A number of years ago, after The Shack first came out, I wrote a review of the positives/negatives as I see them. Since the movie is coming out soon, I thought I would at least share my old book review and put in a few quick thoughts.

1.) I’m not excited about the movie, but am not worried about it either. Remember The Davinci Code? Christians tend to make mountains out of mole hills. If you read my review, you’ll see my concerns and as well as what I found helpful in the book. Movies come and movies go. Good and bad. And God’s Word remains, and so does his Church.

2.) If you see the movie, or read the book and it really seemed to minister to you, make sure that you recognize WHY it did so. Creativity is good; I love it! But so is orthodoxy. The faith that has been handed down to us has stood the test of time. So if new images or metaphors or story help you understand suffering, grace, justice, evil, great. Just remember that heresy always includes some truth, yet tries to flatten theological/emotional tension. Do you like something about the God who is, or simply the picture of the God you want Him to be? We all have this tendency; I know I do! But if the book/movie helps encourage you to love, rest, and praise God as He is presented in the scriptures, then I’d say it really did help you.

3.) Most writers today that I benefit from are not doing “new material.” The more I read dead guys, the more I see folks like Tim Keller and John Piper just making what dead dudes wrote more understandable and applicable for today.

If you read the book, or have read the book, and/or plan on seeing the movie, please check out my review. At the very least, you will have another perspective than a simple endorsement or warning. In the end, even when we disagree on The Shack’s helpfulness or hurtfulness, or anything in between, let us allow God’s Word be our guide and standard for discernment. And let us show grace to one another in disagreement, particularly when we arrive at different conclusions after examining the scriptures.

Feel free to let me know what you found helpful/hurtful. I’d love to hear from you.

I got a text the other day about our first “unofficial” baseball practice occurring on a Sunday morning at 10 am. My family and I are always one place on Sundays at 10 am: at the YMCA gathering with our Harbor Community Church family to worship Jesus. So I sadly texted back that Sunday mornings would never work for us.

While feeling pretty bummed and wondering what the future held for us, I got another text from a parent on the same team who attends Harbor. He asked him to change it too. I no longer felt alone in this, and can’t even begin to describe how much fellowship I experienced when getting that text.

Not long afterwards, the practice was moved to 12 pm, allowing Connar to make it on time. Apparently the time didn’t work for more than just a few. It just took parents responding, instead of caving.

Sadly, I have come across many other kids and parents who have baseball practice on Sunday mornings. One parent emailed her coach asking if this would be a regular occurrence, because if so, it wouldn’t be fair to him or the other kids: he wasn’t going to miss worship for baseball practice.

I’m grateful that these two families (one from Harbor) stood up and said, “Sunday morning does not work for us.” That’s all that it took. But how many more will be willing to prioritize worship over sports? I don’t begrudge non Christian coaches seeking to have practice on Sunday morning. Why wouldn’t I expect that to happen? Sunday morning isn’t any different than any other day (or Sat night for some)?

But isn’t it different than any other day? Even sacred and something we should protect? I’m not arguing for not playing or practicing on that day, just that we wouldn’t allow the worship (valuing) of something less important not take the place of gathering to worshiping someone actually worthy.

Cecil Shorts III, an injured Buccaneers receiver claims, “We love this game, but the game don’t love us back.” Consider valuing the One who actually did love you back and protecting that time with His family.

I have given up much hope in the power of persuasion through blog posts (and facebook posts). That best takes place in relationships. If you agree with me, just remember that you are not alone. You don’t have to say yes. Not everyone is doing it.

But if you disagree, or if you get tired of saying no to activities or events which keep you from worship on a regular basis, consider that eventually your kids will actually grow up (funny how that happens). When they are out of your house, what do you want them to value? Obviously this goes way beyond attending a worship service-that was just a starting point.

What/Whom do you want them to value? Whatever it is, that involves placing boundaries at some level, and saying, “no” to things to which others may say, “yes” or “yes” to things others may say “no.” So at the very least, it might be wise to have this some end in mind and work backwards from there.

When kids grow up, they will be influenced not so much by what you told them was important, but what you showed them was important: through your time, checkbook, energy, enthusiasm, and actions.

And if you disagree, and don’t think a few practices on Sundays will change all that much in your child’s relationship with Jesus, we can still be friends. And we still welcome you to worship with us, or continue to worship with us, when you can, at the Bradenton Branch YMCA at 10 am.

During worship at Harbor, we are plowing our way through the book of Acts in the series called “Footloosed: Gathering, Giving, Growing, Going.” The idea is that we are being set free SO THAT we may gather, give, grow, and go.

I never get to include all I want in sermons, primarily because of time, but also because I don’t look very closely at my I-Pad. In other cases, ideas are captured in Evernote, but not plugged in. One such thought came to me while attending Care Net Gala on Friday night that never made it to the “script.”

As I looked at Saul’s conversion in Acts 10, I was actually more astounded with his “conversion” or reconciliation to God’s family, than I was simply at his conversion to Jesus. I mean, can you imagine a community welcoming someone who had separated families and approved of behind-the-woodshed executions? How hard would hit have for Ananias to call him “Brother Saul?” I might have said, “Jesus loves you but everyone else thinks you’re an a##%$^&,” as I’ve seen on a bumper sticker.

Isn’t that nuts? I can’t imagine how much grace it would take to do that! Of course, we have had some picture of that even in America with the A.M.E. church in Charleston extending the offer of forgiveness to Dylan Roof.

But one thought I didn’t explore during the sermon was to consider the question: “How hard it would reconciliation be for Paul?” How awkward would it have been for the guy who caused so much grief to the church, to all the sudden find himself in it, laboring alongside it, intricately involved in it? Teaching about love and forgiveness? How apologetic must he be? At what point in life could he stop and just say, “I’m Paul?” without thinking, “Don’t believe all that you’ve heard about me…I’ve changed….?”

Sometimes a community can be gracious and welcoming, but if the individual/s don’t believe the gospel at a very deep level (my stains are washed away, but so is my stink/shame) then it will be very difficult. Should you ever find yourself on the outside looking in, remember how hard it must have been for Paul. But then remember how much the gospel can change both you AND them.

Shame has kept many a wary traveler on the outside when warm fellowship is offered inside. Remember, your shame is covered up as well as your sins (Romans 8:1). Knowing it is one thing, but believing it deeper each day is necessary for it to make any difference in your life.

I don’t do passive/aggressive blogs or preaching, meaning I have no person in mind writing this. These are just some reflections that I had intended to include in the sermon, but didn’t make the final cut! If nothing else, hopefully it will spur us on to compassion and grace.