Tax Collectors, Zealots, and Flower Guys

A Few of the Scariest Verses in the Bible

2006-11-15T20:37:00.000-08:00

"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness."

1 John 2:9

"We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in Him."

1 John 3:14-15

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything."

1 John 3:18-20

Morality: The Great Divider

2006-11-02T14:10:00.000-08:00

There is a group of youth ministers that I know of and a house Church that I have been told about who smoke great amounts of weed on a regular basis. Now, I know the arguments: It is natural, we're in perfect control, blah da blah...
I have also heard about a Bible college student who argued that fondling his girlfriend was permissible and beneficial. I am not quite sure if I know all the arguments for that one, but I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that the Bible only condemns sex. (My answer to him would be, "The other day I blew a guy's arm off and beat him with it, but hey...the Bible only condemns murder.")
Then there are other people who claim much smaller moralities as a part of their regular, spiritual routine. They defiantly claim that communion must be taken every week in order to truly have the life of Christ in them, and this is far more than a routine for them. It is morality--right living. There are also those who state that homosexuality is a sin while others claim it is a natural part of existing for those who practice it. Christian friends of mine get drunk on a regular basis while others shake their head in disbelief at such an action.
There's no way around it. One of the main divisions in the Church today is morality. It hinders the process of unity almost as much as hymnals vs. projection. (perhaps that is dying down, but by golly I'll bet you we could find some Scriptural text to take out of context for each side!)
Could it be that morality is the downfall of unity even though Paul himself laid out distinct moral boundaries while also going to such great lengths in order to stress like-mindedness and being one in spirit?
My dad is a very good man, and he has personal guidelines for being a minister that he practices without question. There are all kinds of people who disagree with his philosophies on marriage, remarriage, leadership, and other issues. I don't care if people agree with Dad's philosophies or not, but personally I respect them. There are, however, people who have gone from friend to foe with my dad because of their differing opinions. All the while Dad tried to present his views as lovingly as possible. Greatest fans to greatest opponents. What are we to do about this? Morality is, indeed, the great divider. We are called to be one, but we are also called to be holy. How could the two ever coexist?
There is no formula. In fact, I am sure that as Jesus ascended into the clouds after his last words on earth, He whispered to himself, "Welp...here we go," knowing that the Church was going to twist and turn and split and explode. So many of the past and present divisions can be traced back to moral beliefs. However, I do not think that unity without morality has any place in the Kingdom of God, but I think unity only finds its beauty in disagreements. I'll say it again, I believe that unity only finds its beauty in disagreements and differing views. When we reach common ground morally, and learn to exist as one, beauty is found.
DISCLAIMER: I believe whole-heartedly that the Christian faith is not about whatever works for the individual:
"Yeah dude! Let's just exist as one. I'm going to snort crack off this urinal, and you take communion every week! UNITYYYYY! WOOO! SPRING BREAK! WOOOOHOO!!! See ya at Church."
I think there is absolute morality that we all must practice, and I truly do not know how to reach that without division. I do know, though, that if we can reach that and remain unified then we will see something more lovely than the purest sunrise or the most vivid flower. We'll see the wholeness of Christ.

Whom Shall We Love?

2006-10-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

your wife, your husband, your brother, your sister, your mother, your father, your best friend, the guy or girl you have really enjoyed getting to know who works in the next cubicle, the guy who works in the other cubicle who talks to loud, the person who gives you a gift, the person who takes one away, the gas station attendant, the bad waitress, the rude cashier, the redneck who checks you out as you walk down the street, the girl you fantasize about, your ex who broke up with you, your ex you broke up with, your ex's boyfriend or girlfriend, the friend who hurt you, the friend who hurt you so bad you couldn't recover, the person who stole from you, the person who is giving you unwanted advice, the person who gossips about you, the rich and arrogant, the poor and clingy, the person who's name you never remember, the person who you are more talented than, the person who hurts the name of Christianity, the homosexual, the one who says, "God hates fags." the one who hinders your cutting edge ministry, your next door neighbor who talks to much, the neighbor on the other side who doesn't wave back, the teacher who is unfair, the dork you just got done making fun of, the person you always joke because you are actually jealous of, the guy who got your job, the woman who is skinnier and prettier, the woman who is fatter and uglier, the lazy person who never gets a job but always asks for money, the spoiled kid who treats you like a pee-on, the fire and brimstone preacher, the weak preacher who never has a point, the minister with an ego the size of Montana, the person who beat you, who abused you, who verbally destroyed you, The person who always talks about himself, the person who never lets you get to know them, the one who goes up every Sunday with a prayer need, the one who cries at every opportunity, the one who is so thick they are never moved, The boss who just fired you, the last person you remember cussing you out, the last person you remember cussing out, whoever interrupts you today, the cynical, the overly happy, the loud youth group kid who always wears Christian T-shirts and has no idea about the "real world", the Goth kid who sits in the corner desperate for attention, the kid who touches you too much, the one who never lets you touch them, the last person who embarrassed you publicly, the last person who bad-mouthed one of your family members, the murderer on TV, the celebrity on TV, the democrat, the republican, the conservative, the liberal, the Church of Christ, the Baptist, the Church of God, the Presbyterian, the Methodist, the Non-denominational, the person who opposes every point of your doctrine, The man who said "God is dead," The man who said, "I am God," and killed his followers, the kid on your hall that always says awkward things, The person who always laughs too hard at himself, The person who sucks the very energy out of you when they are around, feminists, chauvinists, Blacks, Whites, Chinese, Mexicans, Canadians, Arabs, Taliban members, Terrorists, the guy who broke into your house, the person who is suing you, the cop who pulled you over, the person who tailgated you, the hippie, the yuppie, the mountain man, the artsy fartsy, the thug, the cowboy, the disrespectful teenager, the suck-up, The know-it-all, the person who causes problems every Sunday and you don't talk to because you are afraid of trouble, the person who makes a B-line towards you that you try to avoid, the fake acting Christian who seems to always make a show of their spirituality, the person who runs too much on emotion, the person who runs too much on intellect, the overly organized and anal, the sloppy, The person you have asked nicely for such and such a million times, the guy who you feel considers you a "less than," the person who hurt one of your friends, The one who breaks all the rules, the one you have walked past a million times but never got to know, the one who would hurt your popularity to talk to, who would put you outside your comfort zone to strike up a conversation with, the person who hates you, who embarrasses you, who slanders your name, who has made false accusations about you, who confines you, who knows less than you, who knows more than you, the person who acts just like you and it allows you to see right through them, the person who is nothing like you and you can't understand, dorky Christians, nominal Christians, outsiders of the faith who are kind to you, outsiders of the faith who look down on you, Humans.

To love is to be for someone. I was talking to my friend, Bill, about this the other day, and we both came to the conclusion that God's command to love was much more than us being able to say, "Yeah...I love that person." Love is an action that we carry out for others. We push them towards their success, (unless that success is against God's nature. However, success may be the abundant life that Christ promised), towards a fulfilled life. We do something that makes them genuinely smile. Love is something we mean from the depths of our hearts. There are those on that list that I have "loved," that is if love is defined by "not hating." However, there are people on that list that I have not benefited in anyway, and I have even kept them from a more fulfilled life. If I am to love these people, I will actively pursue them; because Jesus is deep inside of me wanting to walk up to them and say, "You have worth." I know Jesus lives in me, but sometimes I picture Him clawing to get out, in order to express love to the person I just ignored. Whom shall I love? Anyone with a soul destined for eternity.

2006-10-16T19:21:00.000-07:00

Hey...off the topic...

I just received a copy of a show I played at New City cafe. You can hear my newer music here: http://myspace.com/taylorandcompany

or you can click on the link below. Thanks.

A Tale of Two Pits

2006-09-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

You may know the story of Joseph from your flannel graph in Sunday school. He was his father's favorite son, and his dad showed him that special love by giving him the multi-colored dream coat. His brothers absolutely hated him as a result of this unbalanced love. Also, there were the dreams. He dreamt that his brothers' sheaves were bowing down to his in the field; and the sun, moon, and stars revolved around him in praise and adoration. Then, for some reason outside my comprehension he felt it would be a good idea to fill his brothers in on this humble dreams.
"Today I dreamt that I ruled...you guys...notsamuch." I think if I were one of the brothers, I would have had a bitter taste in my mouth as well.
One day Jacob sends Joseph to go check on his brothers while they are working in the fields. Genesis 37:18 picks up with their conversation about the approaching Joseph.

"But they say him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 'Here's comes that dreamer' they said to each other. 'Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him.' When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. 'Let's not take his life,' he said. 'Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don't lay a hand on him.' Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father."

This is where I see so many of my Christian brothers and sisters in the Church today. Do you see the first few steps of this process? First, they attack Joseph's identity--his God given identity. "Here comes that dreamer." Joseph was a master of dreams, and he would go on years later to use this gift for God's glory. However, the brothers saw it as something worth criticizing. Secondly, they had a lessened view of Joseph and who he was. Therefore, they saw his life as having less worth than their own, and it was this attitude which led to a murder attempt. Third, we see Reuben choosing life for his brother while the rest chose death, showing us that acting out our hatred is a conscious decision, not something uncontrollable.

"So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe--the richly ornamented robe he was wearing--and they took him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it."

So far they have criticized his identity, lessened the value of his life, and made the conscious decision against him, but now--now--they have allowed their attitude to manifest itself as an outward expression now visible to Joseph.

Those around us who we just can't take--whose gifts we are jealous of, who are more successful than we, whose personalities clash with ours, who have put us in unfair positions on purpose or accidentally--will feel our attitude express through our gossip, stabbing remarks, or fleeting glances. How often I have stripped someone of all they are worth, their self respect and their confidence all without raising a single finger but rather by merely using words.

We call insults "put downs," because that is exactly what we are doing. Just as the brothers, motivated out of selfish arrogance, lower Joseph into his own confined pit, we are constantly fighting for a few extra inches above one another. When was the last time you buried someone deep into the pit of your cynicism, pride, and bitterness all the while elevating yourself higher?

Jesus tells a story of another kind of pit:

He says in the last days, he's going to come back and separate the sheep from the goats (I'm not totally sure why they've been in one heard to begin with), and He'll turn to the sheep on his right and say, "Well done! Come on into the Kingdom, for I was sick, hungry, needy, naked, and in prison; and you met all my needs."

Then He'll turn to the goats and say, "I don't even know you, for I was sick, hungry, needy, naked, and in prison; but you met none of my needs."

The goats will ask, "When did we see you in these situations, Lord?"

And Jesus will reply, "Whatever you did for the least of these you did for me."

Then the goats will be condemned to a pit of agony and punishment.

I think the reason the goats got away with being with the sheep for so long, is that they more or less blended in with the herd. They simply got to reap all the benefits of living with the sheep, but they were never, ever sheep no matter how long they were in their midst. Jesus knew, though, and He could not, would not be fooled.

Also, I wonder why Jesus did not ask, "How was your quiet time, tithing, minutes in prayer, or how cutting edge was your ministry?" He simply asked, "How well did you love?"

I think some of us truly think we are sheep, because we've been traveling with them so long, but we still gossip, slander, and get into our own selfish lives. Jesus will know the difference, and if we have no answer for how we loved, the punishment is severe.

If we spend our lives evaluating others as having less worth than ourselves, confining others into their own pits of "worthlessness," and not lifting people out of their dungeons, we will find ourselves in our own pits of punishment and destruction in the last days.

Besides, My Arms Aren't All That Heavy

2006-09-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

I have been blessed with many good friends. Some of which I have links to their blogs on the right hand side of the screen. I'm friends with quiet people, loud people, intellectual people, funny people, needy people, and stable people. However, there is one friendship that stands apart from the others, and that is my friendship with none other than Charlie Ketchen.
Charlie and I have a special friendship that I will hold onto for the rest of my life. Stopping short of becoming his hit man, there is little I wouldn't do for the guy. I do a pretty crappy job of staying in touch, though, and I would like to do better. But that's just it. I know we'll pick up right where we left off.
Charlie and I met when we were both freshmen in Bible College. There was a "Say-goodbye-to- your-kids-because-they-will-never-be-your-little-boy-again" church service on Sunday morning in the campus chapel, and we were picked at random to help serve communion. So I got paired up with this guy who looked like he stepped out of Farmtown, USA (Francisville, IN), and our duty was to pass the trays from one side of the pew to the other. I had no idea who this kid was, but as the solemn communion music played and parents cried and people prayed, our eyes caught from across the row. Suddenly, we couldn't take it anymore. The laughter was forcing its way out like a cracked dam. There was no reason to laugh, but we did. We did hard. So hard, that our parents suddenly realized that they were dropping us off to meet our doom with one another. That was the beginning.
We have a lot of good memories which usually consisted of us running from whoever was getting us in trouble, but we have other memories as well. We have memories of pain and trial that we had to face alone. There were burdens that we couldn't carry for each other even though we would have if possible. There were broken moments when we would lend listening ears to each other's pain. It was during those times that Charlie reminded me a lot of Moses' friends in Exodus 17.

The Israelites were at war with the Amalekites, and Joshua was leading the charge. However, they received quiet a beating unless Moses, their fearless leader, would raise his arms to the sky. Have you ever seen how long you could go without lowering your arms? It is horribly painful, especially when your arms only weigh .0001 lbs. (which in and of itself is about a tenth of my total body weight). Moses just couldn't keep them up no matter how much he wanted the victory, so that's where Aaron and Hur stepped in. They held his arms for him, so the victory could belong to Yahweh.
That's what Charlie did for me on numerous occasions, and that's what many of my other friends have done as well. I hope that I have done the same for them. Sometimes all they could do was ask, "What can we do for you in this situation?" Even though they didn't know how to help, they did a darn good job of holding up.
We talk so much about being unified in terms of race, politics, generations, styles, and on and on. However, sometimes I forget about unity when it comes to my dearest of friends. I let their arms fall, and I neglect them as a result of taking them for granted. I forget to let them know that they are deeply loved and appreciated as well as the significance and vitality of unity between friends. If we can't be unified with the people we laugh with and consider dear to us, then we can't really be unified with anyone else, can we? That's where it starts.
So friends, I'm here to hold up your arms even if I may be 1/16 of your size, and I appreciate all the times you were there told hold up mine. I'm here, and the unity is deeply appreciated.

To see Charlie--the rock, the arm holder, the hero--click below:
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=21808553&imageID=794547063&MyToken=6dc7e362-57e1-4efc-b23c-f67a14683a25

Daddy, Chase Away the Zombies

2006-09-10T01:29:00.000-07:00

I know a family, or I guess you could call it a family. They have at one time or another all lived under the same roof, so I suppose that is enough to qualify them for the title. The parents got a divorce a few years back, and the wife is working over time on her second affair at the current moment. The husband was exceptionally gifted in the skill of sarcasm and practiced it frequently on his wife and children. The oldest son is sort of a "live in a van down by the river" kind of guy while the second oldest is currently in rehab. The youngest son is in prison for cold blooded murder, and the youngest daughter is who knows where. Their's is the family of America.
Here are just two statistics out of kabillions having to do with the family. The website I got these from are down below:

"Children of all ages experience abuse and neglect, but the youngest children are most vulnerable. Children younger than 1 year old accounted for 41 percent of all abuse-related deaths reported in 2002; three-quarters (76 percent) of those killed were younger than 4." 1

"In 2001, there were 42 children and young persons who were brought to the Juvenile Court for Care and Protection Orders, and this rose by 62% to 68 in 2003. " 2

Jesus and the apostle Paul talk a great deal about the unity and connection of family as well as the mysterious connection between husband and wife in sex. Paul talks about husbands and wives loving and submitting, and pretty much falling all over themselves in humility for one another. God in the Old Testament talks about children honoring their parents, and, even though He commands "children," there really isn't an age limit placed on this law.

A friend of mine and I were talking the other day about how many people are walking through their everyday lives in such great amounts of pain, agony, and loss. I went to a Christian high school and a Bible College. I have lived in a pleasant little bubble most of my years where everyone, for the most part, appeared to be managing just fine (or at least pretended to be, because that was, perhaps, the only way to exist in such a bubble). However, over the past few months I began working at my home Church, and I have started interacting with the everyday man and woman. It didn't take long to realize that many of these people were mere shells of human beings. They are only flesh and bones, but they lack life and joy and true connection.
I see more and more people looking like the Night of the Living Dead, where each person who was originally created with laughter, motives, vision, and meaning is caught and killed. However, their bodies continue to thrive, but none of these bodies have any connection with other bodies. They live in their own private death wandering the country side. I suddenly screamed and ran out of Church the other day, because I realized I was sitting three chairs down from one.

Here's where I'm going with all this:
The family has self-destructed in America. Husbands beat kids. Wives neglect their children, and siblings physically and/or sexually abuse their brothers and sisters. However, in the Bible, God refers to Himself as a protecting Father or a caring mother and Jesus as an intimate brother. Also, He refers to Himself as a pursuing, romantic lover--the knight in white armor. The only problem with these examples is that its no longer a safe analogy to make. Fathers are scary and mothers annoying while brothers are intimidating. The reason people are walking around like the living dead is because the family has broken down. There are no longer any analogies to help them understand God, so they see Him as the equivolent of their hateful, earthly father.
If God is against you just like Mom and Dad or just like your spouse, there is no longer any reason or purpose to hang in there. Give up, and wander the country side. It's all you have to do, if God is, indeed, like the average modern day parent.

Unity in the Church starts with unity in the family. The health of society as a whole and as individuals starts in the family. The journey of every man looking for God starts where? in the family. "Unity" is not a Church word, but a household word. Therefore, Husbands, love your wives and give them a reason to respect you. Wives, give your husbands the respect they will then deserve. Children, honor your father and mother, and find God in your unity today. May we fulfill the analogy this very day.

*1 http://pediatrics.about.com/od/childabuse/a/05_abuse_stats.htm

*2http://www.subcourts.gov.sg/mediaRelease/ProfileStudy_23Feb2005.pdf#search=%22statistics%20about%20dysfunctional%20families%22

Deflate

2006-09-06T20:23:00.000-07:00

"We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God." 1 Corinthians 8: 1b-3.

"Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up."

So, does that mean the man who simply writes about loving others and posts his writings on the internet for all to see but fails in love is actually a hypocrite? Merely puffed up?

oh...

crap...

I would rather be ignorant and loving than knowledgeable and full of air. Therefore, if you must fail your test, lose your job, put off writing your sermon or even paying the bills, miss a game, get out of bed when your sick, or even hold back in telling all the wonderful insights you have in order to truely love someone from down deep in your soul, and let them see a glimpse of Christ then let it be. The reward itself will be in the letting go and in the freely loving.

Slow down. Minimize this window right now, and tell the person closest to you that you love them--that they are truely important and beautiful. Go...right now...seriously, go. Do we hesitate because the person closest to us is not beautiful in our eyes? Well, the Jesus in you (if he is truely in you) wants them to know that they are, indeed, lovely.

Just conversing about it will puff up, but practicing it will provide a true connection with God.

Little Children

2006-08-31T08:10:00.000-07:00

I heard a story once, maybe you've heard it as well, that comes from ancient Church tradition.

The Apostle John was Jesus' best friend on earth. The Bible even calls John the disciple Jesus loved. Of course, Jesus loves all men, but John held a special place in Jesus' heart as a dear brother. John would later go on to speak with a flaming tongue of fire over his head at Pentecost, and he would perform healings on earth very similar to how Jesus did. This warrior of the faith, along with the other disciples, spread the Gospel throughout the country and established Christ's body--the Church. He would go on to write several of the epistles found in the New Testament that we still study today. Also, it is a common belief that he wrote the book of Revelation after seeing the vision of the apocalypse.
John--preacher, teacher, miracle worker, witness of visions, disciple of Christ, pioneer of the Church. If there is anyone that I would like to sit at their feet and learn from, it would be John.
Years after Christ's crucifixion, John was exiled to the island of Patmos as a punishment for his preaching. However, his preaching would not be silenced, and he established his own Church on that far away island. It was there that John grew older and older and lived out his last days, all the while preaching the good news of Christ.
It is believed that John grew so old that he could no longer carry himself to stand in front of his congregation. Therefore, the men of the Church would carry him up front and place him in a chair facing the body of believers. As he looked out at the people much like a shepherd over a flock, John would muster all the strength left in his old, decrepit body to speak one last message. I'm sure he would reminisce over Jesus' teachings and times he spent with the Lord. He would remember all the other churches he planted and the visions he had seen and the letters he had written, the times he had been beaten and bruised for his faith.
This man of God who had accomplished so much and had so much knowledge that he was capable of imparting to his people would muster all his strength to say one sentence over and over to his flock. This one sentence would suffice as his sermon week after week repeated over and over. He would simply say,
"Little children, love each other...Little children, love each other."
I can almost hear his old, fading voice saying.
"Little children, love each other."
I can, also, see a slight smile come across his face as he remembers the tax collector and the zealot's first encounter, and he whispers,
"Little children, love each other," and he believes its possible.

In John's mind all his doctrine and theology and experiences that he wished to impart onto his followers could be summed up in that one sentence: Little children, love each other.
Why are we spending so much time reading the Bible, praying, tithing, worshipping, merely attending, debating, disagreeing, getting offended, dividing, and going through our everyday motions while missing the point that was central to John and to Jesus: "Little Children, love each other."

Who do you need to start loving?

Please, let us love each other, so that we can be true followers of Christ.

24/74 We're All the Same

2006-08-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

When I talk about the Church being united, I can hear all three of the people who read this collectively sigh, "So true." The average age of you who are reading is probably around, oh say, 24, and you all throw your fist into the air and say, "Yes! Here's to unity!" We all feel the same pain, the same persecution inflicted on us by the older generation who has stifled our worship and our freedom in Christ with their oldschool views on doctrine and Christian living. They are the ones who have created disunity rather than unity, and they are the embarrassments to Christ. They have ruined the name of the Church by sitting on the back pew with their arms crossed judging the boy with the long hair or the girl with the tattoo or the hippie who has walked in the door looking for Christ. Thanks a lot old people for all you've done to our precious Church!!
Well, friends, I guess it is up to us to bring back unity. First of all, let's either rid ourselves of the elderly or just persist in doing things our way until they shut up. I mean, it's all for the sake of unity, right? Together we will unite, and finally represent the Body of Christ as it should be: connected. That is to say, if we can just discconnect from everyone who does not see things exactly our way.

I beg you....

Pick up on the sarcasm. I'm talking to my generation when I talk about unity far more than I am talking to my parents' or grandparents' generation. I'm talking about more than disagreeing over doctrine or worship styles, but I am talking about how we love one another on a day to day basis. The beauty of a unified community is one who can revolutionize itself, transform, receive the previous generation's torch, and not be...butts.
There was a man who visited one of my ministry classes at Johnson Bible College, and he said, "Just because you are a rebel, doesn't mean you are a revolutionary." I think that is so true. My age group is definitely at fault for all the times we have judged the elderly for, we assume, judging us thus we created a rift between us.
You know what, give me the elderly lady who is crossed up for her worship style being changed and who wants people to still dress their best for Jesus on Sunday morning. I may not agree with her, but I can try to understand her. Give me her (who has been with the Church through think and thin) over a green Bible college graduate ready to cause rifts in order to make the Church more relevant (not to mention his whining over side issues). Jesus and the New Testament writers call us much more to unity than they do to relevancy. See, if we can all get on the same page and work together, then and only then will we best show the world Christ. We don't display Him at our best through relevant music, preaching, dressing, programming, reading, talking, or joking. We display Him best when we are unified. That means unity between the bitter 74 year old lady and you, my selfish generation.

Disclaimer: I freakin' love old people. Really.

Disclaimer #2: I'm a whiny Bible college graduate.

http://www.chronogram.com/issue/1998/11/photoessay/oldlady@altar.TIF.JPG

But the Hippies Are Doing It!

2006-08-24T21:03:00.000-07:00

Never before has American culture so greatly lacked and so greatly longed for community. Look around you next time you are in your car or on the Internet.
In the area where I am from, which is quite small mind you, I can think of approximately 8 coffee shops, not including some that I have seen open and close. Why are there so many of these shops, and why is the Starbucks "movement" so explosive? My theory comes from the community vacuum we are living in. Coffee shops are made for discussion groups, meetings, dates, or even for flingin' game at the girl sitting across the room. For the world, coffee shops are one of the only ways to experience community besides stopping by your coworker's cubicle to see how the kids are doing.
Also, look all over the internet at sites like myspace, eharmony, xanga, facebook, or even blogspot! Each of these are geared towards experiencing community. However, I feel like these sites are a perfect way to partake in a community without all the, well...people. We can encourage someone, slam someone, gossip, fall in love, find common interests, and get to know each other all within the comfort of our very own homes! (I use myspace, facebook, and obviously blogspot, so before you joke me...yeah! I know.) But look at it all. People are dying to connect, to touch, to love, so they are finding any and every way they know how.
Also, take a look through our not-so-distant history. There's the hippie movement, for example, where several individuals attempted to simply live in harmony with each other and to accept one another. However, there were mass quantities of what we call heroine required in order for all these dirty individuals to hang out. Let's, also, take a look at the communist movement which revolved around the vision of a utopian community. See, there were all these Russians and a few Germans, who thought, "Hey, we could all work together, and live in one perfect community. It's just as simple as equalizing all humanity." However, equality to them excluded Jews and involved quite a bit of unnecessary deaths, so Reagan went over, tore down a wall, and said, "Wrong!"
All men and women are in love with the idea of unity and connection, and human being longs for transparency among other human beings. We are all just dying inside to be real with one another, and I would say that this is, indeed, a one last wish from a dying nation.
Ok, so there's the longing…
Now, let's take a look at the Body of Christ which I am so proudly a part of. We see the need of the world, and we see it crying out for some kind of community to relate with, be real in, find acceptance in, and to fall in love with. So, what do we do as the world comes through the door with its hat in hand and its nose runny from crying about being lost in the dark? We bump into it on our way to tell the preacher we disagreed with his sermon, or to tell an elder that he's spending way too much money on the new building program, or we go looking for someone else who's more "In" while we disregard anyone who doesn't match our style. Perhaps, some of us even fall into this category: we are so bitter about being taken advantage of that we ignore the world as well as our own brother's and sisters.
The world stands at the door looking at this scene, and draws the conclusion that the rumor it heard about the Church holding the key to connection and fulfillment was all a bunch of crock. However, we are holding that truth, but we all run in a million different directions like a body that stumbled in front of an oncoming train—disconnected. Therefore, what does the world find? Nothing. Poor world.

"The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?" 1 Corinthians 6:7

simple.

http://media.urbandictionary.com/image/large/hippie-48540.jpg

"Is it Awkward in Here?"

2006-08-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

I don’t know who came into the room first, but I’m pretty sure James and John decided to go on ahead and slip out the backdoor when they saw the two approaching their first meeting.
When Rome overthrew the Israelite nation, the Jews divided into several different sects such as the Pharisees and Sadducees who spent most of their time disagreeing over issues such as water libations or whether contact with scrolls could cause your hands to be unclean or not. However, there emerged another group known as the Zealots who spent their time on more pressing matters such as kicking Roman butt. They spent all their energy on overthrowing the oppressive government through processes which did not consist so much of lengthy debates or running for office. Rather, they decided to do so with the modern equivalent of suicide bombings or assassination attempts.
In Matthew’s Gospel he lists off the twelve disciples like so:
“These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector, James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.” (Matthew 10:2-4)
I almost let out a little chuckle when I read this list (but I don’t, because the old men playing chess by the window are trying to concentrate, and I don’t want to creep them out), because the only jobs listed are a tax collector and a zealot. I don’t know if you make money being a zealot, but I’m sure it occupies enough of one’s time for me to go ahead and call it a job. Why not?
Think about Matthew writing this Gospel account years later whispering to himself, “That Jesus was one funny guy.” To team up a tax collector and a zealot—unthinkable. I’m quite positive that it was not so humorous when they first met, however. Matthew represented everything that Simon hated and spent his time trying to obliterate. The bane of his existence, the oppression of his people, the discomfort of his life, and the danger of his family all summed up in the face of the lying, stealing traitor named Matthew.
However, the day they met neither of them were a tax collector nor a zealot, but they were new followers of the man named Jesus. Isn’t it funny how two people who hated each other so murderously were able to cooperate to accomplish the mission of Christ and to spend every waking minute with one other while following this teacher across the countryside?
Funny isn’t it? Followers of Christ have sure become quite a bit weaker seeing that we are divided about small issues such as drums in worship, carpet color, doctrine, ethnicity, gossip, breakups, forgetting to call a friend up, or whether an old lady is talking to loud in the coffee shop we are trying to write in.
God bless the Zealot and the Tax Collector that can decide to not murder or steal from each other anymore, and just follow Christ together. God forgive me for being so petty and for being so easily divided with my brother.
Finally, bless the name of Jesus who had enough power to allow us to see only Him rather than our differences. He had enough faith in us to work through it, and to still accomplish his mission.

We can still be restored to perfect unity. God, haste the day.

Matthew

2006-08-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

I wonder if when he woke that morning, he knew that day would be different than the others, or perhaps he saw it as mundane as the days before. I wonder if, while he cheated and lied and stole, there was a nagging in the back of his heart. Did he wish that he could give it all up, or was he satisfied with who he was--a thief?
When I think of Jesus' love in approaching Matthew, I see it as the equivalent of me attempting to approach a mafia master mind or someone as godless as a pimp or porn star--the scorned, the condemned, the evil. He was a man whose life revolved around get-rich-quick schemes which consisted of preying on his own people: the Jews. Not only had he turned his back on godly living, he embraced a godless lifestyle that would enable him to acquire the luxury he so deceptively sought after. Matthew was, indeed, a turncoat.
However, his conversion story is summed up in three paragraphs. Jesus says simply, "Follow me," and what does the Bible say that Matthew did?
"Matthew got up and followed him."
The "godly" men of the day accused Jesus of being possessed with demons, because of stories like this. They couldn't imagine a Jewish rabbi lovingly interacting with a conniving Jewish traitor. Therefore, If I were a Jewish traitor who had been asked to join allegiances with a Jewish teacher, I believe I would enter with much hesitation, not because I was unsure of the teacher's motives but rather his acceptance. Would he always hold it against me that I had turned? Although he was willing to take me in, would the rest of his followers have the same open heart?
To top things off, Matthew (a traitor, thief, sellout, hypocrite, liar, turncoat, hoarder, conniving "UnJew") was called by Jesus, a Jewish revolutionary, to join His inner sanctum which included who else, but a Jewish Zealot. (Simon)

Do you ever feel like Matthew did when you attend Church--a tax collector among zealots? Do you ever suddenly feel out of your element, or that you come from somewhere else, you have a different story, you aren't as genuine a child of God as all the other Jesus followers around you?

Ah...community...

http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/tax-collector-faq.htm

Here's to the Flower Guy

2006-08-21T19:09:00.000-07:00

If you were to travel to Knoxville, and if you were to visit the older section of the city, you would find an old coffee shop named New City Cafe. I've visited that shop several times to watch live acoustic shows from out of town bands and even to watch some of my very own friends perform. Now, the concert hall is set up in such a way that anyone who was to walk in the front door could be seen by everyone watching the band. On countless occasions, I have sat comfortably at my candlelit table drinking hot coffee, when in from the front door would walk the Flower Guy.
It was always the Flower Guy. He always wore a tattered hat with a long tattered beard and old grubby clothes. To top off his unbecoming appearance, he always carried under one arm a bundle of flowers, and he would awkwardly sit by the front entrance while everyone nervously noted his presence out of the corner of their eye. He would sit waiting for someone to buy his flowers, and as he sat waiting, we would sum him up in our own minds. There he is. There's the man that has resorted to selling flowers for a living. Loser. Failure. Eh...the Flower Guy....

...It was about a year ago. It was the most vague assignment I had ever received. The professor said that he simply wanted us to express ourselves creatively whether it was through poetry, music or some other creative activity we could conjure up in our moldable brains. To me it was incredibly lame.
However, Charlie tossed it around in his head and decided what he was to do. He approached me and asked me to go along. I said yes, because I figured it was adventurous and I'd want to tell my kids someday how I was a daring young man. However, in that moment I would've chosen a kick in the teeth over his plan. Charlie's idea was to go onto the streets of downtown Knoxville under the guise of homeless men for approximately 30 hours. We would write a report of what we experienced and hand that in as our creative project. Wonderful.
We asked our friend, Brent, to go along, because he knew a thing or two about the homeless lifestyle since he had worked so close with them and all. The appointed day came, and we put on old tattered clothes, and withheld from showering. We put dirt on our arms and necks and under our fingernails. Finally, after being dropped off, we crossed Henley Street Bridge into downtown Knoxville.
Throughout the course of the next several hours we were cussed out, yelled at, lectured to, and we even had people stick their upper halves out of car windows while pointing and laughing. It was utter humiliation.
As night fell, we found ourselves in Old City Knoxville, the older part of downtown. All the beautiful girls followed their beautiful frat boys into clubs filled with other beautiful girls and guys. The traffic whizzed by, and elderly couples strolled about very distinguished and comfortably arm-in-arm. All the while, we stared straight ahead at the passing traffic. We had walked miles at this point. We had begged, been yelled at (this time by other homeless men), we had also been asked to find prostitutes and drugs by these other homeless men. It was fearful as well as exhausting, and, as I stood on that dirty street corner, I realized that I had the least amount of worth on that street. Amidst all the clubs, cars, music, and people I held the least amount of value. No one cared and no one wanted to take interest in a young homeless kid who had done nothing with his life--who ended up a failure.
At that point I went down on one knee just to catch my breath and to give my legs a rest. As all the noise and chaos and partying whirled around me, I looked at the sidewalk in front of me as judgement after judgment was passed and after each condescending glanced pushed me lower and lower.
However, As I sat there gazing at the hot sidewalk in front of me, I saw them fall...a handful of flower petals.
After years of passing judgment and crushing this man with my own condescending glances. He reached down, destroyed his income, and lifted me out of my own worthless pit, so here's to the Flower Guy.

To listen to a sermon I preached based on this story please visit http://www.jbc.edu/college/students_seniorsermons_brown.php