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A prophet and king unwelcome in home town

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Jesus coined the phrase “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household (Matthew 13:57).” While he was born in Bethlehem, he grew up in Nazareth. People there had a hard time really getting behind the fact that while Jesus was fully human, he was also fully God (of course this was hard for the first 300 or so years of the church, but they always seemed to have the sense of it being true despite taking some time to agree upon the precise orthodox language). They saw Jesus as Mary and Joseph’s kid, who like all the other kids, did kid things (though not sinfully-I’d love to see what Jesus was like as a youth!), and now was a grown up telling people he was more than just a dude. So Jesus was not respected in his home town as even a prophet, much less a King, even though he did nothing wrong.
It seems a king is also not without honor except in his hometown as well. Lebron James, aka “King James” returned to his hometown-at least in the vicinity of-Cleveland with a similar reception. Except he received boos instead of disbelief. But these were well deserved boos seeing as he did jilt his hometown on national TV via his self-promoting TV special to head to Miami. The city reflected upon James and his actions, and the best way to dishonor this lesser King. Fortunately they stayed within the confines of the law and didn’t need the bail money they had set aside, as some had talked about on Jim Rome’s show.

So prophet and king aren’t welcomed in home towns. I wonder about priests…Where is Priest Holmes now?

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Steve Johnson Tweet Take 3

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This is my final Steve Johnson Twitter take. Again, this is not to pile on one man’s mistake, but simply to consider our own response to “dropping passes” in our lives. He’s probably a cool cat, and he probably loves Jesus just as much as I do. Although, one could make an argument that if his life was so structured as his tweet- he “praised God 24/7” so that good things can happen, and is mad when they don’t-that’s really not love at all but attempted manipulation. God can’t be manipulated like people, so don’t try. But I don’t want to read too much more into his tweet, so this take is more on the public nature of twitter and facebook.
There is a powerful scene in The Apostle, one of my favorite movies of all time, where Robert Duvall is literally yelling and screaming at God, wondering what in the world is happening to him. The neighbors call up fairly perturbed and ask what the deal is. His mother answers to something to the effect of, “Sometimes Sonny talks to God, sometimes he yells.”
God can take our frustrations. He can take our yelling. We don’t need to be gentle as though He gets His feelings hurt by us. We just need to couch everything in the fact that He is God, and we are not. He’s privy to more than we are, and He love us more than we love ourselves (hard to believe, but true). But with that pre-supposition in our heads (our hearts may be miles away), we can lay our souls bare before him. I think we can even yell and cry out.
But bearing your soul and frustrations before Him is one thing. Bearing your unfiltered frustrations with God and others before the world is another.
Facebook and Twitter can be great things. But they are not good places to lay your soul bare, and air dirty laundry that you have with your spouse, children, siblings, and frustrations with God. Such venues dishonor ALL of the aforementioned. God doesn’t do that with us, and he doesn’t let others do that to us (Matthew 18). 
Frustrations are best done in real community, not cyber-community. A small group, a close friend, a pastor, elder, are 100% better than Facebook in this regard. These are safe places to be frustrated which don’t dishonor anyone. Of course the best person is the person with whom you are frustrated.

Mike Florio of profootballtalk.nbcsports.com, though not a believer to my knowledge, offers some sage advice on what we can learn from Johnson’s tweet:

The possible lesson?  Prayer is best left between the person sending it, and the entity receiving it.

Unless your prayer is something that you want repeated throughout generations, like those Puritan prayers in The Valley of Vision, Florio has a good point.

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Steve Johnson Tweet Take 2

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Other folks, perhaps smarter, with blogs more well read, have blogged about Steve Johnson’s tweet. One thoughtful, albeit lengthy response is here.
Before moving on, I will say that Johnson tried to recant his tweet here. Nevertheless, since his tweet raised some interesting questions, I’m going to give my “take two” on Johnson’s shot at God. This take is more aimed at a question, then at Johnson.
You regularly see QB’s pointing to the sky for touchdown catches, as well as some who give praise to Jesus for a win. So if God makes you win, then does God make you lose? If God makes you catch the pass, then does God make you drop the pass? If you can credit Him for the win, shouldn’t you be able to blame Him for the loss?

Hmmm…..

God is providentially involved in all of life, even evil things which people do to us (Gen 50:20). I prefer to use the word, “allow.” He allows us to drop passes, catch passes, remember our spelling words, or forget something on the SAT. He is in charge of all things, and nothing is out of His control. Jesus calmed the storm in Matthew 8, and showing how even weather systems are powerless against his will. But Jesus often lets weather systems run their course too. Are they his fault? Well he did allow them…
At what level was God involved in Johnson’s drop (he actually had 5 in the game), I don’t know. And I don’t care, and neither should we. While football is often the center of our universe, it isn’t the center of God’s universe. I don’t think he cares a whole lot about the outcome of the game. He could run that operation like Angels in the Outfield, or just allow normal cause and effect and differing levels of skills and coaching to be the deciding factor.
The problem is that the one who wins is the one who gets the microphone, and so all we hear is, “Thank you Jesus for this win.” We rarely get to hear the loser speak, which is what reporters would do if I had any say. But after Johnson’s tweet, maybe I don’t want Christian football players who just lost the game get in front of the mic. Twitter, like it or not, is perhaps even more powerful a tool than TV now.
In the end, good receivers, whether Christian or non-Christian, make touchdown catches at the end of the game. They just do. It is not wrong for them to take some credit in making a great catch.
Ultimately, in the end, God allows us to both catch and drop passes. When you catch it, remember who gave you the ability to catch it-whether you mention Jesus in the interview or not. I don’t think Christ is dishonored when you don’t throw out his name by giving him credit for the win. 
But when you drop it, recognize your part in it all, and then remember who gave you the ability to deal with the drop.
Unknown's avatar

Steve Johnson Tweet Take 1

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I just came across this fascinating post about how Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson blamed God for dropping a touchdown pass in O.T. against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He actually tweeted it.
“I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO…”
Here’s a few takes on this tweet
1.) We often think like this don’t we? That we’ve been good, so we should make the over the should proverbial touch down catch in life. Anything we get should be a reward, right? I’m not blasting this guy, because I sometimes I think this way. I reveal it by anger or over frustration at dropped balls in my life. While I do have a twitter account, I don’t tweet, so it doesn’t get to CNN, or even out the door.
2.) David’s laments before God sometimes bear a slight resemblance to this. Check out Psalm 73:13-14.
“…All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning.”
In other words, I’ve tried to honor you, but the “other guy” has it made in the shade while I’m the one getting the shaft. 
So where is the difference? Other than the fact that one was inspired by the Holy Spirit and the other one inspired by the frustration of losing, there is a difference in direction.
The Psalms point us to Jesus. Ultimately, Jesus said all of the Psalms pointed to him (Luke 24). While we are free to, and should express these frustrating feelings to the Lord, we need to realize that Jesus lived out the frustrations in these Psalms. He truly was 100% innocent, and had 100% clean hands, and 100% clean heart, and yet he took upon himself the frustrations of life in this world. At the cross, he experienced the frustration of being publicly scorned by those who were in the wrong. And just as he was vindicated by rising from the grave, so too will we who are united with him by faith. It just won’t be because we praised God 24/7; it will be because of Jesus.
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Some good Xmas tunes

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We put up the family Xmas tree on this lovely, but very cold, WV Friday-after-Thanksgiving day. I had some help from a number of festive (not to be confused with “festivus”) Xmas albums on the I-pod. Of course the usuals like The Chieftans (family tradition) showed up large, along with Point of Grace (for Amy). But many songs came courtesy of http://www.noisetrade.com. You can download a plethora of solid Xmas albumes at this site. I have most of the titles on the first page, and many have already added to my enjoyment of the season. If you’re looking for some good tunes, definitely give this site a whirl.

If you have any Xmas suggestions, or albums to stay away from, please comment.

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A pragmatic Childress gets an extension one year and fired the next

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After another unproductive Brett Favre performance, the Minnesota Vikings finally fired coach Brad Childress. The coach who took them (though it was probably Favre who “took” them) to within a field goal of the Super Bowl (though they didn’t get a chance to kick the field goal b/c Favre threw an interception), was fired after signing an extension through 2013. A near hero one year, and 10 weeks later the goat. 
Two years ago I pondered whether or not coaxing Favre out of retirement, the 2nd time, was a ‘good’ idea; both ethically and pragmatically. I felt like while it wasn’t a positively ethical decision (it ignored the hard work of the previously starting QB’s), it was pragmatically a good decision: they won. For the pragmatist, if it works, then it is good.
This year, I wondered the same two things when Childress tried to coax Farve out of retirement, for the 3rd time. This time sending players down to Mississippi, while instructing others to lie about their whereabouts. How other Viking players wouldn’t find out IMMEDIATELY about the media circus that is Favre is beyond me. 
So Favre came back, skipping training camp again, and has so far led the league in interceptions. Pragmatically the decision was a bad one. It didn’t work. Ethically the decision was also a bad one, filled with lies and lack of respect for the quarterbacks in training camp. 

Childress found out about the blessing and curses of pragmatism. He got a 3 year extension because the Favre decision worked last year. But he found the dangers of pragmatism as well; things that work one year don’t always work the next year. At least an ethically based decision is right or wrong on the front end, and you don’t have to wait till half the season is over before you know if you made the right decision!

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Republocrat: more thoughts than a review

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A good friend of mine at Redeemer let me borrow a book he recommended called Republocrat by Carl Trueman. I don’t read a bunch of political books, but this one was definitely worth the read. And it was short, so that always helps me. 
While I’m not sure I would ever be buddies with Dr. Trueman (although I have to admit his eclecticism in everything besides worship-he’s an exclusive Psalm singer-does make me want to chat with him some time), his writing style is absolutely marvelous. If you like good writing, albeit a few longer than usual sentences here and there, you’ll at least like his style. It really drew me in; I’m a fan of good writing.
I think Trueman’s main point with Republocrat is to serve as an “outsider” to expose the inconsistencies within both parties, and to challenge the notion that either of them directly come to us from the bible. Since his audience would seem to be “the Right” and “Religious Right,” he spends a good part of his time addressing those who believe Fox News really is “fair and balanced.” Instead he lists examples of how this “fair and balanced” news program, owned by Rupert Murdoch, is driven by money, greed, and an ideology.
I’ve already shared my two cents on how NO ONE is fair and balanced; we all have biases. And that’s OK, just recognize them, and recognize them in your news programs.
The harshest thrust of his criticism seems directed toward Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reiley. Contrary to modern evangelical opinion, these folks aren’t our prophets. Trueman argues that they are regularly logically inconsistent, ignorant, and misguided, and gives some examples why he feels this way.
The tone might (Brits are just different, so this just might be a cultural difference) have been a bit on the harsh side, but it was filled with fun, clever, witty sarcasm. And he blasts both the left and the right.
Overall, I think he leaves the reader with several positive a-political challenges, but here is his strongest point.
Get your news from multiple places, and don’t assume that CNN, MSNBC, or FOXNEWS has a monopoly on what’s “really” happening. Use the mind that God has given you to develop informed opinions.

I definitely recommend this book to both ends of the spectrum: political die-hards or politically indifferent. Not everything he says you or I will agree with (that’s the case with every book but the bible) in regards to political thought. However, in regards to philosophy-how you arrive at your political thought and opinions-I think this read could be incredibly helpful and allow you to enter into healthy dialog with some different folks.

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Nietzsche’s somewhat helpful diagnosis

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Ever since seminary, I’ve really enjoyed philosophy. Philosophers, like it or not, really shape not only the intellectual elite but the general populous as well. Philosophy eventually drips down to the level of pop culture. It can become dangerous because philosophy doesn’t look so esoteric anymore. It simply looks like what normal people think. 
But philosophy, even that which comes from seriously anti-Christian philosophers, can still help point us to Jesus. Even folks like Neitzsche, who coined the phrase “God is dead,” can be quite helpful in our sanctification. Men and women are made in the image of God and therefore can say true things about the world, regardless of how hostile they are to Jesus.
Let me explain. Nietzsche’s commentary on humanity was that everyone simply exerts their “will to power” over others. Morality, especially that coming from the church, was simply the church trying to get you to conform to their pattern of life. Morality is simply another form of power play (not to be confused with hockey “power play” where one team has more players on the ice; I still don’t get that). 
Before we throw the baby (or rather the anti-Christian philosopher) out with the bath water, let’s consider the fact that he may be right in some way. 
It comes down to the heart issue. What is the motivation for wanting our kids to behave at school? What is the motivation for a pastor wanting someone in his congregation to come back to worship after he’s been absent for awhile? Why would you counsel a teen to stop dating his/her unbelieving boyfriend/girlfriend or not date at all?
Could our motivation be “Neitzschean?” Of course! We can care about what others think of our kids, pastors can see people as “nickels and noses,” and we can have as an end goal that others simply look like us.
That’s what Paul warned the Judaizers were doing in the letter to the Galatians; they simply wanted followers and folks to look like them! Paul was well aware of this “will to power” well before young Frederic was!
So what’s the solution? How do we escape pure skepticism and pessimism, thinking everyone has a legitimate gripe in saying, “You just want to mold me to look like you!” We need to examine our hearts and decide what our goal really is for our children, our congregation, and our teenagers. Is it for them to look like ME, or is it to look like Jesus?

Is it for your good (will it make things easier and make you look better) or is it for their good (that they will choose life-Psalm 1, instead of walking in the path death-Deut 30:19) If Jesus is our ultimate aim, then we can honestly say, as Paul says, “Follow me as I follow the example of Christ” (I Cor 11). We can confidently explain to others, while examining our own hearts, that there is a difference in our will to power and Jesus‘ rightful will to power over all.

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When doing the right thing costs you a game

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Sunday was a good day of football for half the teams that played. For the other half of the teams it was a bad day, I guess. That’s always the case, right? But for the Houston Texans (really creative name), it was probably, a particularly perturbing day indeed.
On a Hail Mary 50 yard pass into the end zone with no time left, the defensive back batted the ball down instead of going for the interception. While I’ve never been a defensive football player, or played organized football before, I’m told he did exactly what he was supposed to do. Unfortunately doing the “right” thing cost him and his team; the ball he batted down landed right into the hands of a Jacksonville receiver who stepped in the endzone for the game-winning touchdown. You can watch the video here.
He did the right thing but it turned out not to work out in his favor. I can imagine that next time he will try to go for the interception, the personal stats, and abandon doing the right thing. And I don’t blame him.
Often as Christians, we choose to do the right thing in loving others but the result turns out to be, at least proverbially, a touchdown for the other team. For instance, as a church we were planning on having a large number of folks assist Charleston’s Union Mission in sorting food from their recent food drive last night. Unfortunately a large donor backed out, and food didn’t come in for us to sort. So a number of eager folks received news that we wouldn’t be sorting food.
I was really bummed. I bet others were as well. Anytime we choose to serve others, we have a great opportunity to be let down. It might be the un-churched person who agrees to come to church with you, but doesn’t answer the door when you stop by to pick him/her up. It could mean that you could get sick, get fleas or lice, when you love and invite folks into your home. You’re doing the right thing, but getting the “wrong” results.
If we only look at the result of our actions by our sight, we will become pessimistic pragmatists. If I can see right now a “good” (“good”=MY PLANS) result of my actions, I’ll serve and love others. But if I don’t like what I see, then I’ll stop doing what’s right. Its not worth having a “touchdown” scored on me.
Yet for Christians, doing the right thing means that we’ll be disappointed sometimes. Maybe even often, especially in mercy ministry. It means that we’ll be hurt sometimes. And I hate that, and I want to just say, “Forget it!”
But let us not stop doing what is right as we love others, even with the concomitant hurt and disappointment which will inevitably come from it. When you are hurt or disappointed, remember the smiles and respect we ultimately need come our Heavenly Father. Let’s keep on truckin’ despite what the earthly scoreboard and our pragmatic sight-dominated hearts tell us and instead see things with renewed eyes of faith.