Culture Wars, Religion, and Today's Turmoil

Kevin DeYoung's recent post, "Thinking Theologically about Islam," lays out helpful baseline commitments that Christians are urged to accept and agree upon.  They fall under the headings of "identity," "faith" and "welcome." 

The Latest from Trump

I appreciate Russell Moore's thoughtful analysis of and objection to Donald Trump's recent statement that the USA should close the border to all Muslims.  

Remembering Officer Garrett Swasey

Police officer Garrett Swasey lost his life seeking to protect and defend others on Nov. 27 when he responded to a call to assist law enforcement on the scene at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic where a gunman was on a violent rampage.  Officer Swasey was also a co-pastor of his church, Hope Chapel, where he delivered his last sermon on Nov. 15, including a poignant call to consider Christ and not delay:  don't assume you've got tomorrow--tomorrow may not come.  See Jordan Standridge's overview of Swasey's sermon.

The World as 100 People

Fascinating:

by JackHagley.  From Visually.

Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood Shooting

The recent shooting at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood site was a deplorable act of violence that must be condemned in the strongest terms.  On the way that some pro-choice advocates are using this tragedy to try and advance their cause, see the helpful article by Trevin Wax.  For an overview of why Christians do not support resorting to violence against those who carry out abortions, see Joe Carter's article.

Syrian refugees come ashore in Greece

The Rising Tide from Samaritan's Purse on Vimeo.

Samaritan's Purse shows us a glimpse of what's happening on the shores of Lesbos, a Greek island just some six miles from the Turkish mainland.  Watch and pray.

Christian Presence in this World

After 9/11 the Elders at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis endorsed an article by their pastor, John Piper, on how Christians should relate to people of other faiths.  Today, in the wake of the recent Paris attacks, these are helpful, thoughtful words well worth our prayerful reflection.

Chipotle and Church

A humble, helpful, honest, challenging word from Brett McCracken about our consumerist mentality as we view churches.

Show Us the Evidence

In light of the recent series of undercover videos showing Planned Parenthood doctors and senior staff discussing the sale of body parts of aborted babies, I am reminded how the pro-choice community resolutely refuses to answer the key question brought to the surface by all of this:  "Where is the evidence that the unborn are not children?"

I'm sure that these videos are generating interest in the specific questions of whether certain laws have been broken having to do with specific prohibitions against the sale of fetal body parts, but it just pushes me to think big-picture and ask again (as so many people have been asking since 1973), "Where is the evidence that the unborn are not children?"  Why is it we are so sure that the unborn offspring of human beings is not a true human being?

See further my earlier post elaborating on the matter.

See here for info on the recent undercover videos.

On Christian Parenting

Helpful, balanced, God-honoring counsel for parents from Jason Helopoulos.  And always good to bear in mind that what God commands us to do, he will enable us, by the work of his Spirit and the teaching of his Word, to accomplish.  So we practice the obedience of faith.

Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015)

So thankful for the clear, bold, wise, courageous discipleship of Elisabeth Elliot.  See the many tributes that have appeared today, e.g., from John Piper, Justin Taylor, Kate Shellnutt, and Joe Carter.

I remember hearing her speak at Urbana '79, especially the way she handled Q and A with tact, directness, and how she got beneath the surface questions to matters of the heart--pointing everyone to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Majoring on Minors

Conrad Mbewe speaks a word of wisdom on the "prosperity gospel" and the way it confuses majors and minors:

The Prosperity Gospel Majors on Minors from Desiring God on Vimeo.

Baltimore News and Your Newsfeed

Trillia Newbell asks some penetrating, helpful questions in the wake of the chaos in Baltimore: 

"If your newsfeed is anything like mine, it’s full of pictures of Baltimore going up in flames as raging rioters become the narrative of the day. We see lives destroyed and like a swarm of bees we find our source and begin to sting.  It’s one thing to bring awareness to an issue, but are we sharing fairly? Have we succumbed to fearmongering and sensationalism, or are there ways to tell more than one story?"

Twenty-Two Years Like a Day

I can appreciate all the vigorous debate over religious freedom and equal rights and the delicate interplay of diversity and unity within our society, and how it all plays out in relation to Christians and Muslims and atheists and gays and straights and everyone else--it's an important conversation (did I say "shouting match"?).  But so very much more pressing and profound and (in fact) hope-awakening are the deep things of Jesus' love and his sovereign goodness through the storms and all the way home to heaven.  My soul is helped ever so much more by the testimony of Greg Lucas (and the witness of Kara Tippetts, and of Elliott Orr) than by all the excitement of politically charged culture war disputes.

Getting Beneath the Bruhaha

The recent rush to judgment against evangelical Christians for all the intolerance and discrimination they will now supposedly practice in light of Indiana's recently passed RFRA makes the words of NY Times Op-Ed columnist Nicholas Kristof worth pondering.

Update 4-10-2015:  I appreciated follow-up articles in NYT, The Atlantic, and the blog 'Mere Orthodoxy.'

Peace the Passes Understanding

I have so much appreciated the thoughtful, humble, hopeful, honest, God-ward reflections of Kara Tippetts, even as she stepped up to the brink of her departure from this world.  Praying for her husband, pastor Jason Tippets, and for their four children.  (See also this excerpt from her book.)

The Sad Situation of 'Fifty Shades of Grey'

The release of "Fifty Shades of Grey" in theaters the day before Valentine's Day sends a disturbing message about love.

Of course, I don't expect non-believing, Christ-defying writers and movie makers and advertisers to avoid promoting sexual exploitation--if there's a profit to be made, the sad mixture of free enterprise and sexual chaos in our day is going to result in grim effects like "Fifty Shades."  Not surprised.

But sad, and grieved.

And yet always looking to Christ with hope.  Followers of Jesus, let's PRAY that our ingenious Lord would accomplish all kinds of good and God-honoring things in his round-about ways through this sorrowful situation (Genesis 50:20).

Here are a few thoughtful comments about "Fifty Shades":

• Owen Strachan:  "50 Shades of Grey speaks to where things are headed in our culture. We should not expect that postmodernism will protect women. It will do no such thing. We should not expect that it will ennoble men and call them to self-sacrificial responsibility. It will do no such thing. We should not expect that postmodernism will bless children and strengthen the family. It will do no such thing."
• Tim Challies and Helen Thorne:  "As 50 Shades of Grey hits the screens, let’s love God well by honoring him wholeheartedly with our eyes, ears, hearts and minds. Let’s love our brothers and sisters well by encouraging them with truth rather than lies. Let’s love our unbelieving neighbors by showing them how beautiful and alluring purity looks. And let’s love ourselves by committing ourselves wholeheartedly to living in light of the immense love that has been lavished on us. “See what a great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)."
• Marshall Segal:  "The message that sex is selfish, manipulative, and even playfully violent will abuse and violate you. It might feel like a fun and harmless fantasy, but it’s not so subtly redefining the power and beauty of sex, creating spiritual blockages in your heart that will eventually kill you, and impairing your ability to enjoy real and lasting pleasure."
• Kevin DeYoung:  "There is nothing gray about whether a follower of Christ should see 50 Shades of Grey. This is a black and white issue. Don’t go. Don’t watch it. Don’t read it. Don’t rent it."

"This Life Only"

I'm struck by the logic and power of God's sharp word in 1 Corinthians 15:19 (it's like a scalpel--sharp but good):  "If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied."

Not only is it pitiful to follow a kind of "Christianity" that denies or disregards the historical, bodily resurrection of Jesus and/or the promise of bodily resurrection into glorious future life for all who trust in Jesus, but it's pitiful as well when we say we believe these things but still live in such a way that our heart's passion and energy and attention is all caught up in the here-and-now.

And yet, that kind of pitiful state is so easy to fall into!  "Lord, awaken my silly heart from its dream of earthly bliss and from the illusion of the world's security, and focus it in on real joy, the lasting and infinite joy of knowing you--now and forever."

The Pope and the Limits of Free Speech

In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, Pope Francis has made ill-considered remarks inviting the conclusion that, at some point or in some manner, insulting words will / do (must?) provoke a forceful reply.  This is being construed, for example, by Vox as follows:  "Pope Francis on free speech: if you insult religion, expect violence."  

According to the Vatican News Service, "Pope Francis said on Thursday that there are limits to freedom of expression, especially when it insults or ridicules someone’s faith....  Pope Francis was asked by a French journalist about the relationship between freedom of religion and freedom of expression.  He replied saying that both are "fundamental human rights" and stressed that killing in the name of God “is an aberration.” But he said there were limits to that freedom of expression.  By way of example he referred to Alberto Gasparri who organizes the papal trips and was standing by his side on the plane. The Pope said if “his good friend Dr Gasparri” says a curse word against his mother, he can “expect a punch”, and at that point he gestured with a pretend punch towards him, saying: “It’s normal. You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others.  You cannot make fun of the faith of others.”"  

How this "punch" fits into Christian teaching is a puzzle--it surely doesn't seem to square with Jesus' message about love for enemies (Luke 6:27, 35).  Better to leave the matter of applying force to the state, since civil government has the responsibility to preserve law and order and to use means, even force when necessary, to protect citizens and apply justice (Romans 13:1-7).

[Jan. 17 update:  Numerous other reports are questioning the pope's remarks--e.g., British Prime Minister David Cameron, who contends that it is wrong to endorse revenge:  "I think in a free society, there is a right to cause offence about someone’s religion. I’m a Christian; if someone says something offensive about Jesus, I might find that offensive, but in a free society I don’t have a right to wreak vengeance on them."  And former Bishop of Oxford, Richard Harries, writes, "I am a great admirer of the Pope but when, to make the proper point that we should not insult the faith of others, he said his assistant could “expect a punch” if he cursed his mother, I was aghast."]
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The Startling Good News

I appreciate Amy Hall's post at Stand to Reason about the startling figure of the suffering Messiah:  "We forget how entirely unexpected and shocking the humility and servanthood of Jesus is—how foreign it is to human expectations of God, and in this case, to Muslim expectations."

14 Ways to Sabotage Your Prayer Life

1. Pray only when you feel like it.  Disregard any fanatic ideas of praying “day and night” or “without ceasing.”
2. Try to impress God with pious prayer performances so that you can win max­imum spiritual credit.
3. Pray publicly with an eye to exhibiting your “spiritual maturity” for others to admire.
4. Let your prayers degenerate into mindless repetitions.  Re­cycle the same old phrases even when your mind is far away.
5. Imagine that it taxes God’s ability to meet your needs and respond in the best possible way to your prayers.
6. Convince yourself that God doesn’t really care about you and your silly little struggles and trials and tears anyhow.
7. Pretend that God doesn’t like to be bothered, and that he’s “put out” by your numerous cries and appeals.
8. View prayer as a way of putting God’s arm behind his back.
9. Demand instant results.  Dismiss the idea that God would have you persevere in prayer, or that your loving Heavenly Father might be free to answer, “No.”
10. Imagine that prayer won’t make any difference anyhow.
11. Shrink prayer by equating it with asking.  So bypass all that fluff (like praise, confession, thanksgiving) and go straight to the real thing:  your requests.
12. Reserve the worst hours of your day for prayer.  This way you can give to God what has the least value to you.
13. Think of prayer as doing God a favor.
14. Reduce prayer to a mental exercise, a sort of self-therapy to put the mind at ease, and in this way remove God from the picture entirely.  How about that, prayer without God!