LeaderLines: “What to Make of America’s Unfaithful Faithful”

In O Brother Where Art Thou, Everett, Pete, and Delmar commandeered a car on their escape from prison. Along the way, they pick up blues guitarist, Tommy Johnson, who had been waiting at the crossroads to make a deal with the devil:

Tommy Johnson: I had to be up at that there crossroads last midnight, to sell my soul to the devil.

Everett: Well, ain't it a small world, spiritually speaking. Pete and Delmar just been baptized and saved. I guess I'm the only one that remains unaffiliated.

Everett would find himself in good company today, though. When the Pew Forum recently asked over 35,000 Americans about their connection to a religious organization, about 16 percent of the population was identified as unaffiliated.

In my weekly LeaderLines e-newsletter, I’ve been going through a review of the book unChristian. I’ll return to that next week. Since I received so many e-mails about front-page stories covering the Pew Forum survey this week, I wanted to make some comments on the findings.

(Actually, the Pew Forum findings have some relation to our review of unChristian, since the survey found similar numbers as the research behind the book: Of the 35,000 surveyed, 1 out of every 4 young adults 18-29 described themselves as unaffiliated. By contrast, only 8 percent of those age 70 and older to say that they are not affiliated with any particular religion.)

A few thoughts from the report:

Let’s hear it for religious freedom. The report found that about 44 percent of Americans have switched their religious commitment in their lifetime—either they’ve become involved in a church when they were unaffiliated as kids, or they’ve dropped out of church involvement, or they’ve switched to another denomination or religion. My first thought is that a report like this would never come from places like Saudi Arabia or Iran where switching one’s religious affiliation is punishable by death (that is, if the faith one leaves is Islam).

Religion is a major influence in American life. Most Americans (78.4%) identify themselves as Christians of some sort. This Christian majority seems to be a settled fact for some time to come, with trends such as Hispanic immigration bolstering these numbers.

Evangelicals are now the largest single group of American Christians. Twenty-six percent of those who call themselves Christians identify as evangelicals while mainline Protestant churches and denominations continue to lose membership and now represent only 18.1% of the population. Of course, the “evangelical” title is very broad, encompassing political liberals like Jim Wallis as well as political conservatives like James Dobson. As I see it, though, our country benefits from the growing majority of evangelical churches like ours that work to found life upon the Bible, communicate the gospel to the community around them, and connect people to a personal relationship with Christ (three chief characteristics of an evangelical).

Denominational identification continues to lose value. The major Christian denominations are losing numbers fast. Baptists, while still predominant in the South, are merely holding on, with no signs of growth. Only non-denominational churches showed growth outpacing losses.

More than half of those who had no church home as children are now connected to a church. This amounts to about 4 percent of the overall adult population. I bet you didn’t read that in any of the newspaper reports, but that’s pretty significant. Most of the news reports focused on the growing numbers of people unaffiliated with any religious group, and I’ll get to that. But among the 44 percent who changed their religious identification include those who went from no identification to church involvement.

“Nothing” matters! About 12 percent say their religious identity is “nothing in particular,” outranking every denomination and tradition except Catholics (23.9%) and all groups of Baptists (17.2%). Add atheists (1.6%) and agnostics (2.4%), and you get about 16 percent of Americans claiming no affiliation to any religious group. It’s the fastest-growing segment in the survey. We need to ask God what he wants us to do to reach our world—and keep them.

We have to look for ways to connect with men. When you break down the unaffiliated category even further, you find that nearly 20% of all men and 13% of all women are unaffiliated. Our churches need to do more to inspire men to follow Christ.

We have to look for ways to connect with the next generation. Young people were more likely to call themselves “unaffiliated” than any other generation. One out of four adults under 30 has no connection to a religious group.

The Pew Forum survey is the largest of its kind to date. The findings are being presented in two segments. The report that was just released looks at religious affiliation and demographic characteristics. The other, to be released in late spring, will delve into beliefs, behavior and political views.

Thanks for all the emails alerting me to your interest in this survey!
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. (I'm a day late this week!) If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Winning Ways: “Baptism at the Ninth Hole”

“Pastor Greg, would you baptize me?”

Not an unusual request of a pastor. Except this one was made on the edge of a water hazard while four men played golf. I read the story in a church leadership journal.

Just before his move to another church, Pastor Greg Asimakoupoulos accepted an invitation to play golf with his friend Marty. Seven years earlier, Marty had been a reluctant visitor to Greg’s church. The young father had been turned off by institutional religion in his youth, and regarded the golf course as the best place to spend his Sunday mornings.

That first Sunday in church, Marty noticed an announcement for the annual men’s golf tournament. He signed up for the outing, won handily, and showed up in church the next Sunday for the award presentation.

He and his wife continued to attend due to the friendships built with other young adults and they eventually committed their lives to Christ. The young man threw himself into church life, but as the years passed he never followed his commitment to Christ with baptism. That changed in that last round of golf before his pastor’s departure:

As we approached the ninth tee, with a meandering brook and a cascading waterfall, Marty surprised me with a question: “Pastor Greg, would you baptize me?” I thought he was joking and reached for my driver. Marty reached in his golf bag and retrieved the Bible I’d given him the day he became a Christian. “I’m serious,” he said. “You know I’ve never been baptized. And, well, here’s water. What’s standing in the way?”

The pastor grinned and nodded at the parallel to the Ethiopian official in Acts 8. They removed shoes and socks, stepped into the water hazard, and Greg baptized his friend. “I welcomed my brother with a bear hug as he stepped out of the water,” the pastor recounted. “A water hazard on the ninth hole had become holy ground.”

If you’re ready to follow Christ in baptism, I’ll joyfully baptize you just about anywhere—even a water hazard. But this Sunday, we’re going to have a Baptism Celebration in our auditorium at 5pm. Contact me right away if you want to be a part of the Celebration!
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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 880 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Links to Your World, Tuesday February 26

John Wilson of CT’s Books and Culture has mixed feelings about the music from Austin’s new resident, Iron and Wine—aka Sam Beam.


Yesterday several of you sent me links to reports on the Pew Forum study highlighting changes to the American religious landscape. Here is the AP report from today's Statesman.


“No” to Slump: This NY Times piece, filed from Austin, points out that the housing slump in other big city markets isn’t impacting cities like Austin.


“Yes” to Slum? “Arthur C. Nelson, director of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech, forecasts a likely surplus of 22 million large-lot homes (houses built on a sixth of an acre or more) by 2025—that’s roughly 40 percent of the large-lot homes in existence today. For 60 years, Americans have pushed steadily into the suburbs, transforming the landscape and (until recently) leaving cities behind. But today the pendulum is swinging back toward urban living.” (from the Atlantic Monthly’s talked-about piece about the suburbs, “The Next Slum?”)


Here’s more information on Christian comedienne Anita Renfro, at hit at "Women of Faith" conferences, a new face on Good Morning America, but known in YouTube fame as the “William Tell Mom.”


A bank allowed this guy to withdraw $2 million from someone else’s bank account who had the same name.


As you plan to vote, consider Joe Carter’s points in “Why Prolife Presidents Matter.”


Forbes lists “America's Most Sinful Cities.”


Disturbing News: “A new five-year analysis of the nation’s death rates recently released by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the suicide rate among 45-to-54-year-olds increased nearly 20 percent from 1999 to 2004, the latest year studied, far outpacing changes in nearly every other age group” (from the NY Times article, “Midlife Suicide Rises, Puzzling Researchers”)


“An individual does have some control over his destiny in terms of what he can do to improve the probability that not only might he live a long time, but also have good health and good function in those older years.” (“Five Easy Steps to Living Long and Well”)


You’ll burn about 200 calories on a 30 minute walk. Here’s what 200 calories looks like in various food portions.


Is there an evangelical or politician more at ease with the public than Huckabee? Here he is on last week's SNL:



Have you read the previous posts since last Tuesday? They include the “Song of the Week“ (this week, Keller Williams' "Breathe"), a question about your Bible's most important pages, the continuation of my LeaderLines series called "unChristian Christianity," and guidance for reaching our biblically illiterate culture (featured at Eileen Flynn's Statesman blog, Of Sacred and Secular).

Song of the Week: Keller Willams' "Breathe"

From the Department of Shameless Name-Dropping: From left to right, me, Paul Overstreet, Dr. Dick Furman, and Franklin Graham as we prepare for the second of a 2-tank dive at Eden Rock in Grand Cayman 2003. Overstreet has written too many hit country songs to name--most recently, the Cayman-inspired "Some Beach," made famous by Blake Shelton.

I've loaded Keller Williams' "Breathe" on the GetAnchored audio player for this week (upper right corner). He's singing about freediving in a public pool, but when I first heard it on KGSR, my thoughts wandered back to diving the Wall in Grand Cayman. Sigh . . .

Feeling the water rush into my ears
as I submerge into the deep blue
Weightlessness bliss wish to stay like this
as I'm floating towards a clue
Hearing the sounds of exhausted young children
expressing their interest to go
Mothers and fathers who bake by the pool side
prepare as I remain below

Then I breathe
Breathe

Paddle and treading I'm rising toward surface
the bubbles are leading the way
Alone in my universe far from the earth
I escape intense heat of the day
Kicking like Kermit I plunge for the bottom
prolonging my next gasp of air

Paddle and twisting I use my reserves
and whatever left I can spare

Then I breathe
Breathe

No thunder or lightning
Or hail or tornado or tropical storm hurricane
No police no problems annoying loud noises
Just symmetrical picture frame

Weightlessness bliss wish to stay like this
as I'm floating away from my ills
Time to invest in an air tank or snorkel
or pray I acquire some gills

Then I breathe
Breathe

LeaderLines: “UnChristian Christianity: Anti-Homosexual”

“Christians talk about hating sin and loving sinners, but the way they go about things, they might as well call it what it is. They hate the sin and the sinner.”

That was one 25-year-old’s assessment of the state of Christianity. In relation to the topic of homosexuality, does our world really see Christians loving the sinner even as we object to their sin?

In David Kinnaman’s new book, UnChristian, the president of the Barna research firm reported on an extensive study of the attitudes that unchurched 16-to-29 year-olds have of the Christian faith. Our Ministry Staff is reading this book together, and I’m summarizing Kinnaman’s research for you in LeaderLines. The book focuses on six complaints that unchurched young people have regarded Christians. They see us as--

Hypocritical
Too focused on getting converts
Anti-homosexual
Sheltered
Too political
Judgmental

We’ve already looked at the first two charges. This week, let’s see why those now entering adulthood think we’re anti-homosexual. Not “anti-homosexuality,” but “anti-homosexual.”

In one Barna survey, young people were asked to choose among 20 descriptions — positive and negative — that they felt best represented Christianity. It sobering that the label “anti-homosexual” was chosen most often:

More than nine out of ten Mosaic and Buster outsiders (91 percent) said “anti-homosexual” accurately describes present-day Christianity. . . . Outsiders say our hostility toward gays — not just opposition to homosexual politics and behaviors but disdain for gay individuals — has become virtually synonymous with the Christian faith.

“When you introduce yourself as a Christian to a friend, neighbor, or business associate who is an outsider,” Kinnaman says, “you might as well have it tattooed on your arm: anti-homosexual, gay-hater, homophobic.”

John Burke, local pastor and author of No Perfect People Allowed, has said that people in our culture consider homosexuality a “litmus test.” That is, people judge the quality of your kindness and openness on a host of issues based upon how they perceive your attitude on this specific issue. This is true, Burke observed, even if they aren’t gay or don’t have a gay relative.

Kinnaman found that this is especially true among young people. “While the general population has been slowly edging toward greater acceptance of gays and lesbians over the last twenty years,” he wrote, “those under the age of twenty-six are much more likely to accept it without consideration.”

I found it noteworthy that Barna’s research found that even Mosaic and Buster churchgoers are far more liberal on this issue, with fewer than one-third believing that homosexual lifestyles are a major problem. Kinnaman wrote:

Young people in churches are not sure what to do with homosexuality because they feel incredibly loyal to friends who are gay, and many churches have not given them any concept of how to deal with the topic. . . . Young people are facing a candid, sexually diverse world, often without assistance or biblical counsel from their churches or their parents.

In fact, the only two tactics that Kinnaman found among church leaders for addressing homosexuality were preaching and politics:

Although most Christians say they are concerned about homosexual lifestyles, just 4 percent of Americans (and 10 percent of born-again Christians) say they have engaged in any other nonpolitical means of addressing what they perceive to be a problem. Only 1 percent of Americans say they pray for homosexuals; a similarly miniscule proportion say they address the issue by donating money to organizations that help people dealing with the lifestyle or that they try to have meaningful discussions with people about it. . . . This absence of relational and spiritual solutions to the problem of the homosexual lifestyle has left the church particularly vulnerable. Mosaics and Busters are hardwired for relational connections, so when Christians overlook such solutions, they come across to younger adults as insincere and uncaring.

The solution does not involve changing our biblically-informed objection to homosexuality. “It is necessary and appropriate for Christians to affirm that marriage is between one man and one woman,” Kinnaman insists. “Nevertheless, even if we could ‘win’ every legal, legislative, and political battle—a reality that will become increasingly difficult as Mosaics and Busters take center stage—the chasm between Christians and outsiders will only deepen. We cannot assume that politics is the only or best way to influence people.”

So, if our preaching and our politics have not changed the hearts of our world—or even the hearts of churchgoing young people, apparently—then what should we do?

I know that some churches have been able to open doors through conversations about HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Also, at our church, we provide a support group for those who want help with unwanted romantic attractions to same-sex relationships. It’s led by Don Brown of LifeGuard Ministries, and you can contact him through his website if you want more information.

Also, it’s important to send the message that we don’t put homosexual behavior in a separate category of sinfulness. In other words, God expects us to deal with whatever we do that’s out of alignment with his will: adultery, divorce, vicious gossip, pride, unethical business practices, addictions, as well as homosexual behavior. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (ESV)--

Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Notice that Paul didn’t rank one sin above another. As far as he was concerned “men who practice homosexuality” were no different than heterosexuals who were “sexually immoral” and no different than good old boys who got drunk over the weekend and no different than white-collar executives who swindled employees out of their pensions.

The good news, Paul says, is that no matter which way you were out of alignment with God’s will “you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

It’s important that we speak and act in such a way that we get a chance to share that good news with others who need that same experience.
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Winning Ways: “Reaching Our Biblically Illiterate Culture”

In celebrating his Super Tuesday victories, Mike Huckabee told his supporters that despite his shoestring budget “the winner’s might has more effectiveness than all the gold in the world.”

At least, that’s the way ABC News reported it. Actually, the former Baptist pastor spoke of “the widow’s mite,” from a story in Mark 12. The reporter isn’t the only one to misunderstand the former Baptist pastor. NPR’s Barbara Bradley Hagerty called his frequent biblical references a “Huckabese” that few people get.

Ours has become a biblically illiterate culture. Presidential candidates have to deal with that reality, but so do you and I.

The Huckabee story reminded me of a Newsweek story from two years ago. Jerry Falwell was asked about his Liberty University debate team’s impressive wins. “We are training debaters who can perform assault ministry,” the newsweekly quoted him saying. Except that he said that the debaters were training to be “a salt ministry,” a reference to Christ’s call to be “the salt of the earth” in Matthew 5. He was saying that his university was training lawyers to become culture-shapers.

That wasn’t the first time Newsweek failed at “Bible 101.” During the Monica Lewinsky scandal, the magazine described Jesse Jackson holding hands with the Clintons and reciting “the fifty-first Psalm, David's prayer for mercy after he had been seduced by Bathsheba.” Oops.

Then there was the essay that Frederica Mathewes-Green remembers from the glossy highbrow, Harper’s, where a writer asserted that the Bible ranks hope along with faith and love in Psalm 23. That would be 1 Corinthians 13.

And reaching back still further, recall the line from the 1980s anthem, “We Are the World,” written to raise money for hunger. Lionel Ritchie and Michael Jackson sang—

As God has shown us
By turning stone to bread
So we all must lend a helping hand
Not exactly the way the story went down.

How do we respond to our culture’s inability to get their Bible references right? Some believers just shake their heads and take smug comfort in their superiority to their biblically-ignorant neighbors. But there’s a better way--the way of love.

Our outreach will bring people into our fellowship who are unfamiliar with the Bible. So, we need to respond with graciousness when someone makes a comment on the Bible that isn’t quite accurate. We need take the time to explain our “Christianese.” We teachers may need to cover less biblical material so we can take the time to explain details that aren’t obvious to new listeners.

We want our church to be a place for our community to check out the Bible for themselves. We want to be a place for Austin to find and follow Jesus together. I’ll cover more about that mission task this Sunday, February 24, at 9:30am and 10:45am.
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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 880 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

What Are Your Bible's Most Important Pages?

If you could only give someone 15 pages from your Bible, which would you choose?

Gordon MacDonald raised that question in his latest post. He spoke of a visit to China 25 years ago shortly after it had opened its doors to American travelers:

My travel partner and I met a Christian woman who had not seen a copy of the Scriptures for two decades. When she spoke to us of the Scriptures, her recollection of certain stories was faulty or distorted. What could you expect from someone who hadn't seen a Bible for that many years?

Since all Bibles in the possession of travelers entering China at that time had to be registered at the border, and since we did not sense a calling to be Bible smugglers, my traveling companion and I could not pass on the Bibles that each of us had with us. But, on the other hand, it occurred to us that we could tear out certain pages from our Bibles and offer them to her. At least we were brave enough to feel certain that Chinese officials would not check our Bibles closely enough to see if every page was there. (By the way, if you could only give someone 15 pages of your Bible, what sections would you choose? You have minutes to decide.)

I'd love to hear your thoughts. I'd tear out the Parable of the Prodigal Son for her, or the pages where the Sermon on the Mount is found. I'd definately include the story of the cross and the resurrection, and Romans 8. Probably 1 Cor. 15 about the hope of resurrection. (Am I up to 15 pages yet?)

What about you?

Links to Your World, Tuesday February 19

Hey, it’s cheaper than buying The Secret—and just as effective. “Believe is an exciting new placebo that harnesses the incredible power of belief to help you feel better. Over the past four decades, placebos have been used in a wide range of medical studies, often yielding similar results as the new medicine being tested, but without the potentially harmful side effects.” (HT: The Presurfer. Click here for a Christian critique of The Secret.)


“Of course, we’d be loath to admit it in this day and age, but ask any soul-baring 40-year-old single heterosexual woman what she most longs for in life, and she probably won’t tell you it’s a better career or a smaller waistline or a bigger apartment. Most likely, she’ll say that what she really wants is a husband (and, by extension, a child). To the outside world, of course, we still call ourselves feminists . . . but in reality, we aren’t fish who can do without a bicycle, we’re women who want a traditional family. (from Lori Gottlieb’s provocative article, “Marry Him!” in The Atlantic)


“I have gone over the years from eagerly anticipating the Sports Illustrated [swimsuit] issue to guiltily perusing it to quickly flipping through the magazine and then tossing it. This year I never even saw the issue. Why the change? Cynics will say that I am just getting old. I hope it is a little more than that.” (Read the rest of this important article by David Burchett here.)


Learning to Lie. Kids lie early, often, and for all sorts of reasons—to avoid punishment, to bond with friends, to gain a sense of control. But now there’s a singular theory for one way this habit develops: They are just copying their parents.


“Announcements are of some value but the bulletin is greater. For now we announce in part and we know in part. But the bulletin gives full and detailed information so that your knowledge of ministry happenings may be complete. One who makes an announcement edifies a particular ministry. But the bulletin edifies the whole church.” (Read the rest of this clever post at the Ecclesiophilist, imagining Paul’s lost chapter to the Corinthians, concerning church announcements. Funny stuff. HT: Pure Church).


“Long-married couples often schedule a weekly ‘date night’ — a regular evening out with friends or at a favorite restaurant to strengthen their marital bond. But brain and behavior researchers say many couples are going about date night all wrong.” (Learn how to do date-night right with “Reinventing Date Night for Long-Married Couples.”)


In “Picturing the Church” Andrée Seu wonders if her church is ready for the first visit from her son, just released from prison. I’m so glad Hillcrest is the kind of church she hopes for!


"We need two Pro-Life Parties." This is an important piece, especially for those of you who are prolife and yet plan to vote for a prochoice Democrat this year.


A host of new companies are offering to polish and shine reputations online. (story)


I Can’t Wait for This. “DeviceVM, a Silicon Valley based startup company, has developed a new product that circumvents Windows' long boot-up time. When integrated with common computer hardware, this tiny piece of software lets users choose between Windows and Slashtop, a faster, simpler operating system. DeviceVM's software, which is based on the open-source operating system Linux, enables users to surf the Web or watch a DVD less than 20 seconds after turning on the computer, and, in some cases, within less than five seconds” (story).


“Welcome to Teen Missions International, which offers summer missionary training camps or "boot camps" as rigorous as the name implies. Here there are no s'mores by a cozy campfire. Instead, the camps aim to recreate third-world conditions for young missionaries-in-training, and every year some 700 young people gladly turn out.” (from the Christianity Today article “Missions Boot Camp”).


10 Reasons to Keep the Computer in the Family Room.


10 Handy Numbers to Save in Your Mobile Phone.


Evangelical Christians May Prove Key in White House Race.


A gated community in the evangelical world, by Michael Lindsay. “Many of the nation’s most powerful believers — presidents, CEOs, entertainers and athletes — won’t be found in the pews on Sundays, thus creating a growing gap between them and ‘the people.’ It’s a trend that is having a profound effect on this faith movement.”


Have you read the previous posts since last Tuesday? They include the “Song of the Week“ (this week, Oscar-nominated "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova), more information about our surprise worship leader Jaime Jamgochian, news about my new Anchor Course in March, why you should launch your own Anchor Course this Easter, an important new resource for spiritual seekers by Tim Keller, a free download from Baylor alums "Addison Road," and the continuation of my LeaderLines series called "unChristian Christianity."

Worshipping with Jaime Jamgochian (That’s “Jam-go-chin!”)

Those who attended our worship services on Sunday got a surprise. Contemporary Christian recording artist Jaime Jamgochian made an unannounced appearance to lead our worship music! She ran into a scheduling conflict at another church in town, and her manager talked with our worship pastor, Gene Chappell, about hosting her at Hillcrest. Things fell together so quickly we didn’t have time to announce the plans, but she did a fantastic job. Learn more about Jaime at her website and her Myspace page.

Song of the Week: Glen Hansard's "Falling Slowly," with Marketa Irglova

I've loaded "Falling Slowly" on the audio player this week. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova sing this in their roles in the little film, "Once," and the song is nominated for an Oscar next Sunday. The film tells a sweet, simple story about music, musicians, and, well, marital faithfulness.

I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You've made it now

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
Moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black
You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly sing your melody
I'll sing along

Launch an Anchor Course this Easter!

I begin my third Anchor Course class in March. I hope you'll consider leading your own class or at least spread the word to ministry leaders who would be interested in a resource like this.

The Anchor Course is a 9-week study designed to bring seekers and believers together to discuss the basics of the Christian faith.

I’m sure you have people in your circles of influence who are asking, “What do Christians believe about God and his relationship to us? Why is the Bible is so important to believers? Who is Jesus? What is his vision for the world and how can we make that vision a reality? What about heaven and hell? And why does the cross stand as central symbol of Christianity?”

The Anchor Course is especially designed to help you lead a weekly discussion with seekers who want to explore the faith and with believers who want to explain the faith. Anchor Course groups have been held in church buildings, homes, and even in office boardrooms.

I’ve prepared a way for you to “test drive” the Course for yourself. But first, here are some quotes from those who have already experienced the Course:

From a believer struggling with doubts: “If you have any kind of curiosity in your life about your relationship to God or with God (or your lack thereof), I'd say try going to this class. I've never been in a setting until this one where people--me included--could openly talk about Christianity. It was a wonderful experience for me.”

From a believer who has tried to share his faith: “It seems that each and every time the Gospel comes up in conversation, every person has an opinion on things. I've always felt a little timid stepping into the conversation with both feet, mainly due to a lack of self confidence around some of the issues. This book has provided me with valuable information that can be incorporated into the witnessing process.”

From a small-group leader at First Baptist Church in Victoria, Texas: “We just finished our first Anchor Course at FBC Victoria. Your illustrations are of tremendous help in conveying the message. The message presentation in whole and part is very non-threatening for Christian and seeker alike. This should be considered for all new converts and new church members. We will encourage our church to offer this periodically as the message will not grow old.”

From a small-group leader at Fellowship Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee, Florida: “Many folks in the class have commented on how helpful the examples relating to movies, books, or shows of ‘today’ are to them. The DVD’s are wonderful.”

From a small-group leader in a prison aftercare ministry: “I have had the privilege of leading a small group through the Anchor Course and watched God use it to break the chains of unbelief.”

From a Jewish participant: “Coming from another faith, I wanted to explore what Christianity means. The history, the context, and the message. The Anchor Course was a wonderful, intelligent, and safe place to explore, learn, and understand. If you are seeking knowledge for your heart, your life, your soul, or just your curiosity, this is the right place to be."

One of my greatest joys is to gather seekers and believers together to discuss the Christian faith. The Anchor Course will help you lead these conversations in your own community.

The week after Easter would be a perfect time to begin your own study. Interest in the Christian faith is higher at Christmas and at Easter than at any other time of the year. By starting the Course the week after Easter, the study would end before school is out in May.

You can “test drive” the Course at this website:
http://www.hbcaustin.org/anchortestdrive/
Here you will find the introduction and two chapters from the book, one of the DVD lessons, a page of discussion questions to preview, and step-by-step instructions for starting your own Course. Of course, I’d be glad to answer any questions you may have. Write me at call me at 512-345-3771.

Please help me get the word out about this helpful resource by forwarding this blog post to ministry leaders you know!

Keller's "Reason for God" and the Next Anchor Course

If you’re a seeker exploring the faith or a believer wanting to explain the faith, here are two things you can do right away: read Tim Keller’s new book, and join or form an Anchor Course group.

First, Tim Keller has a new resource out called The Reason for God. He is the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. Maybe you saw the Newsweek story about him last week. (Keller has offered a few minor corrections to the story here). Redeemer’s website is offering for free the sermon series that served as the foundation for his new book. You can listen to the sermons from my website by clicking on the little arrow next to each title below. You can also download the sermons for later listening by right-clicking the title and finding the save option on your menu:

Exclusivity: “How can there be just one true religion?”

Suffering: “If God is good, why is there so much evil in the world?

Absolutism: “Don't we all have to find truth for ourselves?”

Injustice: “Hasn't Christianity been an instrument for oppression?”

Hell: “Isn't the God of Christianity an angry judge?”

Doubt: “What should I do with my doubts?”

Literalism: “Isn't the Bible historically unreliable and regressive?”

I highly recommend the sermons even if you don’t buy the book. You can get The Reason for God for $15.47 at this online store. That’s 38% off.

Keller’s book and audio lessons are excellent, but I’ve found that the Christian faith is best explored in conversation with others. That’s where the Anchor Course comes in. Why not join or form an Anchor Course class yourself! I’ll lead another class in March: join us Wednesday, March 19, for our “Get Anchored” Dinner to learn about the Course. If you decide you want to complete the 8-week study, we begin the next week, March 26.

You can also form an Anchor Course class yourself. Groups have met in church buildings, homes, even office board rooms. I’ll provide you everything you need to run your own Course. Find out more here: you can even “test drive” it for yourself!

Drop me a line if you want to know more.

Free Download from Baylor Alums "Addison Road"

Just saw this notice on the "Baylor Proud" blog:

Each week, the folks at Apple’s iTunes Music Store pick a song that they label as a “Discovery Download,” usually one from an up-and-coming singer or group, and give it away as a free download. This week’s Discovery Download is “All That Matters,” by Addison Road — a group made up of mostly Baylor alums.

Lead singer Jenny Simmons, her husband and guitarist Ryan, guitarist Ryan Gregg and bassist Travis Lawrence each graduated from Baylor about five years ago. After starting out playing at Common Grounds, the group headed to Nashville and then Dallas, leading worship at various locations while trying to break into the industry. Next month, Addison Road will release its first album with INO Records, a label that also features the likes of Caedmon’s Call, Mercy Me and Chris Rice.

The song is free through early next week. Get it here.

LeaderLines: “unChristian Christianity: Counting Scalps”

One of my “life verses” is 1 Thessalonians 2:8—“We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”

Paul said he and his fellow ministers shared two things with them: “the gospel of God” and “our lives.” David Kinnaman has found that young outsiders feel that Christians only share the first with no regard for the second.

In his new book, unChristian, the president of the Barna research firm reported on an extensive study of the attitudes that unchurched 16-to-29 year-olds have of the Christian faith. Our Ministry Staff is reading this book together, and I’m summarizing Kinnaman’s research for you in LeaderLines.

The book focuses on six complaints that unchurched young people have regarded Christians. They see us as--

Hypocritical
Too focused on getting converts
Anti-homosexual
Sheltered
Too political
Judgmental

Last week we looked at the charge that Christians are hypocritical. This week, let’s see why those now entering adulthood think we’re too focused on just getting converts.

According to surveys, two-thirds of us feel that our community understands our evangelism efforts as well-meaning. As it turns out, though, only one-third of young people outside the church feel that way. “This was one of the largest gaps in our research,” Kinnaman wrote, “Most Christians are convinced their efforts come across as genuine, but outsiders dispute that. Outsiders often feel targeted, that we merely want another church member or a new notch in the ‘get-saved’ belt.”

This is especially sobering considering how much interaction young people have already had with Christians and our churches. According to the survey 82 percent have attended churches. Most of these attended for at least three months. And 65 percent have talked with a Christian friend about faith in the last year, while 53 percent reported being approached in the past year about becoming a Christian. Kinnaman wrote:

We consistently find that the vast majority of teenagers nationwide will spend a significant amount of their teen years participating in a Christian congregation. Most teenagers in America enter adulthood considering themselves to be Christians and saying they have made a personal commitment to Christ. But within a decade, most of these young people will have left the church and will have placed emotional connection to Christianity on the shelf. . . . The vast majority of outsiders in this country, particularly among young generations, are actually de-churched individuals.

When it comes to the message of Christ, then, most outsiders feel they’ve “been there, done that.” Eric, age twenty-nine, made this observation: “Christianity seems like an old, broken-down building that I have to drive by every day. I don’t even notice it any more.”

What’s the solution? We must cultivate relationships and environments where real spiritual transformation can take place.

First, we need to cultivate relationships. As Paul with the Thessalonians, it’s our lives as well as our message that we must share. At Hillcrest, we teach people to practice the “I.N.V.I.T.E. Strategy” in their personal evangelism. The “N” in that acrostic stands for “Nurture—Nurture authentic relationships.” Mark Mittelburg of Willow Creek Church calls it the “Barbeque First” Principle: before you share the gospel with your neighbor or invite him to church, invite him to your backyard.

Understand, now: this isn’t a set-up for evangelism. People will see right through that. I remember an experience from my freshman year in college. I was feeling a bit lonely, anxious to connect with some other guys, so I was glad for the conversation another student began with me on the intramural fields one day. He invited me for a soft drink in his dorm room, and once there, he began his effort to recruit me as a salesman in his direct marketing program. I politely heard his pitch, found a nice way to exit, and never heard from him again. I felt so used.

According to unChristian, that’s the way we’ve come across to too many people in our efforts to evangelize. We need to build no-strings-attached relationships where we enjoy people as they are, even if they never make the commitment to Christ we hope they’ll make.

There’s a second thing we need to cultivate: an environment where real spiritual transformation can take place. Christ commanded us to make disciples, not mere decisions. A disciple is a student of Christ, and learning to think and live Christ-like is a life-long process.

When all our focus is on getting people to say the “sinner’s prayer” and complete a “decision card” and walk an aisle, all we get are unconverted converts. Apparently, American church rolls have an abundant supply of those. The Barna researchers asked those who identified themselves as Christians whether they affirmed essential Christian tenets such as the sinlessness of Christ, the unearned nature of salvation, the need to share our faith, and the reliability of the Bible. Based on their responses, Barna found that only 3 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 41 reflected a biblical worldview. In fact, only 9 percent of older Christians completely embrace a biblical worldview as defined by these essential Christian tenets. As Kinnaman wrote:

Most people in America, when they are exposed to the Christian faith, are not being transformed. They take one step into the door, and the journey ends. They are not being allowed, encouraged, or equipped to love or to think like Christ. Yet in many ways a focus on spiritual formation fits what a new generation is really seeking. Transformation is a process, a journey, not a one-time decision. This resonates with Mosaics and Busters. The depth and texture of Christianity ought to appeal to young people, but the unChristian notion strains life in Christ into mere mental allegiance to a religion.

As you walk into our auditorium, you see four banners prominently displayed. They say:

Honor the Lord of Life
Invite Your World to Life
Love the Fellowship for Life
Live the Word in Life

This is the life we invite people into at Hillcrest: a life where we’re learning together to honor God, invite others to his life-changing grace, love each other, and live God’s word. That’s the H.I.L.L. we’re meant to climb. By focusing attention on the goal of a transformed life, our hope is to make disciples and not just decisions.

So, we need to cultivate relationships and cultivate an environment where real spiritual transformation can take place. This will require three things, according to Kinnaman. First there is thinking: “We are learning that one of the primary reasons that ministry to teenagers fails to produce a lasting faith is because they are not being taught to think.” There is also loving: “We do not look like Jesus to outsiders because we do not love outsiders as Jesus does.” And there is listening: Listen “…to what God is telling us, within the context of Scripture, prayer, crises, and relationships.”

In his review of unChristian, Tony Woodlief comments:

Of course it would be three things I struggle with, thinking, loving, and listening. But notice how the three admonitions get at a problem we’ve all seen in various churches. In some cases, we focus so heavily on doctrine that we forget to love. In others, we get so caught up in loving and affirming everyone in our path that we forget the unchanging law of God. And too often, we are so intent on getting others to hear us that we forget the essential element of communication, which is that people tend to hear better when they feel that they are being heard. UnChristian suggests that too many Christians are neither speaking truth in love, nor taking the time to listen. I wonder if we’ll listen to these authors and others, or stop our ears and tell ourselves we’ve nothing to improve.

Food for thought.
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Winning Ways: “The Church of God Grill”

“Hello,” said a cheery voice on the phone, “Church of God Grill.”

In one of his books, Charles Paul Conn recalled this unusual beginning to an unusual phone call. Conn had seen a Yellow Pages listing for a restaurant in Atlanta called Church of God Grill. Curious about the odd name, he dialed the number and got the owner. Conn asked how the diner had been given such an unusual name.

“Well,” the man began, “We started a little church down here, and we started selling chicken dinners after church on Sunday to help pay the bills. People liked the chicken, and we did such a good business, that eventually we cut back on the church service. After a while we just closed down the church altogether and kept on serving the chicken dinners. We kept the name we started with, and that's Church of God Grill.”

Churches that don’t have a clear sense of purpose simply drift toward what seems to please the greatest number of people.

So, what is our church’s purpose? This Sunday morning we’ll begin a 3-week series to answer that question. Now that we’ve completed our study of Christ’s call to join him on mission, I thought we should spend some time looking at the specifics of our church’s mission. We’ll find that our job is to

invite our world

to find and follow Jesus with us

one step at a time

We’ll conclude the series on March 2 with a combined worship service. If you attend Sunday School and the second worship hour, nothing changes for you. But the Common Ground Café will meet in the gym at 9:30am instead of 10:45am, and then we’ll all join together for worship at 10:45am. Mark your calendars!

Also, we’ve scheduled a “Baptism Celebration” for Sunday evening, March 2. We’ll begin at 5pm and conclude by the start of our regular Sunday night program at 5:30pm. If you need to follow Christ in baptism, this half-hour service is dedicated exclusively to celebrate your baptism! Of course, we also can schedule your baptism during any Sunday morning worship service. For more information, contact me or my assistant, Jami.

One more thing: I’ve started writing about “unChristian Christianity” in my other e-newsletter, LeaderLines, distributed by e-mail every Thursday. Sign up for LeaderLines at our website or stop by my weblog every Thursday.
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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 880 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Links to Your World, Tuesday February 12

Four considerations as politicians address the health care crisis.


“What I Learned About My Students on MySpace.” Parents and youth workers might benefit from this interview with a youth pastor.



Clever website: move your cursor over the cup for the madness to begin. (HT: The Evangelical Outpost)



Cook a burger during your commute home. (HT: The Presurfer)



Tim Keller is a rock star among evangelical pastors. Newsweek featured him in the run-up to the release of his new book, The Reason for God. I’m listening to the sermon series that served as the foundation for his new book.



“Romney has been faulted for lacking ‘authenticity,’ but this is probably unfair. He is--authentically--a cool technocrat, a management consultant at heart. But a leader, as opposed to a manager, needs not just analytical skills but also intuition and emotion, not just information but also conviction. He needs to be able to consult his gut as well as the data when deciding how to proceed. Romney, in the end, failed to inspire. By contrast, Barack Obama is nothing but inspiring.” (James Taranto from the WSJ “Best of the Web Today”)


Baptist Press covers false e-mail claims about Obama: Regardless of your candidate, let’s not forward falsehood.


Four Exhortations for this Political Season


Newsweek says McCain faces more prejudice over his age than Obama and Clinton do over issues of race and sex (story)



Lifehacker’s Top 10 Obscure Google Search Tricks



Tobacco Could Kill 1 Billion by 2100.



Some of the backgrounds on my sermon slides are from the painter, Makoto Fujimura. Read an interview with him here.



“Americans from ages 15 to 18 listening to 2.4 hours of music a day hear 84 references to [drugs, alcohol and tobacco] daily and more than 30,000 annually. About two-thirds of the references put drugs, alcohol and tobacco in a positive light by associating them with sex, partying and humor, the study said. Some genres, like rap and country in comparison with pop, have more references than others.” (NY Times story)



“Just within the past few months, several groups of researchers have added support for the growing consensus that plenty can be done to slow the age-related declines in memory, mental speed, and decision making that affect most people” (Read the article, “Keeping Your Brain Fit”)



“Here's a simple truth: The resources expended to combat climate change are not available for other beneficial projects, such as eradicating malaria, killer of 2 million people each year, 90 percent of whom are children under five. Those who believe climate change trumps all else ignore the reality that we face tradeoffs among competing values.” (From a review of Bjorn Lomborg’s new book, Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist’s Guide to Global Warming. Provocative stuff.)



While Amazing Grace was a fine biopic of William Wilberforce, The Better Hour, airing on public TV throughout February, digs even deeper into the man's life. (story) I’ve asked KLRU, our local PBS affiliate, to air this documentary.



So . . . which one has the greater claim to offense? Man meet his wife at a brothel.



What Gladiator can teach you about being a man.

Have you read the previous posts since last Tuesday? They include the “Song of the Week“ (this week, "Born" by Over the Rhine), inspiration from the annual "Tough Guy" competition, and the beginning of an important new LeaderLines series called "unChristian Christianity."

Song of the Week: Over the Rhine's "Born"

Diane and I saw the husband-wife team known as "Over the Rhine" at the Cactus Cafe last Thursday. I've written about them on this weblog before. I've loaded their song, "Born," on the audio player for this week. It's about finding your way back together as a couple. Good for a week leading up to Valentine's Day, eh?

I was born to laugh
I learned to laugh through my tears
I was born to love
I'm gonna learn to love without fear

Pour me a glass of wine
Talk deep into the night
Who knows what we'll find

Intuition, deja vu
The Holy Ghost haunting you
Whatever you got
I don't mind

Put your elbows on the table
I'll listen long as I am able
There's nowhere I'd rather be

Secret fears, the supernatural
Thank God for this new laughter
Thank God the joke's on me

We've seen the landfill rainbow
We've seen the junkyard of love
Baby it's no place for you and me

I was born to laugh
I learned to laugh through my tears
I was born to love
I'm gonna learn to love without fear

(Photo from the concert by Flickr member enderike)

LeaderLines: “unChristian Christianity: Hypocritical”

In David Kinnaman’s new book, unChristian, the president of the Barna research firm reported on an extensive study of the attitudes that unchurched 16-to-29 year-olds have of the Christian faith. Our Ministry Staff is reading this book together, and across the next several weeks I’ll summarize Kinnaman’s research for you in LeaderLines.

The book focuses on six complaints that unchurched young people have regarded Christians. They see us as--

Hypocritical
Too focused on getting converts
Anti-homosexual
Sheltered
Too political
Judgmental

Let’s begin with the first complaint on the list. Kinnaman says:

Whether we like it or not, the term ‘hypocritical’ has become fused to young people’s experience with Christianity. 85% of young outsiders have had sufficient exposure to Christians and churches that they conclude present-day Christianity is hypocritical. And as I have pointed out, negative perceptions also bleed into the perspectives of young churchgoers -- half agreed that Christianity is hypocritical.

Our problem is twofold, according to the book. The perception that we’ve given outsiders is that the Christian message is all about “being good,” and yet few of us are “being good.” So, young outsiders have concluded that we don’t practice what we preach.

The solution is found in a transparency about our weaknesses and in the transformation of our weaknesses.

First, it’s important to be transparent--to be honest about our own imperfections as believers. The gospel message isn’t about “being good”; it’s about being Christ’s! To those who say that “Christianity is just a crutch,” I say, “Cripples need crutches, and I’m crippled.” As Paul write in 1Timothy 1:15-16 (NLT):

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—and I was the worst of them all. But that is why God had mercy on me, so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.

That’s the message of the gospel, and if we believers had “stayed on message,” to use a public relations phrase, maybe young people wouldn’t be so cynical about Christians today.

As Tony Woodlief said in his review of unChristian, “One thing I took from this book is that instead of projecting the message: be like me and sin less, I need to say: I am a sinner like you, and here is why I strive to be better tomorrow than I am today, and why I have hope regardless of whether I succeed or fail.”

But, as Kinneman says about us, “We are not known for the depth of our transparency, for digging in and solving deep-seated problems, but for trying to project an unChristian picture of having it all together.”

That’s why I’m excited about ministries like our Common Ground Café that meets after the first worship service. I asked Mark McHargue to share his experience with Common Ground:

I have been in church all of my life. Despite that fact I have never felt connected or grounded in the church. When I was a kid, everyone dressed nice and went to church. We sang songs, had fellowship and heard sermons. What we didn’t do was talk about real life and everyone pretended everything was OK. Then came Common Ground. My wife encouraged me to attend but I really didn’t want to. I finally gave in and it has meant a great deal to me. At first it seemed a little stilted. But then a topic that was REAL came before our group. I decided to actually talk and let my guard down. The group all responded with kindness and understanding. Over the past year we have grown close as a group and discussed difficult issues in the open. I believe I have learned more about a true Christian walk in the last year than I have in all my 43 years of life before. The Bible tells us to love God and love each other. Sharing your life and the difficulties in it with other Christians who really love you as a brother or sister in Christ is, next to knowing the love of Christ, the most moving experience we can have; and we have it at common ground. Take a chance and open up--it can literally change your life.

Whether it’s through Common Ground or some other venue, we believers must get back to the Apostle Paul’s style of honesty about our weaknesses. The point of the gospel is that Christ died for sinners, and that means us.

But in addition to humble transparency, we need determined transformation. Kinneman says that Barna research shows a huge gap between our beliefs and our behavior. It’s a sobering picture:

In virtually every study we conduct, representing thousands of interviews every year, born-again Christians fail to display much attitudinal or behavioral evidence of transformed lives. For instance, based on a study released in 2007, we found that most of the lifestyle activities of born-again Christians were statistically equivalent to those of non-born-agains. When asked to identify their activities over the last 30 days, born-again believers were just as likely to bet or gamble, to visit a pornographic website, to take something that did not belong to them, to consult a medium or psychic, to physically fight or abuse someone, to have consumed enough alcohol to be considered legally drunk, to have used an illegal, nonprescription drug, to have said something to someone that was not true, to have gotten back at someone for something he or she did, and to have said mean things behind another person’s back.

Kinnaman says that, while moral failures aren’t unique to any one generation, his own generation of young churchgoers are especially failing to live transformed lives. And that reality is especially damaging, since young churchgoers are the ones young outsiders are more likely to know. “Among young outsiders 84 percent say they personally know at least one committed Christian,” Kinnaman wrote, “Yet just 15 percent thought the lifestyles of those Christ followers were significantly different from the norm. This gap speaks volumes.”

Sure, the message of the gospel isn’t about “being good” but “being Christ’s.” But “being Christ’s” means something! I remember the words of the Christian songwriter, the late Mark Heard:

You can be what you like, if you like what you are.
We reflect but the sum of our creeds.
But we don’t seem to seize on the tenets we hold
And they slip through the sieve of our deeds.
The Bible tells us that our behavior in the world will “make the teaching about God our Savior attractive” (Titus 2:9-10). If Christianity is as profoundly unattractive to young people as Kinnaman’s research has found, it will require transparent people who seek transformation together.

In my book for seekers, The Anchor Course, I wrote about the complaint that Christians are hypocrites:

When I became a believer, I began a lifelong process of aligning my life with the will of God. Spend a day in my head and you will see me fall short in that process. That does not make me a hypocrite; that just makes me imperfect. God isn’t finished with me yet. As I continue to set his expectations before me and as I depend on the transforming power of his Spirit within me, my life becomes a better and better example to others.

This is the same message that Paul shared in 1Timothy 1:15-16, and it’s the attitude I try to convey whenever I speak.

Kinnaman asks a profound question in light of the deep cynicism our nation has toward Christianity: “What if [God] is using our culture to make us aware of our hollow religiosity and empty answers?”

It takes a humble person to look at the bleak data and draw that kind of conclusion. I wonder: would I have come to that conclusion at the end of his chapter without his question?

H-m-m.
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Because We Can't Take Ourselves Too Seriously . . .

A friend sent me this little story. If you don't like "blonde jokes," feel free to change the character:

A few days ago I was having some work done at my local garage. A blonde came in and asked for a seven-hundred-ten. We all looked at each other and another customer asked, "What is a seven-hundred-ten?" She replied,"You know, the little piece in the middle of the engine, I have lost it and need a new one." She replied that she did not know exactly what it was, but this piece had always been there. The mechanic gave her a piece of paper and a pen and asked her to draw what the piece looked like. She drew a circle and in the middle of it she wrote 710. He then took her over to another car which had its hood up and asked, "Is there a 710 on this car?" She pointed and said, "Of course, its right there." If you're not sure what a 710 is click here.

Winning Ways: “Are You a ‘Tough Guy’?”

An eccentric Brit has discovered that people will rise to a dare. Jesus must have known that, too, considering how he warned us about the toughness of his mission right at the start.

Billy Wilson, a.ka. “Mr. Mouse,” designs a punishing 8-mile race that thousands pay to experience.

Maybe you saw ESPN coverage of the phenomenon. The Challenge starts out as a typical cross-country run, but starts to get bizarre 6 miles into it. At that point, you hit events with names like “The Elephant Graveyard,” “Ghurka Grand National,” “The Killing Fields,” “The Fiery Holes,” and “The Viet Cong Tunnels.” Competitors slither through mud under barbed wire, snake through a hundred yards of used sewer pipes, wade through ice water, swim under logs, scramble up huge rope webs, and dart through a stretch of exposed electrical wires.

Last week five thousand people paid up to $500 to gain entry to this race though there was no prize money waiting at the end--not even a T-shirt. Just the privilege of saying you’re a proven “Tough Guy.”

Who signs up for this? ESPN’s Jim Caple did, at 45. He saw “men in their 60s and girls in their teens and a lot of guys in their 20s and 30s . . . welders, soldiers, firefighters, copy editors, cooks, plumbers, programmers, students and teachers.”

This year’s winner: Colette Francis, a 37-year-old sales representative, who completed the course in a commendable 2hrs 48mins. She was running for a charity.

Prominently displayed on the side of a barn that all competitors and spectators pass: a huge image of Jesus being removed from the cross. Written next to Jesus: "The Original Tough Guy."

As he sent his followers out on mission in Matthew 10, Christ warned about the hardship and opposition we will face as we set out to make a difference around us. We’ll take a look at his words this Sunday. If thousands can hear about the rugged Tough Guy Challenge and still say, “Sign me up!” then surely Christ’s followers can hear his warnings and still say, “I won’t back down!” Join us at 9:30am or 10:45am.

Also, I’ve started writing about “unChristian Christianity” in my other e-newsletter, LeaderLines, distributed by e-mail every Thursday. I’ll spend the next six weeks reviewing the important new book, unChristian: What a New Generation Thinks About Christianity and Why it Matters. Sign up for LeaderLines at our website or read the LeaderLines post every Thursday.
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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 880 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Links to Your World, Tuesday February 5

Child-Man, Part One: Any guy between the ages of 18 and 35, or anyone who knows someone in that age range, should spend some time reading “Child-Man in the Promised Land.”


Child-Man, Part Two: “Generation X and Y is a generation of Lost Boys. We live in a Never-Never-Land where boys stay boys and never become men. More and more males today are putting off college, family, and adult responsibilities in order to play video games and do keg stands. The Art of Manliness is dedicated to helping men uncover what manliness means in the 21st century. What skills and knowledge should a 21st Century man acquire? What traits should they develop?” (HT: The Presurfer)


Child-Man, Part Three: “Most of the commentary about Juno has been about the teenage girl who gets pregnant and decides not to have an abortion (the movie is the latest in a slew of recent movies with similar themes): Hey, there’s a kid there, and letting the kid be born is not the end of your world. But there’s a message beyond that in this movie. And that few have noticed it — including, it would seem, the director — might itself be a disturbing cultural indicator." Kathryn Lopez, referring to the character of Mark Loring, a grown man not ready for a grown man’s responsibilities in the recent hit, Juno.


Too Old To Be a Child-Man? “According to a study set to be published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, happiness follows a U-shaped curve: It is highest at the beginning and end of our lives and lowest in-between. The researchers found that the peak of depression for both men and women in the U.K. is around 44 years of age; in the U.S., women on average are most miserable at age 40 whereas men are when they hit 50. They found a similar pattern in 70 other countries.” (story)


“Man Tries to Convince Others that He’s Not Dead”; it didn't work for this guy.


“People are doing too much, running too much, expecting too much (and, in an effort to find some relief, spending too much, eating too much, staying up too late, surfing online too much and/or watching too much TV). What's my definition of "too much"? So much that you don't have sex with your spouse” (Carolyn Hax in her latest Statesman advice column, “Modern couples are too busy for intimacy”).


The Future: Is it all we hoped for?


President Bush tells his story of recovery from drinking (news item)


A pastor in rural Montana has sold his church and congregation on eBay for $3 million.


“When at 23 years old I chose to end my pregnancy, I was clueless about what God had to say about abortion. To be honest, I didn’t know what God had to say about much of anything. As a college student, I had fought for a woman’s “right to a safe and legal abortion.” I wrote papers, signed petitions, and argued the pro-choice stance. It all seemed so enlightened at the time — until the day that choice was mine.” (continue reading the article here).


“At last week's Aspen X Games, born-again Christians sported Jesus stickers on their rides. They eschewed the party scene that saddled just about all the action. They waded through the excesses, living a chaste life while pushing the boundaries of their sport, hoping their lifestyle inspires others.” (From a story the Statesman picked up about the strong Christian presence in the sport of snowboarding)


Messin’ with New Yorkers: 207 people freeze in place in Grand Central Station. (HT: The Morning News)


“Liberals believe deeply in tolerance and over the last century have led the battles against prejudices of all kinds, but we have a blind spot about Christian evangelicals. They constitute one of the few minorities that, on the American coasts or university campuses, it remains fashionable to mock.” (Nicholas Kristof)


East meets West for this version of “Smoke on the Water.” In Internet Explorer, click once to activate and again to play. (If the video won't play from my weblog, go to Bruce Tomaso's blog where I first saw it.)



Have you read the previous posts since last Tuesday? They include the “Song of the Week“ (this week, "Fix You" by Coldplay), a hilarious music video called "Cletus Take the Reel," encouragement for those tempted to abandon ministry, the beginning of an important new LeaderLines series called "unChristian Christianity," a nice note from a church member about how Hillcrest has impacted her life, and "vertical" presidential candidates.

Austin-American Pride

William Thomas says we should all drop the dash and no longer identify each other as Polish-American, or German-American, or African-American.

But I still like being called an Austin-American. We even have our own newspaper.

"Vertical" Presidential Candidates

Which of the following quotes from presidential candidates is supposed to be "code language" to conservative religious voters:

(a) "There has been a huge cultural shift in this country. And I think that's why many Americans are seeking leadership that has a positive and optimistic spirit. . . . I think the American people are hungry for vertical politics, where we have leaders who lift us up rather than those who tear us down."

(b) "I suggest to you there is no left or right, only an up or down."

(c) "We know that real leadership is about candor, and judgment, and the ability to rally Americans from all walks of life around a common purpose--a higher purpose. This election is our chance to give the American people a reason to believe again."

You won't be able to answer my question just from the quotes, because the quotes all say the same thing and tap into the same longings. No, to answer my question, you'll have to know which candidate said each quote.

The first is from Mike Huckabee on "Meet the Press," the second by Ronald Reagan in a 1964 speech, and the third is from Barak Obama's soaring victory speech following the South Carolina primary. But the media gave Obama a pass on the use of "vertical" imagery while Huckabee was criticized for, as one columnist put it, sending a "clever dog whistle call out to Christian fundamentalists and evangelicals that his politics are God's politics."

This isn't an observation on the candidates so much as it is an observation on the coverage of the candidates--and the cultural environment in which religious conservatives find themselves.

Nice Note

I got a great note from Jaime Babcock. (She told me her mom named her after the Bionic Woman.) If you don't attend Hillcrest, the "Gene" she refers to is our music minister at Hillcrest, and the "Patty" she refers to leads with her husband a growing Sunday School class of young couples. Jaimie gave me permission to share it on the weblog:

Hello Tom and Gene,

I know Patty forwarded my praise about my job to y'all, but I wanted to also forward the praise I sent to her about the way Hillcrest has rewarded my life because this experience has made me wonder at how differently I reacted to this situation than I have to others like it before, and I wondered why, and I think I know.

I have always been a religious person, and a nearly regular attender of church before college, but I'd been out of practice for a really long time, and I had never been involved in something as wonderful as a church choir (which was really the first amazing opportunity I had to really form relationships here), and I'd certainly never participated in Sunday schools or activites outside of just service. But I think I might have been one of Patty's THEMs, because ever since I joined choir, she, from the very beginning, took me under her wing in friendship and encouraged me to come to sunday school or to various parties they were having with their group. And though I was reluctant, Patty kept at me in that beautiful loving way that she has, and finally, I thought, "I know Patty. She is a great person, so anything she's involved in must be great too." So, I've gotten involved, and doing so has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

To actively engage in a message through Sunday school, ask questions, hear from my peers, support each other through these emails and prayer requests, it has truly been a blessing. I never knew a church experience could be so meaningful. As I say below, without it, I think I might have missed this opportunity to let go and let God. I wouldn't have had the courage I think. And if I had, I would not have had many people to share it with. So, this praise was a blessing, and I am thankful for the class and the test of faith. But what's more is I am thankful for the people who have bolstered me in preparation for that hard time and who have been so loving in their support of me through times like this. That is a really new and really special thing for me.

So, I just wanted to take a minute to let y'all know how important Hillcrest has been to me and my family, how much I cherish and appreciate the efforts that people like Paul and Patty and Gene and my classmates have made to make this a home and get me involved, and just to let y'all know what a great job you and your staff are doing. I don't know how often people tell you that, probably a lot, but you have truly made a difference in my life, strengthened my faith, and given me the opportunity to recognize these acts of God and an outlet to share them. And I wanted to thank you for that.

Song of the Week: Coldplay's "Fix You"

As promised last Monday, I'm posting Coldplay's "Fix You" in the audio player for this week. You can find the player in the upper right corner of the blog. It's a message of hope for those going through dark times. Note the chorus:

When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home,
And ignite your bones,
And I will try to fix you.

High up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I--

Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I--

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you