In Deut. 25:17-19 we read: “Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.”
What made Amalek so dastardly was that unlike any other enemy who attacked
the Israelites fleeing slavery in Egypt from the front, Amalek attacked the rear. This meant that his soldiers could kill women and children, the elderly and the infirm and in so doing avoid engagement with the soldiers at the front. In this way he could produce maximum carnage and maximum terror. The moral problem the Bible addresses is that this is not warfare, it is the slaughter of innocents—it is terrorism.
Why, I wondered, would God command us to remember the terrorist Amalek? There are other villains in the Bible, but there is no biblical command to remember Pharaoh or Nebuchadnezzar, or Cyrus. We are commanded only to remember Amalek. I believe this is because the planned and plotted slaughter of innocents even during wartime cannot be condoned and must be remembered as a bright moral line which can never be crossed. Indeed our remembrance of Amalek is combined with a chilling pledge from God that is also unique in the Bible: “The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation” (Exod. 17:16). Our enemies are just our enemies except if our enemy is Amalek. In that case our enemy is also the enemy of God. Amalek thus becomes the symbol of terrorism in every generation. He is the symbol not of evil but of radical evil.
In our generation Amalek is alive and well and killing the weak ones at the rear of the march. Amalek has attacked the rear of our line of march in Madrid and Bombay, in Jakarta and London, in Haifa and Tel Aviv, in New York and Washington, in a quiet field in Pennsylvania and in a hundred other homes and
families—leaving them covered with blood and tears. Yes, one can disagree and debate how Amalek must be fought, but not that Amalek must be fought. One must report and mourn the innocents who are inadvertently killed by our soldiers in our battle against Amalek, but that remembrance must always make the spiritual moral and political distinction that our victims were killed by mistake and Amalek's victims were killed by design.
I have no new or fresh or insightful take on the latest battle in the worldwide war on Islamic fascism except the message of our president: victory is the only way. In my heart and prayers, I thank President Bush for remembering Amalek. And to all the world leaders who are used to thinking about war as just a struggle for land or oil or power, remember that this war is different and this enemy is different. If you can, come to realize that this is a war against a lover of slaughter. If you join us, then we shall not have to fight Amalek alone and he cannot again attack the weak ones at the rear of the line.
Monday, July 31, 2006
God's Opinion of Terrorism
We're weary of war coverage, and wondering where to stand on an increasingly-unpopular war in Iraq. It's a complicated issue, but I like the perspective Marc Gellman, shared in his Newsweek commentary, "Remember Amalek." He writes:
The Christian Vision Project
I ran across The Christian Vision Project, by the editors of Christianity Today publications. The website says the Project “is asking a select group of creative Christian thinkers—pastors, scholars, artists, and activists—one big question. You'll find their answers in the pages of Christianity Today, Books & Culture, and Leadership, and, in October 2006, on a groundbreaking documentary DVD. Here you can learn more about the contributors, read their responses, and add your voice to the conversation.”
For a start, check out Glenn T. Stanton’s article, “The Conservative Humanist.” Stanton serves as director of global insights and trends at Focus on the Family. (Director of Global Insights and Trends—where can I get a job like that?). In his article, he says that we don’t need to leave “family issues” behind, such as prolife legislation and resisting pornography, but we do need to go “upstream” and become “people who are unreservedly committed to human life at its fullest, and people deeply pained by human life at its worst.”
I also liked the articles by Tim Keller, Lauren Winner, and Michael S. Horton. It would be worth your time to stop by the website and leave a comment.
For a start, check out Glenn T. Stanton’s article, “The Conservative Humanist.” Stanton serves as director of global insights and trends at Focus on the Family. (Director of Global Insights and Trends—where can I get a job like that?). In his article, he says that we don’t need to leave “family issues” behind, such as prolife legislation and resisting pornography, but we do need to go “upstream” and become “people who are unreservedly committed to human life at its fullest, and people deeply pained by human life at its worst.”
I also liked the articles by Tim Keller, Lauren Winner, and Michael S. Horton. It would be worth your time to stop by the website and leave a comment.
The Messengers on TLC
Monday, July 24
The Learning Channel, also known simply as TLC, has a new show getting some buzz called "The Messengers." It's like an "American Idol" to identify and reward inspirational speakers. The show starts with 10 young speakers, including a pastor. Each week they put the group in a situation needing the attention of the public--homelessness, migrant farm workers, the world of the handicapped, and so on. In response to their brief immersion in the issue, they present a 2 or 3 minute appeal to an audience to respond to the need. The audience votes for the most inspirational Messenger of the night, and the Messenger with the least amount of votes is removed from further competition.
The first episode aired this past Sunday evening, July 23, and it's worth your while to tune in for the rest of them. The young adults in the competition show a remarkable ability to capture the essence of the issue and quickly figure out how to move the audience to a response.
The Bible says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24). These young adults can show us all how to "spur one another on."
I've set my DVR to record the series. It airs on TLC Sunday nights at 9:00 p.m. Central.
The Learning Channel, also known simply as TLC, has a new show getting some buzz called "The Messengers." It's like an "American Idol" to identify and reward inspirational speakers. The show starts with 10 young speakers, including a pastor. Each week they put the group in a situation needing the attention of the public--homelessness, migrant farm workers, the world of the handicapped, and so on. In response to their brief immersion in the issue, they present a 2 or 3 minute appeal to an audience to respond to the need. The audience votes for the most inspirational Messenger of the night, and the Messenger with the least amount of votes is removed from further competition.
The first episode aired this past Sunday evening, July 23, and it's worth your while to tune in for the rest of them. The young adults in the competition show a remarkable ability to capture the essence of the issue and quickly figure out how to move the audience to a response.
The Bible says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24). These young adults can show us all how to "spur one another on."
I've set my DVR to record the series. It airs on TLC Sunday nights at 9:00 p.m. Central.
Monte Montgomery
Those of you who are fans of Austin music will tell me I'm way behind if I'm just now running across Monte Montgomery, but I ran across his music just this week.
The Saturday paper said he was playing at Antones, and the write-up made me think I'd probably like him. So I listened to clips on iTunes and downloaded a few songs. When I checked his website, I noticed in the discography that he had a song called "In the Gaze of the Spotlight's Eye." I knew that song from listening to Mark Heard albums about 20 years back. Heard died of a heart attack at 40 about 10 years ago or so, but I was a big fan back in my seminary days.
I couldn't make it out to the Antones show, but he was playing solo at the Saxon Pub this past Wednesday, so I went with Michael, Stephen and Angela.
It's a small venue, and he was standing by our table before he went on, so I introduced myself and told him it was our first night to hear him. I asked him about "In the Gaze," and how he knew about Heard. He said he used to listen to a lot of Christian music in the past. Sounds like an interesting story, but we didn't have any more time to talk.
About 4 songs into the show, though, he started in on "Moonflower," another Mark Heard tune from the same album (Eye of the Storm). He looked my way afterward and said, "Well, I tried; it's been a while." I let him know he did great with it! And the rest of his show was fantastic, too. Be sure to hear this local artist whenever you can! And if you're a Monte fan, let me know!
The Saturday paper said he was playing at Antones, and the write-up made me think I'd probably like him. So I listened to clips on iTunes and downloaded a few songs. When I checked his website, I noticed in the discography that he had a song called "In the Gaze of the Spotlight's Eye." I knew that song from listening to Mark Heard albums about 20 years back. Heard died of a heart attack at 40 about 10 years ago or so, but I was a big fan back in my seminary days.
I couldn't make it out to the Antones show, but he was playing solo at the Saxon Pub this past Wednesday, so I went with Michael, Stephen and Angela.
It's a small venue, and he was standing by our table before he went on, so I introduced myself and told him it was our first night to hear him. I asked him about "In the Gaze," and how he knew about Heard. He said he used to listen to a lot of Christian music in the past. Sounds like an interesting story, but we didn't have any more time to talk.
About 4 songs into the show, though, he started in on "Moonflower," another Mark Heard tune from the same album (Eye of the Storm). He looked my way afterward and said, "Well, I tried; it's been a while." I let him know he did great with it! And the rest of his show was fantastic, too. Be sure to hear this local artist whenever you can! And if you're a Monte fan, let me know!
Non-Believers Are Paying Attention to This Geneticist
In an earlier entry, I commented on Francis Collins, the geneticist who cracked the genome and has recently written a book on his Christian belief.
Subsequent articles about Collins and his new book have been interesting reading. We learn a lot about how people deal with issues of faith by reading their reactions to books about faith written by reputable persons like Collins. For example, Time magazine has a review of the book by David Van Biema, "Reconciling God and Science." Though I'm intrigued with what Collins has to say and I plan to read his book, I doubt I'll agree with his convinction that the evidence for evolution is "thoroughly convincing" and that Christians should therefore see evolution as the process by which God created the world. Maybe I'll respond to that in a future blog entry after I read the book. Still, I thought this comment from the Time article was interesting:
Also, see this Washington Post article by Scott Russell Sander:
If you get to read the book before me, tell me what you think.
Subsequent articles about Collins and his new book have been interesting reading. We learn a lot about how people deal with issues of faith by reading their reactions to books about faith written by reputable persons like Collins. For example, Time magazine has a review of the book by David Van Biema, "Reconciling God and Science." Though I'm intrigued with what Collins has to say and I plan to read his book, I doubt I'll agree with his convinction that the evidence for evolution is "thoroughly convincing" and that Christians should therefore see evolution as the process by which God created the world. Maybe I'll respond to that in a future blog entry after I read the book. Still, I thought this comment from the Time article was interesting:
The Language of God is enlightening but not always convincing. . . . The book seems liveliest when Collins turns his guns from atheists on the left to creationists and intelligent designers on the right, urging the abandonment of what he feels are overliteral misreadings of Scripture.Well, of course Van Biema is going to find the book "liveliest" at the point he happens to agree with. Is this any surprise to anyone? We always tend to find someone "intelligent" or "compelling" or "persuasive" when they happen to be saying something we agree with!
Also, see this Washington Post article by Scott Russell Sander:
Collins goes beyond the evidence when he speculates that "God's intention in ccreating the universe" may have been "to lead to creatures with whom He might have fellowship, namely human beings." Many readers will doubt that all 10 or 15 billion years of cosmic history merely prepared the way for us, a pack of inquisitive primates pondering the starry expanses from our speck of planetary dust. Still, it's bracing to be reminded, in our disenchanted day, that an eminent scientist can read the genetic code as sacred speech.Though Sander says that "many readers will doubt" that the purpose of existence is to find fellowship with God, that's exactly why I'm so thrilled that Collins book is out there and getting read. The Apostle Paul told the intellectuals on Mars Hill the same thing (Acts 17:16-34). He said that God created the world "so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us."
If you get to read the book before me, tell me what you think.
Listening--and Talking--to Left-Wing Believers
In an earlier entry, I commented on the efforts that political "progressives" were making to reach out to Christian conservatives. In "Don't Be Afraid of the 'Christian Left'," Ken Conner says that Christian conservatives need to join conversation with believers who are on the left-wing of politics. Conner is the past president of Focus on the Familys Family Research Council. He writes:
He says that conservative evangelicals need to accept the call from liberal evangelicals to wrestle with issues we tend to ignore, such as poverty. He says that respectful engagement with believers on the left wing will serve as a witness to the Christian unity that transcends politics. And he says that listening to members of our Christian family on the left will keep us from getting mentally lazy.
Good stuff.
As fellow believers, we should not be afraid to engage the evangelical left's ideas in a spirit of love. It would be a mistake, as we begin this dialogue, to view these men and women as "political enemies" rather than fellow members of the body of Christ. From the outset, we should insist that our discussions be grounded in our mutual love of Christ rather than our differing political commitments.He calls for both sides to learn from each other, but since he's a conservative writing in Human Events, which bills itself as the "national conservative weekly," his call is primarily to believers on the right wing of politics.
He says that conservative evangelicals need to accept the call from liberal evangelicals to wrestle with issues we tend to ignore, such as poverty. He says that respectful engagement with believers on the left wing will serve as a witness to the Christian unity that transcends politics. And he says that listening to members of our Christian family on the left will keep us from getting mentally lazy.
Good stuff.
Connecting the "Great Commandment" to the "Great Commission"
Here's an interesting observation from Malcolm Gladwell:
Check out the Missions Page on our website for more information. I'm grateful to our Missions Committee for this new effort at educating our church on missions.
As we fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples, we're also fulfilling the Great Commandment to love our neighbors. A well-known pastor has said, "A Great Commitment to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment will build a Great Church."
Thanks to you, we're on our way!
"Ram Cnaan, a professor of social work at the University of Pennsylvania, recently estimated the replacement value of the charitable work done by the average American church--that is, the amount of money it would take to equal the time, money, and resources donated to the community by a typical congregation--and found that it came to about $140,000 a year. In the city of Philadelphia, for example, that works out to an annual total of 250 million dollars worth of community "good"; on a national scale, the contribution of religious groups to the public welfare is, as Cnaan puts it, "staggering." In the past 20 years, as the enthusiasm for publicly supported welfare has waned, churches have quietly and steadily stepped in to fill the gaps."We're doing our part at Hillcrest to minister to the needs of the community. About 16 cents of every dollar given to Hillcrest goes to missions and ministries beyond our walls, and our people give generously to special offerings for things like tsunami relief and hurricane recovery. Through your generosity, our church is able to provide benevolence gifts to those in financial crisis, we support the Overcomers and Network for Life and Maggie's House--all ministries to ex-offenders. We maintain the Helping Hands closet in a room off our MPC. We send high school upperclassmen to Acuna every Spring Break to build an entire house for a family living in a shack made of pallets. Recently, our staff has been involved in the mentoring program at Hill Elementary and the abstinence program in the health classes at Anderson High. Our young adults have begun to get connected with Austin Habitat for Humanity projects. Two tons of food have been collected for the Captial Area Food Bank in Herb Ingram's "Can Hunger" campaign--which was an effort to get to know our neighbors by enlisting them in serving the Food Bank.
Check out the Missions Page on our website for more information. I'm grateful to our Missions Committee for this new effort at educating our church on missions.
As we fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples, we're also fulfilling the Great Commandment to love our neighbors. A well-known pastor has said, "A Great Commitment to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment will build a Great Church."
Thanks to you, we're on our way!
Film Studios Won, But Will They Learn?
Companies that edit movies to delete objectionable language, sex and violence have been ordered to stop (article here).
For the last few years, subscribers to companies like CleanFlicks, Play It Clean Video, and Hollygood Films have received two copies of every DVD they ordered: the studio version and the edited version. Studios objected to these companies from the start, but now a federal judge has ruled that the editing violates the copyright of the studios.
The ruling is probably a good one: the studios own the copyright to an artistic work and should have control over how its presented to the public.
But I wonder if the studios understand why edited films are so popular with their customers. Families like a lot of the stories and cool special effects of many films, but we can do without the foul language, vivid gore, and steamy sex scenes. When my kids were small, we had to say "no" to a number of video rentals where we had no problem with the basic story but didn't want to put up with the language. And it's not just about the kids: movies like "Titanic" and "Jerry McGuire" would have been just fine without the nudity.
What I don't understand is why the studios don't release their own edited version to the public. They create it for network television, basic cable, and in-flight entertainment anyway. So why not offer that version as an option through companies like Blockbuster and Netflix?
For the last few years, subscribers to companies like CleanFlicks, Play It Clean Video, and Hollygood Films have received two copies of every DVD they ordered: the studio version and the edited version. Studios objected to these companies from the start, but now a federal judge has ruled that the editing violates the copyright of the studios.
The ruling is probably a good one: the studios own the copyright to an artistic work and should have control over how its presented to the public.
But I wonder if the studios understand why edited films are so popular with their customers. Families like a lot of the stories and cool special effects of many films, but we can do without the foul language, vivid gore, and steamy sex scenes. When my kids were small, we had to say "no" to a number of video rentals where we had no problem with the basic story but didn't want to put up with the language. And it's not just about the kids: movies like "Titanic" and "Jerry McGuire" would have been just fine without the nudity.
What I don't understand is why the studios don't release their own edited version to the public. They create it for network television, basic cable, and in-flight entertainment anyway. So why not offer that version as an option through companies like Blockbuster and Netflix?
Pray for Persecuted Believers
In "The Dirty Dozen Religious Persecutors," Doug Bandow of The American Spectator says:
Americans take religious liberty for granted. Despite some hostile cultural currents, we are largely free to believe in God and worship together.
Unfortunately, people of faith, and particularly Christians, face far more restrictions abroad. In many nations religious persecution is the norm. The worst violators of this most basic human right tend to be Islamic states. Other significant oppressors are communist or simply authoritarian.
Many states actively suppress expressions of religious belief, especially by minority faiths. Others purport to be neutral but stand by when local authorities penalize and mobs brutalize religious believers.
A Dirty Dozen persecutors stand out.
Scan his description of the twelve countries and pray for the Christians caught in these difficulties--pray especially for the church leaders who usually face the harshest treatment.
Americans take religious liberty for granted. Despite some hostile cultural currents, we are largely free to believe in God and worship together.
Unfortunately, people of faith, and particularly Christians, face far more restrictions abroad. In many nations religious persecution is the norm. The worst violators of this most basic human right tend to be Islamic states. Other significant oppressors are communist or simply authoritarian.
Many states actively suppress expressions of religious belief, especially by minority faiths. Others purport to be neutral but stand by when local authorities penalize and mobs brutalize religious believers.
A Dirty Dozen persecutors stand out.
Scan his description of the twelve countries and pray for the Christians caught in these difficulties--pray especially for the church leaders who usually face the harshest treatment.
A Good Conversation About a Lame Movie
What happens when a fourth generation Jewish atheist accepts a pastor's invitation to join him to watch and discuss The Da Vinci Code? Find out in Joel Stein's column, Doing 'Da Vinci' with the pastor dude. "I think God's doing something in your life," Stein reports as the pastor's words, "And I'm glad to be a small part of it."
The Masonic Lodge and The Christian
"A lot of people are finding in the 21st century that organised religion is not answering their needs, and for some people Freemasonry is that answer."
That's what Diane Clements said in the Reuters article, "Freemasonry alive and well in 21st century." Clements is director of the Library and Museum of Freemasonry.
This statement touches on exactly why I feel uneasy with the Masonic Lodge. I have a few friends and relatives who are Masons, but I've always been a little uneasy with the organization. In fact, when I was in 10th grade I joined and then quit the DeMolay, the Lodge's auxiliary club for boys. Even at 14, I could identify religious teaching when I heard it, and I decided that I didn't need a supplement (or an alternative) to my Bible and my church. When a man is taught so-called secret names for God (Abaddon and Jah-Bul-On), that man is hearing religious teaching. And when a man is taught by the Lodge that his "purity of life and conduct" is what grants him entrance into the "celesital Lodge above," that man is hearing religious teaching (and teaching not found in Scripture, by the way).
The Lodge may not be a religion, but it's impossible to deny that it's religious. And it has been a substitute religion for many men. I'm not the only pastor who's expressed this concern (see the The Southern Baptist Convention's official report for more). But it's interesting to read a Masonic historian who acknowledges the Lodge as a worthy alternative to religious institutions.
That's what Diane Clements said in the Reuters article, "Freemasonry alive and well in 21st century." Clements is director of the Library and Museum of Freemasonry.
This statement touches on exactly why I feel uneasy with the Masonic Lodge. I have a few friends and relatives who are Masons, but I've always been a little uneasy with the organization. In fact, when I was in 10th grade I joined and then quit the DeMolay, the Lodge's auxiliary club for boys. Even at 14, I could identify religious teaching when I heard it, and I decided that I didn't need a supplement (or an alternative) to my Bible and my church. When a man is taught so-called secret names for God (Abaddon and Jah-Bul-On), that man is hearing religious teaching. And when a man is taught by the Lodge that his "purity of life and conduct" is what grants him entrance into the "celesital Lodge above," that man is hearing religious teaching (and teaching not found in Scripture, by the way).
The Lodge may not be a religion, but it's impossible to deny that it's religious. And it has been a substitute religion for many men. I'm not the only pastor who's expressed this concern (see the The Southern Baptist Convention's official report for more). But it's interesting to read a Masonic historian who acknowledges the Lodge as a worthy alternative to religious institutions.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
"The Messengers" on TLC
The Learning Channel, also known simply as TLC, has a new show getting some buzz called "The Messengers." It's like an "American Idol" to identify and reward inspirational speakers. The show starts with 10 young speakers, including a pastor. Each week they put the group in a situation needing the attention of the public--homelessness, migrant farm workers, the world of the handicapped, and so on. In response to their brief immersion in the issue, they present a 2 or 3 minute appeal to an audience to respond to the need. The audience votes for the most inspirational Messenger of the night, and the Messenger with the least amount of votes is removed from further competition.
The first episode aired this past Sunday evening, July 23, and it's worth your while to tune in for the rest of them. The young adults in the competition show a remarkable ability to capture the essence of the issue and quickly figure out how to move the audience to a response.
The Bible says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24). These young adults can show us all how to "spur one another on."
I've set my DVR to record the series. It airs on TLC Sunday nights at 9:00 p.m. Central.
The first episode aired this past Sunday evening, July 23, and it's worth your while to tune in for the rest of them. The young adults in the competition show a remarkable ability to capture the essence of the issue and quickly figure out how to move the audience to a response.
The Bible says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24). These young adults can show us all how to "spur one another on."
I've set my DVR to record the series. It airs on TLC Sunday nights at 9:00 p.m. Central.
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