Something to shout about

 

Remember Steve's letter to the Arizona Daily Star (see Thursday's blog)? It drew fire - a tasteless, vituperative e mail full of venom from a local who hates God. And all because he signed the letter as a staff member at Dove Mountain Church. I don't know whether we will see full-scale persecution of the church in America in my lifetime, but such viciousness should serve to make us all the bolder, especially on the Lord's Day when we gather for worship of Almighty God. As you prepare for worship today, be inspired by the bold notion of what it means to shout "Jesus is Lord" to the North and to the South!

Not a TV Survivor!

Many thanks to Pastor Allen Cooney for his encouraging message from Ephesians 2:1-10 this past Sunday. We actually quoted from it several times in our Sunday school class immediately following the service. I had heard bits and pieces of the dramatic story of Louis Zamperini a few times before, but Pastor Allen's "teaser" is no doubt going to drive many of us the read  the "rest of the story."  I'd like to challenge any Dove Mountaineer to read either the book pictured here, Devil at My Heels, ot the one from which Pastor Allen quoted, Unbroken, give a complete book report in our WorldMovers Sunday School class soon! Zamperini's story is not only amazing because of what he has survived, but because of how he has turned it into a powerful testimony for Christ.  To God be the Glory!                                                

Continuing to trust in God's leading

We elected a search committee and trusted God to lead them.

Following their wisdom, we invited a candidate, and voted to extend him a call. Then God sovereignly spoke when, after waiting several weeks for his reply, he turned down the call. The search committee went back to work, and prayer. We invited another candidate. We grilled him with tough questions. We had a long meeting in which many frank opinions were expressed - not just about the candidate, but about who we are as a congregation. We prayed for a week. We voted to extended a call, again.

We had to trust the congregation to elect the right search committee. We had to trust that the first candidate made the right decision when he turned us down. We had to trust the search commitee's next choice. We had to trust the testimonies of those who spent time with the new candidate. We had to trust in our own wisdom and discernment when we voted. We had to trust int he process outlined in the Book of Church Order.

All this trusting is not a stretch for those who trust in a Soverereign God. As we well know, the process is still not over. Now we need to trust God's guidance in his heart. Don't stop praying yet!

As you prepare for worship today...

You have all heard the truism that you are what you eat. This is true on a number of levels, and of course it is also false in other ways. No matter how carelessly you eat, you are not going to turn into high fructose corn syrup. And no matter how finicky you are when you eat, you are not going to turn into a bean sprout. So it is not true that “you are what you eat” on that level, for which we may thank the Lord.

However there are ways in which it is true. Scripture teaches that we become like what we worship, and if you worship your food, there will be transformations in accordance with this principle. Eating and drinking is not simply a matter of refueling. Far more is involved than this, and a fussy eater is a fussy worshipper. A careless eater is a careless worshipper. In both instances, the behavior reinforces itself, and a downward spiral sets in.

But if you worship Jesus Christ, the true calling of every Christian, you become more and more like Jesus Christ. Here is another way to think of it. This bread, this wine, set on this table, is the grace of God. You are invited now to come and eat and drink that grace. Now if you become what you eat, what should be happening? You should be turning into the grace of God.

This is the grace of God to you, which feeds you, and you become the grace of God that feeds others. You receive gracious food so that you might become gracious food.

Come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.

Douglas Wilson

Clarity from the Bayly Brothers

The televised statements of President Obama and Speaker Boehner on Monday night left us with the best crafted statements of each side of the current budget crisis.  Before I had time to write my own analysis, I found this very excellent anaylsis from the Bayly brothers' blog:

"The battle over money going on between President Obama and the House of Representatives is worth watching because, for years to come, it will be used as an example proving something. Just ask Newt Gingrich.

Exactly what it proves remains to be seen and is largely a function of the degree to which those of us who oppose government-gone-wild make our voices heard in support of what the freshman class and Speaker Boehner are trying to do.

So, good citizens, speak up.

Last night in his plea for support of unlimited government, President Obama said:

Most Americans, regardless of political party, don't understand how we can ask a senior citizen to pay more for her Medicare before we ask corporate jet owners and oil companies to give up tax breaks that other companies don't get.

To understand such deceptions...
...keep in mind that "to give up tax breaks" is the opposite of asking an elderly woman to "pay more for her Medicare." What that elderly woman is paying more for is not, actually, her Medicare, but the services and products she's buying from doctors, hospitals, and pharmacists. And the tax breaks President Obama is asking the rich man to give up are not, actually, money that belongs to the elderly woman that the rich man is selfishly keeping from her.

Either implicitly or explicitly, what government-gone-wild men always try to do to confuse the matter is speak as if government is a commodity both the poor elderly woman and the nasty rich man are purchasing, and the problem is that the nasty rich man is refusing to pay his fair share, thus leaving the frail elderly woman to pay more than she can or ought.

But can we clarify matters, here? The elderly woman and rich man are not buying "government." The only thing being bought is doctoring and pills and that doctoring and those pills are being consumed by that elderly woman--not the rich man. Further, she isn't his mother--some other man not in the picture is the one who should be helping her pay for her doctoring and pills because she's his mother. But instead of honoring his own mother as he ought, he's demanding the president and his cronies force some other mother's son to fork over more of his own mother's support for the support of another son's mother.

Government isn't a commodity that the elderly woman pays for. Contrary to our unlimited government men like President Obama, no limited government man has ever asked any "senior citizen to pay more for her Medicare." What we've asked is for that senior citizen to pay more for her own pills and her own doctor and her own hospital room.

Medicare isn't a commodity that's paid for either by the frail elderly grandmother or the mean grasping rich man--take your pick and show us what you're made of. Medicare is products and services senior citizens holding membership in the AARP demand and want President Obama to force rich men to buy for them. And rich men don't give up "tax breaks." They look down the barrel of the gun held to their head by President Obama and pull out their wallet and pay for the pills and doctor and hospital of some other man's mother.

That's what it means to "give up a tax break." It's not to stop holding on to money that rightfully belongs to the government or another man's elderly mother. It's to fork over your own elderly mother's money so some other man doesn't have to support his own mother.

When the rich man gives up tax breaks, he is submitting to the government forcing him at gunpoint to work for that elderly woman rather than his own wife, children, parents, grandparents, church's diaconal fund, African orphans, crisis pregnancy centers, and on the list goes until the government steps in and forces his duty and charity to stop.

Never forget this. Unlimited government men are always trying to destroy marriage and the covenants of love binding us together as God ordained with goverment and its police and courts and social workers and transfers of wealth done at gunpoint.

Limitless government is always about it taking a village--thus rendering fatherhood impotent.

Ask African American men.

Does this mean I'm opposed to any transfer of wealth or ministry of compassion carried out under the aegis of government and funded by taxpayers?

No. There are times when this is right.

What I oppose is rhetoric intended to bamboozle the serfs or foment class hatred. Also the taxation without representation we habitually give ourselves to by spending the money of our great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandchildren who will be forced to spend their lives working to pay taxes that service debt they've inherited from us. Also the limitless goverment men hiding their pandering to the NEA and the AARP behind talk of "senior citizens" and "our children."

Also the transfer of our entire economy to the jurisdiction of King Obama and his cronies.

Also the transfer of authority over our own households and children to Queen Michelle and her dieticians.

Stuff like that."

Couldn't have said it better, myself.  

(HT:  Eddie Taylor.)

A little something for Monday morning

The song is from Murray Wylie's extraordinary oratorio, Jerusalem Passion, which was first performed in 1985 in Wylie's native Australia.  The song has alwys inspired me with a vision of unity in the body of Christ, so I asked my son Timothy to create a video for it.  Enjoy!

Emergency response planning

Not long after becoming headmaster at Cornerstone Christian Academy, a parent approached me with some concerns about student safety.  That began is five year period of research on school safety plans, which resulted in Cornerstone Emergency Response Manual for teachers, regular training days and procedure rehearsals, and the assmebly of various emergency supply kits to cover a wide variety of situations.  To be honest, much of this work ws done by asssistant Headmaster Brian McKinley, but the whole faculty grew wiser in the process.  Many parents were involved, as well, and when Cornerstone was visited pursant to accreditation, both the parents' Saftey Committee and the Emergency Manual were commended as exemplars for other schools.

I thought of all those hours we invested in emergency preparedness when I read an article in the June 18 World about how Missouri churches had responded to the famillies afflicted by the recent tornado which struck Joplin.  One of the things that struck me was this paragraph: 

"Community Outreach Minister Jay St. Clair of College Heights Christian Church said his people were able to respond quickly because they already had a system in place to help and to serve  the community.  'Once you have a church that is working in community outreach, you already have a lot of the logistics in place...and this is just extended during a crisis.' "

Thank God that College Heights Church already had resources and systems in place to be used of God in response to the crisis in Joplin.  It would be great if all churches had a community outreach committee to think through and anticipate the kinds of emergencies that might strike in their area.  As with the case of   Joseph's preparation for the seven years of famine, people of faith could be a great testimony to God's grace and love in such circumstances.

Adventures...and praying for “smoothness”

When given an opportunity to tell about something interesting that happened to them over a week end or even a long holiday break, my students often have trouble thinking of anything they deem worthy of recounting. Even if they traveled, they often don’t “see” much that’s new or stimulating to them.  pon returning from reunions with relatives, they usually can’t think of anything noteworthy they conversed about.

This is partly a function of “normalcy.” Good parents work hard at making their children’s lives as free from stress and distress as possible. Stable homes are not generally characterized by high drama. But “interesting” does not have to equal “traumatic” in order for our lives to be filled with meaning and edification. One observant eight-year-old recounted for me in some detail the scavenger hunt he participated in. It involved word play and clever clues, all of which he relished in the retelling. This is a young man who, rather than complaining that life is boring, took the hand that was dealt him and found pleasure in it. He then committed it to memory, so as to entertain and challenge others with the retelling of the story. This is a good use of the “adventures” God sends our ways.

It is a phenomenon of the “Pre-Polly” years (preschool through about age 6) that young children tend to see things with eyes of “wonder.” It is inevitable that as children mature, they are not quite as amazed by new experiences as they were in those more impressionable years. But we have also poisoned our culture with the vanity of  being “too cool to be impressed,” and it only takes a few times of being laughed at, or ignored, for the sensitive child to ”catch on” that his enthusiasms are a bit quirky to others. The goal then becomes to sublimate or deny them as much as possible.

But back to “normalcy.” We are all conflicted over this. We want it…and we don’t. I remember the first time I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. When Lucy got safely back to the spare room following her first visit to Narnia, part of me wanted her to stay in England and not go back…to unknown places where there are witches! I knew there would be trouble! And we like things to be safe.

Of course, she did go back, and the events which troubled her return became one of my favorite stories of all times. I came to understand that while adventures are not completely “safe,” they are worthwhile when Aslan is there to guide and interpret for us. And in each succeeding book in the series, the children are constantly getting themselves into hot water (read: “dangerous adventures”). And over and over they encourage each other to face up to the adventure thaty Aslan has sent.

In the thousands of prayers I have prayed in the course of teaching in Christian schools, I have oft repeated the phrase, “Father we thank you for the adventure you have chosen for us.” It is my intentional contrast to the common phrase I hear in the prayers of both adults and children: “Help everything to go smoothly.” While I understand that this is the normally desirable state of affairs, I also realize that it is not always in God’s design for things go as “smoothly” (in human terms) as we believe to be necessary.

A more Biblical way to pray would be to say “May you be glorified in…” the event that we hope will go “smoothly.” In general, we need to pray that we would be faithful, that God would be honored, and that we would grow in grace through the adventure that Aslan has designed for us. Thank God, things often go “smoothly”! Our psyches could not take a steady diet of ”adventures.” But when adventures do come, we must be emotionally and spiritually prepared not just to accept them, but to profit from them.

Christians in the Workplace

D. Michael Lindsay, a sociologist at Rice University, recently completed a study of Christian leaders in the workplace, focusing on what role religion plays in busines decisions-making, particularly the motives which drive those decisions.  His conclusion is that leaders fall into four general categories regarding the role their faith place in their business life:  pragmatic, heroic, circumspect, and brazen. 

The "pragmatic" leader, exemplified by PepsiCo executive Steve Reinemund, defines himself as evangelical, but admits that he doesn't have all the answers.  Self-reflection by such a leader reveals that his decision-making is largely pragmatic;  they end up hoping they have made the right decisions.  Sometimes, Lindsay notes, they feel they are choosing between "the lesser of two evils - or the better of two goods."

Lindsay's "heroic" evangelical believes his or her faith is not "checked at the door," but rather drives the moral philosophies by which decisions are made.  He notes Sherron Watkins, the Enron wihistleblower, as an example of such a leader - one who would "do the right thing," even if it costs her her job or eventually brings down the company.

A "circumspect" leader is one who is "deeply religious, but isn't outward about it."   Like John Aden, a senior vice-president at Walmart International, such a leader is generally attracted to a workplace where the company's values resonate with faith convictions the leader already embraces.  While not always vocal about their faith, such men and women do peform their duties and make personal decisions that are based on faith convictions.  

An example of a "brazen" leader would be former Arizona Cardinals' quarterback and NFL Most Valuable Player Kurt Warner, says Lindsay.  These are the ones who are most unabashed about their faith alignment, and feel that their religion and jobs go hand in hand.  For these Christians, anything less than complete openness about their faith would be a matter of "being ashamed of the gospel."

Linday's conclusion is that "there is a lot more Christian commitment in the corner office than people think...it is entirely possible to be faithful and yet sensitive to the context of where God has placed you."

I find ths study encouraging, and its implications for our lives as Dove Mountaineers in the working community of Tucson are multifold.  I pray that we will be self-reflective about the impact we are making for Christ, regardless of which of the four categories we may most comfortably fall into.

Conflicting Demands: Feed the poor or pay the debt?

As promised, and as a particular convenience to WorldMovers, here is a link to the latest:

http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/morality-in-america/

As with all Presidential Prayer Team articles,

1.   Let it be a guide for prayer.
2.   Be ready to discuss in class - how do we connect to the needy locally in Tucson?

Back home, and a long way from home

Just as we were about to walk into the chapel, I felt the vibration in my pocket signaling a text message - "Gabrielle Giffords was just shot at Safeway."  It was from Dove Mountaineer Steve Johnson, director of family discipleship and the co-teacher, with me, of the WorldMovers Sunday School class. 

As I read the message, I let out an involuntary groan, which my brother immediately picked up on.  I was in my home town of Marietta, Georgia, for his wedding.  I immediately assured him it wasn't about anyone in our family, and delayed thinking any more about it until after the ceremony.  I even remembered to take out the bride's wedding band and put it on my finger to pass to the minister at the appropriate moment.

Sometimes I like to say that I was using the word "surreal" before it became cliche.   I can't think of a better word to describe the feelings I had throughout that long afternoon.  As best man, I was proud to stand next to my only brother, who had done the same for me thirty-five years earlier.  We stood in the front of the "chapel," as it was called after the large "new" sanctuary was dedicated when I was fifteen years old.   Built in 1897, it felt nostalgically soothing to be back within its classic, gothic beauty - marble exterior, high ceiling, stained glass windows, heavy oak doors and trim.  At the reception, I visited with a varety of relatives from both sides of our family, one old friend from kindergarten days, a number of friends from the neighborhood, and a host of friends from the church we grew up in.  It was so pleasant to share in their joy at this important occasion for my family.  Throughout it all, hovering in the back of my mind were questions about what was going on back in Tucson.

That night I sat down in the motel room and devoured the news.  Atlanta newscasters spoke of the tragedy in Tucson with appropriate sympathy, but betraying an inevitable detachment from a place so far away in geography and temperament from their familiar Southern culture.  I called home, and learned much more from my wife and son.  Over the next few days, multiple news sources I tuned in on as I made my way back to Arizona filled in the remaining details.

First Baptist Church of Marietta is so large that when I entered the "new" sanctuary the morning after the wedding, the friendly current senior pastor of about five years did not recognize my name when he introduced himself (my brother is still a member there).    He was probably not even aware of the wedding the previous day, so busy is this suburban Atlanta church.  I did see a few people I recognized, from a distance, and settled in to worship God in this place so meaningful to my memories.

The one change to the sanctuary was the enlargement to the stage to accommodate a whole orchestra.  This was their "traditional" service (the "contemporary" service had been earlier), and the music by the twenty-five piece orchestra and fifty voice choir was stunning.  I was thrilled to once again hear the boisterous organ;  at the time it had been installed, it was hailed as "the South's finest pipe organ."    The children's message was well done, but not nearly as much "fun" as one of Steve's.  The pastor's announcements were affably delivered, revealing a busy congregation with a wide variety of interests.   All the buzz both before and after the service was about the forecasted ice storm that would hit north Georgia that night, and his announcements included a thoughful entreaty to church staff members to stay home the next day if the roads seemed difficult.  Commuting in the overcrowded Atlanta area is extremely complicated to begin with, and southern roads are not equipped for weather hazards.

In the back of my mind was the curious absence of any mention of the Tucson tragedy.  Even though it had held top billing on the local news the night before, I could see that it had not "registered" in the minds of most people here.  The pastor's sermon was entitled "Why do bad things happen to good people?"  He missed a golden opportunity for an opening illustration in not mentioning the shooting, but perhaps he had not watched the news the night before.

Eager to hear the pastor's take on suffering and God's sovereignty, I could not have been more disappointed.  I am actually not a tough sermon critic, and am always happy to hear a pastor's persective on most any scripture.  In this case, very little scripture was cited (an omission which would have been unthinkable at this church in my youth).  Although I was happy to see the pastor introduce the word theodicy* in his message, he did not provide a satisying explanation of much comfort to the listeners.   But the worst part was when he affirmed the Baptist term "soul competence," a doctrine he said he "would fight to preserve."  It was virtually the only time he became animated in the whole sermon.

While many Baptists (including the most historical sources) define this term to distinguish individual religious liberty against that of an eccelsiastical or national body, this pastor was emphasizing the "decisional" power of the individual as (virtually) self-regenerative.  My grasp of the five points of Calvinism could not have been more strongly reinforced had I visited the most orthodox Presbyterian church in Atlanta that morning.  There was no hint of unconditional election or irresistible grce in his insistence that we save ourselves by our own choice.  Consequently, he was left with no answer for the central question, in essence confessing that "it's a puzzle" why bad things happen, if God is good.  His implied conclusion was that more people need to choose God.  My conclusion was that his God is not sovereign.

Forgive me if I belabor this point.  Throughout the week that has followed, I have watched Tucson dealing with the after-effects of the tragic shooting.  If ever there were a time when the relevance of such "dusty" terms as man's depravity and God's sovereignty could be put to the test, it would be here and now.  I am so thankful that the believers with whom I fellowship at Dove Mountain are well-provided with answers for the needy Tucsonans around us, when they will inevitably ask us why a good God would let such a bad thing happen:   "All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God" (II Corinthians 4:15).   It's all grace, from beginning to end.
        
After a convoluted travel adventure, complicated by the predicted ice storm, I arrived back in Tucson.  By Monday evening I was reunited with my dear family, and able to share the impact of this tragedy which had taken place at our neighborhood Safeway.  On Tuesday I was reunited with my dear Veritas students, and we could pray together for Tucson, Congressman Giffords, and the many hurting families.  By Wednesday, I was having contact with fellow Dove Mountaineers, and we could affirm our faith in God's hand to bring justice and wisdom.

I always enjoy going "back home," briefly, but it was good to be home.

 *According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary the meaning is "defense of God's goodness and omnipotence in view of the existence of evil".  Encyclopedia Britannica gives the meaning as "explanation of why a perfectly good, almighty, and all-knowing God permits evil." Random House Dictionary writes "a vindication of the divine attributes, particularly holiness and justice, in establishing or allowing the existence of physical and moral evil." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition states "A vindication of God's goodness and justice in the face of the existence of evil."    

Work vs. callings

In the recent World issue on labor and jobs, I appreciated the emphasis on the Christian notion of "callings."  Here's another quote from the Bonhoeffer biography I've been reading, one that discloses his own resolution about his calling:

“My calling is quite clear to me. What God will make of it I do not know…I must follow the path.  Perhaps it will not be such a long one (Phil. 1:23).  But it is a fine thing to have realized my calling…I believe its nobility will become plain to us only in coming times and events.  If only we can hold out.”    

Here Bonhoeffer was not just referring to his calling as a pastor, a matter that had been settled earlier in his life.  He was referring to the calling to leave the state church and found the "confessing church,"  the group which resisted control by Hitler's Third Reich.  Ultimately, this calling cost Bonhoeffer his life.

Manipulative children, ineffective parents

Without even leaving my desk this morning, I came across two frightening examples of scary parenting trends.   One was a video clip on You Tube of a child slapping his mother on national television (Dr. Phil), and the other was a clip on the Today Show showing a little boy dressed in a pink tutu while a smiling mother answered questions about why she lets her son dress the way he wants to.

I don't go looking for these things, really.  Both were stumbled across "on the way" to finding something else.  That bad parenting is so readily accessible should be frightening enough, but the treatment it was receiving is even more frightening.  In the case of the former, Dr. Phil counseled both mother and son in a "negotiating" manner placing enough of the blame on the mother that the son never had to show any remorse at all.  In the case of the latter, the interviewers were "accepting" and "affirming" of the inept mother.

Now please don't misunderstand me here.  I don't expect those who have rejected the wisdom of God to raise children well.   If Dr. Dobson had been sitting in Dr. Phil's seat, he would have handled this situation differently.  If Pastor Tedd Tripp had been interviewing the mom who let her children dress like a girl, he would have given different counsel altogether.  But both would have been severely criticised by the God-hating world around us.  This is partly why they are not sitting in those influential seats.  We should not be surprised in light of the Apostle Paul's teaching:  "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:  for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (I Corinthians 2:14)

My concern here is not that the unregenerate think foolishly, but that believers might watch these programs and be influenced by them.  We live in a time of abundantly available resources for Christian parenting.  If you aren't sure where to turn or what to read, just go to the family section of any Christian book store.  Or ask a Christian who has effectively parented.   There are many at Dove Mountain.

And part three....

Part 3:  Financial Matters and Men's Relations

1.  Those who are sent out by God to serve Him can expect Him to supply their material needs.   "Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel."   1Corinthians 9:14.
2.  God, in some cases, directs a believer to support himself in doing the Lord's work.  "But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that is should be done so to me...."   1 Corinthians 9:15.  
3.  That which is valuable must sometimes be destroyed because of the danger of its leading into sin.   "And if your foot or hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire."  Matthew 18:8,9 
4.  Believers may rightully give special consideration to other believers.  "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the hosuehold of faith."  Galatians 6:10.
5.  Believers are not to base their respect for people on their wealth.   "But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors."  James 1:9
6.  Lending and borrowing money are connected with freedom for a nation or a person.   "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."   Proverbs 22:7
 

More on Money

Part 2:  Giving to God and giving to People

1.   The tithe is God's minimum, taught by the law, by practice, and by New Testament approval.   "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's.  It is holy to the Lord."  Leviticus 27:30.
2.  God blesses those who are generous with him.  "Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase;  so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine."  Proverbs 3:9,10.
3.  Giving to God should be in proportion to the way God has prospered us.   "On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper..."
4.  Giving to the Lord should be a private matter based on one's own decisions.  "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them...Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret..."  Malachi 6:1-4
5.  God considers our giving an investment;  He keeps accounts.  "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands or My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit everlasting lie."  Matthew 19:27-30
6.  Offerings to God chould be honestly and fairly handled.  2 Corinthians 8:18-22 and 1 Corinthians 16: 2-3 show that proper precautions should be taken that the money given is administered properly.
7.  Those who serve the Lord full time should also give of their substance to the Lord.  The Levites were to tithe the offerings given to them, giving their best to the Lord.  Numbers 18:26-32
8.  God expects both individuals and churches to be generous with those in need.   "Blessed is he who considers the poor.  The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble."  Psalms 41:1.
9.  God's way of providing for needs is through the gifts of His people.  "If a brother or sister is naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, Depart in peace...but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?"

As a reminder, these principles are from Haycock's Encyclopedia of Bible Truths for School Subjects.  In this excerpt , I have only included one supporting scripture for  each conclcusion, but in the full volume, Dr. Haycock always present multiple scriptures from both Old and New Testaments.

Money close to home

As I mentioned in Monday's blog, we have been praying (in WorldMovers) for the new Congress, and inevitably concerns about how they will budget and spend keep arising.  On Sunday I posed the question, "Based on Biblical principles, do we know how we want them to handle money issues?"

For the next three days, I will share here some biblical principles regarding the use of money.  I credit these to Dr. Ruth Haycock's excellent research in preparing her life work, Encyclopedia of Bible Truths for School Subjects, the secret weapon that makes Christian schools diferent from all other schools.

As you read through these, consider your own personal decisions about wealth accumulation, budgeting, discretionary spending, and so on.

1.  Whatever good things we have are gifts from God.
      "Every good and perfect git is rom above, and comes down from the Father of lights..."  James 1:17
2.  Believers are stewards over God's possessions, not independent owners.
      Parable of the talents, Matthew 25:14-29
3.  Material things should not be a goal in life.
     "For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?   Or what will a man give in exchange for his own soul?"   Matthew 16:26
4.   Money is entrusted to believers to use as God purposes.
     "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."   I Timothy 5:4,8,16   "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have somehting to give to him who is in need."  Ephesians 4:28
5.  God is the supplier of material needs for those who trust in him.  
     "Be content with such things as you have.  For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'  So we may boldly say:  'The Lord is my helper;  I will not fear.  What can man do to me?'"  Hebrews 13: 5,6
6.  Money will not buy spiritual blessings. 
     "You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold...but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and wihtout spot."  I Peter 1: 18,19 

7   Attitude toward money is an index of one's general attitude. 

     "He who is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much;   and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to you trust the true riches?"  Luke 16: 10,11

8.  True prosperity depends on obedience to God and favor from him.  

"This bookof the law shall not depart rom your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous,  and then you will have good success."   Joshua 1:8

As the sacred hymn says, he was a "wee little man"

Steve's challenge from his message:

"When have we been so passionate for the things of God that we would go to the extremes to which Zacchaeus went?"

Lessons from the cat

Job 35:11
Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

AnnaBelle Cat (ABC) is the latest of many cats we have rescued from various fates. One of the reasons we took Anna Belle off the hands of a teacher who was moving was because she looked just like the one (very pleasant-tempered) cat I actually loved (of the many who passed before her). But the similarity is only fur-deep.

Anna Belle is stubborn and resists training of every sort, especially pertaining to bodily functions. I have broken her of taking naps on the keyboard of my laptop (she likes the warmth of the electric current). But that's only because I learned to keep the lid cloased when I'm not using it. That was one good thing she taught me.

But there's more. When I get impatient and want to withhold her daily rations, when she cries loudly for no apparent reason, when she wants to rub against me at most inopportune times, when she won't go outside - or demands to go outside (whichever is opposite of "convenient"), whenever she yawns in disinterest at my attempts to connect cause and effect for her...at these times I remember how patient our Heavenly Father is with us.

And just when I'm most tired of cleaning up after her, I notice her earnest profile as she scans my face, or she hops in my lap to snuggle, or she (for some whimsical reason) remembers to potty in her pan...then I remember that she is one of God's creatures, too.

And I thank God for the wonder of His creation. It is a marvelous thing!

Cultures exposed!

Last night I watched the second episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (the first two episodes are available online here), and I have never seen such an enlightening exposure of contemprary American culture.

First of all, I am not a food evangelist. What we eat is of some importance - certainly interesting to study and discuss - but it is only one measure of deeper issues in our culture. I am more interested in the culture of groups of people, and what lifestyle choices reveal about their root values.

I'm also not interested in debating the merits of "reality" television. Accepting the limitations of the genre (how "real" is anyone when a host of cameras are following them around?), it is certainly more worthwhile to use reality TV to study small-town America than having sex parades of bachelors and bachlorettes.

In a nutshell, Brtish chef Jamie Oliver has come to Huntington, West Virginia, to start a "food revolution," a transformation of the way Americans eat. His particular targets are a volunteer family named Edwards and Central City Elementary School.

With those caveats having been said, here are some amazing insights from four of the cultures exposed in this episode.

Family culture

The Edwards family are very brave to let Jamie come into their lives so intimately. They are uniformly obese, and an analysis of their week's worth of meals reveals no surprises: highly processed, high fat, easy-to-prepare food like corn dogs, doughnuts, pizza, pancakes, hot dogs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, etc. Jamie makes the comment that "everything is yellow and red." The family eats no vegetables or fruits.

The Edwards are sweet people. The mother wants to do better in feeding her family, and laughs nervously as Jamie exposes their folly of their food choices. The father is apparently away on business a good bit and seems somewhat passive in his leadership.

My commentary:

When confronted by the preponderance of convenience food in their diet, Mrs. Edwards makes an off-handed remark about "just trying to get through each day." I think that Americans in general think they are too busy (I hear this all the time), and yet we live in an age of cheap appliances and instant information. When will we take responsiblity for our choices and prioritize the best things, like cooking healthy meals for our families? Not to mention keeping the Sabbath...

I don't think Jamie's analysis of their food consumption was a complete shock to the Edwards family, but habits are hard to change. And the incentives seem small. Americans in general have become very poor at long term goals and deferred gratification. We want pleasure now, and few things seem to be worth really working and waiting for.

Jamie only alluded once to the possiblity that members of the family take solace or comfort in eating, but this is no doubt a major theme in our culture. The fact that food is a quick and easy-to-obtain (and generally socially aceptable) medicine makes one wonder, how wounded are we? I suspect we are much more desperate than we are willing to admit. I know it sounds pompous, but somewhere and somehow we need to learn to find our comfort in God alone.

Community Culture

Huntington, West Virginia, was chosen for this special because of a study (never identified in the program) that revealed it is one of the "unhealthiest" cities in America. While this may or may not be true, it is probably representative of most American communities. What was evident from the snapshot of Huntington conveyed through the program was: a fairly high level of obesity; the usual availablity of fast food; a somewhat complacent attitude about the status quo.

Jamie's presence stirred controversy through interviews with both the newspaper and a popular radio show. The radio host openly ridiculed Jamie's somewhat boastful claim that he can change the eating habits of a whole city, and the newspaper did the usual hatchet job of taking statements out of context to paint Jamie as a "Huntington-hater," instead of the "bad-nutrition-hater" he would prefer to be known as.

My commentary:

Although we have all seen instances when a prideful person is more invested in defending himself than in receiving constructive criticism, it is pratty dramatic when it is portayed by a whole community. It would have been refreshing to see someone admit, "Yes, we know we are eating ourselves to death, but that's our suicide method of choice, so leave us alone." Or to see someone humbly accepting Jamie's criticism and actually changing.

As is typical when folks do not want to face the truth about themselves, they turn the focus from their bad choices to killing the messenger through character assassination. Over and over they yell, "Jamie's saying we're stupid!" while offering no defense for their bad choices. I have spent hours and hours of my adult life in frustration over discussions which never address the merits of the argument, but turn quickly to character defamation, as though that outweighs everything.

A Christian worldview would recognize that there are no perfect vessels, Jamie Oliver least of all.  Ever hear of "total depravity"?  A mature person would say, "What can I learn from this donkey?" (Numbers 22:30)

School Culture

Jamie has ongoing conflicts with the "lunch ladies," who see him as intrusive, arrogant, and unlearned in the ways of the infallible nutrition guides from the USDA. The district nutritionist works hard at being open-minded, but is also concerned about the almighty nutrition guides, as well as cost-effectiveness. The school principal is sympathetic to Jamie's presence, but appropriately protective of the orderliness of school functions and the mental health of his staff and the children.

Three interesting scenes give an insight into school culture. In one scene, pictured above, Jamie demonstrates all the disgusting parts of a chicken that are ground together to make chicken nuggets, and proceeds to make such a chicken nugget in the spot. After breading and pan-frying this gunk right before the children's eyes, Jamie asks "Who would like to eat this?" and is blown away when every hand goes up. Jamie asks "Why would you want to eat it after you saw how it was made and what went into it?" One child answers, "Because I'm hungry." The other wide-eyed children nod in mutual assent.

In the second, Jamie takes two trays of food into a kindergarten room. The children cannot identify, by name, cauliflower, eggplant, or even tomatoes and potatoes. They do not know that french fries come from potatoes, or that ketchup is made of tomatoes. They have no trouble identifying french fries, corn dogs, and pizza.

In the last, Jamie is taken to task by the kitchen staff and the nutritionist when a meal he has created for the lunchroom fails to include "two breads" by USDA standards. The meal already included brown rice, which Jamie (correctly) asserted was quite enough starch and fiber for one meal. But never mind, Jamie and the kitchen ladies scramble to pull out some sliced white bread to "nutritionally balance" the meal.  Really.

Other important insights from the school culture: when Jamie's first meal went head to head with pizza as a choice on the lunch line, it is not surprising that very few of the children choose Jamie's chicken legs over the pizza. And when his second meal is served as the only choice, school officals are horrifed by the amount of uneaten food dumped in the garbage at the end of the meal. When Jamie asks that the children be given knives and forks to eat with for his third meal, the response of the lunch ladies and school staff is similar to the horror that might be shown when someone utters a public obscenity.

My commentary:

First of all, what is significant about this show is that they actually got a camera crew into a public school in the U.S. School culture is remarkably guarded in the U.S., for both good and bad reasons. I could not be happier that American adults got to see it first hand. The unfamiliarity of adults with what actually goes on (even parents with children in these institutions) is staggering.

If anything in the stories above concerns you, (and if it doesn't, God help you), then we should wonder where we should point the finger of responsiblity. So let's look at each incident separately:

1. The children want to eat the yucky chicken-parts nugget (which astonishes Jamie, who says that this would never happen in England, where he comes from). The explanation finally given, which I find plausible, is that the American diet of high fat, processed food leaves our bodies still hungry. This is not the school's fault (alone).

2. The children cannot identify normal vegetables in their natural form. This is also not entirely the school's fault; however, the kindergarten teacher heroically creates a food unit and invites Jamie back in a week later where the children pass his test with flying colors. Hooray for this conscientious teacher! I believe public schools are replete with such good teachers (and public schools are still a very bad idea).

3. Jamie has to follow idiotic nutrition guidelines from an USDA manual. This is not the fault of the district nutritionist, the school principal, or the lunch ladies. But they are all complicit in a bureaucratic system which defies common sense. Somebody needs to step up, be the adult, and tell the government "nutrition nanny" to take a hike! But the parents are happy to have the free babysitting and cheap meals which theydon't have to prepare, so no one speaks the obvious.

4. When Jamie's chicken and brown rice meal is rejected in favor of pizza, the lunch ladies and school officals speak as though the children are sovereign, and it is their duty to appease them as much as possible. Then they take the very bold move of allowing Jamie's second meal to be served (without a choice to opt for pizza), but chastise Jamie over the amount of (his excellent) food which is thrown away. Who is running the asylum (or prison might be a better analogy here)? I can't tell you how wrong it is for adults to abdicate leadership for children's lives and well-being.

In a later interview, the nutritionist admits that she likes Jamie's food better. Then who are she (and the principal and the lunch ladies) afraid of? Like most adults in the U.S., they are terrifed of displeasing the children. So are the parents, who will much more likely take the school to task if the children complain about the lunchroom food, than they will over whether or not the child is learning to read and write.

Finally, the knife and fork incident. The school staff actually speak as though they believe that children are developmentally unable to eat with anything other than their fingers and a spoon until they are at least twelve years old. This is so symptomatic of the dumbing-down of American children, that I have a hard time saying anything about it calmly. As Jamie put it, it is hard to conceive that the same nation that put a man on the moon feels it is impossible to teach children to eat correctly with silverware.

To the principal's credit, he watches Jamie patiently teaching the children to hold the fork and slice with the knife, and eventually he jumps in and begins doing likewise. In a later interview, he humbly admits, "I saw Jamie doing this, and realized I could be doing it, too." Bless this humble man's heart. What is it in the professional preparation of teachers and school adminsitrators that made him think his job was anything other than teaching to the obvious need sitting right in front of him?

And one gratuitous aside: Those of us who promote school choice over the favored status of government-sponsored secular naturalism are often accused of creating a rhetoric which harms votes for more money for public schools. It is very apparent in this episode that Central City Elementary School is well-equipped (the kitchen has every conceivable appliance), well-staffed (the kindergarten teacher has an aide), and the classrooms are well stocked and attractive. All this in spite of the fact that it is in an older building and Huntington is not a wealthy town. But those are the things that money can buy. What money isn't changing is academic success. And transcendent truth isn't even on the radar screen. More money will not cure these ills.

Christian culture

One of the early interviews in the episode shows Jamie visiting with a Christian minister who is the first Huntingtonian who appears to be sympthetic toward Oliver's mission. He is also shown preaching to his congregation about the high incidence of early death in the church and in the community at large.

A particularly humorous moment comes near the beginning of the episode when Jamie says "May the Man Upstairs judge me if I'm not right about this." The sardonic lunchroom lady Alice, who is in serious need of some sanctification herself, nods knowingly and says, "He will, Jamie."

In one scene at the home of the Edwards, Jamie persuades Mrs. Edwards to bury her "Fry-Daddy" (deep fat fryer) in the back yard. Before filling in the hole, Jamie says, "I know you're a woman of faith, so why don't you say a prayer over this burial." Rather than following Jamie's tongue-in-cheek parody of a funeral, Mrs. Edwards actually prays an earnest, heartfelt prayer for her family. Jamie is clearly impressed with her sincerity.

My commentary:

It should not surprise us that a person Jamie's age from highly secular post-Christian England would refer to God as "the Man Upstairs." It may be that someone briefed him that the is headed into the heart of the Bible belt and that he should frequently make gratuitous references to Deity.

What is disarming is that the camera can't make the faith of these people look ludicrous. The pastor comes across as affable and well-educated, and Mrs. Edwards, albeit hapless in taking care of her family, is nevertheless sincerely God-fearing.

We should be thankful for this fair representation of Christianity.

And we should be concerned that these good Christians, just as ourselves, are not always consistent in integrating the implications of their faith into their daily lives.

Praying for our Nation

Certainly the state of the nation has been much on our hearts and minds recently. A ministry that I only recently became aware of can be very helpful in guiding our prayers for the United States of America. Dove Mountaineer Jim Bolthouse is on the staff, and you can read their web site here.