ADAM AND STEVE

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"CRAFT" CHRISTIANITY

The growth of “Craft” producers is an amazing phenomenon that has taken place over the past decade or so.  It has taken place quietly and without recognition by the vast majority of consumers.   But for the choice few that know about it, they are reaping enormous gastronomic benefits.  As the owner of my own “Hot Sauce” business, I have an up close and personal perspective of this exciting trend in how consumers are using and appreciating products being produced in small batches.  Not only that, but they are willing to pay a small premium to enjoy those benefits.  It should be noted that this rapidly growing trend not only is being experienced in the beer / spirits market, but in everything from jams and jellies, to granola, to teas and coffees… even hot sauces.

However, the thing that can be learned from this might best be seen from an experience that happened to me just a few months ago.  A meeting had been arranged by a broker from Chicago for me to meet with one of the largest wholesale food distributors in the Detroit market.  As we all met together one morning, I sat in a small conference room cluttered with boxes of various food products from many different producers.  Nothing had prepared me for what I was about to experience.

After a few minutes one of the “decision makers” entered the room.  He grabbed a bottle of our Hot Sauce, glanced at the bottle, then… placing it hard back on the table, half sliding it back toward me… he then pointed his finger at me and said… “I don’t care what it tastes like…”  What????  You are one of the biggest players in the food game, and you don’t care what it tastes like..???!!!   That’s like a pastor saying that he doesn’t care if anyone gets saved!

Has not the Church always been a “Craft” industry?  The church has always featured “local” flavors.  It has historically been “sold” best by people who were deeply invested and intensely passionate about their “product”.   It has only been in last several decades that we have had the notion that “mega-whatever” is better.  But is “mega” really better?  It doesn’t matter what the industry is; whether it is producing beer, or hot sauce, or converts to Christianity… sometimes people get hungry for something better than a mass produced bottle of “Franks”!

DENOMINATIONS: ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE

A friend of mine recently recommended a Blog article entitled: “In Praise of Denominations”.  I was interested in reading it for three reasons.  First, I really respect my friend, and thus his recommendations.  Secondly, I am old enough to have survived the “denominations are of devil” era of the 1970’s, and so have a bit of experience in this matter.  And thirdly, there is a large local independent congregation in our area that is openly antagonistic toward “organized religion”.  After reading the article, I thought I would pen some of my own thoughts on this matter.

The article cataloged 10 reasons why denominations should be praised; everything from a mechanism for accountability to support of missions.  All of the reasons listed were fair and appropriate.  However, this issue is most certainly not one sided.  While there is much for which denominations can and should be praised, there can be a very, very dark underbelly which cannot be ignored.  In fact, all of the good of which denominations can accomplish can be completely negated by the evil which can lurk within. 

The most serious evil which can so easily infect the health of formalized Christian organizations is corruption within the leadership.  And the specific corruption to which I refer is the same danger spoken of in the Scripture; the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, and the boasting of what one has or has done.  Because there is such an inordinate trust typically placed in denominational leaders, this evil can be exponentially greater than normal.

The most telling symptom of this corruption is “non-transparency”.   Any denominational leadership that is unwilling to be absolutely and completely transparent about the issues of finance, as well as ministry schedules and activities should be suspect.  Any denominational leadership office that is unwilling to maintain a website which makes accessible to the members an open ledger of every dime received and spent should be suspect.  Any denominational leadership that lives a lifestyle that is drastically in contrast to the rank and file membership should be suspect.

Some might recoil at my last comment; however, give me a moment to explain.  I have no problem whatsoever with any person being stinkin’ rich.  Christian or not… I don’t care.  As long as it is made honestly, and as long as the tithe is paid, make as much as you desire.  However, there is an exception.  Please note that in the sphere of “business” this exception disappears, but in the sphere of Christian ministry it cannot be ignored.

One that desires to serve in a capacity of Christian leadership must be sensitive to the body to which he is called to serve.  A leader loses credibility when they become too far removed from the reality of the people they lead.  And a leader MUST have credibility.  His lifestyle should be a reflection of those whom he serves.  I Corinthians 9:20-22

It is for this reason, among several, that I am an advocate of “term limits” for denominational leaders.  If a denominational leader wants to be wealthy, that wealth should not come during his term of leadership.  Let him make his wealth, as much as he wants, before or after; and if before, then it should be placed in a managed trust prior to his term of office.   He can return to a more affluent lifestyle once he leaves his post of leadership if he so chooses.   

Sadly, this is not the normal pattern for denominational leadership.  The normal pattern is that men who began with hearts of gratitude and humility begin to slowly change as they acquire power and wealth.  Then, one day, they wake up and realize how disparate their lives have become from those who trusted them with the ministry in the beginning. It then becomes necessary for them to conceal their life and wealth.  Ultimately… one day… the truth becomes known.  And then… denominations loose their luster.

That’s the bad news.  However, the good news about Christian organizations is that they have the ability to reboot.  They can start fresh.  They can be redeemed.  And it is then that the polish can be restored to the denominational vessel, and lives can be won for the Kingdom.

THRILL RIDE

DISCLAIMER: Please be forewarned. What follows is not for the weak. It probably contains some thoughts that might be better kept to oneself. What follows takes you deep inside the mind and spirit of a man that is searching... wanting to know what it is to deeply trust God. It is as if you are being allowed to see into a personal journal. The judgements made and conclusions drawn are not intended to point to anyone other than me... the author. If you decide to go ahead and read it, please take none of it personally, as it is not my intention that you should do so.

Either God is managing a couple of billion prayer requests per day, or life is a terrific thrill ride and He is the designer of the rails.  Today, I don’t see any other options.  I’m not sure there is any logical standing between the two.   And to be honest with you… I’m personally leaning toward the “Thrill Ride” option.

If prayers have any power at all, then the question must be asked, how much power?  Limited?  Unlimited?   The answer certainly cannot be unlimited.  For if that were so, then we wouldn’t need God.  Or if we did, it would only be to carry out our will.  He would have the power; we would have control.  We all know that is not the case.

So then, is the power limited?  If it is, then by what?  Is God out there somewhere handling each and every prayer?  “Ooh, that’s a good idea.  I’ll get right on this.”   “You’ve got to be kidding.  That’s a horrible idea.”   “It’s you again… grow up, ya big wuss.”  Is there a big desk out there somewhere with boxes for “Good Ideas”, “Bad Ideas”, “Great Ideas”, “Silly Ideas”, and lastly, “Stupid Ideas”?  Is prayer limited by the “merit” of each one?

I know...  God answers prayers that are in agreement with his will.  Prayers that disagree with God get rejected.  Prayers that agree with God are acknowledged.  If so, then that raises a couple more questions.   Are we to believe that God’s will / power can be withheld in a certain matter until released by the key of prayer?  Is God waiting for us to pray so that he can then accomplish his will?  If so, then that would mean that God is subject to the creation, in contrast to the other way around.  Again, I think we all know that this likewise is not the case.  I’m pretty sure that the very definition of God is that he can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants to do it; with or without me.

Years ago, I received a request for money to help pay for the expenses of “The Largest Prayer Meeting in History”.  No, I’m not making this up.  The Assemblies of God were planning this huge prayer meeting and they needed money.  In the letter, the implication was made that this prayer meeting would result in revival all over the world.  Furthermore, the lost would be saved.  So… send money.    (And though they didn’t come right out and say it like this)  For, if you don’t… prayers won’t get prayed, and the lost won’t be saved, and it will be your fault!  

Even worse yet, they implied…  If we get enough people praying, God will certainly hear and answer our prayers.  I mean… God cannot ignore “The Largest Prayer Meeting in History”, can he?   It would be unthinkable that God would not respond to such a large turn out, right?

I will take it one step further…  If God ultimately answered just a single prayer prayed in such a meeting as this, then God can be bought.  For, it took money to make such an event happen.  Is there any way to detach answered prayer from the economy of the Church?

The other option is that God is the designer of the rails and we are just along for the ride.  It is kind of like the woman on the roller coaster screaming / praying for God to save her.  I will save the person in charge of the boxes the trouble of sorting this one out, it goes in the “Stupid Box”.  What a stupid prayer.   The rails are designed not to kill us, just to make us think we’re going to die.  Once a person figures this out, they can sit back and “enjoy the ride.”  Praying on a roller coaster is just about the dumbest thing a person can do.

I have such a confidence in the designer of the rails that I always wait in the extra line so that I can ride “front seat”.   After I wait for an hour to ride, I’m sure not going to want to watch the back of someone’s head.  No, siree.  I want to get the full “thrill factor”.  So… I am more than happy to wait a few more minutes so that I can have front seats to the show.   And once the ride starts, I’m sure not going to waste a fleeting moment, praying a needless prayer.   (If you’ve been paying attention, this paragraph is the one you need to focus on… you may want to read it again.)

All of these thoughts are subject to what we really think “prayer” is.  And, I have arrived at a place where I’m not sure prayer is anything close to what we have been taught over the years.  I’m not sure that prayer has anything to do with “circumstances” whether they appear to us to be good or bad.  I believe prayer is simply time spent with the Lord.  Simple.  Uncluttered.  It is passion.   It is caring more about what pleases God, than what necessarily pleases us.  It can be simple and calm, or it can be hot and passionate.  It is not always the same.  Prayer is relationship…

THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

I grew up playing cards.  I was playing Euchre and Rummy before I could multiply.  Rook, Pit, Authors, and Mille Bournes were other favorites.  My love for mathematics is probably due in part to my not being able to remember a time when I was not around a card game.  My parents played cards with friends and family each and every week.  When I got too big to fall asleep on my Mom or Dad’s lap, many nights I remember falling asleep on the floor next to their chairs while they continued playing cards well past my bedtime.  I remember how great I felt when I would set on my Dad’s lap and he would let me play a trick or two.  But perhaps my fondest memories are of Holiday gatherings when a table would be looking for a 5^th player for a game of Cutthroat or Five-handed Euchre; IMHO, one of the best card games ever. 

 Growing up as I did, it was only natural that I would learn to play games of Solitaire with a Deck of 52, more formally known as a French Deck.  There were several different Solitaire games that I learned over the years.  We even played a game called Nertz, which was an adaptation of the very familiar Klondike Solitaire, but was played with either 2 or 4 players competing against each other.  As technology has advanced, I have learned that a computer can certainly make a game of Freecell a lot more convenient.  But when it comes to games of Solitaire I still prefer to play old-school style with a real deck of cards in my hands.   It’s simple.   I don’t have to worry about having to recharge a battery.   

I always carry a deck of cards with me when I travel, and I find my favorite time to play is when I’m flying.  Yes… I’m the guy who annoys everyone with the shuffling noise.  My favorite game of Solitaire is one for which is simply called One Hand Solitaire.  It was taught to me by my parents.  My Dad really enjoyed it.  It is very simple and doesn’t require a table for a big spread of cards.  It is basically played as you hold the deck in your hand, dealing from the bottom of the deck to create a top pile of visible cards from which you play the game from the top 4 cards.  I haven’t played any other Solitaire game in many years.

So why would I care to write about my favorite game of Solitaire?  Well… as I sit here at 34,000 feet above the ground on a trip from St. Louis to Detroit, I began to wonder if it is possible to know something about a person by observing the games they play.  The game that I enjoy so much is nearly impossible to win.   The mathematical odds of winning have been calculated at 0.7%.  I have been playing it for over 4 decades and I only remember winning one time.  That’s right: One Time!!!   On this flight, I twice had 4 cards remaining – the object of the game is to have none – and I felt really good with the results.  What does it tell you about a person that is willing to play a game for over 40 years, playing it over and over again, and though they’ve only won it one time, they continue to play it still?  I do not know….

DOES GOD WANT US HOLY OR WHOLLY?

There is a catchy new phrase being used among Christians these days that is causing me some concern. “God doesn’t want you happy. He wants you holy.” I will be completely honest with you; this phrase makes me very, very nervous. To be fair, I think I know the message that is intended by this phrase. Furthermore, concerning his desire for us to be holy, I fully agree that God has gone to great lengths to demonstrate just how far he is willing to go in the pursuit of making us, in accordance with the pleasure of his will, a body of holy people – I Peter 2:9,10; Jude :24. However, I’m just very uneasy about the picture of God that is painted with the colors of the first part of this statement.

I could perhaps illustrate my concern by sharing with you the image that I have of Jesus, the man. All of my life I have seen pictures and images of Jesus. Each and every time those images show a very svelte man, and of course he is always shown wearing a white garment. Really? Mary always wears blue and Jesus wears white. Where do we get this stuff? Most of the time, when Jesus is pictured on the Cross, he is portrayed as a wispy, gaunt, almost anorexic physical form.

I would suggest that Jesus was not some slender, willowy man… just stop and think about it. Time and time again, what does the Scripture tell us that Jesus was doing? Eating!! He seemed to be always having breakfast or dinner somewhere. AYCE fish and chips on a hillside. (I know… it doesn’t say chips. But, when I write my version of the Bible, it will include chips.) And again, AYCE fish at a breakfast on the beach. It seems as if each and every story tells of an all you can eat feast! I would suggest that Jesus might have been carrying a few extra pounds. He perhaps could have even had a few extra inches on his waist.

What is my point? Just as I think many have a rather unrealistic image of the man Jesus, I likewise believe that many have a rather grotesque caricature perspective of Jesus, the Son of God. Was Jesus a dour and austere man? Serious and strict? Stern and exacting? Or was he silly and goofy? Capricious and whimsical; using his miraculous power for his own amusement? I would suggest that the answer is: none of the above. The answer is probably somewhere in the middle. (You might want to take a look at my blog post: The Funniest Verse in All of the Bible.) I believe Jesus had a great sense of humor, yet I’m certain that he did not sacrifice holiness for the sake of a laugh.

There was a woman in our church many years ago for whom, to be quite honest, I didn’t much care. She was too much. Too much of everything. Too much perfume. Too much hair. Too much gaudy jewelry. Too much of everything. And trust me, (those who know me well will understand) if she was too much for me… she was TOO much. Her earrings were so big that I was waiting to see a bird perched upon them. She had hot glued so many plastic rhinestones on her clothing that she was almost blinding to look at when she stood in the sunlight.

And then it happened… my worst fear… she invited Joni and me to her home for dinner. Oh, no!!! I couldn’t say no, and I was dreading what I would be forced to endure. She was just so obnoxious. However, that night, over dessert and coffee, I heard her story. It was then that I realized how wrong I had been. I left her home that night sorry and repentant for the way that I had so wrongly prejudged her. After that night, she became one of my favorite people.

This woman had grown up in a “God doesn’t want you happy. He wants you holy.” home and Church. The result was a miserable life. For many years after she left home, she likewise left the Church. It wasn’t until many wasted years later, she discovered that God indeed wanted her happy and that holiness had little to do with what she had been taught as a child. It was then that she discovered that Jesus was freedom… happy, glorious, uninhibited, hilarious, rhinestone freedom. Hearing her story changed my life. This woman had learned perhaps the greatest lesson of all. God wanted her wholly!

I would suggest that this phrase should be changed to: “God wants you happy. But even more than that, he wants you wholly.” Is holiness something to which we all should aspire? Yes. Is holiness serious business? Yes. Yet, I am reminded of the old hymn we used to sing: “All to Jesus I surrender, Make me, Savior, wholly Thine; Let me feel the Holy Spirit, Truly know that Thou art mine.”

Perhaps the question we must answer is: Does God want us holy or wholly? And don’t suggest to me that they are the same. They are not. I would strongly contend for the position that God wants us happy and wholly, rather than unhappy and holy. God will take me, warts and all, as long as he can have ALL of me… the whole me. The truth is that I cannot by myself give myself holy to him; for, my holiness is only in Christ alone. But, I can give myself wholly to him. Wholly surrendered is within my power to accomplish. Holiness is not.

A STUDY ON PRAYER: NOT FOR THE WEAK

DISCLAIMER: Please be forewarned. What follows is not for the weak. It probably contains some thoughts that might be better kept to oneself. What follows takes you deep inside the mind and spirit of a man that is searching... wanting to know what it is to deeply trust God. It is as if you are being allowed to see into a personal journal. The judgements made and conclusions drawn are not intended to point to anyone other than me... the author. If you decide to go ahead and read it, please take none of it personally, as it is not my intention that you should do so.

It is absurd to ask God to “Bless our day”… or to “Bless us”… or even to “Bless others”... To beseech God for blessings is illogical. Furthermore, to do so only uncovers our lack of understanding of the very nature of God, and betrays our inner lack of confidence in God’s providential care. To ask God to “bless” is to infer that he isn’t blessing us presently or won’t in the future. To ask God to bless us is to suggest that we somehow need to beg God to do something that he would otherwise be reluctant to do. It is not an expression of faith, but a tacit admission of our lack of trust.

God both desires to and has the full resources to bless us. Since we know this to be true, then if we are not blessed, or not going to be, then certainly God has a substantial reason to refrain. And it would be logical to conclude that if the reason to withhold his blessing is great enough to supersede his primary desire, then no amount of prayerful pleading should be expected to change his mind. Furthermore, this line of reasoning would lead us to conclude that we should either humbly accept the circumstances, or we should seek that God would show us how we might be reconciled to the place of his blessing. Which then would lead us to believe that God’s blessing could be obtained through good deeds, which in turn would lead us to reject the doctrine of grace.

To seek God in prayer for understanding concerning the circumstances of our life is a complete waste of time. This too is illogical and only proves our immature spirituality. The bible is very clear that, “His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts.”

Seeking God for understanding is what I like to call “The King Solomon Conundrum”. People that attempt to make sense of life / circumstances fall into the trap of “rating” events… of assigning value to the days of our lives. One day is good; another is bad. One day is happy; the next sad. This is an entirely vain and worthless effort. It is an exercise in futility. One of the wealthiest and wisest men to ever live, King Solomon, who had both the time and the unlimited resources to pursue this “meaning”, failed to discover it. In the end, his conclusion was, “To fear/revere/respect God and keep his commandments… this is the whole duty of man.”

Are you ready for another one? It is completely illogical to ask the Lord to, “Guide and direct us”. To do this is to imply that God is ignoring us; allowing us to stumble along without concern for the perils into which we might blindly fall. Worse yet, it is to suggest that God has the ability to direct our lives, presumably along a safe and enjoyable path, but is somehow self-prohibited from doing so until we ask for his divine direction. It is as if God is our “life” GPS that refuses to work until we turn him on by flipping the prayer switch.

This matter is a simple one. Either God is directing our lives, in which case we reveal our lack of confidence in this truth when we ask for his help, or we just enjoy engaging in silly, meaningless, religious behavior, or God is not directing our lives. If the latter is true, then we must admit that either God lacks the ability to direct our lives, or he is pleased to abandon us to a grand circumstantial lottery, in which some people hit the jackpot at the expense of everyone else.

So how should we pray? How about… wake up in the morning and say, “Amen”. “So be it.” “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” I believe that we should spend zero time concerning ourselves with prayers about circumstances, and all of our prayer time in seeking agreement with God. “Lord, I am grateful. I am a benefactor of your grace. You are my provider. I accept your Lordship… this day is yours. This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. Thanks for inviting me to the party. Thank you for letting someone like me play along. I ask for nothing save that I can be your adopted child. That is more than enough, and I humbly accept whatever this day may bring, as I fully and completely trust that it has passed through your sovereign love and grace and mercy… it has been met with your providential care… Oh, and one last word Lord. Amen!”