christian

Discipleship

Risky Business

Believe it or not, but we all take risks. We take a risk every time we drive, go to the store, or eat dinner at a restaurant. When we drive, there is a risk of an accident. When we go to the store, there is a risk that we could slip and fall on spilled milk in isle 8. At a restaurant, there is a risk of eating contaminated food and getting sick.

Some risks are bigger than others. Football, skiing, snowmobiling, ski diving, and racing are all risky activities. Men are responsible for 68% of all injuries, while women only 32%. Young people under the age of 24 account for a third of all injuries. Unfortunately, for me, these statistics ring true for me, but that’s another story.

Insurance companies make money by discriminating people based on age, sex, and past medical history to account for the likelihood of accidents, medical procedures, or injury. Financial companies charge people more money for loans if they are deemed more likely to default on a loan. The bigger the risk, bigger the potential reward or loss. Millions of dollars are invested in “venture capital” projects that could either fail or make a ton of money.

Risk is big business… I guess you can say a risky business.

Haiti

Haiti Hits Home

The destruction in Haiti continues to sadden and compel people to give. Over $50 million has been given from “text giving” and tens of millions of dollars continue to flow into relief agencies. The Haiti earthquake had a personal connection for me and for the people of our church. One of our members, Jude Pierre, was serving on a mission trip in Haiti when the earthquake struck. The mission trip team was about 50 miles away from Port-au-Prince, but still felt the earthquake. Jude and his team return safely a few days later and their return was reported on by NBC13 here in Albany:

Click for video

It was an incredible turn of events and this Sunday morning, Jude will recount his experiences during the 10:15 a.m. worship service at FBC Ballston Spa. Jude will have pictures and information about his mission trip. We hope you will join us.

In addition, FBC Ballston spa has given over $1500 to fund Haiti relief efforts through International Ministries of the American Baptist Churches U.S.A. The American Baptist Women’s group aka “G-Unit” group at FBC also made medical kits with donated supplies that is being sent to Haiti. Thanks be to God for the generous giving from the good people at FBC Ballston spa. Also, our denomination has quickly responded to relief efforts.

Here is a summary of what the ABC has done:

church membership, mission

The Mission of the Mission Statement

Mission statements are used by individuals, non-profits, companies, and even government. Mission statements are supposed to focus or clarify an organization’s purpose or outcome. It is easy for a mission statement to be confusing, too wordy, and just too long. Instead of mission statements empowering people, mission statements can be used as corporate propaganda to make investors feel like the company is working hard. Here are some examples of confusing mission statements:

“We have committed to synergistically fashion high-quality products so that we may collaboratively provide access to inexpensive leadership skills in order to solve business problems”

“It is our business to quickly maintain competitive sources while continuing to globally simplify virtual services.”

“We strive to globally provide access to multimedia based intellectual capital and efficiently simplify effective sources to stay competitive in tomorrow’s world.”

“Our mission is to collaboratively leverage existing high standards in content while promoting personal employee growth.”

What the heck does all that mean? Catch phases like globally, leverage, competitive… Katie Irons at Blogcritics.org offers some insight to mission statements:

Epiphany

An Airport Epiphany

I recently experienced an epiphany after an airport security line incident. I was traveling with my wife and my two young children to Baltimore. The Transportation Security Administration allows you to bring larger quantities of liquid for children through the security line. We brought juice for our son to have on the plane. My wife and I thought it would be cheaper to bring juice. However, you have to go through addition screening. I proceed to go through the metal detector and into that glass enclosed waiting area to be searched.

A TSA agent came over with two cloths to wipe my hands. Gee, I didn’t know they were going to clean my hands! Nope. They swiped my hands for evidence of bomb making materials. I watched as the TSA agent went over to a machine to analyze the samples. I heard the machine make some beeps, which didn’t good, and finally print out a report.

The TSA agent walked over and said, “Sir, do you take any medications?”

“Ah, well, not really. Just some creams. Maybe some over the counter stuff.”

“Sir, we found nitrates on you.” The TSA agent said sternly. What the heck! Nitrates! The stuff that blows stuff up? I looked over and saw two other TSA agents rifling through my bag. Oh great! I’m done for. They are going to lock me away in a room without windows and question me for hours. I’m going to miss my flight.

Advent, blog, Christmas

Mary’s Baby Bump: A Divine Scandal?

Much is made about Jesus’ birth in the Christmas story, but often preachers do not comment on Mary’s “situation”: an unwed mother who is pregnant. Culturally, this would have been disastrous. Mary, most likely just a teenager, is visited by the angel Gabriel to bring Good News: she is to give birth to the Anointed One of Israel. Luke chapter 1 reads:

“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”²⁹Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. ³¹You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

It has been well documented that Mary’s pregnancy would be cause to shun Mary out of her community. A scandal! To be pregnant before marriage was grounds for divorce in the Old Testament. Even Joseph thought about leaving Mary, but a divine message changed that. However, apparently there has been some scholarship to suggest that Mary’s pregnancy may have not been that scandalous. Christianity Today‘s blog for women features a new perspective from Lynn Cohick, associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. Cohick’s take on Mary’s situation:

Mary was betrothed to Joseph, which was a legally binding arrangement in the Jewish culture. All that awaited the couple was the wedding. If they engaged in sexual intercourse with each other, that was not seen as a violation of any cultural norm. Later rabbinic writings allowed that a future groom who had sexual relations with his bride-to-be at her father’s house was not guilty of immoral behavior.

If pregnancy occurred before the wedding, this was not a problem because the parentage of the child was secured. What is shocking is that Mary is pregnant and Joseph knows he is not the father. The problem is not that a betrothed couple had sex, but that presumably Mary had sex with another man — she committed adultery.

This insight, the author contends, in no way diminishes Mary’s faithfulness and strength. For decades, scholars and seminaries have taught students about the negative moral implications of Mary’s situation.

I’m not sure what to think about this new perspective. Much of the argument of the author hinges on “later rabbinic writings”, which were after the time of Jesus. Mary must have experienced some sort of tension with her family and Joseph’s. Even though the marriage was a legal contract, sex and pregnancy before marriage was still a serious issue. Besides, the contract did not start until the marriage ceremony. I agree with one blogger’s take on it:

So, at this point I’m straddling a fence. I don’t think Mary’s family, however many knew, were jumping for joy at the news of her pregnancy but I think Cohick’s point is that the shame motif has been perhaps pressed too far. I have no idea what kind of relationship Mary had with her family to surmise what kind of reaction she would have received. I imagine the story of a virgin birth would not have been received well (no matter how close they were).

Some background on divorce and marriage may be helpful from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia:

The advantage was always with the husband, and yet a wife was not utterly helpless, for she, too, though practically without legal rights, could make herself so intolerably burdensome and hateful in the home that almost any husband would gladly avail himself of his prerogatives and write her a bill of divorcement. Thus, though a wife could not divorce her husband, she could force him to divorce her.

Joseph had two options:

Joseph could continue the engagement and join Mary in her shame and marry her.
Following the law, Joseph could accuse Mary of sexual immorality and releasing her from their betrothal contract. The penalty for adultery was stoning a woman.

Despite all the social and cultural implications, Mary literally becomes the bearer of good news. Mary’s faithfulness and strength are to be admired. Her story is a story of how God uses very unlikely people to accomplish his wonderful plan for salvation. No matter what shame she did or did not feel, Mary still proclaimed of God’s goodness in Luke 1:

My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.

May you, in this last week of Advent be a “bearer” of God to others.

Advent 4C

Advent, blog

It’s Black Friday! But, Christmas is Coming!

Well, today is Black Friday! The craziest shopping day of the year! Did you go and brave the crowds for all those insane deals? I could never get up at 4 a.m. and wait in line just to get a better price on a Christmas gift. Just of thought of the crowds, the lack of order, and crazy moms fighting over the newest toy (this year its some robotic hamster). Just check out all these people waiting in the cold:

Did you notice the throngs of store employees standing there to keep order? We have all heard the stories of people getting injured, trampled, and even killed by mobs of angry shoppers. Crazy! From the looks of this video, it is an orderly procession of people waiting for that great deal on that perfect gift for Christmas. From the shouts of joy in the video, I can only imagine the excitement, adrenaline, and hope that people experienced. They are excited about the deals. Their adrenaline is pumping because they know they have to run to be the first. And, they hope that their Xbox or Wii will be there for them to buy.

Why is it so exciting to wait and line at 4 a.m. to get the “best” deal? Why all the excitement?

blog, christians

Jon Gosselin, Please Stop!

As I mentioned before, I was very hopeful that Jon and Kate Gosselin would patch things up, but things have certainly gotten worse since Jon and Kate have split. The media circus has heighten the tension of the conflict between Jon and Kate. Despite Jon’s disclosure of seeking a “higher power” the relationship between him and his family is almost at a point of no return. The girlfriends of Jon, other “reality celebrities”, and the media have virtually wrecked any chance of reconciliation. I cringe every time Jon says, “I’m just here for my kids… I love them.” If he truly loved his kids then he would not engage in activities or conflicts that bring the worst out of the couple. Kate has admitted to her own issues, but Jon’s are more public.

In a strange development, Jon was planning a show with “Octo Mom”:

There were terrible, terrible rumors going around that Jon Gosselin and Octomom Nadya Suleman were going to have their own reality show entitled, Jon – Kate = Jon + Octomom. However, Jon has had time to have a long, hard think about this career decision and has come up with the surprising decision to opt against famewhoring.

You got to be kidding me. I think it is a little late for cashing in on his family’s publicity. However, one silver-lining could be the fact that Jon now has “spiritual advisers”:

NFL

The NFL Needs God

Many people ask me what I’d being doing if I was not a pastor, often I say, “I don’t know, but I know I would not be happy if I was not a pastor.” I truly cannot imagine doing anything other than ministering to others, cultivating faith, teaching, and providing spiritual care. However, I could be a chaplain to an NFL team. What a dream job!

I have already blogged about my experience providing the invocation at the NFL Players Gala in Washington D.C. Besides doing my ministerial duties, I got to meet Bill Cower, Ben Roethlisberger, John Riggins, Clinton Portis, and Larry Fitzgerald. Believe it or not, the NFL regularly uses chaplains and spiritual advisers for players and teams. You could imagine the sweet perks of the job!

Time Magazine wrote a piece on NFL chaplains who regularly counsel and meet with players. What is most interesting about the article is how one chaplain tells players they shouldn’t “pimp out Jesus”:

Halloween

When Christians meet saints after Halloween

Some of us may be uncomfortable with the holiday that is upon us: the dreaded Halloween! What an evil holiday! But, wait! Is Halloween really that evil?

The word “Halloween”, as originally indented, was a Christian term. More accurately called, “All Hallows Eve” (hallow meaning “holy”) was a preparation day for All Saints Day, a day that was originally created to remember the Christian martyrs and saints.

Halloween is often associated with the pagan concept of Samhain, the festival where ancient pagans believed that the worlds of the living and dead would been thinly divided. But, we have seen from the other ancient pagan festivals associated with Christmas and Easter, pagan connections do not serve as a reason why we cannot celebrate a Christian holiday. The pre-Christian practices of Samhain have been clearly separated from All Hallows Eve by the historical Church, but many Christians have abandoned this day of remembrance.

However, by understanding Halloween through All Saints Day, rather than evil occult connections, Christians can take comfort in knowing that All Hallows Eve or Halloween be a Christian observance. Here is why:

Book Reviews, nuChristian

Q&A with Author Russell Rathbun

Author Russell Rathbun spoke with On the Bema about his new book, nuChristian: finding faith in a new generation (Judson Press). Russell is a founding minister with Debbie Blue of House of Mercy, a pioneering emergent church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Rathbun is also the author of Midrash on the Juanitos (Cathedral Hill Press,2009) and the critically-acclaimed Post-Rapture Radio (Jossey-Bass, 2008). He lives with his wife, two kids, and dog KoKo in St. Paul.

OnTheBema: You begin your book with examining the postmodern framework. Christians need to understand it. Where do you draw the line between understanding postmodernism and using postmodernism to a church’s advantage without compromising the Gospel message?

Russell: The way I understand it, Postmodernism, is not a “thing” we can use or not use, it is just the way the world operates. It is the underlying ethos of our time. It is important to understand that the Post-Baby Boomer generations came of age and are informed by this ethos (whether they realize it or not). There has been a radical shift in how truth claims can be made. We can not assume that dominate Western Christian ideas (which may or may not be the same as the Gospel–often they are not) hold sway in the way they once did. This is why it is important to be in relationship with people instead of being in a debate with people. In the end the debate doesn’t matter, loving your neighbor as a response to the love of God through Jesus Christ is what matters.

OnTheBema: You make a good point about how Christians need to make disciples rather than just converts. You say, “We are not called to save people, we are called to love people.” (pg. 43) This is a radical departure from Evangelical Christianity’s emphasis on “saving souls.” Why do you think evangelism ends at the altar call?

Continue Reading…

Book Review, Book Reviews

Book Review: NuChristian

As part of Judson Press’ blog tour for Russell Rathbun’s new book, nuChristian: finding faith in a new generation, I have had the wonderful opportunity to preview and review this insightful book. In addition, Wednesday of this week, I will feature a Q & A with Russell about his new book. On Friday, Russell will be featured as a guest blogger.

nuChristian begins with a very brief forward by author and activist Shane Claiborne (fellow Eastern University alum), of the Simple Way. Claiborne, known for being a radical voice and champion for the poor, harmonizes with Rathbun’s message of how Christianity must shape “nuChristians”. That is, Christians who are no longer identified by hypocritical actions, scandal, and hot button issues.

In the preface, Rathbun lays out that the purpose of this book is to join the conversation of David Kinnamen’s book UnChristian. Back in 1996, Kinnamen’s Barna Group, found that 83% of Americans identified themselves as Christians, and that fewer than 20% of non-Christians held an unfavorable view of Christianity. Between 2004 and 2007, nine out of ten non-Christians between the ages of 16-29 found Christians to be too anti-homosexual. In addition, almost as many saw Christianity as it as “hypocritical” and “judgmental.” Seventy-five percent of non-Christians thought Christians were too involved in politics. UnChristian used these statistics and made the case that non-Christian resentment is focused on perceived Christian attitudes. Kinnaman used these statistics to form a bleak picture of Western Christianity.

Cross

When is a Cross not a Cross?

Be sure to vote in the poll at the end of this post.

Is the cross just a cross? Is there a way that a cross cannot be a religious symbol? In the interest of separation of church and state, the Supreme court will rule on an upcoming case that could redefine the boundaries of how religion can play a role in governmental life: Salazar v. Buono

The story goes like this:

A white cross erected on a rock outcropping on federal land in California’s Mojave Desert is at the heart of a Supreme Court case about the government’s display of religious symbols. The Veterans of Foreign Wars’ Death Valley post first built the cross at Sunrise Rock in 1934 to honor Americans who died in combat in World War I.

Neither the VFW nor Sandoz ever owned the land where the cross is located — nor did they have permission to build on the land.

But in 1999, a Buddhist asked the National Park Service for permission to erect a Buddhist shrine on federal land near the cross. The agency refused, setting in motion a series of events in the courts and Congress, culminating in Wednesday’s Supreme Court hearing.

Is it possible that a cross could be refined by the federal government as a non-religious symbol? If you think that is impossible, then consider this:

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