Stallone and the Savior, Rocky and Redemption

You probably know him best as Rocky or Rambo. He's Sylvester Stallone, film star and Christian? Sly, as he's also known, reveals a little bit about his upbringing as a Catholic, attending Catholic school, losing his way, and now attempting a spiritual comeback equal to his latest Rocky movie.

To critics and skeptics, this story smells of commercialism and marketing his movies to people of faith. To those who believe that God can redeem people under the most interesting circumstances, this is a feel good story.

Can you envision a St. Stallone? Can you picture Rocky sitting in a pew next to you in church? Is redemption possible under the stresses and temptations of Hollywood? Your favorite hero may be writing the ultimate script.

Not as Popular as We Might Think

What do T.D. Jakes, James Dobson, Rick Warren, and Joel Osteen have in common? No, it is not the fact that they lead mega-ministries. Stop any 100 random people on the street and ask them who these people are and the majority have never heard of any of them.

The percentage of people who don't know who these ministers are is virtually the same whether we poll believers or non-believers. The waning influence of Chrisitianity in our culture has turned our most "influential" messengers into virtual non-entities.

One can argue that having 40-49% of people knowing who you are is pretty impressive. After all the majority of people who are shown pictures of Donald Rumsfeld, Barak Obama, and Rudolph Guiliani don't recognize them either. Yet the majority of people surveyed recognize pictures of Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise, Oprah Winfrey and Sean Connery. Is it important that people recognize our religious leaders?

I think that if these people are viewed by the press and politicians as speaking for the Christian community, then it is important that they be recognized by the general public. In an environment that is increasingly hostile to Christianity, it is vital that those who are recognized as spokespersons should be the kind of people who truly reflect the values of the people they supposedly represent.

What about you? If you were shown pictures of James Dobson, T.D. Jakes and the others, how many would you recognize? And more importantly, do you know what they believe? Do they speak for you?

Intelligent Creation Science Debate

Proponents of evolution outnumber creationists and or Intelligent Design (ID) professors, by a huge margin. The result is that ID teachers are often relegated to the fringes of academia or laughed out of the academic debate altogether. But what happens when you have highly qualified professors who hold to the theory of ID? The debate and plot thickens. Interestingly, the most successful battle against evolution is not being won in the United States, but in Muslim Turkey.

Christians have, for all intents and purposes, retreated from the academic arena in most secular environments. They have often been forced to cluster in private and religious schools thus negating their credentials in the "real world" of academics. But lately more Christians have earned degrees and positions in secular universities and are slowly making their mark. They are debating secularists using the tools of the secularist own making, and winning, or at least creating healthy debate, in many areas of science.

The realm of the secularist is not a pleasant battle ground. By simply caricaturizing and holding in derison folks who have a different take on the arguments of science, many qualifed minds are finding the battle too hard and dangerous to fight. I'll be the first to admit that winning the battle of creation vs. evolution probably will not result in many conversions to Christ, but if we can prove to be able to hold our own in the arena of debate, respect will be earned by those Christians who join the fray.

The one thing to remember; rationalism can only take you from the area of unbelief to the zone of potential belief. Ultimately the decision to believe in God must be one of faith. But a reasonable faith is not out of the question.

The Battle Over Christmas Begins

Here we go again, trying to celebrate Christmas without Christ. That's a tall order. It's like celebrating Mother's Day without moms, or Valentines Day without chocolate, or Martin Luther King's birthday without mentioning civil rights.

In one of what will be many clashes, the city of Chicago has put a retraint on the mention of Christ in it's Christmas celebration. While it is not a complete ban, there will be a nativity scene, a menorah and other holiday regalia, any restriction is cause for concern. If Christ is taken out of Christmas, we are celebrating "Mas"! What in the world is "Mas" a celebration of?

I have no problems with the term "Happy Holidays" as there are a number of holidays associated with this time of year. However, I do object to minimalizing the influence of Christ in Christmas. This is the prime religion of over 85% of Americans.

Let's send a message to Mayor Richard Daley and the leaders of any town where Christmas is watered down to a benign "Winter Festival." Without Christ, there is no need to celebrate Christmas.

Putting Christ back in the YMCA

When people think of the YMCA, they rarely associate it with being a Christian organization. The "Y" is primarily known as a community organization with an emphasis on sports and health programs. Over the years yoga and feng shui classes have been introduced alongside of computer classes, AA meetings and other support groups. But now a group of "Y" directors is meeting with the specific agenda of reintroducing Christ back into the YMCA.

Obviously, some club members are upset about this turn of events. The secularization of the "Y" has created an expectation among many of its members that it is a non-religious organization. It will be interesting how this will play out in the next few years. Bringing Christ back into the YMCA, what a novel idea. Now if only some of our churches would follow suit.

Pastor to Congregation: "I Quit"

If the statistics quoted in this article are true, ministry and ministers are in big trouble.

I have always known that ministry morale can be a roller-coaster. Despite all the pitfalls that acoompany "life in the fishbowl," ministry is a highly enjoyable line of work. I often feel like a baseball player who is doing what he loves most and getting paid for it.

Congregations can help their pastors feel that their lives and ministry are significant and fulfilling. Here is a short list:

• Bring your bible to church and make sure you also read it during the week.
• Attend church regularly. Not only on Sunday but also during the midweek to get that extra boost in your life.
• Keep tabs on your fellow members of the church family. Get to know them by name. Invite them out for a cup of coffee, dessert or even dinner. Call them if they don't show up. Visit them if they are in the hospital or sick at home. Pray for them.
• Find a significant area of ministry. Plug in and be faithful.
• Contribute your tithes and, as you are able, over and beyond for missions, and other needs that may come up.
• Insist that your pastors take time off regularly. And honor their time off by not calling them for non-emergencies, unless of course you are just calling to say "hi" or if it is a true emergency.
• Withhold criticism of your pastors and church family. Take your concerns to the people who can do something about it.

There are a zillion other things that can be mentioned, but this is a good place to start.

As the writer of the article stated, I too am glad that I serve a congregation that is relatively stress free. But I also know that churches can change and go in the wrong direction if the membership forgets to do some of the things mentioned above.

4 out 10 Births are Out of Wedlock

Marriage amendments are riding a high in referendum elections, but the institution of the family is dying a slow death. 40% of new births are now babies born out of wedlock. Despite the fact that single parent households (the majority of which are headed by women) suffer a multitude of problems, more and more people are chosing to start a family without a commitment to marriage.

Children who only have one parent are more likely to be raised in poverty, do poorly in school, abuse drugs, and spend some time in jail, than those who are raised in a traditional household where both parents are present.

Men and women who choose to live together before marriage are very unlikely to eventually end up married, and of those that do marry, 60% will end up getting divorced. There seems to be no upside to this trend of children being born out of wedlock, yet the trend continues.

Let There be Lights!

I'm breaking a personal tradition of not commenting, writing about, or preaching about Christmas until Thanksgiving is past. The trend now is to start advertising Christmas alongside of jack-o-lanterns and George Bush masks. Thanksgiving seems to be lost in the shuffle. But this article caught my attention.

This fellow is putting 250,000 lights at a cost of $10,000 on his house to make a statement. "You celebrate your birthday, right? Well this is Jesus' birthday and we ought to celebrate it in style." Can you imagine what 250,000 lights looks like? Can you imagine the traffic jam of the curious around his neighborhood? Can you imagine the children's eyes lighting up? And the smile on their faces?

What are you planning to do this year to celebrate Jesus' birthday?

Hey Sabbath Breakers, There's Hope for You

We live in a 24/7 culture. So readily has this mindset been accepted that the idea of requesting a Sunday off of work, for religious reasons, seems quaint or old fashioned. For some of us, fears of potentially losing our jobs, or not getting hired if we request off on Sundays, has put us in a position to compromise the idea of a Sabbath, or to rationalize it away as an Old Testament concept that no longer applies.

This link may help you to address the issue in a new way, thanks to a court ruling favoring a librarian who was fired for being forced to work on Sundays but has now been reinstated to her old job with Sundays off.

Sabbath keeping is still a biblical teaching. You may reinterpret it in different, appropriate ways, but breaking the Sabbath is not an option. The Sabbath was made for man (woman). It is another one of God's gifts to us.

Christians and Technology

"Christians own and use technologies in ways that are virtually indistinguishable from the rest of the culture," notes the Barna Group's David Kinnaman in a recent article in the United Methodist Church's Interpreter magazine. This means that people in your church are very likely to be actively participating in these broader tech trends [and that] your ability to minister with relevance will be affected by how you and your church embrace technology."

The writer of these words has written an excellent article about the pros and cons (mostly pros) of enhancing ministry through the use of technology. The reality of the matter is that anyone under 40 uses technology (blackberries, laptops, email, IM etc.) as a matter of course in their work and personal lives. The younger the person, the more technology dependent they are.

The church must find ways of using this technology effectively to reach a generation that does not necessarily need face to face contact in order to stay connected. While this may be a radical thought for those over 40 technology has changed our way of relating. The more past 40 you are the more foreign it would seem that a voicemail, email or text message is the equivalent to sitting down and having a cup of coffee.

One valuable axiom I have gleaned in my research of technology use in ministry is this; high tech must result in high touch. In other words, a determination must be made that significant interaction has occured regardless of the medium. For one person a text message from their pastor is a day brightner, while for another it may seem impersonal. Discerning how to use the technology is a must. There is no substitute for prayer and walking in the Spirit no matter what age we live in and what technology we have available.

Personally, I like the new technology. At my age it seems that just about the time I get used to one technology the technology changes. For example, among teenagers email is the equivalent of snailmail because they all have cell phone and text message each other all day long. But if it helps me to stay in touch with people so that I can minister to them more effectively it is worth the effort of adopting it.

For Those of You Who Want to Share Your Faith

Here is an interesting article about how natural it can be to share your faith in Jesus Christ with someone else. It's been documented that the average Christian quits leading people to Jesus after they have been saved just two years. This can be a helpful way to get you kickstarted so that the kingdom of God can grow.

Spiritual Leadership

I have studied the topic of leadership on many different levels and all of its aspects. I have come to the conclusion that there are common elements in leadership regardless of what field of discipline leadership is practiced. However, there are some unique aspects of spiritual leadership that make it stand out from other kinds of leadership.

While there are those who posit that a church needs to be run like a business, I beg to differ with them because the church is not a business. For those who think a church should be run like an educational institution cranking out disciple clones, the differences between teaching environments in a school versus a church are dramatic. There is little in leading a church that has parallels in the secular world.

One example comes to mind. The main reason for operating a business is not only to provide a commodity to customers, but to make money as a bottom line. Churches are not in the business of making money. That is not a prime objective, or an objective at all. Churches can be horrifyingly bad at cost effectiveness and be totally in the will of God doing it. God's stewardship often defies the conventional wisdom of typical business practice. That is why God paid such a high price (the death of His Son) for such a poor return (us).

So it is important to judge leadership in the church using a totally different standard. That standard must reflect the values of the kingdom and not the practices of this world.

For Men Who Want to Live Longer

If you are a single man, you will want to read this. Your life depends on it.

A very thorough study and report shows that married men live longer. The complaint that women have against men not wanting to make a commitment now has a new counter argument. Ladies, find a man you want to marry, look him in the eye and proclaim that God has sent you to save his life. Tell him that marrying you will add years to his life and keep him healthier as well.

The Bible says that "he that finds a wife, finds a good thing." Thousands of years ago Divine wisdom revealed to men that a wife is a good thing to have. God himself proclaimed, after he had created man and before creating the woman that, "it is not good for man to be alone."

So, single men, if you want to be in the will of God, get married! Find a good Christian girl and take the plunge. I can't guarantee that you'll live happily ever after, but you will probably live healthier and longer.

A Lost Generation

Twenty-somethings are dropping out of church like flies. A whole generation of young people is choosing to opt out of church for a plethora of reasons. The church of their parents is no longer relevant to this generation, but neither are the scores of churches that are being started to reach out to this group.

There is a lot of blame to spread around, but one of the biggest reasons for why twenty-somethings aren't going to church is that they don't see the connection between the life of Jesus and how it is lived out by the typical Christian. Many of these young people like Jesus, they just don't like the organized religious aspect of Christianity. Church politics, hypocritical church-goers, tons of money going to non-essential things, inferior music and boring preaching all head the list as reasons for dropping out.

What we need is a more connectional approach to knowing and serving God. Experiencing something is high on the list of what attracts the twenty-something generation. An action oriented church will be more successful in reaching this particular generation. Taking trips into the inner-city to feed the homeless under viaducts or in shelters, appeals to this group. Short-term missions trips to minister in undeveloped countries also works.

If we are to salvage this generation for the cause of Christ, churches must retool. That is a hard thing to do as older generations don't like change. But change we must. I've got an idea, why don't we let the older generation lead the change, instead of avoiding it, or allowing others to thrust it upon us? It would be an exciting thing to see our churches filled inter-generationally. I want my grandkids to attend our church, but it will never happen if my kids abandon it.

Thanks to all you Geeks

I am not a geek. I know enough about computers to get my work done. I know enough about cars to get me to my destination. When I get around those who are intelligent about such things I feel a bit intimidated, somewhat bored, but extremely thankful.

I know three geeks that are absolutely priceless to me. One takes care of all the IT stuff at the church, one manages our website and the other give me all kinds of great clues on how to use the internet and other software utilities and application that make my job easier. I am glad they love technical stuff and are good at figuring it out.

When I speak to my geek friends, they are excited, enthused and glowing about the latest technogadget they have read on or purchased. They describe the intricacies of these tools like astronomers describe black holes and dwarf stars. They are absolutely giddy about their discoveries.

But on top of it all, they love the Lord. They are using their gifts, talents and interests to expand the influence of God's kingdom. While others may use those same talents for nefarious reasons, they humbly offer their gifts to God. Thanks guys for your dedication to the Lord, his work and me.

Another Version of Being Slapped on the Wrist

A man in India was sentenced to be slapped in public 51 times for raping a deaf and mute woman. When I was younger it was considered a slap in the face to be slapped on the wrist for a major infraction. I can't think of a more major infraction than rape and a more minor sentence than being slapped for it.

In some countries women are treated as second class citizens and with contempt. The crimes against them are legendary. It is not unusual for a woman, who has been raped, to be declared not the victim, but the culprit for being without an escort in public, or innocently having her veil blown off her face by the wind. Some of those cultures are so repressive that they blame the victim solely because she is female.

The judges who pronounced the slapping sentence should themselves be slapped. I'd be tempted to stand in line to do some of that slapping.

Meeting in Secret

In many parts of the world, Christians are persecuted to the extent that they don't have freedom to meet together, they don't have church buildings and subsequently must meet in secret. Oppressive regimes hunt out, arrest and often torture our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Even in our own country, we see our freedom deteriorating as secularists attempt to push religion, especially Christianity, to the fringes. Vigilance is the price we pay for freedom. I appreciate those who are active in the political arena and law firms that specialize in cases protecting religious freedom. We must not allow the intimidation of those who scoff at religion to keep us from exercising our rights as citizens to practice our faith. To disengage from the arena is to put ourselves in the same place as our persecuted brethren. Not only that, but the resources that we are able to provide them with would cause them to be doubly affected if our expression of faith was inhibited.

Who would have thought, even a scant 20 years ago, that Christianity would be under such attack in the U.S. Fortunately we have the tools of prayer and legal alternatives to mount an adequate defense. Paul trusted in God, but also appealed to Caesar as a Roman citizen. Let's use both, but remember to confront our enemies with the grace of God and not succumb to using tactics that are dishonorable and bring accusation against the gospel and Christians.

Bible Substitutes

I'm following up on a previous post dealing with the fact that Christians don't read their Bibles. In fact, now there is an even greater danger, substituting other books, tapes, internet articles etc., in place of Scripture. Joel Belz writes a good article about this idea and you can read about it here.

Even Bible studies are being replaced by book studies. Famous authors are being studied with no real effort being made to understand the context of the writer's worldview or any of the Scriptures quoted within their texts.

Some would rationalize that since people don't like to read the Bible because they find it boring, they don't have time, or they have difficulty understanding it, that books about the Bible will eventually draw people into reading Scripture. But the trend is moving in the oppposite direction. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he defeated Satan by quoting Scripture. Can we hope to do the same by quoting Stanley, Swindoll, or Lucado?

Anatomy of Sexual Immorality

In the wake of the Ted Haggard scandal, I feel compelled to write a few things about why and how sexual immorality happens.

First of all, let me make it perfectly clear, there is no plausible excuse for committing sexual immorality. There are those who would posit that some of the reasons why this happens are as follows:

• It is a biological drive. Men's testosterone levels push a man to sexual conquest and the drive is so strong it has to be addressed.
• It is imbred in their genetic structure. Men were created with the urge to propagate the race and inherently feel an urge and need to impregnate as many woman as possible. Monogamy is not in their genes.
• Women contribute to this irresistable urge by dressing provocatively and enticing men. Sociological mores must be relaxed to allow this natural expression of sexuality.
• Morality has been redefined by a prudish culture and should once again be redefined because the rise in incidences of sexual expression outside of the context of marriage is proof that this institution needs to be redefined.

Each of these reasons could result in a blog post, but I will cut to the chase.

I have always contended that the issue here is integrity. Too much emphasis is put on the externals rather than the internal. History is replete with men and women who gave themselves to ascetic lifestyles, avoiding temptation, or any appearance of impropriety, only to retire to the loneliness of their quarters and fight the battle of the heart. It is there where the battle is won or lost.

Guarding the heart is more than just avoiding tempting situations. If a man has integrity, it doesn’t matter what his wife looks like because he made vows. To paraphrase the words of Bill Cosby, “after age 60 we all look like melted candles.” What does a man without integrity do when his wife becomes ill and can’t “perform? Or if his health fails and his looks deteriorate, does it make him less a man?

Accountability without integrity is hypocrisy. A man can lie through his teeth to his accountability group, the media, and yes even his wife if he is lacking in integrity. Haggard is guilty of not guarding his heart, a charge that can be brought against many of us. It wasn't a biological predetermination. It wasn't that his wife was unattractive. It wasn't that his freedom of sexual expression was repressed by a prudish culture. It was a failure to cultivate a healthy integrity that would drive him to be a man of his word regardless of the circumstance or temptation.

The only difference between Haggard and the rest of us is that many of us have yet to get caught. Fortunately nothing is hidden from God. He has full access to the heart. Sexual immorality, as well as the pursuit of any sinful lifestyle is a result of the attitude of the heart. Above all else, guard your heart.

Today is "VOTE" day

Chuck Colson weighs in on the duty of Chrisitians to be involved in politics especially through voting.

Pundits are claiming that there will be a seismic political shift today. Republicans have enjoyed leadership power at the legislative and executive branches of our government. They are poised to probably lose the majority in the House and possibly the Senate as well. That scares some people and makes others jubilant.

For the most part, the majority of conservatives and evangelicals have favored the Republican party because they ran on a platform that seemed to mirror many of the values held by them. There has been a lot of dissatisfaction with the way they have handled their positions particularly in the area of immigration, the war in Iraq, and fiscal policy. As a result, many conservatives have intimated that they will sit this one out.

I'm with Colson on this one. Passivity is not an option. Politics is sometimes having to vote for the lesser of two bad choices. Any way you look at it, you should go to the your polling station and vote your conscience for the candidates that most closely represents your interests on your key issues, be they Democrat, Republican or some other party.

I'll be going to lunch in about an hour. Part of that hour will be spent prayerfully poring over the ballot for our local candidates and issues. I hope you'll do the same sometime today.

Let the Healing Begin

The Ted Haggard debacle has come to an end. Not really, but it is the beginning of the end. Having admitted to sexual immorality, he has been relieved of his role as pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs. He previously vacated his position as president of the National Association of Evangelicals.

Fortunately for Ted and his family he is being offered great support as Dr. James Dobson, Dr. Jack Hayford and Pastor Tommy Barnett have agreed to assist in his reconciliation, recovery and ultimate restoration to the Body of Christ. These men are highly respected in the Christian community and have a lot of experience helping people in spiritual crisis.

Oh how I had wished that the allegations weren't true, but I would suspect that all of us have our dark side and secrets we don't want exposed. To those who would accuse Ted of hypocrisy, let me remind you that he is no more hypocritical than those of us who stand in church on Sunday morning with hands outstretched while singing "I Surrender All" or "You are My Everything."

His preaching on Sunday mornings was true and he believed it. The fact that he had trouble living up to it doesn't make these truths any less true. He will suffer the consequences of his choices, but he and his family are deserving of our prayers and support. We are not an army that shoots its wounded as we have so often been accused.

You can send a word of encouragement or support to thaggard@newlifechurch.org. Let the healing begin. And remember we serve Christ. He is the one who died for our sins. Not Haggard, Dobson, Falwell, Robertson, or Rivera. We are simply men with feet of clay having been given the most difficult assignment on earth; preaching and teaching the truth while at the same time being wholly conscious of our inability to live up to all of it.

Another Evangelical Leader Bites the Dust

By now most people have heard of the scandal surrounding Rev. Ted Haggard, pastor of New Life Chuch in Colorado Springs and President of the National Association of Evangelicals. He has since resigned one post (NAE) and been put on administration leave at the church. He is being accused by a male prostitute of purchasing methamphetamines and engaging in gay sex over a period of three years. You can read the details from the newspaper story. Let's address the various scenarios in the Haggard case as they may unfold.

Let's assume he is guilty of purchasing methamphetamines. It is illegal, and upon investigation and confirmation, he should be charged, tried and justice should be meted out. But within the church, let's also deal with the commonality of human weakness with a measure of grace. An individual leading an organization like a 14,000 member church while being the head of an evangelical organization that represents about 45,000 churches and up to 30 million adherents leads a life with a torrid schedule of appearances, travel and other responsibilities. Under that kind of stress I can easily see him looking for an edge that will give him an extra hour a day or extra energy to fulfill all his obligations. Many in his position choose legal drugs like tons of coffee or over the counter drugs like NoDoz. It doesn't make it right, but it it wouldn't make it uncommon for human weakness to compromise convictions and falsely justify its efficacy. He would be guilty as charged, but grace is offered if he does not have a history of this kind of offense and remorse and repentance are evident. The price that will be paid in public himiliation, loss of credibility, and probably loss of livelihood is ample punishment.

Let's assume he is guilty of having a homosexual relationship. His hypocrisy would make him a pariah on both sides of the issue. Living under that kind of sentence is more than enough punishment in my estimation.

Now let's assume he is innocent of the homosexual charges brought against him. Many of his accusers would have to eat crow judging by the outcry in the media and on internet blogs. In time the truth will rise to the surface. Until then, there has already been some admission of guilt and the consequences are already being felt.

I'll wait until the story plays itself out. I'm hoping he is innocent for the sake of his wife, children and church. If he is indeed guilty, I wouldn't give his problems to a monkey on a rock. His life has been forever changed.

Church Budgets, Where Does the Money Go?

October is church budget month. We call it the Ministry Expense Plan (MEP). How are church expenditures determined.? I'll try to give you a concise yet clear accounting of how we do it in our church.

Prior to the October Advisory Council Meeting (the Board that discusses all of the issues, concerns and plans for our church) a detailed report for the previous 12 months is printed up by our Bookkeeper. This information provides us with the details of how last year's MEP played out. This includes everything from building maintenance expenses, salaries for staff, and programming needs for each of our departments. We determine how well our planning went for the previous 12 months and then we project these numbers into the coming year.

Each department of our church is required to submit a detailed budget request based on what they believe they will need to accomplish their ministry goals. These line items are determined by vision casting for the ministry departments, researching what tools, and resources will be needed to fulfill those goals, and a dollar amount is given to each line item. Fixed expenses (utilities, maintenance, missionary support etc.) are added to those numbers. After carefully gathering the information, it is all compiled and then presented to our Advisory Council for review.

The Advisory Council goes over each line item and approves, adjusts, or rejects items based on feasiblity, financial contraints, and faith to pursue our ministry goals. When the final numbers are agreed upon, we establish that as our MEP and inform our congregation what amount of funding is needed to pursue our goals for the upcoming year.

Our congregation is challenged to prayerfully give towards the goals for the upcoming year. Our ministry programs will then be pursued according to how our congregation responds to the vision challenge. We practice financial stewardship and adjust our expenses accordingly throughout the coming year so as to maintain fiscal integrity.

At the end of the fiscal year, a detailed financial report is automatically sent to each of our members and any other attender or non-member who requests the report. This allows our congregation to see how closely we followed our MEP.

Giving is a wonderful privilege in partnering with God and His church to make an impact in our community and the world. Financial planning and accountability encourages people to give by assuring that their giving is going to worthwhile endeavors.