Nothing New

I have launched my new blog! Check out "Nothing New" at http://newunderthesun.blogspot.com and let me know what you think.

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

I have enjoyed blogging much more than I imagined. It causes me to be more reflective and creative. It challenges and stretches me. And it’s fun. (And it’s pressure-free since it seems I have a readership of about 2.) That said, it may seem surprising that I’m getting ready to bury The Three Amigos blog. I know, I know…. It seems tragically unfair – a blog with so much promise cut down in the prime of its youth.

Yes, I’ve broken up with the other two amigos, Chris and Henry. I wrote them an email and said it wasn’t them, it was me. And I asked them if we could still be friends. Henry said he wanted all his stuff back.

Sometime this summer, I’ll launch my own blog. It will be a little more individualized than “The Three Amigos.” I just hope my solo career doesn’t crash and burn like Scott Stapp’s. Keep checking out The Three Amigos until the switch. I’ll make an announcement and post a link when my new blog is up and running.

Here’s where I need your help. I need a name for the new blog. The person with the best idea gets $1000 or some bubble gum, whichever I have in my desk at the time. I’ll take whatever suggestions you’ve got.

“Live Richly” (or “I Ain’t No Hollaback Girl”)

There is a lesson in this spoof about getting through to God. It’s a good lesson, I suppose…… you know, God isn’t like an automated telephone system, you can always reach him……

But I’m posting it just because I think it’s funny.

Graduation Wishes

Congratulations to those of you who are graduating this spring. No doubt this is an exciting time for you since in many ways you are closing one chapter of your life and beginning a new one.

And you will surely receive many words of encouragement from friends, family, and graduation speakers. So I will not leave you with a long, complicated post commending you on your hard work and challenging you to go out and change the world.

Instead, I give you these simple words from Proverbs 3:5-6 (HCSB), my favorite Scripture passage.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and do not rely on your own understanding;
Think about Him in all your ways,
and He will guide you on the right paths.

I’m looking forward to hearing about the paths God has laid out for you in the future.

Confessions

Christian psychologist Henry Cloud asks an important question about openly acknowledging personal problems in our churches.

“In the church it is unacceptable to have problems: that is called being sinful. In an AA group it is unacceptable to be perfect: that is called denial. Which stance is more biblical?”

I met with a pastor this week who confessed to his congregation an ongoing and serious struggle with pornography and then resigned from his position. I imagine it took quite a lot of courage to do so. He wondered if confessing his sin would be equivalent to ministerial suicide. He wondered if he would be blacklisted from ever serving as a pastor again. He wondered about the kind of job he would be able to find and how he would support his family financially. He wondered what people would think. He wondered about the effects on his family. And yet, he believed that God was directing him to resign. So despite his fears, he was true to the conviction and guidance of the Holy Spirit and resigned.

I wish more church leaders were as transparent. I’m obviously not suggesting that pastors, deacons, Sunday School teachers and other leaders should sin more, just that they demonstrate more brokenness and confession for the sins they are already committing. (And, by the way, as a teacher of a Sunday School class, I include myself in this category.) As it is, very few Christians today fully know the power of confession and it may be due, in part, to our lack of models who demonstrate the need for and power of confession.

Mark McMinn, another Christian psychologist, describes the relationship between spirituality and confession this way:

“Spirituality often becomes a source of secret pride. When churches are filled with people nursing spiritual pride, the blessings of community are overshadowed by ugly competition. Rather than being a place where Christians confess to one another, the church sometimes becomes a place where we compete with one another, trying to impress others with our spiritual maturity. Confession is difficult in this context because to confess is to shatter our fantasized persona of perfection.”

I wish we were able to be more transparent with each other in our churches. I wish we weren’t plagued by spiritual competition and pride. I wish there were more pastors like this one who was sensitive to the conviction of his sin by the Holy Spirit and taught his congregation about confession and repentance by his own example. I wish I were more like that.

Imagine a Church

Imagine a church where every member is passionately, whole-heartedly, and recklessly.....

Monkey Kick Off

The end of the semester is here and finals week is coming up. If you need a study break, check this out. In fact, I challenge all blog readers to a monkey kick off.

How Rich Are You?

I have a running list of things I want to purchase. It’s not a written list, because that would be too blatantly and obviously materialistic. But I have a secret mental list of things I want to buy someday soon.

A high-definition TV
A Nintendo Wii
3 new pairs of shoes (for work,
basketball, and goofing around)
There are always CDs I want (I have 4 in mind right now)
A new sofa and loveseat
New bedroom furniture
A new mountain bike
New sunglasses
And have you seen my bookshelves? There are always books I want.

None of this includes the things I actually NEED to buy soon. Like a new set of tires to replace the ones with metal showing under the tread. I don’t pay much attention to that list, though. It’s no fun.

But I don’t have enough money for all this stuff. So I sometimes think of ways to earn just a little extra cash. You know, a little extra money just to splurge with. And I think how nice it would be to earn just a few thousand extra in salary every year.

Then I come across a site like this. The Global Rich List.

From the site:
“Every year we gaze enviously at the lists of the richest people in world, wondering what it would be like to have that sort of cash. But where would you sit on one of those lists? Here's your chance to find out.”

Check it out for yourself. Be sure to select the $ as you enter your income.

Where is God?

This article seems especially appropriate this week. On September 15, 1999 a man entered Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, TX and killed 7 people in a shooting rampage. What follows is an edited summary of the sermon our pastor gave the Sunday after the shooting. (Our pastor, Al Meredith, loves to sing through his sermons, so imagine our congregation singing the hymns as he mentions them.)

What can be said when kids gather in a church sanctuary to sing and pray and a gunman comes in firing and their friends are shot? Why, why us? Why me? How could this happen? Who could have done such a thing? But the question that I've been asked most as I walk down the street and microphones are shoved in my face is, "Can you tell us where God is in all of this?"

If God really loves us, if God is all-powerful, why in the world didHe let this happen? Why does God allow evil to seemingly abound in this world? Why Columbine? Why Paducah? Why Pearl? Why do a million and a half unborn babies have their lives snuffed out before they ever have a chance to breathe a breath? Why do children die of hunger daily around the world? Why is there pain? Why is there suffering? Why is there mental illness?

Then there are the everyday trials that most of us have trouble dealing with. The car breaks down. Why is it rush hour, Lord? The surprise quiz in history class. All of the questions finally boil down to this: "Where is God when we hurt?"

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according toHis purpose." Richard Halverson, who for years was chaplain to the Senate, once said, "Even the best preachers really have only two or three sermons." The one sermon of my life is this: God is in control and God loves us.

The confidence believers have
Let me share with you from the verse just a few thoughts. First of all, did you notice the confidence that believers have? "And we know." Generation-Xers as a whole want to know where the truth is; what is reality. They know that the world is phony. They know that computer-enhanced imitation of truth--virtual reality--means seeing is not believing anymore. What is the truth? I understand that the most popular television show of Generation Xers is the "X Files." In the opening scene of each episode the slogan comes out: "The truth is out there somewhere." It's out there. What can we know?

Our world has no answers in the face of life's problems. The world doesn't know what to do about world hunger, or about violence in American society. The world doesn't have a clue about AIDS or ecological problems. The world simply does not have the answers.

I'm a child of the '60s. I love Simon and Garfunkel, the poet laureates of the my generation. One of their songs says,

A mirror on my wall casts an image dark and small
and I'm not sure at all it's
my reflection. I'm blinded by the light of God
and truth and right so I wander
in the night without direction.

That's what the world has to say. But God says, "And we know."

Christians are an exclusive subculture of confidence and calm in a world of relativism and ensuing panic. I have been told that as the shooter was coming into the auditorium he was cursing God and Christians and particularly Baptists. Somebody quoted him as saying, "You Baptists think you know it all." No, we don't know it all. But we do know this:

My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame But wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand."

We know that God's Word is absolutely true from cover to cover. It is unshakable; it is certain. Some folks say, "God said it, I believe it, that settles it." I've got news for you, if God said it that settles it whether you believe it or not. A world falls apart when you have nothing to build upon. And when Christians have crises like this we run to the Word of God for the assurance, for the hope which is the foundation of our lives. "And we know." It is the confidence of believers.

The Covenant of God
Notice, secondly, the covenant of God. "We know that in all things God works for good." That's one of the most precious promises in God's Word. I think it is causative. God causes all things to work for good. Folks, the warp and woof of your life is not just blind luck or chance. You are not a cosmic accident. It's not karma, it's not fatalism, it is not blind chance.

Hear me today: God is sovereign over every molecule in the universe. He is in control of the birds of the air. Do you remember Elijah by the brook Cherith? He was hungry, and had no way to get food. God sent ravens to feed him. God is in control of the fish in the sea. Do you remember rebellious Jonah running from God? When he was cast in the sea the Lord send a big fish He had prepared to swallow him. God is in control of the worms of the ground. How do you think God feeds the sparrow? He directs the worms to the place where they feed.

God's control extends to every event in our lives, whether good or bad. The Word of God says that my DNA chain was fashioned and formed in my mother's womb before I was ever born. It says, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and He delighteth in his ways." God is the one who is in control. God is the one who is working everything for good for those who love Him.

The Comprehensiveness of the Promise
Do you notice the comprehensiveness of the promise? says, "in all things." You might want to say to me, "Oh come on, Al, what good can possibly come from all this?" Your argument is no with me. Take it up with God. He's the one who said "all things." I have lived long enough to see things which I thought were bad get worked for good.

As I walked from the car to the building, one of our church members, Shanda New, showed me a card which someone left by our sign. Here is what it said:

"I'm not sure exactly who I'm sending this to. I just felt like someone would receive it. I've never believed in God or any sort of higher being. I wasn't raised in a church. My fiancée and I agreed once that we should start going to church. It was something we were both interested in. One visit, now I can't get him to go back. He always has something to do Sunday mornings. Since Thursday night, I want to be a part of it. More than ever. Something like this happens to you in church and all you say is God has something bigger and better in store. It's all part of (God's) plan to draw American neighborhoods and families back together. Wow. How much confidence in your faith you have. I want that confidence. I want to trust my life to God. I want to believe there's a bigger picture. I'm so sorry for all the families. I'm so sorry for all of us that we don't all have the confidence you have. But I am now looking for it."

It was signed with a heart. Dear lady, if you are hearing this today and you signed this card, come and let us show you how you can give your life to Christ.

This tragedy that the devil wanted to use to stop the people of God has ended up strengthening us. Our church has never been more united. We've never been more praying. We have never been more singing. We have never been more in love with one another. There has been such an outpouring of love and support from all over the world, we can't say enough about it.

That's why we had to meet today. We will be stronger, we will be closer, we will be more united. We will have opportunities to share the love and grace of Christ to millions of people. Two days ago, we had more than 30,000 hits on our website. We put the plan of salvation there. It has been translated into Swahili, Chinese, Spanish and Russian and we hope to gave it translated into all the languages of the world so that they can know why we have this hope.

The Conclusion of the Promise
God's covenant is that all things work together, and the conclusion of the promise is "for good." First of all, let me make clear what this does not mean. God's promise in this verse does not mean that all things are good. That's idiocy. That's foolish, that's naivete, that's blind. Cancer is an evil thing. Famine is an awful thing. Crime and violence and divorce and death, they are horrible. They are obscene. They are bad, evil things.

But God says, "I can work them together for good." This does not mean that only good things happen to believers. Sometimes even Christian people, will mistakenly tell you if you are right with God you will be protected from all harm.

One of the promises that Jesus gave toHis followers was this, "While you're in the world, you will have tribulation." Why are we surprised? Jesus said, "Don't be surprised, they persecuted me before they persecuted you. Do you think you are any greater than your Master?" Abel was murdered, Jeremiah was imprisoned and thrown in a well, Elijah was depressed. Saints were martyred. Even Jesus, the founder of our faith, was crucified. Bad things do happen to good people. But God works all these things together for good.

The most obscene, despicable, evil crime in all the world happened 2,000 years ago where they took the spotless Son of God, stripped Him naked, beat Him beyond description, nailedHis hands andHis feet to a cross, and put that cross on a hill for everybody to see. That is the most evil, awful thing that has ever happened. But out of that cosmic evil came my salvation and yours. And the cross of Jesus Christ gathers together believers from all over the world, because God took that evil thing and through the power of the resurrection worked it for the salvation of all who will repent and place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. And we rally around the cross.

When I survey the wondrous cross, On which the prince of glory died, My richest gain, I count but loss,And pour contempt on all my pride.

People have asked me, Can you forgive? I say, "Forgiveness is not easy." It was not my child who was shot. They were my precious friends and my church members. But no matter how hard it is, we must forgive. I hold no rancor in my heart for the family of Larry Ashbrook. I hope God will move in every heart in every member of this church and give the same attitude to us all. The poor man was deranged. His mind had been twisted by heaven knows what. He was in the power of the Prince of Darkness. But when I think of what God had to forgive in my life, that it was my sins that nailed the Son of God to the cross, if God can forgive me that, how can I not forgive anyone, anything?

The Condition of the Promise
I've got to point to one last truth, and that's the condition of the promise. Romans 8:28 is a verse that divides humanity. You see the promise is given to those who are the called, those who love the Lord. Let me ask you today, do you love the Lord? IsHe your all in all? Jesus said that the evidence would be this: "If you love me, keep my commandments."

Are you numbered among the called ones? Who are the called ones? In Greek, the word is ekklesia, the called out ones. How does that word translate into English? "Church" There is no such thing as Lone Ranger Christianity. I learned that this week. I need you. I need my fellow pastors. I need the family of God around the world to pray. We need each other. We desperately need each other. And the world will never believe that Christ is the Messiah until we are one.
I know that there are churches that abuse. If I were the devil, that is where I would concentrate my work. But there are also churches which, though imperfect, will love you and will welcome you. God is calling you to be part of a church that preaches the Word, somewhere, somehow, someway.

Are you part of the called out ones who love the Lord? Or are you part of the uncalled ones who love themselves? "Well, I don't hate God, preacher. I just want Him to leave me alone. I want to do my own thing." For you there is a promise. Nothing that ever happens in your life, no matter how good it is, is ever going to work out for good. The Word of God is clear: "The soul that sinneth it shall die." "The wages of sin is death." What death means in the Bible is not that you cease to exist. It means separation. Separation from good. Separation from God. Separation from one another. There will be plenty of people in hell, but if company is good, you will not have company. You will be absolutely alone. You once and for all will get your way: "God leave me alone!" And He will, forever.

Are you part of the called out ones who love the Lord or the uncalled who love themselves? If you are among the latter and you want to be part of the former, I am calling for you today. Jesus is calling for you today. He is saying, "Come to Me."

Are you a troubled saint? Is your heart broken so that you don't know how you are going to get through it? Listen to this story about Luther Bridges. He was a seminary graduate nearly 100 years ago. Just out of seminary, he was called to a new church. Like most seminary grads, this brother had five kids. He was spending a weekend with his parents in Kentucky and that night the house caught on fire, burned to the ground. His parents escaped and he escaped, but his wife and five kids perished in the flames. In his desperation and depression he cried out to God, "O God, give me a song. Somehow give me a song to know that You are there." And God did. And Bridges wrote it down:

There's within my heart, a melody. Jesus whispers sweet and low, "Fear not I am with thee, peace be still,"In all of life's ebb and flow. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know,Fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go.

The world doesn't understand it, but those who know Him do. He is real. He is there. He's not asleep at the switch, andHe loves us. I don't understand sometimes what God is doing. I said yesterday at one of the funerals, give up your right to the position of general manager of the universe. That position belongs to God alone. So let God be God. He is in control. And He loves us.

Virginia Tech

Please pray for the students at Virginia Tech. Specifically, pray that the Christians at Virginia Tech will be able to communicate God's love to people who are hurting and confused.

What makes CBC a “Christian college?”

I had a CBC student complain to me not long ago that there were too many non-Christians at CBC. As he heard himself speak those words, it seemed as if he felt they were too strong. So he went on to explain that many non-Christians at CBC just feel too comfortable here. He was pretty clear in his conviction that if CBC were really doing its job as a “Christian school” then the non-Christians should feel really uncomfortable. Non-Christians should feel out of place.

I doubt this student's opinion represents the majority of students, but he brings up a topic worth discussing.

I rediscovered an article on Christian higher education the other day and found myself both challenged and inspired. In this article, a college professor discusses what it means for a college to be a “Christian college.” I would encourage you to read the whole article, but you might find the following excerpt especially interesting…

Christian higher education does not start with Christian students. That may surprise you. But I would hope Christian institutions do not have a Christian litmus test for students.

If students want to be a part of Christian higher education, they should be welcome. The Christian faith is defensible; the Christian faith is compelling; the Christian faith is true. So let unbelievers live and learn in the environment of Christian higher education and test the faith.

Jesus did not throw out Doubting Thomas. Christian higher education should be a place that welcomes Doubting Thomases, as students.

I don’t believe that CBC has a Christian litmus test for admission. I don’t believe that students have to check a box on their applications identifying themselves as Christians and are rejected if they do not. For that I am glad.

But I wonder about other kinds of Christian litmus tests on campus. How welcoming are we to non-believers, really? Do they feel accepted? Do they feel encouraged in their spiritual journeys? Do they fit in? Do they get leadership positions of any kind? Do they feel loved? Do we go out of our way to make them feel a part of the CBC family?

Or do they feel like outsiders?

This post is not about criticizing CBC. It is about discussing our identity and our approach to non-Christians. Two sets of questions are worth asking:

(1) What SHOULD our attitudes be toward non-Christians at CBC? How should we treat them? How should they feel about their time at CBC?

(2) What ARE our attitudes? How do we actually treat them? How do they actually feel at CBC?

Operation relliM

Funny college prank. But don’t tell anyone I told you.

Film Festival

I've been on an old movie kick the last few weeks. Anyone who knows me knows I love movies (films, if you prefer). But there's something refreshing about seeing really good actors creating really memorable characters without unnecessary distractions like nudity or explosions or car chases.

Three movies I've purchased in the last week have really made me think:
1. "Inherit the Wind" (1960)--Spencer Tracy and Frederic March play attorneys squaring off on the creation vs. evolution issue in a film based on the "Scopes Monkey Trial."
2. "The Intruder" (1962)--A pre-"Star Trek" William Shatner plays a charismatic racist stirring up trouble in a small town in which the schools have just been integrated (any coincidence to the the Little Rock Central High case is very deliberate).
3. "A Face in the Crowd" (1957)--A young unknown named Andy Griffith plays an Arkansas con-man (of course) who becomes an egomaniacal celebrity who influences public opinion and political policy.

What struck me as I watched these old movies (two of which pre-date me) is that the issues they address are still with us. If they were remade today, the issues would be as current as they were in the 1950's and 1960's. So, how do we address these issues today, especially in light of our faith? I'm not talking about a revolution, but are Christians really impacting the culture, or is the opposite true--the culture is shaping Christianity?

Discuss among yourselves and share your thoughts.

How Do You Spell H?

Parker declared to me the other day, “Dad, I think I know how you spell ‘H’!" I was curious about my son’s great epiphany, so I said, “Oh yeah? How?” With a good deal of pride and satisfaction on his face, Parker said, “A-C-H.”

I guess if you use a long ‘a’ sound, then phonetically that makes some sense. I hated to crush his sense of accomplishment, but I had to explain to him that you don’t spell letters. Letters are just letters. (Although I wonder how one would spell “W.” – Is it “dubbleyoo”?)

“But why don’t you spell it “A-C-H?” Parker is very inquisitive.

“I don’t know, man. It’s just “H.” What great words of wisdom from a dad.

Here’s where things started to get a little spiritual for me. I’ve started wondering about how many questions over the next 20 years my son is going to ask me for which I have no good or easy answers.

• “Why is the sky blue?”
• “What happened to dinosaurs?"
• “What does heaven look like?”
• “Why are girls so mean?"
• “What should I be when I grow up?”
• “How do I know what God wants me to do about _____?”
• “How do I know what college to go to?”
• “How do I know if this is the girl I’m supposed to marry?”

I don’t like the idea of shrugging my shoulders and saying “I don’t know” (or “go ask your mom”). But I suppose it is good for kids to get used to the idea that some questions just don’t have easy answers. That’s life. And the older I get, the more I distrust anyone dispensing easy answers.

Questions with no easy answers keep us on our toes. They encourage us to persist in our pursuit of truth and God. They promote our faith. Unanswered questions point to the One who will someday answer them all.

I have my own list of unanswered questions and I’m looking forward to hearing from my Creator about them. Some are silly, some are serious. But they all keep me in anticipation of meeting the author of all truth. Here’s a sample from my growing list:

• Did Adam have a belly button?
• What do you think of U2?
• What did the tower of Babel look like?
• What in the world happened to Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 4?
• Whatever Jesus wrote on the ground in John 8:6-9 sure spooked the accusers of the adulterous woman. What was it?
• How should I understand Revelation 2:17? Do I really have a name that is known only between you and me? What is it? How did you choose it?
• How should I have done counseling with my clients?
• Do people choose to accept your gift of salvation or do you choose them? If it is both, exactly how does that work?
• Why should I have to persist in prayer? If I am earnest the first time I ask and you hear me the first time, why is repetition necessary? Doesn’t that make answers to prayer dependent on me instead of you?

Don’t spoil my anticipation with your own answers right now, if you have any. I’m sure some of my questions have good answers – that’s what keeps me studying. This posting is instead about questions. And I’m especially interested in hearing your questions for God someday, too. Maybe they will encourage us all in our anticipation.

I Need Some Skills

My classes are not nearly this interesting……..

I need to pick up some skills.

God Doesn't Wear Red and White Stripes

It seems at least one person thought I was foreshadowing a post on God and patriotism. I suppose that’s the beauty and danger of blogs. They allow for free-thinking and creativity, but they also are ripe for misunderstanding.

I rather had in mind Waldo. You know – the guy who’s so hard to find. He wears red and white stripes.

(For the record, God is not American. But maybe that’s a topic for another post someday.)

I have been thinking about the idea of “finding Jesus” lately. I think this is the short answer to the semi-quandry I posed regarding Luke 10. Should you “do something” or should you “sit there”?? I think the answer is that you should find Jesus.

And then I found myself thinking about the number of people I know who went on some sort of mission trip this last week. I know a group of CBC guys who went to New Orleans to work and serve. I know of various groups who this week went to Belize, Peru, and the Philippines. I’m sure many of these folks will come back home with great testimonies of God’s work in those places. I’m sure they found Jesus there.

At first, I thought I might open the blog to those who would like to share about how/where they saw Jesus during their trips this past week. But I started wondering about finding Jesus at CBC. CBC and the people here are not perfect. But I don’t think Jesus is hard to find, even among imperfect people. So let me share with you just one of ways I see Jesus at CBC. Then I would like to hear what you think.

One of the places you can look for Jesus is among those who are less fortunate than us – see Matthew 25:31-46, for example. I mean absolutely no disrespect to Bobby Wilkey, but by the world’s standards, Bobby is less fortunate than most of us. Yet he has dedicated much of his life to serving faculty, staff, and students at CBC. He works hard – very hard. He is a servant and I see Jesus in Bobby Wilkey.

Be as creative as you’d like, but I’d like to hear about where you all see Jesus at CBC. Because He is here and He isn’t hard to find.

Random Items

Spring Break is here and I’m not sure how much blogging I’ll be doing. Be looking for “God Doesn’t Wear Red and White Stripes” after the break. Until then, here are some random items for your amusement.

I don’t know if I have ever seen a stranger headline (outside of Leno’s bit).

On a related note, how weird is this theology?

I’m excited about things at Life Choices. If you enter “Arkansas abortion clinics” into Google, we are a top sponsor and getting hits. We have also had several students find our services from our UCA and Hendrix Facebook flyers. Life Choices is making a real and eternal difference in the lives of girls and their partners. God is good.

I’m not sure what to make of the new chapel plans at my alma mater.

Do not try to give your teachers wedgies.

Christian Clown Training. Sad. So very sad.

Interesting thoughts on homosexuality by Al Mohler. And a follow up article.

I feel much better about my office now.

Everybody to the limit.

No More Flyin' Solo

There is little to no redeeming value in today’s post. But Monday’s entry reminded me of these 2 minutes of perfect cinema...

Ephesians 5:1 and Tater Tots

Ephesians 5:1 – Be imitators of God, as beloved children.

I wonder if Paul specifically mentioned children because he knew that they just naturally imitate. It’s second nature to them. Take an example from my son, Parker (who is 4 years old). Shanda sent me the following email recently….

Parker was in here [playing a game] on the computer and I saw him reach into his shirt pocket and pull out a pretzel and eat it. I said, "Parker, do you have pretzels in your pocket? Why?" He nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm trying to be like that guy on that movie who put tater tots in his pocket."



It’s good to be a kid.

How Americans Think, Feel, & Act - Part 3

The Barna Research Group recently released the results of a recent survey of the self-oriented behavior of Americans. According to Barna, the data suggests that “millions of Americans engage in routines that benefit themselves, often flouting moral boundaries to do so.” See for yourself. Here is what American report of their behaviors – all of these occurring in the past month:

Relationships

• 33% of adults say they have used profanity in public in the last month.
• 28% have said mean things to others about someone else when that person was not present.
• 13% have told someone something they knew was not true
• 10% have gotten even for something someone did to hurt or offend them
• 2% admit to fighting or abusing someone else

Sexuality

• 28% of adults have read a magazine or watched a movie or video that contained explicit sexual images in the past month (35% of men and 19% of women)
• 10% have visited a website that showed explicit or uncensored sexual content in the last month (14% of men and 2% of women).
• 14% have had an intimate sexual encounter during with someone to whom they were not married

Property and Finances

• 31% have purchased a lottery ticket in the past month
• 18% have placed a bet or gambled in the last month
• 6% have inappropriately traded or downloaded music

Substance Abuse

• 16% of adults have consumed enough alcohol to be intoxicated or considered legally drunk at least once in the last month
• 3% admit to recent use of illegal, non-prescription drugs

Spirituality

• 5% have consulted a psychic or medium for spiritual guidance in the last month
  

And these are not just the behaviors of lost people. According to Barna, “…born again Christians are statistically indistinguishable from non-born again adults on most of the behaviors studied.” What a sad commentary on the lives of Christians. We are “statistically indistinguishable” from non-Christians.

So, to wrap up the three-part series of postings:
(1) Americans are IGNORANT in their beliefs
(2) Americans are INSECURE in their emotions
(3) Americans are INDULGENT in their behaviors

My pastor would be proud of my alliteration.

This description is an oversimplification, to be sure. But it is accurate enough from where I sit. What is most troubling to me is the fact that Christians aren't much different from non-Christians in their ignorance, insecurities, and indulgences.

I don’t want to leave these postings with just a lament of our current state of affairs. Let’s now be constructive. How do we fix these problems? As Christians, how do we tackle issues of ignorance, insecurity, and indulgence? What can our schools do? What can our churches do? What can we do as individuals? The more practical your solutions, the better.

How Americans Think, Feel, & Act - Part 2

Identity theft, road rage, peteranswers.com, boogey men and spooky noises in the middle of the night……Americans are afraid of stuff – lots of stuff. Take a look at a small sample:

• 40% of Americans fear being the victim of a terrorist attack
• 33% are afraid to put their heads under water
• 35% are worried about getting West Nile Virus
• 29% believe terrorist mass destruction will occur in their lifetime
• 29% are concerned about developing Avian or bird flu.
• 25% are afraid of snakes
• 22% believe a worldwide disease pandemic will occur in their lifetime
• 10% are afraid of flying.
• 6% believe an asteroid impact on earth will occur in their lifetime
• I even had two students at CBC last semester admit to a clown phobia
  

Those things are amusing, but here’s the kicker:

• 98% are afraid of a full 98% of other Americans
  

What in the world is going on? According to the ABC News/Washington Post poll: "Between the criminal element, salesmen, religious zealots, alcoholics, minorities, immigrants, fast-driving teens, employers and panhandlers, a total of 49 in 50 Americans present a fearsome image to the vast majority of their fellow citizens."

Apparently, only babies and really old people make us feel safe. How did we get into such a predicament as a nation? Why are we so afraid of each other? Post your comments – if you dare.

Coming Soon:

How Americans Act....

How Americans Think, Feel, & Act - Part 1

What Americans Think…..

I’m not sure that most Americans are very bright about issues of faith. Americans talk a lot about religious issues, but know precious little about them.

Stephen Prothero’s, new book, Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know — and Doesn't offers some startling facts. Here are a few:

Of American high school seniors:

• 50% of high school seniors think Sodom and Gomorrah were married.
• 36% of high school seniors know Ramadan is the Islamic holy month; 17% said it was the Jewish day of atonement.
• Only 10% can name all five major world religions and 15% cannot name any.
  

Of all Americans:

• Nearly two-thirds believe that the Bible holds the answers to all or most of life’s basic questions.
• Only half can name even one of the four Gospels
• Fewer than half can identify Genesis as the first book of the Bible
• 60% can't name five of the Ten Commandments.
• Only one third know that Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount.
• Approximately 75% of adults mistakenly believe the Bible teaches that "God helps those who help themselves."
• More than 10% think that Noah's wife was Joan of Arc
• 60% of evangelicals answered yes when asked whether Jesus was born in Jerusalem (only 51% of Jews answered yes).

Perhaps the most startling finding is that, according to Prothero, evangelical Christians do not fare too much better than those of other faiths or no faith when it comes to knowledge of these issues.

Coming Soon:
What Americans Feel…..
How Americans Act…..

The Blasphemy Challenge

I find myself in a CBC bubble and wonder if others do, too. I'm surrounded by good, solid, Christian men and women. My workplace is safe. My friends are safe. My world is safe here. But I sometimes forget what life is like in other circles. I was reminded in a dramatic fashion that there are untold numbers of people "out there" that are lost, hurting, and confused.

A group called the Rational Response Squad has offered up The Blasphemy Challenge. I was stunned as I watched the video. It seems over two housand people have already responded to the challenge.



Honestly, I'm not sure how to respond to a video like this. Should I be angry that people can so easily and openly mock the Holy Spirit? Should I be heartbroken over people who are lost and confused? Should I be indifferent to the rebellious antics of juveniles? I know this, I'm unsettled. What is your reaction?

Plagiarizing for Jesus

Stephen Ambrose – famous historian
Doris Kearns-Goodwin – popular historian
Jayson Blair – New York Times reporter
Kaavya Viswanathan – Harvard student / “chick lit” author
William Swanson – Raytheon CEO
Ian McEwan – best-selling novelist
Raj Persaud – famous British psychiatrist


What do these good folks have in common? They have all been charged with plagiarizing their work. These high-profile cases of plagiarism have left many scratching their heads, wondering about the integrity of people who should definitely know better. And now a high-profile case of plagiarism surfaces in Baptist circles.

Paul Negrut is the President of the Romanian Baptist Union as well as a close colleague to many prominent Southern Baptist leaders. He wrote a book in 1999 in which 8 of his 13 chapters were taken virtually word for word from another book written by a seminary professor in California in 1995. The topic of the book?? Get this – Ethics.

I’m a Southern Baptist and a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. The current president of SWBTS, Paige Patterson, has supported Paul Negrut through the ordeal, trying to find a way to explain Negrut’s actions as something other than plagiarism. I appreciate many of the things Patterson has done for the Southern Baptist Convention, including the fact that he helped lead the conservative resurgence in the convention. But when it comes to Negut’s actions, I think Patterson is just plain wrong. Plagiarism is plagiarism--regardless of Negrut’s reported intent to simply “provide readings to Romanian students” and regardless of the reported ill intentions of those who brought the plagiarism to light.

It is no wonder that college students are conflicted about plagiarism. Now we can’t even get some of our religious leaders to call a spade a spade.

How widespread is the problem, really? Nearly 40% of college students admit to plagiarizing at least some portions of research papers from the internet and over 75% say they do not consider copying from the internet to be a serious issue.

Where have we gone wrong? Why is plagiarism no longer considered unethical? Exactly how commonplace is plagiarism at places like CBC? I’d like to hear your take. Students – post anonymously if you’d like, but I would like to hear your thoughts and hear of your experiences.

CCM, Apostles, Donna, and Jesus: Sunday Night Musings

I originally posted this on my Facebook page, so I've reproduced it here because of its vast historical significance :) .

Tonight, I've been in a bit of a nostalgic mood. I've watched two DVD's of a couple of my favorite musical artists: Keith Green and Rich Mullins. Keith was one of the first Christian artists I was introduced to after I was saved in the late '70's. The thing that occurred to me was that when Keith died in 1982 and Rich in 1997, CCM lost its two most powerful prophetic voices. It says something that the Christian musician I most admire today--Bono of U2--isn't even a CCM artist.

On top of that, I know that both Keith and Rich wrestled with their broken, fallen humanness--a struggle I've experienced my whole Christian life. But watching them again tonight reminded of what it's like to be in love with Jesus--not just to admire Him or want to emulate Him, but to find in Him my entire reason for being and all the meaning my life will ever need. It's nice (and necessary) to be reminded that Daddy God is the one universal constant in my life.

Tonight, my wife and I were talking about some of the great biblical heroes--including Jesus' own disciples--and what a bunch of messed-up people they were. Then my wife said one of the most profound things I've heard in ages: they were conduits for God's grace. Wow, what a great word picture. It wasn't about them, any more than it's about me--it's about God; it's about my willingness to let God do in and through me whatever HE wants. I'm just the medium for the message. What a gift my wife is.

What does all this mean? You've got me. I just know that I want to be a good kid for my Heavenly Father. Thanks for the music, Keith and Rich. Thanks for the insight, Donna. And thank You, God, for enriching my life through them.

Three-Year-Old Theology and Other Tidbits of Wisdom

My wife and I have a three-year-old little boy. Like most three-year-olds, he loves "Cat in the Hat," "Arthur," and the Wiggles (he can't understand why they can't come to our house or why we can't go to "Australa" [Australia] to see them).

Lately, though, he's also been asking a lot of questions about heaven: Where is heaven? How long do we stay in heaven? Can you talk to people in heaven? Can you leave a message? He is also curious about God: When was God a baby? Why does God live in heaven? How can God be in heaven and here too?

Yesterday, we were telling him about a friend getting baptized. We tried to explain that when someone asks Jesus into their heart, they let other people know that by being baptized (being good Baptists, we gave him the full immersion version). He then said what sounded like a three-year-old version of the "Sinner's Prayer": "Jesus, I've done bad things."

I doubt very seriously, even given his evident genius, that our little boy understands the concepts of sin and grace and salvation, but I do believe that there is not a doubt in his mind that God exists, that heaven is real, and that he loves Jesus (because "Jesus is an important guy"). What he reminds me of on a regular basis is how skeptical and even cynical I can be sometimes, as if by virtue of being a professor, I have to have clear, empirical evidence to believe in anything. Faith is just the opposite: it is the evidence of things unseen, and without it, it is impossible to please God.

My little boy affords me the opportunity to see the world anew with astonished, accepting eyes, and to look beyond the concrete into the unseen with equally astonished and accepting eyes. No wonder Jesus said in Matthew 18:3, "Unless you become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

2 Lessons from Luke 10

I teach a Sunday School class (for young married couples) at Conway’s First Baptist Church and I enjoy it very much. I think my teaching benefits me more than it does my class, however. I understand Scripture much better and find more ways to apply it to my own life when I have to study Scripture to teach it to others. I think I’m too passive when a student.

I found something interesting from Luke 10 this week.

Luke 10:25-37 is the parable of the Good Samaritan. We see two religious leaders who have probably just finished their religious duties (they are leaving Jerusalem). On their way to Jericho they each pass by a man who has been left for dead. A Samaritan sees the same man, but instead goes to great lengths to take care of him. The contrast between empty religious duties and faith in action is stark. Today, our “religious duties” may include sitting through a couple of church services on Sundays and sitting through a Bible study or two (or a CBC chapel or two) during the week. But Jesus seems to be offering this lesson: DON’T JUST SIT THERE. DO SOMETHING.

Luke 10:38-42 comes immediately after Luke 10:25-37. (I learned this at seminary.) On the surface, there seems to be little connection between the story of Martha and Mary and the previous parable of the Good Samaritan. But I don’t think their proximity in Scripture is a coincidence. In this passage we see that Jesus has been invited to the house of Martha and Mary. Martha is busy with all the preparations that naturally come with having such an honored guest as Jesus in your house. She becomes upset that her sister Mary is just sitting at Jesus’ feet – doing nothing to help with the necessary accommodations. Jesus gently instructs Martha that while she has gotten busy worrying about many things, Mary has chosen the one thing that is best. Today, many of us get busy trying to do many things for Jesus. But Jesus seems to be offering this lesson: DON’T JUST DO SOMETHING. SIT THERE.

How do we reconcile these two seemingly contradictory lessons? I have my own thoughts. But I’d like to hear yours.

New Classroom Policy?

Think I should institute a new classroom policy like this one?

The Hours of the Week

Recently, in my Organizational Behavior class, the students and I discussed the mysterious nature of time. (Cory, our lone reader at this point, should disregrd this entry, as he's already heard what I'm about to say. Sorry, Cory, check back tomorrow.) We basically broke down the hours in a typical week according to major time-consuming activities. The results are quite surprising.

For instance, let's say that you worked one full-time job (40 hours), went to school full-time (40 hours; the equivalent of another full-time job, in a teacher's world anyway) and got an unrealistic 8 hours of sleep every night. How much time would you have left over? Obviously, someone who holds down two full-time jobs and gets 8 hours of sleep per night shouldn't have time to breathe, let alone alone kick back and watch a movie or read a book every now and then. But take a look at the following breakdown...

Total hours in a week............168 hours

MINUS

Full-Time Job #1...................40 hours
Full-Time Job #2...................40 hours
8 Hours Sleep Per Night.......56 hours


Hours left over......................32 hours!!!

The question is, what do we do with all of this left over time? One of my students said, "We do the small stuff, like walking and talking." And that's a great point, but keep in mind that a lot of this small stuff is already factored into the full-time jobs.

I take 2 lessons away from this analysis: (1) Be careful to manage the "small things" well, as they are more responsible for draining your time than you might think and (2) quit complaining about how busy you are. Chances are you just don't manage the time you have efficiently enough. Join the club.

Honus Wagner, Erwin McManus, and God's love

Honus Wagner. Odd name, great baseball player. He was one of the first five players ever inducted into the hall of fame. And his baseball card is the most prized card among collectors. One Honus Wagner card sold for $2.35 million this week. Why would anyone pay $2.35 million for a baseball card??

Because it is both rare and ancient.

The combination of being rare and ancient makes the Honus Wagner card nearly invaluable. People will go to extraordinary lengths to own such a card. I would suggest the same is true of God’s love for us. It is ancient, it is rare, and our souls crave it.

Erwin McManus describes God’s rare love for us in his book, Soul Cravings:

“…We’re faced with a dilemma—we can’t earn love, we can’t buy love, and we can’t live without it. We know in the pit of our stomachs that if love is conditional, it can’t really be love at all. We also know that if love is unconditional, we are neither the sources nor the instigators of such love, which again is a part of our conflict. We want what we do not give. We long for what we seem incapable of producing.”

God’s love is also ancient. I’ve heard the Bible described as a love story. From beginning to end, it is a story of God’s pursuit of those He loves. God loved each of us before we were born, before our parents were born, before the creation of the world.

What lengths should we go to in order to gain this kind of ancient and rare love? This incredible thing is this - - none. God’s love is unconditional. We don’t have to pay $2.35 million. We don’t have to do anything to earn His love. But we should go to great lengths in cherishing His love.

I’m sure there were plenty of people who had Honus Wagner cards at one time. Maybe they used them in their bicycle spokes as kids. Maybe they lost them, sold them in a garage sale, or just threw them away. They didn’t recognize the value of what they had.

May we never forget the value of God’s rare and ancient love for us.

Welcome (& Disclaimer)

The Three Amigos - It's a great movie. Could a movie with Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, & Martin Short together be anything less? Comic genuises all of them.

Aaron New, Henry Smiley, & Chris Medenwald are definitely NOT genuises. But if you have found our blog, then you already know this. We are just three friends who have decided to begin a blogging experiment. We will be posting our thoughts on just about anything and everything and we would love for you to join us. Please read our postings as they are intended - they are our reflections, musings, observations, wisecracks, and ponderings (along with a few snide remarks to be sure). We speak for no one but ourselves, and even that is a bit tenuous.

Let the experiment begin.