Wrath Vs Grace

So for all my commentary on Heather Zempel's fantastic sermon from last weekend, I actually haven't unpacked wrath yet and put some thoughts to it. Obviously it's awesome and you should check it out. http://theaterchurch.com/media/video/wrath/

I've been reading Brian McLaren's A New Kind of Christianity and really enjoying it. And while I haven't agreed with everything I've read there's a lot of good insight and reframing that's really nice. McLaren's chapters on the concept of God being violent are actually where he and I disagree most... Not because he's wrong or off his rocker, but I've just had an issue wrapping my head around his points. They're not bad points or far fetched, I'm just still working through what he had to say.

But that is all beside the point. And you'd think if I was going to use something from his book in my talking about God's wrath you'd think it would be from his chapter about God as violent. But it's not. Because McLaren, when talking about reframing the narrative of the bible, used the same text Heather used when talking about God's wrath. So let's go to Genesis 3.

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life."

This story, as most of us have been thought, is about when man rebelled against God and sin entered the world. But both McLaren and Zempel reframe this story a little differently. Eve and Adam disobey God by eating of the tree of knowledge. In Genesis 2:17 God says "But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die."

Eve confirms this is Genesis 3 when she responds to the Serpent. And I don't think I'd ever really thought about it until reading McLaren's book that Adam and Eve don't die when they eat the fruit. Genesis 3 isn't just the story of sin entering the world. It's more importantly the story of God's grace entering the world! God doesn't kill Adam and Eve for their mistake. Instead, he offers grace and shows his love. He not only doesn't kill Adam and Eve but he also makes them clothes to cover their nakedness. As Heather pointed out, there is a sacrifice made in Adam and Eve's place. An animal did have to die to make those clothes for the two of them. But God, in this moment of mans first downfall, extends grace and shows his love.

And then I start thinking about all the times in the Old Testament when God extends his grace and doesn't pour out his wrath.

"At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. So the LORD let him alone." ~ Exodus 4:24-26

On top of that, how many times does God, in his frustration say he's going to kill the Israelites but Moses intervenes on their behalf and prays that God won't destroy the people but will remember his promise that they would be his people? How many times did Abraham pray for Sodom and Gomorrah before God, who can't even find 10 righteous people, destroys it? And before he destroys it, shows grace to Lot and his family by making sure they escape the city before he destroys it.

Now there are consequences for sinning against God and that's where we see his wrath. Lot's wife disobeys God and turns to look upon the city as they're fleeing and turns into a pillar of salt. Israel wanders the dessert for 40 years so that an entire generation dies before they can enter the promise land. Adam must now work the earth. Eve has to endure the pain of childbearing. But where God's wrath is, his love and grace are intertwined.

Fighting Losing Battles

I try to stay away from political debates and Christianity because it’s pointless. Because people will almost always disagree with me and because I'm just a guy in search of answers and trying to do what's right, I don't ever really know what I'm talking about (which I'm pretty honest about).

The only time I stick my nose into Christian political battles is when it comes to homosexuality. Why? Because I get upset when people talk about gays getting married being the destruction of America. Like that's the straw that's breaking the awesome moral fiber of this godly country.

So gay and lesbian couples can now get married in the state of New York and people are upset.

I don't want to talk about homosexuality as a sin or if it's right or wrong for gays and lesbians to get married. But I do want to discuss the battles Christians pick and choose.

Because I think we should all be able to agree that there are bigger problems in America then gays being allowed to marry. If that is what we perceive as our biggest morality issue in America then we have big problems.

Innocence is Dead. That statement is true whether you believe it or not. Disney has declared they're not doing princess movies anymore because young girls are just not interested anymore in being princesses. They're more interested in boys and fashion and whatever else. It's a problem.

I've been on a kick about speaking potential and love into the lives of those around us, especially our young girls and women. What about reclaiming innocence as well? Is it even possible? Can we undo the damage done?

ABC "Family" is one of the most offensive channels to me. Their branding of what family is disturbs me. I'll just start with Secret Life of the American Teenager, aka Little Whores of America. Is it really appropriate to have a show based around teenage girls having sex and having babies? High school dropouts with children dealing with immature teenage boys who are fickle and leave and comeback and leave again? Is this the type of family image we want our children watching? I know I don't like my sisters watching this show.

MTV has 16 and pregnant. I believe there's a show about teenage moms. And I don't know if I buy into the claims that shows like these discourage teenage pregnancy. I don't think shows like this are preventing teenage sex and in doing so, no matter how careful anyone is, it doesn't prevent teenage pregnancy.

Can we reclaim innocence when trash like this is on tv all the time? Is it possible?

I look at my cousin, who at the age of 11 or 12 says she's had dozens of "boyfriends". Really? I'll say this again, we have been careless. Is there an element of bad parenting in the loss of innocence, absolutely. But I don't know if it's possible, even with all the best parenting skills in the world, to shelter children from everything that's out there now.

And I can't help but think what if we were less concerned with rallying against gay marriage and spent more time trying to reclaim innocence within our young children? What would that look like? Wouldn't it involve speaking better things into our children's lives?

Am I being naive? Is this even possible? Even if it’s not, isn’t it worth trying?

When Adam Named Eve Pt 2

I didn't really intend to make this a series blog but the idea has stuck so deeply in my brain and infected my soul that I have to continue to talk about the idea of naming our women and the words we use.

A year ago Christine Caine spoke at NCC and like Heather Zempel this past weekend, she made a statement that really stuck with me. She made the statement that people had been careless with her life. That the lost aren't always lost because they're bad people. That other people have been careless with their lives and now they're lost.

And in relation to naming peoples potential and speaking worth into people's lives, we've been careless. And men have been careless about the words they speak into women's lives. And I know I'm guilty of this.

Whether its fathers or brothers, boyfriends, or friends, we have got to do a better job at speaking love and beauty into girls. Because I know too many young girls with already messy relational pasts and bad ideas of what a man, a father, and sadly, even what a godly man is. It's not good. And it needs to stop. Because it's happening to girls at younger and younger ages. 14 year old girls should not be sexual active and having babies... We have been careless.

It's heartbreaking. And I talk to people with twisted ideas of what love is and what is "normal" guy behavior and it's upsetting. I just think to myself, God has so much more for these girls and women and if they just had someone in their life to speak real truth and love into their lives and to set a solid of example of what a godly man is.

I don't have an answer or anything grand to say really. But I am disturbed in my soul at what I see. Heather Zempel said we have the power to speak potential into our women's live and that's all I'm saying. I just want to encourage men to speak better things to the women and girls in their life. To stop being careless with others lives. Because things are not headed in a positive direction.

Walking Spinning Backing Free

About a year ago, someone who would become a close friend of mine confided that they were struggling with God and weren't sure if they could believe in God. The last year has been spent in dialogue and conversation, answering questions and being honest with each other. Over the last year, countless bible verse of encouragement, challenging words and articles sent, in an attempt to get my friend to a level where God was something real, moving, beautiful, meaningful, anything...

It all came full circle in a note I got this week that was probably the most meaningful and touching thing anyone has ever said to me.

I'm not special. I don't have all the answers (anyone reading this blog knows this). But I didn't need to be. I just needed to be available and honest, and try.

Isn't that all loving people really takes? Being available to be open and honest and there with someone? I know I'm making this way to simple but sometimes people just need a hug and real conversation. If God can use me to influence someone and help them see and hear God, he can use anyone. Put yourself out there and be available... It's that simple sometimes.

Cars 2 - A Review of Sorts

So... I saw Cars 2 on Friday and I loved it! I think Pixar delivered another fun movie. A movie I will be buying when it's released on DVD and honestly, a movie I might go see in theaters again. And as I watched the film, I kept thinking, why do critics hate this movie so much? I don't get it.

I guess at the end of the day, people expect more from Pixar. The heart that every Pixar film has isn't really in Cars 2 and at times is a little forced and gimmicky. Like they had to have something deeper. And so there's tension with Mater and Lightning McQueen. The message is still a good one. Be yourself, no matter what others think and true friends will always stand by you no matter what. Good, positive message. But it's not the same as say Up, or Toy Story 3. There's an element to that part of the story in Cars 2 that just seems secondary. And if you're expecting something deep and heartfelt, then there's a level of disappointment.

But on a pure movie level, on an entertainment level, Cars 2 is fantastic! It's James Bond in Cars form. Yeah, it's a little mindless but it's still entertaining. The first thing one notices is how, once again, Pixar's animation has taken a step forward. This might be their greatest film on a purely visual level. The opening of the film at sea, the water looks incredible. The scenery in France, Italy, and London is gorgeous and in particular when they're racing through the streets of London at the end of the film, I was struck with just how amazing all the background looked.

The racing scenes are more compelling. A road course with twists and turns has to be better then your Nascar circle right? There are gunfights, chase scenes, and tons of action. On top of that, the movie is pretty funny. A couple of jokes for the adults in the room, which I always appreciate. As a movie fan, I was entertained. As a Pixar fan, not disappointed. Was it their best film, no. Was it better then the first Cars, I enjoyed it more.

If you're on the fence, I say go see it. I loved it. I would also say, the price of admission is worth it just to watch the Toy Story, Hawaiian Vacation short at the beginning of the film. That was well worth the price of the two tickets I bought Friday.

When Adam Named Eve

So church this morning produced a bunch of different thoughts and questions in my mind. And it's awesome. That's how church should work and a sermon on wrath better have me asking lots of questions and thinking about a lot of various things.

But this post isn't really about wrath. It's about a side note in today's message.

Genesis 3:20 - Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

A little verse that probably doesn't get a lot of attention paid to it. It happens. Heather Zempel took a moment to say a quick word about Adam choosing Eve's name. I don't think it had ever occurred to me before that Eve didn't have a name until after they had gotten kicked out of the garden.

Her point was in the name chosen. Eve, the mother of all the living. After all that had happened, eating of the tree of knowledge, being kicked out of the garden, Adam chose to name her for what she would become. He saw and named her potential. Heather commented that men need to be thinking about how they name their women. And I couldn't agree more.

Women are to be cherished and loved. And we should be speaking to their potential.

But more then that, we need to be careful what we say to each other. Sticks and stones isn't really a true statement. Words hurt and you never know who's dwelling on what you say. Statements like you're a coward, you're a loser, you dummy, have a deeper and more lasting impact that we think. And we need to really be careful what we say. I'm guilty of saying some pretty hurtful things and I have no idea what kind of impact those words have had. I know I've said some things said to me that have had a negative lasting. I've also had some things said that have had a positive lasting impact.

Words that cure are always better then words that hurt.

The Bible On the Coffee Table

6 or 7 years ago I wrote a song called The Bible of the Coffee Table (Has Never Been Opened). It is probably the best song lyrically I ever wrote and the demo recorded was also probably the best vocal performance I've ever given. I would love to be able to post the song but I do not have the demo to that song anymore. I'm sure my old roommate and an ex-girlfriend both have copies but I do not.

Anyway, I was thinking about this song last night. Because I don't have a copy of the song the lyrics are foggy to me (The music on the other hand I can play perfectly. Go figure) I know the first line of the chorus went, And what if I threw everything away, would still care. The song is about deciding whether or not God is still an important person in ones life. The verses talked about staring at the bible and trying to decide if the fair tale like stories from childhood had any place in our adult life and if the protagonist in song was going to jump in and believe or throw out all that they had believed as a child and youth.

The song was written about what I saw happening to friends of mine. I saw too many people after high school, go to college and if not walk away from their faith, lessen its priority in their life. And it saddened me. To be fair, my life and faith were taking their own struggled walk together and from the point where I wrote this song to about the time I turned 23 or so I fought with the faith and Christianity I grew up in and the kind of life I was discovering through studying the bible and having in conversations with fellow believers.

So what’s the point of this post? I have no idea really. I just start typing and things happen. I guess the statement from the chorus of this song, What if I threw everything away, has been a question I’ve asked myself many times and in a way I feel like it’s a statement come true… In many ways I feel like I’ve thrown everything. For better or for worse the Christianity that I grew up knowing isn’t the Christianity I live in now. And to be honest it was a hard fought battle with myself between trying to live in a way that I had grown up knowing I was supposed to live and living my life how I was living it. It was a struggle and I really hated myself for not being the type of outward Christian that I thought was more… Acceptable? Can one be a Christian and look so different from the churches I had grown up in? Could I have so many different ideas and beliefs? It was a fight I was constantly having with myself.

What changed? God came and healed me in a major way. So major that even as I type I’m tearing up. There are two moments in my life where God has physically touched me. And this is the second. I had the condo to myself and was having an all out fight with God via prayer. I was struggling with my life and things weren’t good and I remember asking God to just help me overcome this constant battle between what I thought being a Christian should look like and how I knew I should be living. And I remember in this moment feeling a physical weight literally being lifted from my shoulders. I felt the burden lifted and God said I didn’t have to worry about trying to look or act out the faith or Christianity I had grown up in. And I fell to the floor laughing and crying… So happy and relieved. In that moment I threw everything away and knew that life could go forward and that my faith in God wasn’t defined by any of these outward things that I had felt for a long time didn’t really matter. It was a beautiful moment.

And that’s why this song is still real to me. That’s why I wish I had a copy. I don’t understand how life goes in so many different directions for so many people and I hate seeing friends who walk away from God or just aren’t as moved by the Gospel as I am. How can people not feel or be moved by something that daily challenges me and moves me in emotional and new ways. How can they throw everything away?

Well this post took an unexpected and super personal turn… If you’re reading this, God Loves You! More then any of us could ever comprehend.