Even Mayberry Isn’t Mayberry

Actress in 'Andy Griffith' series mugged in N.C. town that inspired 'Mayberry.'

There’s a sermon illustration in here….

10 Ways to Raise a Faith-Sharing Child

I recommend the following resource for parents who are still “on the job.”  Its called “10 Ways to Raise a Faith-Sharing Child.”

The brief article is here.

There’s also a prayer calendar to guide you through a month of praying for the development of a faith-sharing child here.

LeaderLines: Pray Until 5 Things Are Manifest

As a Hillcrest leader, how often do you pray for the formation of spiritual maturity in the Hillcrest Family?

In a recent blog post, Tim Keller presented what he called “a mini-guide to life.” He said that five themes of the entire book of Proverbs can be found in verses 3-12 of Proverbs 3. It’s a helpful outline, but it was how he concluded the post that really made me stop and think:

For a number of weeks I have been spending time praying for these five things for my family and my church leaders. There’s no better way to instill these great things in your own heart, than to pray intensely for them in the lives of those you love.

Until that last paragraph, I simply found his post good for my own personal development and maybe even to generate some ideas for a later Bible study on the book of Proverbs. But that last thought returned me to prayer for everyone in my family and my church.

You and I should pray to the end that these five things will appear fully-formed in daily life of those we love, in our families and in our church:

First, pray that they would put their heart’s deepest trust in God and his grace. We should pray until those we love are living from within the context of God’s unconditional love.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart (Prov 3:3-5a)

Second, pray that they would submit their whole mind to Scripture. Pray until those we love are bringing Scripture to bear on every area of life.

Lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Prov 3:5b-6)

Third, pray that they would be humble and teachable toward others. Pray until those we love are forgiving and understanding rather than critical.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. (Prov 3:7-8)

Fourth, pray that they would be generous with their possessions, and passionate about justice. Pray until those we love share their time, talent, and treasure with those who have less.

Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. (Prov 3:9-10)

Fifth, pray that they would accept and learn from difficulties and suffering. Pray until those we love recognize hardship as a refining process and not punishment.

My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. (Prov 3:11-12)

This is our prayer: To see a people “rooted in God’s grace, obeying and delighting in his Word, humble before other people, sacrificially generous toward our neighbor, and steadfast in trials.”

____________________________________

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

Pullman Novelizes the Liberal Scholars’ Distinction Between the “Jesus of Faith” and the “Jesus of History”

The promotional machine is getting warmed up for Philip Pullman’s latest project, and the deliberate efforts at provocation for the sake of publicity are familiar—and tiring. The author of the His Dark Materials trilogy is set to release his latest: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ.  I can’t imagine the Newsweek report on the book was much changed from the publisher’s press release.

Newsweek recaps the book plot:

According to Pullman's fable, Mary gives birth not to a single son but to twins: Jesus and Christ. Jesus is a firebrand preacher with a revolutionary message but no time for showy miracles. His brother, who serves as his chronicler, is a darker, more introspective figure, ready to provide a distorted version of events that will lay the basis for the Gospels and eventually lead to the foundation of the church. Those looking to find grounds for offense won't be disappointed: the Annunciation in Pullman's story is, in fact, a seduction; the Resurrection is a stunt. To compound the injury, Pullman suggests that in some respects his words may be closer than the Bible's to what Jesus would have actually said.

Though Newsweek doesn’t report it this way, it’s easy to see this as a novelized version of the debate over what we can really learn of the historical Jesus from the New Testament—a debate that has started to spread from the ivory towers to street-level conversations through books like those of Dan Brown and Bart Erhman. The assumptions of liberal scholars is that there is a big difference between the “Jesus of faith” and the “Jesus of history.” It seems that Pullman has decided to put that whole debate into an imaginative novel.  Newsweek:

One motive in writing the book is to shake the faith of believers. He hopes to send readers back to the Gospels to compare his story with the originals. "They will see for themselves how contradictory, how inconsistent, and different the narratives are," he says.

As I’ve said before, Pullman is a gifted writer. His way of baiting people for the sake of self-promotion is tiresome, but he tells a good yarn.

His latest yarn is just the latest signal that our culture needs to hear from us a cogent defense of the Bible as an historically-reliable record of what Jesus said and did. In other words, we believe the “Jesus of faith”—the incarnate Son who redeemed fallen humanity—because the “Jesus of history” presented himself in this way.

Spring Cleaning: A Chance to Ask Why You Have So Much Stuff

You’d think this was from a sermon on materialism but its from the Money blog at Time.  Brad Tuttle says that “spring cleaning” gives you a chance to ask why you have so much stuff, not just what you should do with it. So true:

People complain that they work too much. But maybe the problem is that they "need" too much. Sure, you work to pay the bills—but lots of those bills wouldn't be quite so high if you didn't feel compelled to live a lifestyle of shopping and constantly compiling stuff. It's one thing to work long hours to provide for your family. It's another to endure endless work weeks in order to get more stuff.

The other problem with stuff is that once you've accumulated it—a process that generally requires an outlay of money—you often incur more expenses taking care of your stuff, or at least finding places to keep it. Hence, the necessity of walk-in closets, 5,000-square-foot homes, and $300-a-month personal storage units. If you hadn't acquired all of that stuff, you wouldn't need all that extra space—and you also wouldn't have to work so hard to pay for all of that stuff, and for all of that space to hold your stuff. People say "stuff happens," but this sort of stuff doesn't have to happen.

So, in honor of spring, while you're doing the annual clean-up, why don't you also clean out? Getting rid of stuff is a literal and figurative cleansing process.

It can also net you some cash, if done properly.

The article ends with a George Carlin clip, which is so true but, well, it’s George Carlin, which should be warning enough.

Mars and Venus Online

From Forbes “What Men And Women Are Doing On Facebook”--

Women tend to get more personal. Women want to learn about real people experiencing similar conflicts. "Women are online solving real-life issues. If I'm a mom who is about to start potty training, it's important to me to hear how other real moms are doing it," says Kahn.

Men, on the other hand, are researchers and social climbers. Professor of social media marketing at UC Berkeley, Lorrie Thomas, says men use social media as an "interactive Rolodex," storing contact information for future use.

Sherry Perlmutter Bowen, a gender and communication professor at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, says she's seeing men use social media to gather information and boost their influence. "I see males espousing their wisdom on social media sites and using social media to sell, to compete, to 'climb the ladder,'" she says.

…

Men are also more active users of YouTube, with about 20% more men visiting the video-sharing site per week, according to the BlogHer-iVillage study. Camahort Page believes men prefer the site because it is more passive. "[YouTube] is about finding, consuming and passing along content, but it's not about conversation."

Winning Ways: Where Grace and Truth Meet

It’s amazing how you can change a sentence—and your witness—by replacing the world “but” with the word “and.”

I once had a guy lecture me on my failings as a preacher. He wasn’t a church member but he showed up one Sunday and then let me know I had been much too gentle in my approach to a controversial topic. I felt I had been clear on what the Bible had to say on the matter, but I acknowledged that I believed it was better to lead people to the truth rather than to drive them.

With a dismissive wave of his hand he said, “Yeah, I believe in that 'love thy neighbor' stuff but”—and he pounded his fist in his palm for emphasis—“it's all about truth.”

I replied, “Friend, if I said, ‘Yeah, I believe in that ‘defend the truth’ stuff but it's all about love,” you would probably say I don't put much emphasis on truth. So what do you think I’ve just concluded about your focus on love?”

Here’s a quiz: What’s the best sentence of the following two?

“Of course we need to be loving, but we can't sacrifice truth in the process.”

“Of course we need to uphold truth, but we can't sacrifice love in the process.”

The answer: None of the above.

Both of those sentences could be improved if you replaced the word “but” with the word “and” instead. Try it now and see how it changes the sentence—and your witness.

Truth and Love. Truth involves hard edges, definitions that aren’t squishy, and assessments that lead to uncompromising conclusions. Love involves patience, gentle words, and the sensitivity that comes from understanding another person’s fears, prejudices, and misjudgments.

It’s hard to get the combination of these things right. It’s so much easier to be famous for just one or the other—and we’re all about choosing the easier path. So, we defend truth with little regard for whom we offend, or we obscure truth for fear of offense. More than that, we gravitate to churches that affirm our imbalance. As a result, some churches are known for truth void of love, and others are known for love void of truth.

I read that “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). If we claim to represent him, we’ll consider both important, too.

________________________________

Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Links to Your World, Tuesday April 27

“Being into community is so 2006.” Fickle younger generation decides it’s done with community.

 

Being morally strong makes you physically strong.

 

This one may just interest the preachers who read this blog: Five Things That People Really Mean When They Say “I’m Not Being Fed.”

 

Man At Very Top Of Food Chain Chooses Bugles.

 

Securities and Exchange Commission senior staffers spent hours surfing pornographic websites on government-issued computers while the nation's financial system collapsed. (story) There’s a sermon illustration in there . . .

 

Think Turq, not Green: “The word is derived from Turquoise, which is Stewart Brand’s term for a new breed of environmentalist combining traditional green with a shade of blue, as in blue-sky open-minded thinking. A Turq, he hopes, will be an environmentalist guided by science, not nostalgia or technophobia” (John Tierney, who reports on 7 lessons for Turqs)

 

“Just as we often fall in love with the little traits or quirks of our partner—a crooked smile, a goofy laugh or the way he or she fawns over a pet—we can fall out of love over seemingly small things. Aggravation over the little characteristics we would like to change about our mate can build up over time and become much more than the sum of their parts. As any divorce attorney can tell you, a dirty sock left on the floor has a way of turning into: ‘You do not listen to me, you do not respect me, you do not care about me.’” (The article here, which includes 7 coping mechanisms for the little annoyances of life together in marriage)

 

Posts at “Get Anchored” since last Tuesday:

“Like Repeating Junior High Over And Over”

Song of the Week: Thievery Corp’s “Mandala”

“The pain of being lost and the profound challenge of being found”

An Immoderate Moderate

LeaderLines: 12 Strategies for Leadership

Religious Freedom Denied to 70 Percent of the World

Winning Ways: “To Our Wounds Only God’s Wounds Can Speak”

“Like Repeating Junior High Over And Over”

Our last “Neighboring Faiths ” interview features Buddhism. It’s this Sunday, May 2, at Hillcrest at 5:30 p.m.

To prepare, take a couple of hours with the PBS documentary, “The Buddha.”  Click here to watch it online free.  Best takeaway line: “Reincarnation is like having to repeat Junior High over and over again.”

Song of the Week: Thievery Corp’s “Mandala”

This one’s in my “Workout” playlist on the iPhone. It’s the “Song of the Week” feature today because we’re studying Hinduism in tonight’s “Neighboring Faiths” interview.

You gotta wait for the horns to pick up the sitar line at the end of the song. I bet you’ll add it to your own workout playlist too. Click the player:

“The pain of being lost and the profound challenge of being found”

Jeff Jensen:

Lost is about finding meaning in a culture where meaning is hard to see and challenging to find. Lost is a show full of mystery, but I don't think finding ''the answers'' has ever been the point. I think the point has been to dramatize the usefulness of mystery. Lost shows us that mystery is an invitation to seek meaning in life. But it also shows us that you can get Lost in mystery, too. And the cost for those who do can be profound. It's about the perils and pitfalls of anyone who dares to seek meaning in such an age — and about the cost to anyone who dares to not seek meaning in life regardless of the age, and especially now. Lost is about the pain of being Lost and the profound challenge of being found. That's what I think Lost is about.

An Immoderate Moderate

Albert Mohler:

“There was no lack of irony in the fact that such an immoderate man was destined to lead a group of people who insisted on being called ‘moderates.’”

A great line from an article remembering Cecil Sherman on the occasion of his passing—and the passing of era. The fight between “conservatives” and “moderates” in Southern Baptist life began in earnest 3 decades ago, in the same year I was ordained at 19.

LeaderLines: 12 Strategies for Leadership

In a guest post at Michael Hyatt's site, Margaret McSweeney offers 12 leadership lessons from her father:

1. Creed.

2. Heed.

3. Read.

4. Knead.

5. Feed.

6. Seed.

7. Weed.

8. Speed.

9. Greed.

10. Deed.

11. Exceed.

12. Need.

Creed: “Create a mission statement for your life and your job. Each professional and personal project you undertake should fall under the tenets of your creed and belief system. An important part of my dad’s creed was to make faith an action verb and to honor God in all that he did.”

Heed: “Surround yourself with people that can provide insight and wisdom, even if you disagree with them. You should always understand all sides of an issue before making key decisions. Connect with others and network.”

Read: “Empower yourself with knowledge. My dad started each morning by reading the Bible. He was a voracious reader of all types of books. Throughout his whole life, my dad learned a new word a day. He always said a common thread of leaders and CEOs was a powerful command of an extensive and excellent vocabulary.”

Knead: “Work hard at what you do! Success doesn’t just happen. You must roll up your sleeves to roll in the proverbial dough. And, an important part of working is asking. That was one of my dad’s greatest leadership lessons for me. He applied this to his fund-raising efforts: ‘Don’t be afraid to knock on a door and ask. The worst thing someone could do is say ‘no.’ and then you just knock on someone else’s door.’ Kneading takes commitment and perseverance. Never give up!

Feed: “Even as a college president, my dad would invite new students and faculty to our home. He would prepare the meal and serve the guests. My dad had the heart of a servant. He also believed that many problems could be resolved and goals discussed over a full stomach.”

Seed: “Take the time to invest in other people’s lives either intellectually or financially. Grow your business or ministry by planting seeds of wisdom, hope and experience within others. I found out after my dad died that he had set aside a Seed Fund to quietly help families that needed a little extra financial sustenance and students that needed scholarships.”

Weed: “Yank negativity by the roots and banish it from your organization and home. Be positive and stay positive even when challenges arise. At breakfast each morning, my dad would start my day by saying, ‘Something good is going to happen to you today.’”

Speed: “Be quick with compliments and always respond in a timely manner to phone calls and correspondence. Don’t be in a rush to make things happen. My dad always said, ‘God’s trains run on time.’ During the ‘meanwhile’ however, when nothing seems to be happening in spite of the hard work, we can still learn strategic lessons and encounter opportunities for personal and professional growth.”

Greed: “Avoid it! Make each challenging situation a win/win for everyone. Share your success with others. Typically, you alone are not responsible. Success comes from teamwork.”

Deed: “Treat others the way you want to be treated. Each person needs to feel validated in life no matter who they are or what they do. My dad treated everyone the same—CEOs and janitors. He always taught me that ‘Everyone is God’s child.’ I’ll never forget one afternoon when I visited him at his office. As we were leaving, he spent ten minutes with the janitor who was mopping the floors. My dad asked by name about each member of this janitor’s family.”

Exceed: “Go beyond expectations. Deliver quality and quantity and always be consistent with delivering your top performance.”

Need: “My dad’s mantra was to ‘touch the near edge of a great need and at some sacrifice to yourself, act upon it and make a difference.’ Go beyond the here and now of your life. Identify a real need in your community or in the world and do something about it. You will inspire your employees, friends and family with your actions to effect change.”

As a leader, keep this list and pull it out from time to time to reflect on all 12. But today, choose one to practice right now.

___________________________________

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

Religious Freedom Denied to 70 Percent of the World

Yitzchok Adlerstein and Carl Moeller:

While we Americans largely take our freedom to practice religion for granted, a recent report from the Pew Research Center found that 70 percent of the world's people - that's about 4.7 billion people - live in countries with high levels of religious restrictions. All of us - believers, agnostics and atheists - have a stake in the protection of religious liberties.

Winning Ways: “To Our Wounds Only God’s Wounds Can Speak”

When life hurts, there’s nothing like taking with someone who’s actually been there.

That may be the most powerful distinctive of Christianity among the world’s religions. Emmanuel means “God with us,” and the story of Jesus our Emmanuel means that, when it comes to life’s hurts, God’s been there.

Yale professor Lamin Sanneh was raised Muslim in Gambia, but was drawn to Christ through reflecting on the very thing that Muslims believe did not happen to Christ: the crucifixion. The Qur’an teaches that God spared Jesus from the agony of the cross and “somebody else” was put in Jesus’ place (4:155). For the book, Finding God at Harvard, Sanneh writes:

As hard as I tried, I could not run from the question ‘Who died on the cross?’ If we don't know his name, how can we know the God who put him there? But suppose Jesus did die on the cross, and suppose God intended it to be so; how would that change our knowledge of God? I reflected on the suffering and the heartbreak which are part of life, hopes that are often dashed to pieces….It seemed to me that deep down at the center and core of life, the cross and its anonymous burden was declaring something about the inner integrity and mystery of life which rang true to all authentic experience….God actually did demonstrate his solidarity with humanity by visibly entering our world and defeating death itself.

Likewise, it was the suffering in the Gospel story, not just the triumph, that restored Edward Shillito’s faith after experiencing the horrors of the first World War. Reflecting on the moment when the risen Jesus shows the scars of his crucifixion to his disciples. Shillito wrote:

If we have never sought, we seek Thee now;

Thine eyes burn through the dark, our only stars;

We must have sight of thorn-pricks on Thy brow;

We must have Thee, O Jesus of the Scars.

 

The heavens frighten us; they are too calm;

In all the universe we have no place.

Our wounds are hurting us; where is the balm?

Lord Jesus, by Thy Scars we claim Thy grace....

 

The other gods were strong, but Thou wast weak;

They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;

But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak,

And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.

If life hurts right now, trust in the One who endured life’s hurts and triumphed!

___________________________________

Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Links to Your World, Tuesday April 20

Husband Gives Bible to Wife's Killer in Court

 

Slate reports on “Generation Scold: Why millennials are so judgmental about promiscuity.” Do you agree?

 

The Trustworthiness of Beards. I was thinking about a soul patch. A very, very white soul patch. But now…

 

LOLCat Bible Translation (HT: Tamara)

 

A computer game retailer revealed that it legally owns the souls of thousands of online shoppers, thanks to a clause in the terms and conditions agreed to by online shoppers.

 

“The big cable, satellite, and telco carriers are still sitting pretty with more than 100 million TV subscribers. Nevertheless, a new report claims that more and more viewers are "cutting the cord" in favor of watching their favorite shows via over-the-air antennas (remember those?), Netflix, or the Web.” Nearly 800,000 U.S. TV households 'cut the cord,' report says.

 

Posts at “Get Anchored” since last Tuesday:

“It requires not just momentary bravery, but sustained courage”

Roberts-Obama: It’s On

Song of the Week: Rain Beatin’ Down

Good Question! Why Did Jesus Pray?

“The Christian faith is, at its core…”

Following Christ in Indonesia

Principles of Christian-Muslim Interaction

What Child Is This, Indeed

"A Momentous Change in the Operational Meaning of Being a Parent”

Winning Ways: Ballerina and Stripper

“It requires not just momentary bravery, but sustained courage”

John Dickerson:

In this series, I seek to reclaim risk. I want to remind myself—and you—of the buoyant, thrilling side of risk, and I will do it by telling the stories of people who embrace risk and who live with the fear, exhilaration, and ambiguity it creates without shirking. People engaged in every kind of human endeavor say that taking risks is the key to fulfillment and success. It is at the heart of our biggest thrills and proudest achievements. Ask someone when she felt most alive and she'll tell you a story about a risk she took….

Dickerson is doing a series on risk at Slate. He says:

As I came to realize [in researching for these stories], risk-taking is not just about a single big leap. It requires not just momentary bravery, but sustained courage to endure uncertainty and the sometimes lonely experience of living off your imagination and off an idea that may not succeed….Risk-taking as nourishment for the soul might sound like a New Age idea, but it is a fundamental American principle, with us since the nation's earliest days. Alexis de Tocqueville wrote, "Those living in the instability of a democracy have the constant image of chance before them, and in the end, they come to like all those projects in which chance plays a part … not only because of the promise of profit but because they like the emotions evoked."

First up, a story on two rock climbers in a job that paralyzes most folks in fright. Appropriate title: “Up.”

This should be a good series. At middle age, I can use it.

Roberts-Obama: It’s On

NYT:

“While activists on the left often say they want a liberal Antonin Scalia, the fiery conservative justice, Mr. Obama is looking for a liberal John Roberts, who can forge a five-vote majority rather than write satisfying but ultimately meaningless dissents.”

As the nation gears up for a Supreme Court nomination, the NYT examines the ideological clash between Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and President Obama.

“Televise this chief justice and this president on stage at the Kennedy Center for three hours talking about the role of government and the future of our polity,” Mr. Edley said [Christopher Edley Jr., an Obama adviser and dean of the law school at the University of California at Berkeley]. “This historic clash of intellectual titans would be the most powerful civics lesson since the Federalist Papers, and we could sure use it.”

Heck, I might even pay to see that.

No illusions here: By virtue of his position, Roberts is at a significant disadvantage if the Times is right about a coming “clash” between Roberts and Obama. Roberts has absolutely no say in who his new colleague will be on the Court. Besides, with a Democratic Congress and a host of influential endorsers on his side, Obama’s in the driver’s seat on this one. The stakes are high in this nomination process, but, as in gambling, its no use betting against the (white) house this time.

Song of the Week: Rain Beatin’ Down

Seemed fitting for the weekend we’ve had and the forecast coming up.  Click the player to listen to “Rain Beatin’ Down.”

Good Question! Why Did Jesus Pray?

I started a new feature on this weblog a few weeks ago called “Good Question!” I’ll post a question I’ve been asked, and my stab at an answer. Agree or disagree at the Facebook fan page for Get Anchored, and drop me a line with your own questions.

I’m glad to get another one from Amy, whose in-depth examination of the Gospel of Luke in Community Bible Study has provoked a lot of great thinking. She writes:

Jesus prayed often privately and in front of his disciples/followers as well. Did He do this out of necessity because He, as wholly man, needed to commune with and worship God the Father in that manner? Since He is God Himself, was prayer an actual necessity for Him? Or is it possible that He prayed so often both privately and publicly because it was an active example to the disciples of how their relationship with God the Father - and in the future, with Christ Himself - would need to be nurtured: daily in quiet prayer, scripture reading and contemplation on their own and also on a regular basis with other followers of Christ?

In short: Was his prayer for his need or for our example? In short: Yes.

In fact, his prayers could not have been for our example had they not truly been for his need.

Joan Osborne sang, “What if God was one of us?” The earliest Christians were captivated by the truth that God was one of us. If we’re faithful to the Spirit-inspired Scriptures they left behind, we’ll conclude with the biblical writers that Jesus is everything it means to be divine and everything it means to be human at the same time.

I’ve found, though, that we have a harder time appreciating his humanity than we do understanding his divinity. We look at his purity, his faithfulness, his perfect response to every situation—and then we say, “Well, of course he behaved that way. He was God Incarnate, after all.” I submit to you that the way he lived was not because he was superhuman, but rather fully human. He is the picture of everything God intended women and men to be. We’re the ones who fall short of what it means to be human.

I wrote about this in my book, The Anchor Course: Exploring Christianity Together.  An excerpt:

Jesus was human physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Physically: Jesus said to his enemies, “Now you seek to kill be, a man who has told you the truth” (John 8:40). Simon Peter referred to him as “Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs” (Acts 2:22). Paul used the phrase, “the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). He grew up like any boy of his day, learning his lessons and developing through puberty and adolescence into manhood (Luke 2:52). Until he began his teaching ministry at the age of 30, he worked in the carpenter’s trade of his adoptive father, Joseph. No doubt, when he hit his thumb with a hammer, it would throb and a black bruise would rise. His feet blistered when he walked, he sneezed at pollen, and his stomach grumbled at dinnertime. When he was beaten and tortured, he suffered and died like any other human would under the same circumstances.

Emotionally: The Bible says Jesus lived “enjoying life,” his enemies accused him of going to too many parties, and he enjoyed the pleasant surprise of being “amazed” at times (Matthew 11:19 Ph; Luke 7:9 NLT). In addition to the more pleasant aspects of human experience, though, he also knew the gloomier side of earthly life. In the Bible we read about moments when he was bitterly disappointed with people (Mark 3:5), “irate” at his own followers (Mark 10:14 Msg), and “filled with anguish and deep distress” at the thought of suffering an agonizing death (Matthew 26:37 NLT). He knew loneliness: The night before he was crucified, he urged his closest followers to remain awake and stay with him (Mark 14:32-42). The next day he moaned from utter loneliness on the cross, asking, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34) As Isaiah predicted, hundreds of years earlier, Jesus would be “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3 NASB).

Spiritually: More remarkable than his connection with our physical and emotional experiences, he identified with our spiritual experiences. He sought strength and wisdom from his Father in his times of prayer, moments that sometimes lasted long into the night. Scripture also lets us know that he experienced temptation to rebel against his Father, just as we do. The Bible repeats over and over that Christ “committed no sin” (for example, 1 Peter 2:22), but it equally emphasizes the man’s struggle to stay aligned with God’s will (for example, Matthew 4:1-11). Amazingly, the Bible says he was “at all points tempted, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Imagine someone experiencing “all points” of human temptation. We have a hard time imagining someone who successfully resists all temptation as being really human, but doesn’t that tell us more about our spiritual failure than about Christ’s spiritual success?

Not to say that the humanity of Jesus wraps up all we confess about the Lord Jesus Christ. He is everything it means to be God as well as everything it means to be human. (I have a chapter on that in my book as well.)  Still, I think Amy’s question comes from our understandable struggle to appreciate that Jesus answered Joan Osborne’s question: God was one of us.

But why should that matter? I find three reasons to appreciate Jesus’ humanity: Jesus has become our example, our encourager, and our perfect expiation.

Example: Simon Peter said, “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). Again, from The Anchor Course:

The way Jesus handled mistreatment is the way we ought to act when we’re mistreated. The patience and refusal to retaliate, the forgiveness, the trust in Father God—all that Jesus did when he suffered is how we ought to act….He was compassionate and attentive to others, especially to those whom others overlooked. His relationships with others were not complicated with jealousy, insecurity, and sexual tensions. Through prayer, he expressed his need of the Father’s help and wisdom. He loved people but did not let their opinions of him determine his course of action, and this was his attitude toward his own earthly family as well. Life’s experiences left him troubled at times but never hopeless, and he maintained clarity in his life’s mission. These are just a few of the ways that Jesus lived a life worth imitating.

When we fail, our typical excuse is, “Hey, I’m only human.” We seem to equate weakness, inconsistency, and lack of self-control with what it means to be human. Since Jesus is everything it means to be human, it should force us to reconsider that line of thought. In response to moral failure we should not say, “I’m only human,” but rather, “I’m less than human, I’m not everything a human should be, because I’m not everything Jesus was.” Though he was divine, his perfection wasn’t so much a sign of his divinity as it was a sign of his completely obedient humanity. The way he lived does not make him superhuman, but rather fully human. He is the picture of everything God intended women and men to be. We’re the ones who fall short of what it means to be human. Our humanity has been corrupted by our rebellion, and our aim should be to follow the example of Jesus in order to get back to being the men and women God intended us to be. That is what it means to be a “disciple” of Jesus: it means to be an imitator of him.

Encourager: The fact that Jesus is our example could be intimidating if he was not also our encourager. One more time from my book:

The Bible says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16). Sometimes we want to pray, “Lord, I’m tempted” or “Jesus, I’m struggling down here,” or “Lord, life just hasn’t been fair to me recently.” It’s good to know that we can bring those things to a Lord who can say, “I know what you mean. Follow my example and hang in there.”

Expiation: Scripture teaches that Jesus died “for our sins.” On the cross he was an innocent sufferer, not only in terms of an earthly court but in terms of a heavenly court. In other words, when Pilate said, “I find no basis for a charge against this man,” there was more to that sentence than at first meets the eye. But “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).

Now, how does all this apply to Amy’s question about why Jesus prayed? Well, Jesus wasn’t praying merely to artfully model for us something that we need but he didn’t need.  In fact, the reality is much, much better than that! His praying is a perfect model for us precisely because it was so necessary for him! So, track the subject of prayer through the threefold “example-encourager-expiation” matrix I explained above:

As our example of perfect humanity, he shows us how to pray, why to pray, when to pray, and for what to pray. As our encourager, he comes alongside us in our efforts to pray.  And, as our expiation, he takes away the sin of our faithless failure to pray, and he gives us access to the Father when we become mindful of our need to pray.

How we desperately need more reflection on Christ’s humanity as well as his deity!  And Amy’s question has given us the chance to do that. 

Lo, the conflict of the ages
  Is upon us today,
And the forces of rebellion
  Are in total array.
The humanity of Jesus
  Now the saints must possess,
His true image and dominion
  On the earth to express.

Chorus: Let us stand up in Jesus
  In His full human life,
Human virtues prevailing
  'Gainst corruption so rife;
In this wickedness concerted,
In this age perverse, perverted,
The humanity of Jesus
    Must the church now display.

Lo, how Satan came to damage
  Human life on the earth;
But the Lord in all this ruin
  Raised a man full of worth!
From the seed of the woman
  God incarnate became
The man Jesus—the last Adam—
  To destroy Satan's aim!

It's by calling, drinking, eating
  The man Jesus today,
His humanity enjoying
  Bruises Satan each day.
To the Lord we must be turning,
  All our soul life deny,
To destroy all Satan's working
  And the new man supply.

See the ruin of a nation
  Going downward in sin;
All humanity is fallen
  And corrupted within.
But as children of the kingdom
  We are salting the earth;
His humanity preserves us
  In the midst of such dearth.

Thanks for the question, Amy! Everyone: Agree or disagree at the Facebook fan page for Get Anchored, and submit your own question. It can be a question on Bible interpretation, theology, church practice—anything!

The Christian faith is, at its core…”

Mark Galli:

The Christian faith is, at its core, not about ethics or religious experience, but a message about a God who has gone to extraordinary lengths to be and remain on our side, to become the-God-with-a-name, Emmanuel, "God with us." Christians are not primarily mystics (those who experience God in a special way) or activists (those who live the way of Jesus). We are mostly witnesses of who God is and what he has done and what he will do in Jesus Christ, the God who in Christ has "a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth" (Eph. 1:10).

This is not to deny that our faith must be expressed in deeds and empowered by a genuine experience of God. Faith without works, or a genuine encounter with God, is not Christian faith. But after promising the disciples that they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus told them what their main mission was: "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

We are shortchanging our people when we make worship mostly about experience or a pep rally to motivate people to good deeds. We practice religious neglect when we fail to witness to them the saving story of God in Christ and train them to be fellow witnesses of that story, so that they might share that story with a world…which does not know God as Emmanuel, but merely as "Something”….

People will never figure this all out—and thus never be able to enjoy a full and saving encounter with God—unless someone tells them.

Following Christ in Indonesia

Time magazine on Christianity’s surge in Indonesia:

A religious revolution is transforming Indonesia. Part of the spiritual blossoming entails Muslims embracing a more conservative form of faith, mirroring global trends that have meant a proliferation of headscarves and beards in modern Islamic capitals. More surprising, though, is the boom in Christianity — officially Indonesia's second largest faith and a growing force throughout Asia. Indeed, the number of Asian Christian faithful exploded to 351 million adherents in 2005, up from 101 million in 1970
…

Exact figures are hard to gather in a country where conversions from Islam to Christianity face a stigma and likely lead to an underreporting of Christian believers.

Time suggests some reasons for the explosion of evangelical Christianity, and some tensions among the Muslim-majority land that have resulted.

Principles of Christian-Muslim Interaction

Our second of the “Neighboring Faiths” Interviews takes place this Sunday, April 18, at 5:30 p.m. Our guest will be the imam of the North Austin Muslim Community Center, Islam Mossaad.

Regarding these interviews, I found Chawkat Moucarry’s comments helpful in preparation. Moucarry is World Vision International's director of interfaith relations:

We can measure a fruitful dialogue by its outcomes.

It should result in a better understanding of each other's faith and of one's own.

Dialogue should lead to better relationships between the two communities and strengthen their social commitments.

Dialogue is also an excellent school for tolerance. It helps us overcome our ignorance, our prejudice, our self-centeredness, our fanaticism, and our spiritual pride.

Is conversion a legitimate goal in dialogue? Yes. It is perfectly legitimate for believers who take seriously the exclusive claims of their religion to try to persuade others of the truth they proclaim. There is nothing wrong with hoping and even expecting that some people, having carefully examined these claims, will make a life-changing decision as a result of transparent and free dialogue. Unless we accept conversion as a possible outcome for dialogue, our claim to be tolerant remains unproven.

While the preceding comments apply to all our interviews in the “Neighboring Faiths” series, Moucarry had some specific things to say about Christian dialogue with Muslims:

How do we want Muslims to relate to us and to our faith? I would like to highlight some implications of the Golden Rule for Christians who want to engage missiologically with Islam and Muslims.

First, as an expression of loving our neighbors, we must show respect to Muslims and to the heart of their identity—their prophet, their religion, and their scriptures. This attitude requires us to avoid catch questions, derogatory comments, and inflammatory language. True, some Muslim polemicists and extremists do not comply with the Qur'anic recommendation to argue with Jews and Christians "in the best possible way" (Qur'an 29:46). But this is no excuse for Christians to indulge in vitriolic criticisms of Islam.

This does not mean abstaining from criticisms of Islam. But when we have critical comments to make, we need to put them in the least offensive language and to ensure as far as we can that they are substantiated.

Second, we should do our best to be fair. This means, for instance, keeping a balance between highlighting similarities and pointing out differences when comparing Christianity and Islam.

…

Finally, we need to study Islam and befriend Muslims. It is legitimate, in fact necessary, for Christians to use Islamic material in their interactions with Islam, but it is critically important that we adopt a humble attitude. We need to acknowledge that the Muslim community is the custodian of its own tradition. Its members are the authoritative interpreters of their scriptures, not us.

…

A Christian perspective on Islam ought to be at the same time incarnational, sympathetic, and critical. It should be concerned more with Muslim people than with Islam….As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are under a double obligation to love our Muslim neighbors as ourselves and to share the Good News with them. Not only do the two commands go hand in hand, the second is best carried out as an expression of the first.

Read the whole thing.

What Child Is This, Indeed

Anthony Sacramone:

The earliest written gospel, Mark, presents Jesus as a man who forgives sins. Good luck with that if you’re not always the offended party. And who alone could always be the offended party but the one who has final authority over your life.

And another:

[Paul Verhoeven says,] “The suffering of Jesus is not the important thing.” Correct, as far as it goes. It is not the nature or duration or intensity of the suffering in and of itself that is the important thing about the Cross, but rather who was doing the suffering.

"A Momentous Change in the Operational Meaning of Being a Parent”

The Hansen Report:

“The continuing relationship between parents and young adult children is a really momentous change in the operational meaning of being a parent in the early 21st century,” Brookings senior fellow William Galston told The Washington Post. “No one resists or resents it. Young people expect it.”

They expect it because their parents won’t let them fail. Some employers report phone calls from parents demanding to know why their son or daughter did not get a job. It’s understandable that parents would want to ensure a secure standard of living for their children. But that’s just the problem. Parents may actually train their children to immediately expect the same standard of living they achieved after decades of work. No wonder their children don’t think they can get married until 30 and have secured a suitable paycheck, good health benefits, and a nice home of their own.

Winning Ways: Ballerina and Stripper

Schindler’s List won seven Academy Awards in 1993, including Best Picture. It’s an account of a German named Oskar Schindler who saved 1200 Jews from Nazi death camps by employing them and bribing Nazi officials to keep them employed.

Who can forget the closing scene of the film as Schindler pre-pared to leave those he saved? The war was over and, knowing the Allies would try him as a member of the Nazi party and the owner of a munitions factory, he planned to flee. Before he drove away, however, those who owed Schindler their lives surrounded him. They presented him a ring created from the gold fillings extracted out of the teeth of grateful workers. On the ring was a Hebrew inscription from the Talmud: “Whoever saves one life saves the world entire.” The gift and its significance caused Schindler to break down in tears.

It’s a moving scene, but in reality it wasn’t the last of Oskar Schindler and his ring. The film doesn’t cover a conversation years later, as one of the “Schindler Jews” talked with the old German rescuer. The survivor pointed to Schindler’s naked finger and asked what happened to his gold ring.

“Schnapps,” he shrugged. He had sold it for booze.

So, which of those two scenarios best captures the real Oskar Schindler? Would you believe both? He was a contradiction: a hero who saved lives, and a dissolute womanizer who abandoned his long-suffering wife. His lack of wisdom and self-discipline caused him to fail in numerous businesses and relationships, and yet a member of the Israeli Supreme Court remembered him as “one of the bravest, finest people.”

Oskar Schindler’s story is our story, too. Each person is a contradiction: a hero and a disappointment; the graceful ballerina and the raunchy stripper; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

There are four options for dealing with this truth. First, we can resist the truth by making excuses for our sins or diminishing the seriousness of them. Second, we can reassign the blame by pointing to others as the cause of our actions. Third, we can resign to despair when the first two options prove insufficient.

Or, fourth, we can receive divine forgiveness. The Bible says, “Christ loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins” (Ephesians 5:2 NLT).

Thank God, because I am Oskar Schindler. And so are you.

_________________________________

Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Links to Your World, Tuesday April 13

The Masters in Three Words: Good Guy Wins.

 

Obama honors Christ's sacrifice

 

Rev. Barbie, the plastic priest, is dressed to bless

 

Pediatricians caution educators on dealing with sexual orientation and gender confusion among students. Read the news release from American College of Pediatricians, posted here. (HT: Pure Church)

 

How close was Butler’s last shot?  Real close. (HT: Evangelical Outpost’s 33 Thing)

 

See TrueLife.org where 30 professors answer the big questions in life. (HT: Jim Siegel)

 

For the Best of the Best, Determination Outweighs Nature and Nurture.

 

Posts at “Get Anchored” since last Tuesday:

Truth in Labeling

“Deep Rather Than Superficial”

Song of the Week: Hava Nagila Texas-Style

“You’ve called me to live today as a man of resurrection”

LeaderLines: Christ’s Blueprint for his Church: Community

Lost: All You Need is Love

“He Disappointed All of Us”

Why Men’s Friendships Are Different

Ehrman-Evans Debate: Does the New Testament Misquote Jesus?

Bicycling in Heaven

Interaction with Non-Christians: Five Questions

Winning Ways: The Neighboring Faiths Interviews

Truth in Labeling

I really don’t think anyone needs to be told this, but there’s really not much that’s “Baptist” about Fred Phelps’ “Baptist” church (the “God-Hates-Fags” cult mostly comprised of a handful of Phelps’ family members). For those who need a lesson, though, here you go.

In the world of fast food, there are restrictions on using, say, the “McDonalds” name.  In the world of churches, though, there’s no control on the “Baptist” label.

Frankly, I have my doubts about how helpful the name “Baptist” is anymore when it comes to communicating to Austin what “Hillcrest Baptist Church” is. But it’s important to occasionally remind people what “Hillcrest Baptist Church” isn’t.

“Deep Rather Than Superficial”

Our “Neighboring Faiths” interviews on Sunday nights are designed to help you serve your neighbors and (when the occasion arises) converse respectfully about faith issues.

Turns out, the happiest people are those who engage in meaningful conversations instead of just superficial ones.  Marv Knox writes:

Happy people are ones who talk regularly, and the happiest people are those who engage in a higher percentage of meaningful conversations. “The present findings demonstrate that the happy life is social rather than solitary, and conversationally deep rather than superficial,” Mehl reported in the latest edition of Psychological Science. [Matthias Mehl is a psychologist at the University of Arizona.]

Knox applies this to conversations of substance:

I hope you find research like this fascinating. It counters conventional wisdom that dictates safe, sterile conversations. It blows up the myth that people shouldn’t talk about religion and politics in polite company….Mehl’s research on substantive conversations provides fodder for discussion as we talk about how we do church:

• Our worship services and Bible studies should inspire participants to discuss the big issues of life—salvation and eternity, to be sure, but also how our faith and beliefs shape the way we live in the world, the way we face issues in the community, the way we interact with society. These public gatherings can and should provide the theological, moral and social framework for what we talk about and how we talk about it.

• Our church conferences, committee meetings and other interactive gatherings should model how we talk about important issues. Our culture has become combative, fractious and verbally abusive. Church should be showing people how we can talk civilly and graciously, even when we hold profound disagreements. In order to engage in substantive conversations, we need to understand how to do that without shouting and ruining relationships.

• We also need to provide space and opportunity for these conversations in very small groups and one-on-one. We can’t do it all in Sunday school or worship. Far from it. We need to establish a culture of togetherness and fellowship—the New Testament word is koinonia—that enables people who care for each other to talk about what really matters.

Song of the Week: Hava Nagila Texas-Style

Our “Neighboring Faiths Interviews” begins tonight with Rabbi Neil Blumofe of Congregation Agudas Achim. For the weekly “Song of the Week” feature of this weblog, here’s Hava Nagila Texas-Style. No, I don’t share Cornerstone’s views on everything, but, hey, where else are you going to hear a hoedown version of Israeli tourism’s most familiar song?

“You’ve called me to live today as a man of resurrection”

The entries at Scotty Smith’s blog “Heavenward” are prayers. Here is an excerpt from today’s prayer:

Here’s what I choose to remember into this very moment. Father, you not only raised Jesus from the dead on Easter Sunday, you raised up all your children in Him, including me. I’m seated with him in the heavenly realms, no longer cemented to the earthly way of seeing people and doing things. You’ve called me to live today as a man of resurrection, not resentment. All day long, in the coming ages and throughout eternity, you are committed to showing me the incomparable riches of your grace and kindness towards me in Jesus. I really do believe this, and I really do ask you to help me believe it more…

LeaderLines: Christ’s Blueprint for his Church: Community

Former U.S. Senate chaplain Richard Halverson offered this tongue-in-cheek history of the church:

The church began as a fellowship of men and women centered on Jesus Christ. It went to Greece and became a philosophy. It went to Rome and became an institution. It went to Europe and became a culture. It came to America and became an enterprise.

But the best word to describe the church is “community.”

If you’re a church leader, it’s important to review Christ’s vision for his church. Here’s how the Apostle’s Creed summarizes it—

I believe in the one holy church

The communion of saints

We are to be “one,” “holy,” and a “communion.” In LeaderLines, we’re taking 3 weeks to reflect on each of those 3 words. Two weeks ago we looked at the oneness Christ expects. Last week we looked at the holiness Christ expects. Now let’s look at the community Christ expects.

The communion of saints. It’s no accident that the word “communion” sounds so similar to the word “community,” which is probably a more familiar term in our culture. Both words capture the same thought of a group of people who have certain things in common—they know each other and they want similar things out of their relationships with each other. They also maintain a certain level of loyalty and appreciation for each other, and they hold each other accountable to agreed-upon standards.

When I think of God’s hopes for Hillcrest, I know he wants us to be a fellowship and a partnership. The first word looks inward; the second word looks outward. The first word speaks of sharing life together; the second word speaks of pursuing goals together.

First, we are a fellowship.

The first gathering of believers was described with these words: “They devoted themselves . . . to the fellowship” (Acts 2:42). They met regularly together, they prayed for each other, worshipped together, and shared possessions with those who had needs. The warm fellowship impressed and attracted others so much that new people were joining daily.

The Christian life was not meant to be a solitary life. The Bible says that our fellowship with God is proven valid by our fellowship with his people: “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:12). Verses like this remind us we cannot really say we’re connected to God unless we’re also connected to other believers—with all the patience and forgiveness and sensitivity that such a connection requires.

Second, we are a partnership.

In addition to thinking of our community of believers as a “fellowship” it’s also important to remember we are a “partnership.”

Paul wrote to one church with deep fondness because they understood the importance of working together and not just assembling together. He reminded them: “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel” (Philippians 1:4-5). He often expressed by name his appreciation for the men and women who shared the ministry with him. Their names show up in his letters: Timothy, John Mark, Luke, and little-known personalities such as Phoebe, Epaphras, Euodia, and Syntyche (see Romans 16:1, Colossians 1:6-7, Philippians 4:2-3, 1 Thessalonians 3:2, and 2 Timothy 4:11).

As we put our faith in Jesus and start spending time with a congregation of fellow believers, we need to identify the ways we can be useful to that gathering. We partner together through financially supporting the work, through praying for God’s blessing on the work, through offering suggestions to improve the work, and through volunteering in the work. The church isn’t an institution that does things for us; the church is a community of believers who have partnered together to make a difference in the world. When we say, “I believe in the church, the communion of saints,” we are committing to investing in both fellowship and partnership with others who have drawn the same conclusions that we have about Jesus.

We need to be both, not one or the other.

The fact that Hillcrest is a fellowship reminds me to look inward at the life we should share together. The fact that Hillcrest is a partnership reminds me to look outward at the work we should do together.

Without both considerations, our community of believers becomes imbalanced. Without a sense of fellowship, all we would do is tackle our projects, complete our assignments, and finish our work. In such settings a person’s moral choices would never be challenged, his beliefs would never be refined, and his needs would never be addressed. On the other hand, without a sense of partnership, a congregation quickly becomes introverted. Soon, the only factor that is addressed in deciding what to do is simply that which pleases the current participants. So, we are supposed to be a fellowship that meets each other’s needs and a partnership that mobilizes people for meaningful action.

Deciding to become a Christ-follower means joining other believers to fulfill the vision of oneness, holiness, and community in our life together. As church leaders, this is a vision worth putting in front of disciples.

(This week’s edition of LeaderLines is adapted from Chapter 16 of my book, The Anchor Course: Exploring Christianity Together. Learn more at www.AnchorCourse.org.)

Tom

____________________________

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

Lost: All You Need is Love

James Poniewozik:

Both Charlie and Desmond are awakened to another plane of existence by recalling someone they loved [on the island]. If that's too corny for you, sorry. I like this idea: here, "love at first sight" is not just fate, but a flash of awareness of a life that you are meant to have. It is, literally, a moment of clarity, in which you see beyond the confines of time and space. If that's corny, it works for me--not just emotionally but in terms of Lost's alt-universe story.

“He Disappointed All of Us”

The chairman of Augusta National, Billy Payne, on Tiger Woods:

“It is not simply the degree of his conduct that is so egregious here: it is the fact that he disappointed all of us, and more importantly, our kids and our grandkids. Our hero did not live up to the expectations of the role model we saw for our children.”

Why Men’s Friendships Are Different

From the article, “Why Men’s Friendships Are Different” (WSJ):

I've played poker with the same guys every Thursday night for 18 years. We rarely talk about our lives. We talk about cards, betting, bluffing.

I used to say that my poker buddies don't even know my kids' names. But then I wondered if I was exaggerating. So one night I turned to my left at the poker table and casually asked my friend Lance: "Hey Lance, could you name my children?"

He shrugged, paused to think, then smiled sheepishly. "I could rename them," he said.

Dr. [Geoffrey] Greif isn't surprised by my story. In his poker game, he says, if a man were to reveal that he lost his job or that his wife left him, the other guys would say, "Gee, dude, that's too bad. Want us to deal you out this hand?"

Read this article about the importance of male friendships—even if they aren’t as touchy-feely as women’s friendships.

Ehrman-Evans Debate: Does the New Testament Misquote Jesus?

Listen or watch the March 31, 2010 debate between two prominent New Testament scholars: Dr. Dr. Craig Evans and Dr. Bart Ehrman on the topic: Does the New Testament Misquote Jesus? The format revolves around 7 critical questions on the topic:

1. Are the gospels historically reliable?
2. Do the gospels accurately preserve the teachings of Jesus Christ?
3. Do the gospels accurately preserve the activities of Jesus Christ?
4. Do the gospels contain eyewitness tradition?
5. Do archaeologists and historians use the gospels as sources?
6. Have the gospels been accurately preserved done through the centuries
7. Do scribal errors and textual variants significantly impact any teaching of Jesus or any important Christian teaching?

Video can be found here. Full 90-minute debate MP3 Audio here.

(HT: Justin Taylor)

Bicycling in Heaven

I got this note from Carolyn Robinson, my friend and member of my Common Ground group. It’s about her son Cash and his new bike.  She sent the note to me and to our children’s minister as a “thank you” for our influence. She gave me permission to share it:

I’m sending you a photo of Cash on a 1990 Schwin reproduction of the original 1970s "Stingray Grey Ghost."  He saw this bike in a bike shop here in town a few months ago and coveted it since that time.  The one he saw was not for sale.  Anyway, he got this bike "in his Easter basket" on Sunday.  He was very excited and hasn't slept since he got on it.  It is a very cool bike.  This morning he told me that, "I'm taking that bike with me to Heaven, mom.  I'll just ride it up there on the clouds and I won't even have to worry about falling."

I'm just sharing this with you…mainly just to thank you for all you have done and continue to do to build his belief and confidence in going to Heaven, even if he thinks he can bring his bike.

Cute!

Interaction with Non-Christians: Five Questions

The “Neighboring Faiths” Interviews begin this Sunday, April 11. Our congregation will host this series of interviews I will lead with four religious leaders: Rabbi Neil Blumofe will be our guest on April 11, Imam Islam Mousaad on April 18, Hindu priest Girish Chaitanya on April 25, and Buddhist monk David Zuniga on May 2.

The point is to aid us in building relationships with our neighbors—many who come from other faith traditions.

But personal interaction with non-Christians requires discernment—which, of course, could be said of any step in a believer’s life.  In trying to decide as conscientious Christians what kind of and how much contact to have with non-Christians, Terry Muck says that 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 would lead us to answer five key questions.  When he wrote this, Muck was living in Austin and teaching at the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary near the UT campus.  This is found on pages 84-86 of his book Those Other Religions in Your Neighborhood:

1. Does this contact jeopardize my commitment to the new creation?  If yes, temporary withdrawal may be necessary.  For example, my immature faith may be unable to withstand such contact right now.  In such a case, withdrawal has not so much to do with the situation as it does with my own faltering steps toward putting on the new person, the new life in Christ.  Perhaps this will change, but right now I am unable to make this contact in a useful manner.

Or perhaps I am at a point in my life when I need to spend time alone with God.  I need solitude with my Lord, just as Jesus often withdrew to pray.  I need those times to recharge my spiritual batteries.  Separation at such a time is a positive step toward spiritual growth, not a defensive step of fear.

2. Does this contact jeopardize my brother’s or sister’s commitment to the new creation?  Sometimes babes in the faith need to be protected as they learn to digest the warm milk of new faith.  They are not ready for the steak and potatoes diet of pluralistic contact.  It is possible that interfaith contact will never be comfortable for some.  Some might be called to it while others are not.  The community should make the decision.  Separation is not a rule for these people; it is simply a wise use of their calling and ministry talents.

3. Will Jesus Christ be glorified by this contact?  The hostility of some contact may make it unwise.  We should not feel compelled to make contact in physically or spiritually threatening circumstances.  Yet God does not want us to be timid in contact.  As we have seen, God expects the talents of the Word to be risked in the spiritual marketplace of the world in the hopes of high returns.  On the other had, God does not necessarily depend on us for getting his will done.  God may have other plans, and the obvious danger inherent in a situation may be a warning against closer contact.

4. Will the church be glorified by this contact?  As the church in the world we have a mission, and sometimes that mission coincides with the mission of other religions.  Feeding the poor, helping the sick, and freeing the captives are teachings of all the great world religions.  Sometimes we can join hands in accomplishing those things.  When a church asks itself whether or not to get involved in such a ministry, the following should be considered.

What is the other group’s attitude toward Jesus Christ?  Basic respect for the teachings and work of Jesus Christ is a requirement.  It seems unlikely that anything profitable will come from working with people who think Jesus was a fake or who have no respect for what he did.  It would be a bad witness for us to do so.

Will the methods used and the results obtained in this collaboration be something we can be proud of?  Measure them against the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 6:22-23.  We do not want to be involved in anything that will reflect negatively on the witness of the body of Christ.

5. Will the non-Christians I am involved with be helped by this contact? Some kinds of contact will not reflect positively on others.  Overly aggressive or manipulative evangelistic campaigns hurt rather than help those who belong to non-Christian religious traditions.  The “do no harm” principle of physicians regarding medical treatment is a useful one to consider in concert with the other four principles.

Winning Ways: The Neighboring Faiths Interviews

As Christians, we can embrace the faith of our fathers and understand the faith of our neighbors at the same time.

In a diverse city like Austin, you likely work with Hindus and live on the same street with Muslims and your kids play sports with teammates who are Jewish. We have to understand someone’s worldview in order to build friendship and (if the occasion arises) to talk naturally about our faith.

To that end, I’m holding a series of interviews with local leaders from other major religions. Rabbi Neil Blumofe will be our guest on April 11, Imam Islam Mousaad on April 18, Hindu priest Girish Chaitanya on April 25, and Buddhist monk David Zuniga on May 2.

I have invited these four men to an interview, not a debate. Though we won’t dodge the areas where we differ, my aim is to simply introduce you to “neighboring faiths.” In addition, we will have books for sale on how Christians can relate to neighbors from other faiths.

This event is to equip Hillcrest to serve our community, but keep in mind that the community we’re called to serve will be in attendance at the event! This includes members of the media, adherents of other religions, and seekers we’d like to reach. I know you will represent Jesus by showing the utmost respect to our guests on the platform and our guests in attendance. I doubt anyone needs the scriptural caution, but keep in mind that “whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense” (Proverbs 11:12).

Each interview will run from 5:30-6:45 p.m. in the auditorium (Click here for a map to Hillcrest). After dismissal, you can visit with me and the night’s guest about any specific question we didn’t cover.

Child care will be available, but please register your children so we can be prepared for them. Email my assistant (jami@hbcaustin.org) or call the church office (345-3771) during normal business hours (M-Th; 8:30am-4:30pm).

We hope to record the interviews, and I will update you once this is completed.

The Hillcrest Family serves Austin best when we aim for two things at once: (a) to be good neighbors, seeking their good whether they convert or not, and (b) to be good communicators of our faith when the occasion arises. The “Neighboring Faiths Interviews” will help you serve your community in this way.

______________________________

Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Links to Your World, Tuesday April 6

9 Reasons Why Many Smart People Go Nowhere

 

What does it say about me that I find some of the “fixes” at this website ingenious?

 

"Not only are the (speeding) tolerances much lower, but the frequency of a warning instead of a ticket is way down. Most people, if they're stopped now, are getting a ticket even if it's only a minor violation of a few miles per hour." James Baxter, president of the National Motorists Association, suggesting that the recession may be leading police departments to stop allowing a 5 to 10-mph “cushion” in order to raise more revenue. (USA Today)

 

“In a given week, Snopes tries to set the record straight on everything from political smears to old wives’ tales. No, Kenya did not erect a sign welcoming people to the “birthplace of Barack Obama.” No, Wal-Mart did not authorize illegal immigration raids at its stores. No, the Olive Garden restaurant chain did not hand out $500 gift cards to online fans.” (NYT on Snopes.com).

 

J.R.R. Tolkien sings one of his songs from Lord of the Rings.

 

Get your sweetie a teddy bear . . . made of belly button lint.

 

Posts at “Get Anchored” since last Tuesday:

Song of the Week: Andrew Peterson’s “All Things New”

“Ditto” to the Atheist

When Does It Become a “Freakout”?

It’s Friday, But Sunday’s Comin’

Lost: Biblical Allusions or Illusions?

LeaderLines: Christ's Blueprint for His Church--Holiness

Winning Ways: The Easter Encounter

“There was always a will by this administration, and now there’s a way”

Song of the Week: Andrew Peterson’s “All Things New”

I introduced you to Andrew Peterson’s celebration of the Incarnation at Christmas (Behold the Lamb of God, over 10 years old now—where have I been?). He has another project celebrating the Resurrection. From his album The Resurrection Letters volume 2 here is “All Things New.” This one’s free: right-click the following hyperlink and follow the drop-down menu instructions to save it (HT: From Justin Taylor’s blog at The Gospel Coalition)

Play the MP3:

Download the MP3

“Ditto” to the Atheist

Christopher Hitchens got it right.

You probably won’t hear me say that too often, considering that Hitchens is a noted atheist, with best-selling books like God Is Not Great: Why Religion Poisons Everything.

But when he was interviewed by Unitarian minister Marilyn Sewell in Portland, Oregon, all I can say is “ditto” to Hitchens’ reply to one question.

Sewell: The religion you cite in your book is generally the fundamentalist faith of various kinds. I'm a liberal Christian, and I don't take the stories from the Scripture literally. I don't believe in the doctrine of atonement (that Jesus died for our sins, for example). Do you make any distinction between fundamentalist faith and liberal religion?

Hitchens: I would say that if you don't believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you're really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.

Nailed it.

Happy Easter!

When Does It Become a “Freakout”?

Jonah Goldberg recalls some of the unhinged elements of the Left during the days of George W. Bush, and wonders why they got a pass from the media—as opposed to those speaking out against President Obama’s policies:

Patriot Act hysteria consumed American politics for years, even though the bill was reasonable and the number of those affected by it minuscule. No libraries were searched. Terrorists were caught. Inconveniences and mistakes surely transpired, but not on a grand scale. American privacy endured.

Now consider what Salon magazine calls the conservative "freakout" over the health care legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by Obama. Unlike the Patriot Act, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 was passed narrowly, against the public's wishes and in the face of bipartisan opposition. It will cost trillions of dollars we do not have. It gives the government greater say in the most intimate areas of your life, far more private than your library record. It is based on dubious constitutional assumptions.

Lots of liberals opposed the Patriot Act on slippery-slope grounds, but it's worth noting that very few conservatives said the Patriot Act was just a "first step" or a "down payment" toward an even more aggressive police state, while many hoped it would be a temporary measure. Lots of liberals insist health care reform merely begins the process of pushing for full governmentalization of health care.

It’s Friday, But Sunday’s Comin’

Sunday's Comin' from Igniter Media on Vimeo.

Lost: Biblical Allusions or Illusions?

Lost fans, take a look at Chris Seay’s thoughts about biblical allusions in Lost characters and plot lines.  He’s written a book called The Gospel According to Lost. I’m not sure I entirely agree with his take, but its worth a read.  Find it at USA Today’s post, “It's Sunday school on Tuesday night for 'Lost' devotees.”

As I’ve written before, my guess is that Lost will end as a good story that falls short of the Good Story. But we have a couple of more months of plot twists to go, hmm?

LeaderLines: Christ's Blueprint for His Church--Holiness

If you’re a church leader, it’s important to review Christ’s vision for his church. Here’s how the Apostle’s Creed summarizes it—

I believe in the one holy church

The communion of saints

We are to be “one,” “holy,” and a “communion.” In LeaderLines, we’re taking 3 weeks to reflect on each of those 3 words.

Last week we looked at the oneness Christ expects. This week, let’s look at the holiness our Lord expects from his people.

What do you think of when you hear the word “holy?” For some, it’s just another word for “sanctimonious,” and conjures up images like Dana Carvey’s “Church Lady” character from re-runs of Saturday Night Live. In Carvey’s skits, the Church Lady would draw her lips into a disapproving pucker and sarcastically say, “Well, isn’t that special?” as she began her rant against behavior she disliked.

For others, the word “holy” brings to mind not so much sanctimonious people as it does impractical people, like gurus on lonely mountaintops or hermits in isolated desert lodges who withdraw from the realities of daily life the rest of us face.

Both of these ideas are exaggerations. A person who truly pursues holiness is interested in righteousness, but not in smug self-righteousness. A person who really wants to be holy is different, but not indifferent to the world.

We believers have been brought into God’s family, and we are expected to live by his standards now. Our natural impulses don’t have the last word. Our ego’s satisfaction is no longer our goal. The opinions of our peers and the prejudices of our culture don’t govern us. We can rise above any dysfunctional patterns that we learned in our childhood home. Our lives are to be different . . . set apart . . . holy.

And the Bible says that when God set us apart, he set us apart together! In other words, we have to work together in order for the community of believers to pursue holiness. We give each other encouraging challenges to keep going. We intervene with loving confrontation when necessary. In the event a believer stumbles and falls morally, we should work to restore him or her.

I love Ephesians 3:10, which lets us in on God’s reason for the church: “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 3:10). I love that verse because it tells me that God’s wisdom is on display through my mutual interaction with other believers—in short, “through the church.” Cosmic unseen authorities gain insight into the ways of God by looking at the body of common, ordinary people who follow Jesus. Astonishing!

Deciding to become a Christ-follower means joining other believers to fulfill the vision of holiness in our life together. As church leaders, this is a vision worth putting in front of disciples. Next week we’ll look at the vision of community that Christ set out for our life together.

(This week’s edition of LeaderLines is adapted from Chapter 14 of my book, The Anchor Course: Exploring Christianity Together. Learn more at www.AnchorCourse.org.)

_________________________________

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