I don’t always agree with him.  But then I cannot think of anyone I always agree with.  But I love several things about him more than I disagree with him in a few theological and practical areas.

1)  I love that he wrote “The Reason for God” while he was a pastor in a church.   I think that writers who are having to walk out the realities of their views in a local church context benefit greatly from those experiences.   What you are thinking about and writing about has to connect with the daily lives of those you are sharing life with.  There are certainly a number of very powerful writers that I truly enjoy that I stepped out of pastoral ministry.  So, my appreciation for Keller’s path isn’t a condemnation of anyone else’s.

2)  I love that Keller’s church, Redeemer Presbyterian is so heavily focused on serving New York City. Hope for New York literally mobilizes thousands of people to serve each year.  I love that.

3) I love that Redeemer Pres. has managed to reach a very diverse group of ages and races.  Personally, I don’t think I have done as good a job of that as Keller has.

Here, Keller speaks as a part of the authors@google series.  He was there soon after the release of his book, The Reason for God, and is speaking to the main reasons why people would find reason to believe in God, and why others would not.  I really enjoyed it.

Hope you do to!  Please let me know if you have any comments/thoughts about what he was speaking about.  I always love to hear what you are thinking!

Peace.

On the other hand you can easily make it so etherial that it feels almost impossible for someone who is not a seminarian to ever figure any of it out.

Honestly, I have been to both of those extremes.

What is left is a simple question that is not very simple at all.  What is the good news?  What is this hope that we who follow Jesus claim to have access to?

JR Woodward asked 50 people to try to describe what they thought the good news was.  This group has activists, philosophers, artists, blue and white collar workers, authors, and yes, pastors and seminarians.  We are from different walks of life, we are of different ethnicities, and we have different backgrounds.  His question to all of us was the same; could we describe what the good news, the hope of Christ, is like?  But he threw in two caveats; we had to address it as if it were being written up in our local newspaper, and we couldn’t go over 700 words.

Many months later it was thrilling to see the fruits of those descriptions bound up in the first release of Ecclesia Press, ViralHope: Good News from the Urbs to the Burbs (And Everything in Between). Take a look at the trailer, produced by the Brothers Nee.

I realize that I am not only being cliche, but redundant as I express my shock that so much of the summer has gone by already! So, there it is. Again.

I doubt it will be the last time either.

This season of the year is always a bit of a unique one. A key group that [nlcf] reaches out to are college students, so the start of the fall semester is always a very busy one for us. But busyness isn’t the issue.

The start of fall signals the start of a season where we have very specific goals. Goals that we need God to step into and enable, or we simply won’t hit them. This fall is no different. And that is why this time of the year feels so unique.

This time of the year begs the question, “What if God doesn’t do his part in the way we are expecting him to?” Yes, we have a part to do in all this, but unless God shows up and does the heavy lifting, then we are stuck.

That question then leads to others, “Why didn’t he do his part? Did we misunderstand? Is he trying to show us that we are on the wrong track? Are our hearts wrong?” And a litany of questions like them.

What do we do when God doesn’t do what we thought he was going to do?

This question, like so many we have reflected on this summer, have so many levels to them, so many nuances, that we simply cannot reflect on them all. So, let’s try to go after what we can. There is one that I hear lurking underneath so many of the others in my own heart, but also in the hearts of those that ask similar questions. What does it say about God’s love for me when he doesn’t show up and do what I ask him to?

Not surprisingly, this one runs very deep, so let’s take a look. And let’s start in the chapter that many people — and commentaries — call the Hall of Faith, Hebrews 11.

I would strongly encourage you to read the whole chapter, as I am going to pick it up in verse thirty-two. And away we go…

32 “And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again.” Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37 They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated– 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

Start out great, eh? The first of the chapter is a list of those that trusted God, and in return, God did amazing things through them. In verse thirty-two the author of Hebrews starts picking up speed and lists a number of people together.

Then we get to the close of the chapter.

It starts with another amazing list. Things that probably all of us would want. “…who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again.”

Who would argue with those results?! Amazing things done that only God could do. Powerful expressions of God’s love, power, and attentiveness; enacted at just the right time. These are the results we all would love to be able to count on.

But the chapter continues on. “Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37 They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated– 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.”

Now these? These people had it rough. Tortured, flogged, mocked. Some were homeless. The sheepskins and goatskins they were talking about would have been the castoffs, the pieces that anyone that could afford to would toss out. Most of us would take one look at them and, after we got over our pity, would consider their faith overall a failure. These people would have likely been like us and would have asked for God to remove their situation from them, would have asked him for help in a very palpable way.

Wouldn’t we?

And clearly he didn’t.

But then look at this amazing couple of sentences. 39 “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

They were commended for their faith. God was doing something bigger. I love the very tender line in there, the world was not worthy of them.

Here is what this section of verses helps me to understand. God honors my faith. Very simple, eh? But true. He honors, he appreciates, he loves, he even in some manner rewards the faith I show in him. My trust of him matters. Not just my trust that he will do what I think he should. Not just my trust that I will get what I ask for. It’s bigger than that.

I think what he values most in our trust is that we have it in him. That just like in those few tough to read verses, even if we don’t get what we want, that he is weaving our short lives into his unfolding story. That, as much as he does love us, if we must go through difficulty, it is important in ways we don’t understand.

Jesus seemed to be clear on that with the disciples. He told them they would be kicked out of the synagogues — something that had many more implications than we would think — they would be hunted, he even told them that some would be killed. Not because they were letting God down, not because they were always doing it wrong.

Primarily because the world is broken, and we are broken in it. And as God is involving us in his plan to bring us back to what he originally created us to be, sometimes he would need to do things that would won’t get. Sometimes things will happen in ways we won’t get.

Our faith, mostly simply put, is our trust in God that he has got it under control.

So, our faith won’t make everything predictable, even though there clearly will be times that God will honor our requests down to the very word. Our faith won’t always happen the way we think it should or on a timeline that we agree with.

But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use it! Far from it, God is telling us to use it in every occasion; to ask one another what we are using our faith for, to encourage and challenge one another to use it all the time. To see our faith as the most precious thing we have. Our faith isn’t about playing it safe, only attempting the things that we can handle on our own. Or even that are private enough that, should they not work out our way, we can avoid embarrassment.

Our faith is going to get banged up by our world, it’s going to happen. But it will also allow God to use us in ways we could never imagine on our own. This week, let’s really reflect on our faith.

Reflection
What are you believing God for, this week?
What are you doing that requires God to show up or it will fail?
How have you handled those unavoidable occasions where God hasn’t done it your way or according to your timeline?

Prayer
This week, get together with a few other followers of Jesus, and take a few moments to share how what you are trusting God for in your life right now. Then take maybe thirty minutes and pray. Pray for those things, pray for each other’s faith — that it might be stronger and more used. Please also pray for [nlcf], that we would be a church that individually and collectively trusts God.

Share
Then respond back and let us know what we can be praying for you. If God has been doing anything wild to honor your faith, share that with us too.

Loving this journey with you all!

Faith!
Jim

So here we are.

We are on the verge of July, and while I know this is very cliché, I feel like I am always in disbelief that we have already come through this much of summer.

My family and I are visiting our Virginia Beach Leadership Training program for about a week and a half. I had the honor of speaking to a great group of emerging leaders last evening, very early this morning and then I will do so again tonight. This weekend I will be speaking at all five gathering of Coastal Community Church and also at Fuse. It is a great church and I always enjoy seeing them.

This week I would like to ask a very simple to state but tough to fully answer question.

Ready? Hang on, its coming in just a minute.

“Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach the new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” Matthew 28.18-20 NLT

Likely, everyone that is reading this post has heard this one before. Go and make disciples. And yes, that is the jist of it. But let’s unpack this a bit.

When Jesus spoke to his followers, his learners (that is what disciple means) he had lived his life here on earth without sin, had laid his life down and submitted to one of the most gruesome death processes that world knew, had taken the entirety of the weight of our human rebellion (past, present and future) upon himself and finally, had physically risen from the dead.

As a result, God the Father had given God the Son authority over everything. Jesus had access to all the power of the trinity and had reign over everything.

So when Jesus said,“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth,” he meant it. It would be like your boss getting a huge promotion at work and they tell you, “I have the power to bring you up with me, and I am going to do it.” They have been given power and they are telling you how they intend to use it.

Jesus is very much doing that. But not to give us a higher salary and a nicer office. If our life right now were all that we will live, then yes, that would be a great thing. If prestige were all that mattered, then great. But Jesus is constantly calling us to realize that our lives are worth more than just as a means of acquiring for ourselves, and our life now extends eternally after death. This life is just the start of what we will experience. James refers to it as a “puff of wind” or a “breath.” We are here just a moment. But even that moment can be filled with incredible meaning.

So, what Jesus is doing is much better than using his pull to just get us better jobs that allow us to drive around in better cars. He is telling us that because of the love he has shown to us through his life, death and resurrection, he is drawing us into what his mission was. Jesus is saying, “I am giving you the chance (really the challenge) to continue what I started.” He is giving us the chance to have more meaning pour out of our lives than we could ever produce on our own.

We already know he has equipped us, because anyone who asks Jesus to guide them through there life and reconnect them with the Father has received God the Holy Spirit. Jesus actually said it was better for him to physically leave earth so that the Holy Spirit could come. Jesus said he will guide us into all truth and strengthen us for the challenges we will face.

So, Jesus laid the groundwork. He showed us what our mission is – by living it. He made it possible for us to join him on his mission – by dying in our place and coming back to life. He has guided us in life to where we can care enough about humanity and the rest of creation to where we would want to live for others – by showing us how it is done and carefully speaking into our souls. And he gave us the ability to accomplish our part of it – by sending God the Holy Spirit into our souls as a strengthener and a guide.

So… the hard work is done. Now Jesus says something very simple. He says that we have the job of living out Jesus’ mission in our world today. To make the mission of Jesus our mission.

And that is the first question. Is Jesus’ mission yours?

Are you living your life according to the Matthew 28 set of verses that were listed before? It was Jesus’ challenge to his learners then and it is his challenge to those of us that follow him now.

Are you approaching your faith in God as a hobby? Maybe even an elaborate one? Something that takes time but really isn’t central to who you are. It is better described as one of the things that you do. Or is it more?

Jesus was focused on accomplishing his part of God’s redemptive plan for our world. And he is calling on us to have the same focus.

The first part is simple. Do you have anyone who is a learner of yours? Do you have any disciples? People that you are guiding in their relationships with Christ and people that you are guiding into a relationship with Christ.
Jesus said, I have been given the authority and I am passing some on to you. Love people enough to help them see that they are loved by the Father and are able to live a life guided by me. Jesus told us to go.

It is a simple question that is hard to answer…. Have you gone?

You don’t necessarily go anywhere different from where you are, it is more your purpose when you are wherever you are. It doesn’t mean that you go up to everyone you see and offer to tell them about Jesus’ love for them, but that as you go wherever you go, you are willing to go to anyone and do that. It isn’t that you you do everything that needs doing in the church, but that you are actively pursuing God about what part of Jesus’ mission you are responsible for.

So, this week. Let’s reflect on Jesus’ challenge to all of us. I would suggest committing it to memory if you don’t already have it in there. It is just a great reminder of what we are really here to do.
Then let’s reflect on the question of what our role in Jesus’ mission is. Now, I am not asking you to know for certainty what it will always be, but rather for the next six months to a year, how are you going to make disciples?  If you aren’t sure, start talking to God about it.

If you still aren’t sure, comment that or email me and let’s chat about how that can happen. If you are more sure, definitely comment or email that back as well so we can see what God is calling you to do.

Every single one of us that has asked Jesus to guide our lives has been given both the challenge and the ability to do our part in his mission. Let’s help one another do it.

That being said, what I am also hearing is that there are a number of people who are starting to feel like they are behind on some aspect of the weekly focus, prayer or action step(s).

Cool. Let’s do this, let’s say that this is one of two things: a catch up week or a continuation of what you have already been doing.

If you are on it and rolling, then continue to roll. Continue to ask God for ways to demonstrate the God-flavoring that we are all called to be. Pray expectantly for opportunities (be they big or small) to chat with people about how you view God interacting in the world. Now remember, this isn’t just helping people understand their need for Jesus’ forgiveness and guidance. It certainly involves that, but it isn’t just that. Salt simply takes what it is on and brings out the flavor. Trust God to place you in situations and simply talk about what you notice.

This past week I was at a wedding and about half of one of the families was from Utah and were Mormon. At one point during the reception, I was talking with a couple of friends and the grandfather of the groom came up to me and asked me what I thought about marriage in heaven. I referred to a situation where some Pharisees were attempting to trick Jesus. In his answer, Jesus seems to pretty clearly say that in heaven we won’t have marriages. As hard as that seems to me to grasp, it seems like when we are fully present with God, we won’t be lacking for connection (either with Him or one another) and so marriage won’t be an issue. This is just one issue that Mormonism views differently from Christianity.

We then went on to discuss my views on who Jesus was and what our role is with him and what his role is with us. I asked the grandfather some questions and that was that.

Even though I feel strongly that Mormonism is missing the key component of our need of Christ, it wasn’t the time for that discussion and so we didn’t have it. I tried to bring out the work of God as I understand the scriptures communicate it, and that was that.

There have definitely been times where I have debated those points and tried to communicate where I see Mormonism coming up short.

All that to say, remember, salt brings out the flavors it is put on. Allow God to guide you to share what seems right. Don’t assume you always need to argue with people about God to show you are bold, and don’t assume you should never discuss specifics of your faith out of fear you won’t have all the answers right then.

Simply ask God to, more and more, allow you to bring out the his flavor. Just talk about him, see where it all goes.

For those that need a catch up week, enjoy! We can all use them from time to time. I would encourage you to really try to walk through what we have been talking about and then post to share your experiences with us all. One of the things I have also heard about this group is that a number of people are more encouraged by what the group shares than what I do. Cool by me.

I will leave you with the Message’s translation of the section we looked at last week (and now this week.)

“You are the world’s seasoning, to make it tolerable. If you lose your flavor, what will happen to the world?”

Very simple thought, yet very powerful. May peace be with you all this week. Jim

I have struggled for who knows how many hours over the topics and over the invasive nature of writing.  It takes time, thought, prayer, struggle, time, time and time.

I happen to love my ministry role at [nlcf] and my family even more that that.  So, Tracy and I have really struggled with this decision.  I have a wonderful agent who has helped in my thought process about the book and has never really pushed me either way, several good friends who have helped me work through different ideas and timelines, so I feel like I have had every benefit I could ask for.  But I still couldn’t decided what to do.  A couple of weeks ago I decided I needed to take some more time to really decide.  And through a number of different avenues, I think I have.

I wanted to share an amazing email I got from Bill (who asked that I change his name.)  He is a minister (in a state that is farther west than Virginia) and is in ministry (of some type)  :)

The reason I am sharing this email is that he states in it the exact reason I started writing the first book.  If you are interested in reading what he said, take a look after the jump.  I appreciate his giving me permission to do so.

Dear Jim,

I am an assistant pastor at a church in (somewhere east of Virginia). Recently I was at a mall with my wife. She wanted to “look” around in a few stores, and I told her I would pick up a book and read while she shopped. Browsing one of those national chain bookstores in the mall, I ran across your book, Should We Fire God? I was intrigued enough by the title that I gave the back flap a once-over.

I decided to buy the book because I thought I might get some sermon material from it. However, my interest in the book went far deeper. Its content struck a chord with some of my own struggles with God. In contrast to you, I have never questioned God’s reality, goodness, availability, or love when bad things happened to other people. My frustrations have been more personal…….and selfish. I can always articulate the “company lines” about the original sin/curse, free-will choices/consequences, loving Father/discipline, and storms/spiritual growth things. But when the bad things are happening to ME, I am much less theological and much more whiningly indignant (i.e., Why is this happening to ME God? What have I done to deserve this? I am doing the best I can to do YOUR work. All I ask is that You cover my back! If You are all-loving/all-caring, and if You are in control, and if You bless those whose hearts are totally Yours, and if I am not being blessed (according to MY standards), then A.) there are exceptions to Your love and compassion, or B.) I am in Your spiritual doghouse, or C.) I lost my salvation when I “backslid” as a teenager and young adult, or D.) You don’t exist (really just a fleeting thought from time to time). I seem to go through periods of extreme spirituality interrupted by lapses of doubt, mostly involving “C.” Anyway, that is my journey.

The reason I am writing to you is that a lady in our church stopped by my office yesterday. She said she had a question she wanted to ask me. Her question was, “Do you believe God is in control all of the time?” I told her that I truly did believe that God was in control all of the time, but that He was not controlling all of the time. As an illustration, I told her that when my children were teenagers, I took them out on country roads and taught them to drive our family car. They sat in the driver’s seat and made choices on steering the car, depressing the gas pedal/clutch/brake, etc. To an observer it would have appeared that I was not in control of those situations because I was only a passenger. However, I was in complete control because I could have ended the driving session at any time. I could have moved back into the driver’s seat and could even have reached across my driving child and took hold of the steering wheel. However, in order for them to learn how to handle the car, I chose to let them do the driving. If they had made a bad decision to drive too fast and recklessly, and as a result had run off the road and into a ditch, there would have been consequences. This is not what I would have wanted for them, or for me, but the risk of consequences was necessary in order for them to learn how to drive. I was exercising control, but was not controlling. She seemed satisfied and said that my answer was the best one she had gotten so far. However, I wasn’t convinced that she had been convinced.

She doesn’t believe God is always in control of every situation because her father had been shot and killed by a man when she was a girl. Although she is now in her late sixties, she still weeps when she recounts that tragedy. She also stated that if God is in control all of the time, how can you account for the rape of a 12-year old girl (used as an example)? Her deductive reasoning leads her to conclude that if God were in control all of the time, bad things would not happen to good people.

I brought my copy of your book to the office with me today. This afternoon I plan to drop it off to her and encourage her to read it. Should We Fire God? represents the most complete and honest analysis on these difficult questions I have ever read. It has helped me, and I am sure it will help her.

I don’t expect that my whining episodes are over, and won’t know until the next personal crisis hits, but you have encouraged me to minimize the whining and have a more open, intimate, and honest dialogue with God. I think “D” is just one of those fiery darts Paul wrote about in Ephesians, and I don’t really feel it is even an issue. All in all, I have a pretty strong belief. “A” and “B” are spiritual weaknesses that I fully believe I will overcome. I know the truth in my heart; I’ve just got to get it more into my thinking. But that “C” thing – well that one is tough. Did I throw away my chance? Did I “return to the vomit,” “take my hand from the plow,” etc. Is it impossible to renew me because Christ can’t be re-crucified? Could someone who is really saved drift as far away from God as I did? You get the picture.

Thank you for writing this book. I just wanted to say that. I know it took a lot of time out of your already hectic life. But, because you made the sacrifice to write down your struggles and conclusions, many people are going to be strengthened in their walk of faith, and encouraged to spend more time just hanging out with God – and being honest with him. That is what I plan to do. Actually, I have already started.

Gratefully Yours,
Bill

It isn’t that God needed me to write the book, he could have led any number of people to do it.  But he allowed me to have this incredible opportunity and guided me to write a book that is able to help some of those who struggle with issues of belief in God’s goodness. This isn’t the only reason I feel like God is leading me to start another one, far from it,  but it does matter in the whole process.

So, carefully, excitedly and hopefully faithfully, I am going to start the process again.  No guarantees that a publisher will want the book, so it might be a short process.  But here we go again.

Just try to… you physically can’t.

If you find you can, watch the vid, then see.

Ukraine 09 – The Orphans from Robbie Poff | Highland Films on Vimeo.

And remember, they are pronounced,  yee-rohs.  Just helping you to not look lame at a Greek place.

Peace, Jim

To quote CBSNews.com in their coverage of the story… “he has long played a prominent role behind the scenes in the social conservative movement: A member of the founding board of the conservative Family Research Council, Rekers has authored books on how to ensure that children grow up straight.

A Baptist minister and former research fellow at Harvard University, Rekers has testified against gay adoptions and is on the board of National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality, which “upholds the rights of individuals with unwanted homosexual attraction to receive effective psychological care.”

So, what do we make of ole George?

To me, there really are three questions that matter here.

1) Is he telling the truth?

2) If he is not, what are the implications?

3) Am I free to come to my own conclusions regarding homosexuality or does the bible speak into it?

As for question one, Is he telling the truth? my natural cynical default becomes a real issue.  Now, realize that I am not calling myself a cynic.  The definition of cynic from thefreedictionary.com -if you can believe anything is really free - defines a cynic as someone who believes that people are essentially cold, calculating and out for their own selfish interests.  By that definition I would be a recovering cynic.   I would categorize myself as more of a skeptic at this point.  I can doubt things and people pretty easily,but it isn’t my default any longer. I am actually learning how to trust more people, more readily.  That skepticism doesn’t mean I never believe anything that is tough to believe, it just means that to do so I need to feel like I have a reason for overriding my doubt.  My doubt-button is easily pushed, if you will, sometimes helping me to see the truth through misleading stories, and sometimes causing me to question or reject what is actually true, just tough to believe.

Suffice it to say my doubt-button has been pushed on this one.  What is tough here is that, in many ways, this feels like former Idaho Senator Larry Craig’s “I have a wide stance” type of story.  A public figure that is caught in a damaging situation and comes up with an explanation that seems too far-fetched to really be true.  Probably all of our doubt buttons were lit up and blinking over that one.

But that doesn’t mean that everything that is tough to believe is wrong.  It just means it is tough to believe.

Right?

Sure, it could be true. Rekers probably does need some help with luggage and whatnot, but getting help from a travel companion that advertises the ways he can help on Rentboy.com?  I, probably like everyone else, look at that with more than a bit of skepticism.

As a follower of Jesus, and as one that hold the scriptures to be an authoritative voice, I am called by God to believe the best of others.  Jesus challenges me to let my yes be my yes and my no be my no in my interactions with others and to try to believe that they are doing the same with me.  That doesn’t mean I automatically take everyone’s word on everything they say (other sections of the scriptures, in particular several in Proverbs, wisely call that foolishness).  So, I try to give the benefit of the doubt, as much as I can.  My goal has become trying to see the world through God’s eyes.  Trying to look more and more at things from his perspective and realizing, after reading this section of Matthew, how different his perspective and mine really is.

1 One day as the crowds were gathering, Jesus went up the mountainside with his disciples and sat down to teach them. 2 This is what he taught them: 3 ”God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them. 4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 God blesses those who are gentle and lowly, for the whole earth will belong to them. 6 God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice, for they will receive it in full. 7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. 9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. 10 God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 11 ”God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too.

That was one of the first times that I realized that, not only could my take on what I am experiencing not be right, but that I might completely miss that it is wrong.  That my perspective was more about self-protection than about truly interacting with those I am around.

Honestly, it wasn’t until I started trying to live in that way that I realized just how little trust I was willing to give anyone.  How much I expected them to be dishonest with me.  As I have been trying to live in a more trusting way towards others, a few things have happened that I didn’t expect.

I have become more accepting of others, regardless of how much we agree about or how well we get along.  My cynicism caused me to have an almost constant internal sneer towards others.  Internally I pitted myself against them, was always looking for their angle, was waiting for the thing they were hiding to come into the light.  As I have walked away from that, I find I am much more interested in the people I am around.  Much more accepting and open to hearing from them and learning from them.

Now, there have been a number of times that I have been taken advantage of as well.  The process hasn’t always been rosy.  But through those and through a continuing pursuit of God, I have been trying to re-calibrate my skepticism.  Not get rid of all of it, we don’t live in a world that allows that, but to allow it to speak into my decisions when it is right to do so and not allow it to drive almost all of them.

All that being said , it seems very hard to believe that nothing was happening.  Either way, I am wanting to pray for George Rekers.  Either he has inadvertantly stumbled into a situation that is almost impossible to believe could be truly innocent, and as a result is suffering for something he never did; or he has just had a part of his life and soul that he clearly has been trying to cover be exposed.  Both would be horrible to live through.

For the rest of us, I suggest we should do four things in the midst of all this.  First, remember to be praying for George and in particular, his family.  Second, to allow this to be a cause for pause.  A time to reflect on how skeptical/cynical we are towards those around us.  Third, to seek to live lives that are fully known.  To have at least a couple of people that we have no secrets from.  And fourth, to only use family members as luggage-hefting travel companions.

Please tell me your thoughts on all this.

In a few days we will discuss what the implications would be for a Christian, reparative therapy advocate to be found to have been involved in at least one homosexual sexual relationship.

Peace, Jim

That last part is really key.

I get razzed quite a bit for a few things in [nlcf].  I get razzed because I am functionally bald, because I am turning the corner on forty and primarily because for the last eight or nine years, I have driven a minivan.  Three of them to be exact.  Now I claim that our new Mazda 5 isn’t really a minivan – I mean, it was driven by a bad guy in 24!  But no one is buying it…

So, being the mature adult I am, I tease back and tell them that while my minivan days are on the wain, theirs haven’t even begun yet.  This is when I inevitably hear the mantra… We won’t drive one of those, we will get an SUV.

Now, realize this, I am around A LOT of people that go through the early married years transition to the been married a bit longer and now have a few kids phase.  Off the top of my head I can only think of ONE family that has stayed the We’re going to get an SUV course.  Ryan and Lisa Hartsook, you get the prize.

Most couples follow this trajectory…

I will never have a minivan

Hmm… that is kind of a sweet looking minivan

Wow, you mean you fit the stroller, the playpen (excuse me, play garden as they are now sometimes called – say what you will, it has sides, it’s a pen), the booster seats and some toys back there?

Then the final step… you mean they can’t reach each other to fight?

When that happens, hang your heads cool people, cause a minivan is coming for you!

I have recently been razzing another [nlcf] staff couple who live two doors down from us, Steve and Amy Englund.  They absolutely deny they will EVER own one.

I am not buying it.

My point in this whole rant is that, in six to ten years, this will be the Englunds.  Mark your calendars.  Steve and Amy, start saving up for your own personal Swagger Wagon…

We rock the SE not the SUV…

He writes in a personal tone and presents the message of redemption in a clear manner while interweaving his own story of disbelief.  The book reads like a candid conversation with the author on a very difficult subject..

What is interesting is a blog the reviewer, Stephen Escalera, wrote about the final, edited version of his review.  I am including one paragraph of his response to that final version.

While I am excited about having a review published in print, I am also very disappointed with the editing.  As published, the book comes across as rather postmodern with perhaps only a hint of the gospel.  However, the book is very strong on presenting the gospel and I said as much as originally written in my review.  However, in the editing process, the key paragraph of the review was pared down to say next to nothing about the author’s message in his book.   I’ve posted the paragraph as it was originally written, with all the bolded section indicating what was omitted:

You can read the rest of his thoughts here.  Stephen just started following me on twitter (nlcfjim) and I am definitely following him as well.  I would recommend his blog Eskypades as he has an interesting reading list and some very interesting thoughts on many of those books.  I have only been able to peruse it a bit, but have liked what I have seen so far.

Just thought this was an interested look into the world of reviews.

For the record, I have no reason to think that the Roanoke Times had any ill motives in editing down Stephen’s review.  The more writers I know and speak to, this is a pretty normal thing.  Just another piece of the puzzle.

Peace, Jim