has ever had a close relationship with someone who is highly manipulative has probably noticed how they never apologize for anything if they can avoid it, but if you apologize to a manipulator for something they will never, ever let you forget it and will bring it up any time you step out of line…”

Sound familiar?

Notice that Donald Trump did not apologize to the ABC reporter he cruelly mocked yesterday at his press conference.

Do you think he has called Dr. Ford to apologize for the way he ridiculed her today at a campaign rally in Mississippi?

I am certain you can come up with numerous, relevant examples of your own…

Tintoretto’s portrayal of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet

For those who follow Jesus, the issue involves self-examination, confession and repentance.  Jesus tells us, not only that we are to confess our specific sins to the Father and ask for forgiveness daily, but that we should go to the one(s) we have sinned against, acknowledge what we have done, and ask for their forgiveness face-to-face.

Let’s not follow the model of those who seek power, but the example of our Lord and Savior who washed the disciples’ feet.

Sexual Assault is More Common than Most of Us Imagine. The Church is No Exception

Weekend sleepovers are good times for teenage girls to share their deepest, darkest secrets with friends.  Some years ago, one of my daughters told me about the secrets she heard late one Friday night as she and three friends lay together in sleeping bags in the basement of our house.

First one, then two, then all three of her closest friends told their stories about being raped by an older brother.

You could have knocked me over with a feather.  Not because I didn’t believe that such things happened, but I wondered, what were the chances that ALL of these girls had suffered the same perverse abuse?

All three girls were members of church-going families.  I knew a bit about the first young lady’s home-life, and I didn’t find it hard to believe she was telling the truth.  But all three?!  I wondered if the others might be encouraging their friend with some sort of teenage bonding experience where they all share the same hardships, even if it meant confessing things that were not true.

I know that my daughter has a huge, loving heart, and that she has always befriended broken people.  But was sexual assault by a brother really that common?

I don’t know.  But I do believe a few other things very firmly.

I definitely believe the first young lady was a victim of rape.  I wish I had known at the time, but I didn’t.  I wish I could have done something.

I definitely believe that the other two teenagers deserved to be heard, to be

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 27: Christine Blasey Ford testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee, September 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. A professor at Palo Alto University and a research psychologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine, Ford has accused Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her during a party in 1982 when they were high school students in suburban Maryland. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

encouraged to tell their stories to an adult who might help them in one way or another.

I definitely believe that they all had/have the right to speak out publicly, if they ever chose to do so.  They have the right to live in a society where they are not mocked or ridiculed; where they are not automatically disbelieved or disparaged because they had “waited too long to come forward,” or had not otherwise conducted themselves “properly” in front of others imposing their own, irrelevant, judgmental expectations about how “real” assault victims “ought” to behave.

I believe that they deserve to be given the benefit of the doubt.  I do not automatically assume that every brother is a rapist.  I say this despite the outlandish remark of one Republican woman who glibly noted, with a smirk on her face, about the charges against Judge Kavanaugh, “Tell me, what boy hasn’t done this in high school?”

Well lady, let me tell you.  Most teenage boys are not rapists.  Most brothers don’t assault their sisters.  Whenever such serious charges are made, honest investigations are required by honest, impartial investigators.

But, tragically, far too many teenage boys and adult men ARE guilty of sexual assault, and they need to be held accountable and punished.  Women need to be believed.  Precious few ever make such charges easily, much less falsely.

I know that according to a study published in the Journal of Forensic Psychology  “false and baseless allegations of rape constitute about 5% of all rape allegations.” (For a good investigation into “the threat” of false accusations against innocent men, read this article by Sandra Newman.)

President Trump’s glib warning that “these are scary times for young men” in America is another thoughtless projection by a sex-offender who is intimately familiar with attempted rape and sexual assault.  Stoking conservative paranoia about raging feminists rampantly lodging false accusations against every man they’ve ever disliked is reckless fear-mongering spread among the already fearful.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, speaks as Christine Blasey Ford testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on September 27, 2018. (Photo by Andrew Harnik / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANDREW HARNIK/AFP/Getty Images)

I can’t help but wonder what some of these red-faced, finger-wagging, bloviating men (both in the Congress and on TV), who were so outraged by Dr. Ford’s testimony, have to hide about themselves and their own pasts.  Could it be a massive, public display of collective guilt trying desperately to disguise itself as righteous indignation?

I can’t help but suspect that there was a mile-wide current of projection and personal identification on display as we watched powerful men behave so defensively on behalf of Brett Kavanaugh and so disparagingly towards Christine Blasey Ford.

My daughters and their friends do not deserve to live in a society like this, led by these kinds of men.

Senator Lindsey Graham’s explosive speech defending Kavanaugh after Ford’s testimony.

They deserve to feel safe and to be protected.  They deserve to be heard, no matter how long it takes them to speak up.  They deserve to be taken seriously.  They deserve swift, impartial investigations, no matter how old the evidence may be.  They deserve elected officials who don’t hide their grotesque partisan brutalities behind false pledges about “innocent until proven guilty.”

“Innocent until proven guilty” is NOT the issue facing us today.

The issue is discovering the truth.

The issue is the persistent abuse of too many women by too many men.

The issue is why men can come unglued, behave petulantly, rudely, cry,

Christine Blasey Ford is sworn in before testifying the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building at the Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, U.S., September 27, 2018. Win McNamee/Pool via REUTERS

pout, let the fur fly and still be taken seriously, whereas any woman who behaved similarly would be summarily dismissed as hysterical, out of control and unbelievable.

The issue is why so many who claim to be God’s people mindlessly repeat the partisan – and frequently hateful – Fox News talking points without an iota of mercy or grace.

The issue is that sexual abuse happens within the church as well as everywhere else, and far too many ignore it, warn the victims to be quiet, and then hide behind their religiosity.

 

This is What Discipleship Looks Like

Recently, I received a message from a former student who is now also a friend.  I have his permission to share that message with you:

“I’ll give you an update in my life soon, but I’ve got a somewhat pressing question. Are the NT claims about marrying a divorced person as straightforward as they seem? I’ve never really had a chance to study the question but I’m getting to know a divorced woman I would like to date, but I don’t want to glibly say ‘the Bible’s teaching doesn’t make sense to me so I’m going to ignore it.’

 “My sexual orientation includes same sex attraction and I can’t figure out why God makes homosexuality off limits, but it’s clear to me that he does so I submit to Christ where I don’t understand him.

 “I’m willing to do that with dating divorced women too. But I’ve also learned not to trust my natural reading of the text ‘in plain English.’ As a retired pastor what are your pastoral and academic thoughts on the issue?”

Folks, that’s how a real citizen of God’s kingdom thinks.  That’s how a genuine disciple makes decisions, by answering the question, “What does Jesus ask of me?”

The commitment to say “No” to ourselves as we say “Yes” to Christ is the Biblical definition of faith.  My young friend illustrates just that – a life of faith oriented to the Lord Jesus, first, last and always, whatever the cost, no matter the sacrifice, regardless of the necessary self-denial.

Some people approach Christian living as if Jesus were a new, spiritual “app” for their lifestyle iPhone.  Nothing else changes; they simply add a Jesus button to their many options.

Feeling stressed?  Press the Jesus app.  He’ll help.

Need a pick-me-up?  Press the Jesus app.  He’ll be there.

Sorry, but that’s not real Christianity.

Truly following the crucified, resurrected Lord requires an entire rearrangement of life’s perspectives and priorities.  It means becoming functionally “unnatural,” an habitually counter-clockwise person in a very, very clock-wise world.

Following Jesus is like tossing the iPhone with all of its apps, bells and whistles over your shoulder, while strapping a simple, ticking Timex to your wrist with a second hand and numbers on its face.  And, oh yes, you must relearn how to wait until you are home again before even thinking about another phone call.

Following Jesus is a radical step.  He won’t become an addition to anybody’s life.  Jesus always wants to remake everything in His own image.  He will become the totality or he will become nothing to us at all.

I dedicated my last book, I Pledge Allegiance: A Believer’s Guide to KingdomCitizenship in 21st Century America, to those among my former students who understood the challenges and the amazing blessings of Christian discipleship.  They are scattered around the globe now risking everything for the kingdom of God.

That’s real Christianity.  And I am humbled to have had some small role in encouraging their life of faith.

This young friend of mine, a man who is making his future with Jesus Christ THE most important relationship of his life, is discipling me in what it means to follow Jesus.

Check Out the Work of Abby Martin

In my opinion, Abby Martin is one of the most significant independent journalists working today.

Abby Martin

I invite you to set aside some time and listen to this interview discussing media censorship, US imperialism, ongoing coup attempts in South America, and more.  Hopefully, this brief sampling will introduce a new perspective or two for those who take the time to listen.

I have become a regular follower of Ms. Martin’s work, especially the documentary program “The Empire Files” on Telesur English.  Previously, you could find her TV program “Breaking the Set” on RT.

Intelligent, educated people who want to remain life-long learners never stop reading and listening to new voices, especially voices with whom they think they disagree.  Sometime, those are the voices that become most illuminating to us.

Furthermore, I am absolutely convinced that Christian discipleship requires us to live as citizens of the world.  The international Body of Christ commands my first loyalty in this life, not my country, not my ethnicity, not my gender.  I believe this fact requires me to become reasonably well informed

Perhaps the most famous image from the Viet Nam war. A child flees her village after it was bombed with napalm.

about world  affairs.  More than that, as a citizen of the most powerful country in the world with a long history of treating other nations as its servants, I am required to speak out against American injustice and to defend those who suffer from US dominance.

The traditional conservative Christian social critique of “us against them” has never been a sound theology or a helpful way to engage the world.  For far too many, secular humanism and its adherents have been the “enemy,” opposing the things of God.  So these so-called secularists were to be shunned, criticized and displaced whenever, wherever possible.

Please don’t think that way.  And stop now if you have in the past.

The creation story in the book of Genesis makes two very important points about God’s world….and, yes, this is still God’s world, lock, stock and barrel.

First, the entire creation, including human beings, were declared to be “good.”  In fact, human beings are much more than good,  we are the best of the best,  the cherry on top of God’s creation.  God judged everything else to be “good,” but people are “very good.”

The entire universe is good, but people are fantastic in God’s eyes.

Extolling the virtues of intolerance. Her shirt says Intolerance is a Beautiful Thing. Sadly, for many, their intolerance extends beyond ideas or actions to include people.

Second, all human beings are created as “the image of God.”  We won’t go into the meaning of that designation here, but whatever the details, it means nothing less than the fact that if you want to find an approximation of God on earth, stare long and hard at the next person you see.  That’s the best God-approximation you’ll see this side of heaven.

The intrusion of sin into the creation did not change any of this.  That, too, is a discussion for another day.  But its true.

So, why in the world would anyone who loves God and His works ever imagine that it would be a fine idea to wall themselves off from the largest portion of His Very Best Creation, their thoughts, insights, artistry or alternative ways of thinking?

Oh my goodness, how incredibly knuckle-headed Christians can be.

I thank God for Abby Martin and her work.  I pray that she will come to know Jesus one day.  I have written to her on Twitter, letting her know that there  are thoughtful Christians in America.  In the meantime, she continues to teach me a tremendous amount about this broken world.

The image of God shines brightly in Ms. Martin. In certain respects, she reflects the ethics of Jesus and his kingdom more clearly than a good many Christians I know.

Ford vs. Kavanaugh: Do Alleged Victims of Sexual Assault Matter to the Senate?

Men with power – and partisan women, too – enjoy judging by appearances, telling other people what to do and how they should  feel.  They especially love to get their own way, preferably without opposition.

Loyal, mindless partisanship precludes the need to evaluate all sides of an argument equally. Why bother with evidence or facts when they can be buried, ignored or shouted down?  If an odd malcontent harboring foolish disagreement manages to stand (however briefly) in the way of power, well then, those with the power simply mow them down.  Whatever it takes.

Naturally, a clever use of power will dispatch the opposition in ways so seemingly fair and genteel that few observers will notice the stiletto shiv discreetly plunged into the critic’s backside.

That’s the way power works.  And power is the main currency in our nation’s capital.  For far too many, politics is the dark art of manipulating power for personal gain while wearing the mask of public service.

We are now watching a raw exercise of such partisan power in the nation’s capital.

Dr. Christine Ford has accused Judge Brett Kavanaugh of attempted rape when they were in high school together.  One might think that this new “era” of the #MeToo movement has sensitized our leaders to these kinds of charges; that such accusations would be taken seriously by all political parties; that people – especially women, for cryin’ out loud – could rise above partisan rancor in order to give an alleged victim the time and space needed to revisit what was probably THE most traumatizing experience of her life.

But, no, not in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Ford has agreed to tell her story before the Senate Judiciary Committee, after making one simple request:  hoping to avoid an exercise in he-said-

How intimidated would you be sitting before this group, knowing that most of them had already judged you to be a liar?

she-said futility, Ford asked that the committee delay her testimony until after the FBI completes an investigation into her charges.

Not a criminal investigation, mind you, but the sort of inquiry performed for standard, nominee background checks.  Yes, Kavanaugh has undergone several of these investigations already, but that is a moot point.  The FBI have never been asked to look into this particular charge.  And there is no reason to think evidence would have turned up accidentally when they weren’t looking for it.

Dr. Ford’s request sure sounds reasonable to me.

It’s hard to believe that a woman making false accusations would ask for an FBI investigation into her bogus claims as a prelude to being questioned by a (largely hostile) Senate committee while sitting in the hot seat on the national stage.

I can’t imagine that the investigation should be difficult.  Others have stepped forward to say that they knew of rumors circulating about such an incident when they were students at the same school.  Dr. Ford claims to have sought professional help to cope with the trauma and its psychological aftermath.  It wouldn’t be difficult to subpoena the therapist’s records, with Dr. Ford’s consent, in order to learn what was shared in their sessions.

If she is lying, let the investigation unmask her.

Of course, Kavanaugh insists that the alleged assault never happened.  Yet, I can’t help but be sympathetic to Dr. Ford.

If the Trump presidency has demonstrated anything, it is that the truth no longer matters to many Americans, not in our capital city, not among our politicians, not for the average Republican, not even within the church.

Lisa Graves, a former Senate staff-worker, has published credible evidence that this would not be the first time Kavanaugh has perjured himself before a Senate committee. Why isn’t that grave allegation being investigated?  Because power is never concerned with truthfulness except when it serves the interests of more power.  Senate Republicans don’t care about the truth of Brett Kavanaugh.  They simply lust for another “win” registered in their party’s column.  They are the ones in power.

The evangelical church is no better.  In fact, it is far worse.  Truth is not a priority to evangelical spokes-people, the mawkish figureheads representing Trump’s most vocal constituency.  For instance, if you can bear it, watch Franklin Graham’s shameless, partisan boot-licking in his recent CBN interview.  He basically tells Dr. Ford to sit down, shut up, and stop complaining about something that was not a real crime anyway.  It’s disgusting and pathetic.  His father, Billy, is surely weeping in heaven.

If men and women like Graham are not careful, they will one day find themselves eternally shaken by Jesus’ angry lament, “Get away from me, you evildoers.  I never knew you!” (Matthew 7:23).

They are traitors to the kingdom of God, every last one of them.  Sycophantic grovelers before a political Moloch, falling over themselves for the privilege of burning their own spiritual children in the political fires of partisan barbarism.  They know nothing about Jesus, the ethics of his kingdom, or the superiority of God’s reign on earth.

Every rapist denies the charges brought against him, insisting that he is innocence.  In this respect, Kavanaugh is no exception.  He is imitating the man who nominated him.   They are two peas in a pod.

If he is innocent, let the investigation exonerate him.  He should welcome it.

Every victim hesitates to come forward, fearing the harsh gauntlet of public spectacle which so easily morphs into ridicule and character assassination.  Dr. Ford and her family are already receiving death threats from Trump stalwarts — and today we have sadly learned that Judge Kavanaugh’s family is also receiving vicious hate mail and threats. Democrats and so-called progressives are every bit as sinful as anybody else.  Wickedness knows no political boundaries.

But only Dr. Ford is receiving unsolicited advice about what she should have done when she was a teenager.  Yet, grizzled old Senators and shiny news anchors have no business lecturing this woman about what she “should” or “shouldn’t” have done when she was 15 years old.

Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is auditioning for the role of sensitive committee granddad by offering Ford a variety of scenarios where she could tell her story in a one-on-one session along with Kavanaugh next Monday.  The problem, however, is that all of Grassley’s options include meeting with the committee before an FBI investigation would be complete.

Republican efforts at painting Dr. Ford as the unreasonable, demanding woman remind me of an old Saturday Night Live sketch with John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd. The two comedians were immigrant brothers, apparently from Greece, operating a greasy spoon diner.  The only item on their menu was cheeseburgers.  Every customer’s question got the same easy answer:

What’s today’s special? Cheeseburger!

Any desserts?  Cheeseburger!

How about side dishes?  Cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger!

Senate Republicans have only one dish on offer:  a  Monday, September the 24th cheeseburger.  Regardless of Grassley’s superficial attempts to dress it up, his only offer so far is a Monday cheeseburger.

Dr. Ford, however, is declining the Monday cheeseburger.  She is asking for an after-the- investigation French dip.  It doesn’t sound unreasonable or outlandish to me.  Why not wait?  (We all know why, actually. Fearing that the midterm elections will strip them of their majority, Republicans are feverishly trying to railroad Kavanaugh’s nomination through while they still have the power).

The truly outlandish aspect of this entire affair is the unmerciful, belittling behavior of those who claim most loudly to speak for God.  Listen again to Graham’s interview, if you can, and then pray for his soul.

Where is the voice of God’s prophet today?  Who speaks out for true justice, equality, fair-mindedness and generosity?  Who stands with the many, many women victimized by sexual assault?  Who will defend the weak against the strong?  Who will call the rich and powerful to account?

“Whoever justifies the wicked, and the one who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.” (Proverbs 17:15)

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

No. All Lives Don’t Matter, Not in America

Hardly a week goes by without another story appearing about a black citizen, often unarmed, who is killed by the police.

Botham Jean

The latest story concerns the death of Botham Jean.  Mr. Jean was shot in his own apartment by an off-duty police officer, Amber Guyer.

Amber Guyger

According to officer Guyger, who lived in the same apartment complex, she mistakenly entered the Mr. Jean’s apartment after dark.  Seeing a menacing black man standing in what she believed was the front room of her apartment, she shot him.

Pause for a moment and see how many obvious questions that very odd scenario raises in your mind.

A neighbor, however, reports that he heard banging on Mr. Jean’s door and then a conversation between Jean and Guyger.  Ms. Guyger is alleged to have yelled, “let me in.”

The Texas rangers are investigating.

Call me kooky, but forgive me for not trusting the police to police themselves.

Mr. Jean’s mother.

Mr. Jean’s family describes him as a Christian man, active in his local church. He had never been arrested, nor had he ever had a run-in with the police, that is until officer Guyger shot him dead.

Ms. Guyger was arrested briefly and released on her own recognizance after only a few hours.  She seems to have used some of that time to scrub her computer.  I wonder why.  Oddly, she forgot to erase her Pinterest page which contains a good deal of hateful, violent and racist material.

Mr. Jean, on the other hand, has suffered from post-mortem character assassination.  The police quickly obtained a warrant to search his apartment.  Apparently, in Dallas, Texas being the unarmed, black victim of a police shooting — in your own home, no less — is reason enough to be suspected of criminal activity.

The police didn’t discover any weapons but reportedly uncovered a bag of marijuana.

Excuse me again if I take another moment to pause and wonder if that bag was planted by the officers conducting the search.  After all, for some police departments, planting evidence is more common than shooting unarmed people in their homes (see here and here).

Only in the twisted world of Fox News is the ex post facto discovery of a bag of marijuana relevant to the killing of an unarmed man with no criminal record.

But, of course, we can’t forget that Mr. Jean was black.  Neither can we

NYC action in solidarity with Ferguson. Mo, encouraging a boycott of Black Friday Consumerism.

forget that this happened in America.

Several recent studies reveal that black Americans are 2.5 to 2.7 times more likely to be shot by police than are white people. The disparity becomes even more striking when we turn to the shooting of unarmed people.

People of color compose about 37% of the US population, yet they make up 62.7% of the unarmed victims shot by police.

Another study investigating police killings from 2014 to 2015 concluded that:

“The disproportionate killing of black men occurs…because of the institutional and organizational racism in police departments and the criminal justice system’s targeting minority communities with policies—like stop and frisk and the war on drugs—that have more destructive effects.”

Demonstrators march in protest against a grand jury’s decision on Monday not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014, in New York. The grand jury’s decision has inflamed racial tensions across the U.S. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Obviously, something has gone dangerously wrong in the way America’s police officers are being trained and the atmosphere in which they do their jobs.

All lives do not matter in America today.  All lives are not equal here.  Some lives count more than others.  Mr. Jean’s death and the behavior of the Dallas police department is only the latest evidence.

Many who sneer at the Black Lives Matter movement are moral posers, pretending to a superior moral judgment by pasting “All Lives Matter” (the moral universalists) or “Blue Lives Matter” (the ethical particularists) bumper stickers on their cars. Tragically, such protests simply reveal how very, very deep are the wells of ignorance and incipient racism in white America.

To insist that “all lives matter” is to fain innocence while whispering behind a raised hand that “black lives don’t matter.”

Such reactionary slogans are rhetorically camouflaged “f**k you” bombs, equivalent to the old segregationist signs directing “Negroes to the Back of the Bus.”

Honestly, to insist that “all lives matter” in response to a movement led by African-Americans working to change a society where people who look like them are shot, killed, and arrested by police at wildly disproportionate rates is a stunning display of white privilege in and of itself.

It is a bold-faced lie to say that all lives matter in the United States.

That is why, as a Christian, an evangelical, a disciple of Jesus Christ, a citizen of God’s kingdom on earth, and the grandfather of a precious little black girl, I believe that every follower of Jesus must stand up and say, YES, BLACK LIVES MATTER.

What is Christian Worship? Part 2

In part 1 of this series, What is Worship, we performed a few word studies covering the New Testament vocabulary translated by the English word “worship.”  If you haven’t read that piece yet, I encourage you to go back and look it over.  It is foundational to everything to come.

The basic observation made there is that the language of “worship” is very, very rarely used to describe the things Christians do when we gather together in groups, doing whatever it is Christians do when they gather in groups.  Although the one or two exceptions we found indicate that it was possible to use worship vocabulary in that way, it is painfully obvious that the New Testament writers did not like to talk that way.

Large group gatherings, where Jesus’ disciples met to sing songs, pray and study scripture together, are not described as “worship services.”  Surprising, perhaps, but true.

This conclusion raises two important questions:  First, what types of activities are described as Christian “worship” in the New Testament?  If not gatherings, then what?  Second, how do the New Testament authors describe Christian gatherings?

This post will answer only the first question.  We’ll save the rest for another day.

Some readers may have noticed that the answer was already hinted at in our previous word studies.  Christian worship occurs in and through obedient living, not in church, not (necessarily) in groups, but in day-to-day (secular) life.

 For the New Testament, worship is a lifestyle.

In saying this, I do not mean to describe a person that listens to praise music while driving to the market, punctuates every sentence with “praise

No, not this. Though it’s ok.

the Lord” and “hallelujah,” or hums the latest Christian top-20 wherever they go.  It’s not that kind of lifestyle. While those activities might be fine, it is not what the New Testament refers to when describing worship as a lifestyle (and not simply because the early Christians did not have cars or radios).

Worship, first and foremost, is a life lived in continual obedience to our heavenly Father.  We realize that God’s gift of salvation, abundant life now and in eternity, is wholly and exclusively the product of His mercy shown in Jesus Christ.  So, we offer all that we are back to Him in perpetual – day by day, moment by moment – gratitude.  That is New Testament worship.

The clearest expression of this sentiment appears in Romans 12:1-2. Paul says,

“I urge you, brothers/sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable/understanding (logikē)  worship (latreia).  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

First, notice that worship is offered in view of God’s mercy.  It is an offering of thankfulness, gratitude, and appreciation every single day for all the undeserved gifts of divine love made available to us in Jesus Christ.  Doing full justice to this component of worship requires a study in the New Testament language of “thanksgiving” and the many injunctions to “always give thanks, at all times, in every circumstance.”  Perhaps, we will look at that element of Christian faith in the future.

For now, let’s focus on the ways that worship is defined as each believer’s daily obedience to God, given up because we understand (logikē) the magnitude of all that Christ has done for us.

Also notice the accumulation of cultic/temple language in Paul’s sentence:  “living sacrifice,” “holy,” “pleasing/acceptable to God,” “worship,” all liturgical vocabulary piled on top of each other, jumbled together.  In other words, a life lived in a continually responsive understanding and appreciation of divine grace is the New Testament equivalent of offering “worship” in the “holy place” of the Jerusalem temple with a “blood sacrifice”.

Whoa Nelly…

THAT, my friends, is a dramatic and shocking statement – at least it would have been shocking to a good many of Paul’s Jewish contemporaries.  What Israel used to do in the temple cult with the assistance of priests, goats, sheep and other sorts of “offerings,” Christians now do on their own by (a) understanding how much they owe to God and (b) self-consciously devoting all of life to His (c) service.

Yes…wow.

Paul begins his letter to the Romans by describing his own life in this way.  He says in Romans 1:9,

“God is my witness, whom I worship/serve (latreuein) with my whole being in preaching the gospel of His Son, how I constantly remember you in my prayers.”

In other words, Paul worshiped God by preaching the good news of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.  Why?  Because that is what God has called him to do with his life.  In fulfilling his life’s purpose, Paul was giving worship to God.

Paul revisited this idea at the end of Romans in 15:16,

“…God gave me the grace to be a servant/priestly worshipper (leitourgon) of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty (hierourgounta) of proclaiming the gospel of God so that the Gentiles might become an acceptable offering to God…”

 Paul again deliberately takes the worship vocabulary traditionally reserved for the Levitical priests offering sacrifice in the Jerusalem temple, and he uses it to describe his work as an evangelist to the Gentiles.  Obeying God’s call to be an apostle is the way Paul worshiped his Lord, every day, all the time.  That is Paul’s offering of the daily “living sacrifice” which is his “acceptable, understanding worship” as described in Romans 12.

He simply did what God called him to do.  Period.

Here are a few additional examples that you can explore on your own:

Philippians 2:17, “I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service/worship (leitourgein) coming from your faith…”

Philippians 2:30, “Epaphroditus almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help/service/worship (leitourgia) you could not give to me.”

Philippians 3:3, “We are the circumcision, we who worship/serve (latreuein) by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh…”

[In the example above, we could easily substitute the word “live” for “worship.”  In other words, true worshipers are those who have received the Holy Spirit by believing in the gospel of grace and now live in light of that gift.]

 2 Timothy 1:3, “I thank God whom I serve/worship (latreuein), as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day.”

Paul also refers to worshiping through our finances and generosity:

Romans 15:27, “If the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it them to share/serve/worship (leitourgein) with them in their material blessings.”

2 Corinthians 9:12, “The ministry of this service/worship (leitourgia) is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.”

So, don’t stop singing songs to the Lord while driving, if that is what you enjoy.  Just keep your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel, please.  But don’t ever be misled into thinking that special “churchy” activities are the principle ways to worship.  Far from it.  That way of thinking is very, very wrong.

You worship when you talk to your friends about the way Jesus is working in your life and then share the gospel with them.

You worship when you make a change of some sort in your lifestyle because you know the Lord wants you to do it.

…even when it means standing alone.

You worship when your discipleship creates difficulty or hardship, but you move forward anyway because you want to obey Jesus more than you wish for a comfortable life.

You worship when you share your stuff with the poor – especially when you don’t worry about receipts.

You worship when you make yourself “one of the least of these” and sit at the lowest end of the table, without expecting any recognition or reward, in order to serve hurting people in need.

In other words, you worship spontaneously as you surrender the shape of your life to the radical remolding of God’s kingdom revealed in the ethical teaching of Jesus Christ.

After all, that’s how Jesus worshiped his heavenly Father every moment of every day.  He came to be our model.

He still is.