moving

I'm doing it. I'm moving to Wordpress. Their templates are hideous (although I found one that's amusing-ly appropriate) and I can't stand CSS, but I want "The Esther Project" and their behind-the-scenes stuff is great.

So it's not all set up yet, but it's not like I'm any kind of professional or anything. Change your bookmarks and links (please) to:

theestherproject.wordpress.com

If I ever find time to blog again, it'll be there!

Advent Day 19

I dig the Advent Conspiracy. I don't know when they started this, but I first heard about it a couple years ago. It seems they're gaining momentum. Watch the video, then check 'em out here.

Advent Day 18

Matthew 24:37/But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

So I thought I'd look at the days of Noah. In light of yesterday's post, the beginning of chapter 7 caught my attention:

Genesis 7:1/Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.

It was "in this generation" that grabbed me. The generation in question is the one that is found so wicked, they merit complete destruction. A chapter earlier we read, "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5).

Every intent was only evil ... continually.

That's pretty bad. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that generation was more displeasing (wicked, evil - choose your loaded adjective) than ours. I'm sure that's where we're headed, since the Lord said the last days would be like the days of Noah, but that's not the point today.

Noah was found righteous before God in that generation. Moreso, Noah was the only one found righteous before God in that generation. Surrounded by perversion, violence, immorality, and hatred - with no mentor or pastor -Noah maintained his heart before God.

If that's what God expected of His people in the beginning, it's what He expects of His people in the end too. Surrounded by our culture, and in the midst of a deteriorating society, God expects us to be found righteous before Him. He understands our temptations, but He doesn't excuse falling for them.

Noah did it in the middle of that generation. Shouldn't we be able to do it in ours?

Advent Day 17

Gay Group Organizes 'Pink Christmas' in Amsterdam

I debated about posting this.

It bothers me that Christians are known - in our society - for what we are against. It bothers me that people associate negative images more often than images of love and compassion. I try not to go there.

But you know what? Jesus is against some things. He's not against people, but He's against sin. He died to pry people (whom He's not against) from sin (which He is against).

I'm not against people. The Bible says that everyone sins. I'm not holier than thou. I am against sin, though - in your life and mine - because God is.

And I realize there are people who will read this as "Blah blah blah blah God hates fags blah blah blah." That's not true - and that's not what I'm saying - but I know that some people are just so bitter and hurt and broken that that's all they'll hear.

I can't tailor my voice around people who cling to sin, though. Jesus didn't.

So I don't hate these people, but what they're doing bothers me.

The festival features "a manger stall with two Josephs and two Marys." The event "intends to increase the range of options for homosexual men and women during the Christmas holiday week."

Increase the range of options? Options? For Christmas? Does the idea - forget that it's focusing on homosexuals - seem strange to anyone else? We need options for Christmas now?

Your option is whether or not to celebrate Christmas. If you don't want to celebrate Christmas, there are other options. Winter Solstice. Hanukkah. Eid. You could even just go secular "Christmas" and just do Santa Claus and stockings and that whole bit.

I understand the desire for equal rights. I understand fighting against stereotypes that tend to invalidate your lifestyle. This I don't understand. Set up a nativity scene with two Josephs? That's just not how it happened. That's where you move from remembering and celebrating the holiday, to imposing your views and distorting the truth just because it makes you more comfortable or makes some sort of statement you can rally behind.

Advent is a time to anticipate His coming. These days that we're living in are to prepare us for His return. These are times for me to mold myself into His image, not the other way around.

Break for Ornament Making

Husband and I started this a couple years ago. Whether or not we skipped a year recently is debatable since no one seems to remember. Which is weird.

Our first Christmas tree was barren because it was our first Christmas and we didn't have Rubbermaid tubs full of ornaments to haul out. So we invited people (read: student ministry leaders, mostly) over to make ornaments. It was so much fun we threw out the ornaments with the tree so we could do it again the following year (and because that apartment was tiny and one less thing to store was okay).

This year it was more like a student ministry leader reunion/ornament-making party. Good times.

There are more pictures on Facebook.


Someday, our kids are going to think it's weird that people store Christmas decorations. :)

Advent Day 13

First, two thoughts I'm toying with.

1- Moving the blog to WordPress. There are pros and cons. The biggest con being I don't know CSS and their templates are hideous.

2- Starting another blog on which to archive the mess of ideas and information in my head about the emerging generation/emerging church/digital natives/etc. I study these things at work and they're becoming more and more applicable, which means more and more people are talking about them. How technology has changed the next generation and what the Church needs to do about it. Not sure if I should do that stuff here, or start another forum for that.

I'm open for wisdom on both accounts. I'm also open for anyone who wants to help me with CSS.

Advent Day 13
Are you ready for this?

"What if ... just what if ... we aren't raptured before the tribulation?" Husband was asking a friend recently. "What if we're here for all of it?"

"I don't know," was the reply (or so I'm told). "I hadn't thought of that."

I don't want to argue about when exactly the rapture is going to happen. I've thrown myself into the issue for the past couple months and I'm secure in my understanding of scripture. The conversation tends to be divisive and I don't feel like arguing this evening.

What I do feel like doing is examining my heart toward the Lord.

So what if? What if the interpretation that says believers will be taken from the earth after (or sometime during) the tribulation is true? If we've believed all our lives that we'll be whisked away just in time, what happens if I'm suddenly in the midst of a natural disaster that wipes out a third of the global population? What if I suddenly start to realize that those horrible prophecies are happening and I'm still here? Do I still love Him?

What if loves ones make the wrong decision in that day and choose to stand against Him when He comes to establish His kingdom on the earth? He is just and His judgments are true. Do I still worship Him?

Read the first six verses of Isaiah 63. It's going to happen (whether I'm here or not). Do I still run to Him?

The western world knows Jesus - especially at this time of year - as "Wonderful, Counselor ... Prince of Peace." He is those things. But He's also a warrior. There will be peace, but not at the cost of justice.

When it happens, though - when He's true to Himself instead of true to my understanding of Him - will I love Him the same? Will I worship Him the same?

Advent Day 12

"What Child Is This?" is probably one of my favorite Christmas songs. I like how it captures the mystery of the Nativity.

And I like ZOEgirl's rendition of it. I don't know who put this on YouTube, but it's the only version I could find. The picture doesn't change, so you can hit play and keep reading.

What Child is this who, laid to rest, on Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, while shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing,
Haste, haste to bring Him laud, the Babe, the Son of Mary.

Why lies He in such mean estate, where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear for sinners here, the silent Word is pleading.

Nails, spear shall pierce Him through, the cross be borne for me and you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh, the Babe, the Son of Mary.

So bring Him frankincense, gold and myrrh, come peasant, king to own Him,
The King of kings salvation brings, let loving hearts enthrone Him.

Raise, raise a song on high, the virgin sings her lullaby
Joy, joy for Christ is born, the Babe, the Son of Mary.

A child is born to a new couple in horrible circumstances, and yet what was the atmosphere that night? How heavy was the presence of God at the moment that He first breathed as a man? What was the spiritual scene? How many of the angels were there, looking on in wonder and amazement that Yahweh would do such a thing? Could Mary and Joseph know, or feel, the weight of what had just happened?

Was this the song that everyone sang that night? "What Child is this?" The angels because of how incomprehensible that God would become human for the sake of those who hate and reject Him? The shepherds because for their entire lives they'd heard stories that one day ... one day the Messiah would come to deliver their people? Mary and Joseph because of the trials they had endured and overcome to get that far?

How many other new babies lay in their mothers' laps that evening, and yet this one ... What Child is this? What has God done? What is He doing? Where does His perfect plan go from here? How can a baby, born in a stable, be the answer to Israel's prayers? To the world's desperation?

Advent Day 11

This piece was painted by Andrew Gadd for the Churches Advertising Network. You can download it for free here.

Francis Goodwin, Chair of CAN, commented, "We want to challenge people to make them reassess what the birth of Jesus means to them."

Gadd had this to say about it:

"The bus stop when simplified is like a stable. It is after all a shelter; a place people go to but never want to be. So where better to stage a nativity? How unlikely! The image reflects the environment it will be shown in, and therefore includes the viewer. Which is what it is all about."

My favorite part about the painting is that some people are engaged - standing still in the cold to watch what God is doing, while others are oblivious - checking bus schedules or hailing a cab, too concerned with their own lives to see what's going on right next to them.

What does the birth of Christ mean to me? How often do I stay still, even in the cold, to watch what God is doing? To meditate on what He did 2000 years ago in a stable? Am I too busy to see the miracle right next to me?

The same is true of His approaching return. What does it mean to me really? Do I ever hold still long enough to watch what He's doing - without worrying, without planning, without trying to figure it out? Do I ever just admire Him in it?

When He comes again it won't be a secret, silent night. No one will have to paint it on bus stops in order to include the viewers. Those two responses, however, will still be available: watch in wonder of a merciful, loving God, or remain caught up in myself and miss it.

Advent Day 10

It's been brought to my attention that my numbers are incorrect, since Advent actually began on the 30th, the 9th of December is Advent Day #10. My deepest apologies.

I've been thinking about Joseph since my little incident with the soap box a couple days ago. Joseph of Nazareth. Joseph "the Carpenter." Whatever you want to call him. Not the one with the technicolor dream coat. The New Testament Joseph.

My impression of Joseph developed after watching The Nativity. If you haven't seen that movie yet, you absolutely have to rent it this year. If you have, you probably saw Joseph in a new light too.

Joseph may go down in history as one of the greatest examples of servant-hood, because history remembers little about him.

Paul (the apostle) was a great servant of God, but he also wrote much of the New Testament. Mary (the womb) was a great servant of God, and to this day she's heralded almost as a goddess herself. David was a great servant of God, and thousands of years later is remembered as Israel's greatest king. They all went through their hardships, but they're also all remembered. No one knows much about Joseph today.

Consider this man's journey. He's just your typical Jewish carpenter in a worthless little town called Nazareth. He's lower-middle-class, blue-collar boring. He finds a girl he likes and they're engaged. To Joseph, that means he has a year to build a house and prepare a place for his bride. She goes on a vacation during that time to "visit her cousin," and comes back obviously pregnant.

Scandal.

This is a small, everybody-knows-your-name town. Everybody knows that Joseph is engaged to a young woman who did not keep herself for him. She's shameful. She's a slut. The law suggests she be stoned to death for her crime; it's that serious in this culture.

He's hurt and confused, and now he has a decision to make. He can uphold the law - and defend his name - by calling for her execution, or he can "put her away quietly" and be considered weak. He chooses the later.

We know the story. At the word of an angel of God, Joseph takes this woman as his wife anyway. Don't think that was easy to do. Then he takes her on a journey - I don't know how long - to his home town to be registered. All the movies show her riding on a donkey, but the scriptures never actually mention a donkey. She may have walked. That was sloooooow going. And we all know that pregnant women can be cranky and irrational and crave weird things. Who knows what that journey was like for the poor man.

And if you want to get really practical, consider he hadn't even gotten to "know" - as they say - his wife. They weren't even really married yet. He went through the whole pregnant wife/child birthing thing as a virgin himself. Poor guy.

To this day he gets very little thanks among men. People worship Mary, but no one even knows when Joseph died. He just vanishes from the story after they lose Jesus in the temple as a boy.

And - I love this - have you ever noticed he never speaks in scripture? Not one word is recorded in any of the gospels as, "and Joseph said, '...'" There's no record of complaint. No record of questioning. No record of boasting. He just listened and obeyed the voice of the Lord. He carted a woman and a baby from Nazareth to Bethlehem to Egypt and back again, providing for all of their physical needs along the way, in quiet, humble obedience. In return, history on earth has largely forgotten him.

Would that I were more like Joseph.

Advent Day 5 and 6

Day 5
Missed you yesterday, 'cause Fridays are insane for me. I was just going to point you to another Advent calendar you may enjoy. Amazon.com is giving away one free Christmas song/day. Fun. Here.

Day 6
So about this ... oh look, what's this? Oh, it's a little soap box. How did this get here? Hmm. It's not very pretty, but it looks hella sturdy. Let me just see if I can climb up on top of ...

I'm going to say this. I am. And no, it's not pretty, but it's sturdy and I'm sure it will hold me. I may even jump up and down on it a little bit 'cause I'm just that comfortable on it.

I work at a church two days a week. Three days a week I work for a company that works for churches. I read lots and lots of pastor and church-people blogs and books. I'm up to my eyeballs in Western church stuff. And a lot of the time, it's really stinkin' irritating. So here goes:

Christians, the church does not exist to serve you.

Ya, ya. Everybody knows that and I'm sure it doesn't apply to you. Humor me, though, and read it again. I mean the Church - capital "C" that represents believers, and the church - small "c" meaning a local congregation and it's leadership. Neither exists to serve you.

This thing is not about market niches or ad campaigns or superior customer service. It's not for you or by you. It should be the one non-residential building you will enter that will not cater to you. It should be the one budget to which contributing does not buy you an opinion.

My role as a believer is to go to the Lord, with my husband, about which local church our family is to be a part of, and how the gifts/talents that He has given us are to serve in that congregation. That's it. Sometimes, leadership does things that I don't understand. Occasionally, leadership does things that I don't agree with. I pray for my leaders, and I remember that it is God who exalts men into authority.

I don't leave a local congregation until God moves me. I don't "shop" or "date" or "hop" local churches when my current one does something I don't like. If something happens, and I'm taken out of my local church, we pray - and God tells us where to go.

It's about me serving the body of Christ in whatever capacity in which He puts me. Imagine if everyone in your church was focused on how they can serve the church, instead of how the church is helping them. We might actually reach the lost. People in our communities might actually get saved. Churches might actually be the hands and feet of Christ.

Because really, it's not the job of the local church - or her leadership - to grow you spiritually. She helps, because she's nice. But someday each one of us will answer for our own Bible studies, our own prayer lives, our own giving records, etc. "My church never talked about tithing," isn't going to cut it at the end of the day. It's the job of the local church to provide a place where non-believers can find their way to Christ. It's there to help you bring your unsaved friends to God. It's about non-Christians.

And there's your Advent meditation for the day. Let's prepare for His coming by become better servants - like He told us to.

Advent Day 4

Today, a practical Advent activity.

I like the guys over at The Plow. They do cool graphics stuff for churches (not their official mission statement). They also make a lot of their stuff available for free download. Who doesn't like a good, free download?

This is their latest:


And their tips on how you can participate:

1. Download the art here, or go to the website to download. Print it out, and get ready for action.
2. Staple the posters up on telephone poles.
3. Hammer the biggest nail you can find right in the center of the red.
4. Share the site with all of your friends. Post it on your blog, facebook, twitter and every other social media site you use.

Pretty cool. So meditate on the comings of Christ and prepare yourself spiritually for Christmas (and the Second Coming), but then go nail some of these to telephone poles too.

Advent Day 3

(HT: The image to the right was the result of a quick Google image search, but I actually really like it so I have to plug. Shaker Workshops makes that beauty and it's going for $50. You can buy me one if you want to.)

One of my favorite Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah is Isaiah 9. Verse 6 is the one you hear a lot this time of year, but start in verse 2:

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.

You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; They rejoice before You according to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. and fuel of fire.

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

(v. 2-7)

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light ..."

When you turn from the end of Malachi to the beginning of Matthew, you brush 400 years by in a moment. For four hundred years, Israel hadn't heard from God. They lived repressed by the Roman empire, hoping against hope that any day now that King would come. For 400 years. Our country hasn't even been around for 400 years. That's probably about eight generations. Your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great-grandparents were alive the last time God spoke to His people.

Four hundred years of waiting without hearing from God equals how many years of waiting with Holy Spirit rocking the planet? IDK.

Verses six and seven are fantastic 'cause they kind of smush the nativity together with His return. Two thousand years isn't much in light of eternity - obviously. I like how it ends:

"The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."

zeal: eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something

In case there was any question.

The God who created the heavens and the earth with a breath came into His creation as the broke baby of a woman largely perceived as a slut. He died the most horrible death the Romans could contrive as an innocent Man. And soon, He will come back to establish His kingdom and be with us forever. Why?

Eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of you.

Advent Day 2

I really like this song. The skit going on is a little cheesy, but the song is great. I love the first verse:

Come, come and behold the Son
Come, come and behold the babe
Come, see what the Lord has done
Come, heaven has made a way ...

"See what the Lord has done ..."

Think about that. The fullness of God came to earth and was born in less than glamorous circumstances. A baby. A weak, slimy, baby. God. Creator. The one who spoke and it was. In a baby. That's ridiculous.

Not even a pretty, pampered baby. A broke baby. A broke baby born to what the world would ridicule as a weak man and a whore. The I AM. In a baby.

Lord, what have You done?

It will be a popular question again soon. Imagine. The sky splits in two. The dead rise. Believers are caught up in the air. War is raging and the Prince of Peace comes to establish His reign on the earth. The great and terrible day will come and for good or bad people will call, "Come, see what the Lord has done."

Advent

Advent is a strange Christian tradition. It starts four Sundays before Christmas (for those of you who don't know), which was yesterday, and is supposed to ... I don't know ... anticipate Christmas. Anticipating Christmas in our society means shopping, racking up credit card debt, scheduling every free moment of every weekend, and being cranky at people in public (@tamipants).

The season of Advent means there is something on the horizon the likes of which we have never seen before… .What is possible is to not see it, to miss it, to turn just as it brushes past you. And you begin to grasp what it was you missed, like Moses in the cleft of the rock, watching God's [back] fade in the distance. So stay. Sit. Linger. Tarry. Ponder. Wait. Behold. Wonder. There will be time enough for running. For rushing. For worrying. For pushing. For now, stay. Wait. Something is on the horizon.

Jan L. Richardson, Night Visions

God bless the German Lutherans for advent calendars (and Christmas trees). You know - you peel off a tab every day and get candy or scripture, depending on the calendar you bought. I should find one of those for '08.

I found this quote in thinking/surfing about Advent:

It was not suddenly and unannounced that Jesus came into the world. He came into a world that had been prepared for him. The whole Old Testament is the story of a special preparation … . Only when all was ready, only in the fullness of his time, did Jesus come.

Phillips Brooks, The Consolations of God

This season should mean something more to Christians in general, but especially for Christians who are looking for - and expecting - His return. In a season of anticipation, what we are looking toward in the festivities is the nativity. The nativity points us to Christ, and that expectation of a coming King should be stirring our spirits toward the expectation of our King's return.

I'm going to try to make this blog my Advent calendar this year. I'm sure I'll miss days, but I'm going to try. What are we lifting our heads and looking for? Gifts? Family gatherings? Cards, parties and decorations? Yes. But let's also look for the God who became man, died in your place, and promised to come back for you one day soon ...

maybe punk IS dead

Husband and I have been to two local shows in the past couple weeks. More than we've attended in a year ... or two.

Most recently was at Clearwater in Dundee. If you've never been, the floor in front of the stage is about six feet below the stage. It's a pit. There's a 21+ section that wraps around the pit on one side, level with the stage. Monday was the first time I'd spent much time there and the students who came with us acknowledged we were hanging out in the "retired punks" section. We nodded and smiled 'cause they didn't know the band coming through the speakers was one of the best Chicago punk bands ever, and better than anything they'd see live in their lives.

I realize bias is a dangerous thing, and that it may threaten what I'm about to say. I've thought it over, though, and I'm confident in my opening remark: My scene was so much better than this scene. I don't know if Your Scene Sucks makes tshirts with just that text on 'em, but I'm gonna check so I can wear it the next time I go check out someone's band.

Husband's comment sums it up perfectly: "It's like watching puberty. It's so awkward."

Do bands just not sing about stuff anymore, or did I hit a couple off shows? Girls and music and the occational horror story set to power chords. What? This is how we're spending our youth now? Where are the at least attempted intellectuals writing "damn the man" choruses? Where's the group of friends and fans who know all of the words and shout them like they matter? Where's the inspiration? The call to action? "This song's about love?" Spare me.

No one's even preaching to their choir anymore, and it's left the choirs to talk about cell phones. Bands are throwing up banners with their names on 'em because it's all about them, because they have no message. There are no ideas, so what do we promote? Us. We're the means and the end.

Even the response of the crowd is largely selfish. It's about the individual and how well he thrashes around. It's not about throwing yourself into a pit, or slamming yourself against someone else. It's not a group effort; it's about me.

I could venture into all kinds of spiritual discussions, but it's not even necessary.

After the band we came to support left the stage I held my breath hoping the Lawrence Arms would crackle through the strained sound system again. But they didn't. So we left. There was a time I would have berated someone for leaving a show early because their friends' band was done ... but that time is clearly forgotten.

What in the World is Going On?

Thomas Nelson has this great deal going on for bloggers: They send you a free book of your choosing (from a selection of their newest releases) and you review it in at least 200 words. Interested? Here.

So my first job was What In The World Is Going On? by Dr. David Jeremiah. If you know me, you know I'm far too opinionated for 200 words to be a challenge. Here you go:

Dr. Jeremiah is a pastor, best-selling author, and host of an international television and radio program for Bible-teaching. I’d never heard of him, but his credentials are noteworthy.

In What in the World is Going On?, Dr. Jeremiah does a stunning – almost alarming – job of connecting the dots between Biblical end times prophecy and current events.

Chapters one through four, as well as seven and eight, and most of nine and ten are fantastic.

Chapter one discusses the rebirth of the nation of Israel according to Isaiah’s prophecy, “Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such a thing? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once?” (Isa 66:8) This chapter is not only deep, it’s emotional, and it taught me much about an aspect of the end times I thought I understood.

Chapter two discusses oil. I’d never heard oil discussed in the context of the end times, but Dr. Jeremiah helps the reader take a few steps back to display the big picture of tensions in the Middle East.

Chapter three discusses modern Europe. Dreams and visions from Daniel (chapters 2 and 7), as well as John’s revelation of the beast with 10 horns, are easily connected to the currently developing European Union.

Chapter four discusses Islamic Terrorism in no uncertain terms. I appreciate that Dr. Jeremiah doesn’t shy away from the topic. Rather, he gives a history of Islam and quotes many Muslim or former Muslim scholars and authors.

Chapter seven continues chapter three with a discussion on the emergence of the character known as the Antichrist. Dr. Jeremiah reviews biblical prophecy concerning this man – who he is and what he does – and then demonstrates how easily all that is foretold of such an evil man can be accomplished in our modern world.

Chapter eight discusses biblical prophecy concerning the enemies of Israel. They are named in Old Testament scriptures, but the names of many nations have changed. In this chapter, Dr. Jeremiah demonstrates how the enemies of Israel thousands of years ago are her enemies still today, and how they are currently aligning themselves to perfectly fulfill what is prophesied concerning them.

Chapters nine and ten discuss the war at Armageddon – which is actually a place – and the return of the King of kings. Much of these chapters is enlightening, but the whole of them – along with chapter six – is tainted by chapter five.

Chapter five discusses Dr. Jeremiah’s theory about the rapture – the time when Jesus comes back to claim His church. Some believe this will happen before the years of tribulation that will come over the earth, some think after. Dr. Jeremiah and I do not agree, and his interjection of this theory throughout the remained of the book was at first bothersome and eventually discerning.

I took it as an opportunity to clarify my beliefs about the rapture vs. the second coming. Dr. Jeremiah is much better versed in scripture and prophecy than I am, and if I was wrong I wanted to know. After several long afternoons and evenings of comparing notes and sorting through scripture, I’m not swayed at all by his ideas.

More than that, I found several occasions where scripture is quoted in part, and the part neglected may well contradict his theory! I also discovered at least once where scripture was referenced and implicated to say something it very clearly does not say.

Of course there are also several passages that make claims about the rapture or Christs’ second coming where no scriptural support is given. I respect that Dr. Jeremiah understood himself to be stating fact and that listing the biblical support for every assertion would surely add considerable length to the project. Still, as one trying to fight herself out of a rock and a hard place, I was looking for those scripture references and they were not given.

I certainly don’t presume to accuse Dr. Jeremiah of deliberately deceiving his audience. It may have been in many of these cases that he didn’t see the necessity in explaining pieces of his theory in greater detail, or that he believed some truth was easily understood that perhaps was not. It may also simply be that doctrine long held has a way of turning our eyes from scriptural contradictions.

That said, I believe his teaching on the rapture to be dangerously erroneous.

In all, however, What in the World is Going On? is a captivating, insightful, and very valuable read. For the weight of its subject, Dr. Jeremiah pens an easy read. I would highly recommend it to anyone – Christian or no – with the addendum that you look up the scriptures he references as you go, and after you’ve read it, we get together for coffee and a discussion of the rapture.

wish lists

If your family is anything like mine you have relatives asking for Christmas wish lists right about now and you're thinking, "What about Thanksgiving?" Maybe in this economy, stores are trying to boost sales, but it seems Christmas has come really early this year.

My family draws names. Everyone buys a gift for one person. About $25.

The holidays can be stressful. Money is tight, expectations are high, and everyone's trying to sustain the jolliness for a month and a half. These are tense times we're living in, and the holidays tend to exacerbate tension.

Well, I'm here to help.

For those of you being badgered by family members with, "What do you want for Christmas?" I have answers. Not only does this mean one less thing for you to think about, one less list to compile, I have good answers.

Good answers means the things I am putting on your wish list will serve you well, be a positive and relaxing shopping experience for your loved ones, and fit within a modest budget. Everybody wins.

I submit to you, your Christmas Wish List '08:

1. Baby chicks.
2. Fruit trees.
3. School supplies.
4. Ducks.
5. Seeds.
6. Basketballs.
7. Hope.
8. Job training.
9. Mosquito nets.

Any of these gifts will serve you well by driving a wedge between your heart and the consumerism that's trying to choke it to death. They are all pleasant shopping experiences for your loved ones because they can be taken care of from the comfort of their own homes, or nearest wireless providing cafes. And they're all $30 or less!

Merry Christmas!

oh yes, it's that time

So I'm reading this book. It's a good book. It was a great book until the author got to this theory on the tribulation vs. the rapture, and I just do not agree. I've read his stuff. I'm unconvinced.

The rest of the book is good and I'll blog more about it soon ('cause that was the deal - I get a free book, I post a review). I wanted to share a couple paragraphs with you in the meantime, though. This is from Dr. David Jeremiah's What in the World is Going On?

"Paul-Henri Spaak, the first president of the UN General Assembly, first president of the European Parliament, and onetime secretary general of NATO, is credited with making the following stunning statement:

"'We do not need another committee. We have too many already. What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the allegiance of all people, and to lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man and be he god or devil, we will receive him.'"

Bring on the beast, the world is ready to welcome him.

an open letter to the ladies

(Especially the young, unmarried ladies.)

There are days when I wish I could just round up every Jr. High and High School-aged young lady and have a meeting. Today is one of those days. Short of that:

You are not a sex symbol or object. Your value is not determined by how revealing or tight or trendy your clothing is. You can smile in pictures instead of trying to look disheveled or pouty or alluring.

Your identity is not in the guy you're with until you've taken his name. Your worth is not determined by how many young men are attracted to you. I'd set myself on fire if there were some way to really move this idea into your spirit. Your role is not to flirt with every attractive male you meet. You're not even obligated to return the attention they give you.

It's okay if you believe that every guy wants nothing from you but sex. Someday the one who is the one will convince you otherwise. If he can't, he's not the one.

Your heart is a liar. "Deceitful above all things and desperately wicked," is how the Lord phrases it. Don't listen to it when it tells you you're in love. God is love. God defines love, not your weak human heart.

There is a time for everything. If you're a student living with her parents and making minimum wage (if anything), you are not in a time for romance. You are in a time for study, learning, family, growing, and finding your place in God's kingdom plans. It doesn't seem exciting because it's not the stuff of prime time teevee, but if you could see it for what it is you'd be less inclined to try to skip this season. This is your Esther season, your Joan of Arc season, but whether you see it or not, you can't skip it. Attempting to do so will hurt you and everyone around you for years to come. You can't skip it, but you can fail at it.

The truth is, God has so much more for you right now. He wants to meet you in prayer. He wants to use you in ways the apostles never dreamed of. He wants to send you out to change lives. You will never again have so much free time, expendable income, energy, and capacity for vision as you have right now - even if it seems like you're really short on any or all of those things, trust me.

God has so much for you right now. The rest of it is BS distraction because the world and your enemy don't want you to fight, to do something amazing with your life. The fashion, the impossible beauty standards, the dating, the guys, and the rest of the scene are distractions.

Don't fall for it. I beg you: Don't fall for it. If I light myself on fire will you promise not to fall for it? I'm that willing. Don't fall for it. Don't fall for it. Don't fall for it. There is _ so _ much _ more.

warrior

I watched Kung Fu Panda three times last weekend. Dustin Hofman is fantastic, as always. If you haven't seen it, you should check it out. It's laugh-out-loud funny. And for what it's worth, Timothy wanted to watch it the second time. He never does that. We'll leave Blockbuster empty handed before he'll rent a movie we've already seen.

We rented it Saturday evening. Watched it again Sunday over lunch. And again Sunday night at my parents' house 'cause I knew my mom would probably pee herself laughing. And that's always fun.

There's one scene where Master Shifu (Dustin Hofman, who is - by the way - fantastic) is trying to meditate. He's had a very stressful few days. It's late at night. His students are in bed, and he's sitting with a few candles going, "Inner ... peace ... in ... in ... inner peace ..."

Then, of course, he gets distracted and the plot line continues to move forward, but for whatever reason that scene (the third time I'd seen it in two days) snatched my attention. The movie and the laughter went on without me for a few moments as I lay on the couch considering.

There are a couple scenes in the movie wherein the characters are having deep conversations by moonlight. And here was Master Shifu meditating in the middle of the night. Am I to believe the characters hardly sleep?

In another scene, the morning bell is rung and, fast as lightning, the students throw open their bedroom doors and appear in the hallway with a unison, "Good morning, master."

I don't know much about kung fu, but I know that these ideas are universally associated with warriors and excellence. The point of Kung Fu Panda was not to genuinely portray the lifestyle of a kung fu master, but when writers and story boarders were trying to assemble a believable script these kinds of disciplines were included.

There I was, laying on my parents' couch, moved to jealousy by Jack Black as a CGI panda with a boyish fantasy about kung fu.

Because the truth is, people do this. People live like this. Warriors live like this. Masters live like this. People with a vision to push themselves to be the best they can be live like this. Am I?

My God is my King is my Master is a warrior. I was born in the middle of a war to fight in battle day after day after day. Not just for two weeks toward the end of summer, or as the mood strikes me. Am I?

People deny themselves every day for lesser things. People train late and rise early every day for temporary treasures. People live lives wholly and unconditionally devoted to so much less than Christ.

It seems so daunting now, but I know that this life is but a vapor. Before I know it I'll be on the other side of eternity, and I'll see just how short this life really is. Will I be able to look back on it and say that I gave my all? Or will I look back and see that I slept in most mornings because I didn't really believe in the lateness of the hour?

I want to see the former. I want to stand before the Lord and know that I prayed and I studied and I preached and I worshiped and I gave like I believed Him. I want to be found faithful when He calls.

$5?

Ever heard of Soles for Souls? They like to give people shoes, basically.

They launched a new challenge today: 50,000 pairs of shoes in 50 days. Tall order? Maybe. You can donate two pair for $5. That's a much, much shorter order. Three clicks and five bucks is all it takes. Here. I did it. You can do it.

Other fun ways to get involved:

• Blog it. The campaign starts today, so they're asking bloggers to light up the 'sphere with posts and links and encouragement (and to lead by example). There are buttons and banners on the website, and a full press release on the ...
  
  
• Facebook! You can join the Facebook group here.

I know the economy isn't the greatest, and we're less inclined to give when times are tough but people need shoes. Their economy sucks more than ours. If you don't need shoes, I'd wager you can do $5.

If you're down, post a comment and let us all know you bought a couple pairs of shoes!

churches do not compete with other churches

Period.

At least they shouldn't. I don't think they do. Any local church that's in competition with other local churches is really in competition with God. Your church is the body of Christ, but so is theirs. You're punching yourself in the face, and you look stupid.

I keep hearing about this competition thing lately and it's really, really getting obnoxious. And you know where it started? In me.

Driving to church several weeks ago I noticed that Harvest put one of their Authentic Jesus series yard signs in the little grassy area at the intersection of 31 and Tollgate. I chuckled to myself as I pictured pulling over on Tollgate to pull the thing out. Good humored fun. I wasn't really going to do it, but it was a funny thought.

For a fraction of a second until Holy Spirit slapped me.

"Who are you to stop someone from going where I want them to go?"

Local churches are all a little different. Harvest, from what I understand, has a great ministry for new Christians, or church dropouts who are thinking about returning. They're big. They can put together quality productions. Its easy for nervous, new people to get lost in the crowd. There's a certain credibility that comes with being big and established in our society.

There are dozens of smaller local churches in Elgin that do other things better than Harvest, but there are people who will go to Harvest that wouldn't go to any of those smaller churches for whatever reason. If someone is uncomfortable going to a smaller church, or a church that speaks in tongues, or a church that's in a renovated strip mall, or whatever - praise God if they'll go to Harvest and meet Christ.

I passionately repented.

This is not a contest. Churches that try to reach Christians instead of atheists and agnostics and Muslims (etc.) are missing the point. There are people out there who call themselves Christians and are not attending a church, and those people need to get into a church. Definitely. But those people aren't attending a local church for a reason. Maybe it's because the churches they used to attend weren't doing anything worthwhile, so they failed to see the point of church.

Reach to the farthest edges and you'll catch the ones only half-way out too. We're fishers of men, and fishermen in Jesus' day used nets. Not lines.

I'm sorry if this is a little forward, but it seems like I've been seeing this attitude all over the place and I don't know how else to respond.

I love a story Craig Groeschel shared on his blog a while back. They were struggling through some division in their congregation, so Craig researched other churches in town. He got up one Sunday morning and explained the mission and vision of their church. He then told them if they weren't on board for that, there were brochures in the lobby for something like a dozen other churches in town. He assured people that he knows all the pastors and their ministries are sound. Hundreds of new seats were open the following week, and the leadership team was excited to fill those seats with people who could get on board with what they were doing.

What was not the point, but implied, is that their leadership team is not competing with other churches in town.

And I'm over it.

We need to stop punching ourselves in the face. Remember that scene in Fight Club where Pitt and Norton are fighting in the parking lot and the two other guys are looking at them funny? Then, at the end of the movie they play that scene back the way it "really" happened, and it's the two guys watching Norton beat himself up? That's stupid. That's what we're doing.

President Obama

Just trying it on.

I didn't stay up late last night, and I only checked CNN on my phone once. There wasn't much question, and even little hope after Pennsylvania fell. Still, I went to bed hopeful.

So this morning I was disappointed, but not surprised.

But the election was yesterday. Today is November 5, 2008 and the world is still turning. I still had to go to work this morning, and Jesus is still on His throne.

Michael Hyatt, the President and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, posted a good bit on his blog this morning. It's not very long. You can read it here, but the crux of it is this:

I am publicly making four commitments to President-Elect Barack Obama:

1. I will pray for him and our country.
   
   
2. I will assume his motives are good, giving him the benefit of the doubt.
   
   
3. I will not speak ill of him, even if I don’t always agree with him.
   
   
4. I will cast off the spirit of cynicism, and be a positive force for good.

Can you make these four commitments?

I can - with one footnote on #3, which I left in his comments section. I will not speak ill of Mr. Obama personally, which I'm fairly sure is what Michael means. I will, however, maintain at a higher standard my commission to speak Truth. God holds His word above His Name; I hold His word above President-Elect Obama's name.

But for years I've supported President Bush and expected people who don't like him to pay him the respect due as our President. Time to put my money where my mouth is and do the same for the next President.

How about you? Sign your name in the Comments and commit to be a Christian regarding our next President.

And if you're interested, the full text of his acceptance speech from last night is here. Don't read it if you're still bitter.

election day

I thought about this this morning as I shuffled into our polling place in my slippers: Why isn't Election Day a national holiday?

Seriously. No school. Close the banks. Close the market. Shut stuff down.

What greater day do we, as a nation, have to celebrate? How many men and women have died for this day? How many spouses and parents have folded U.S. flags for this day? How many people have sacrificed in times of war - all for the first Tuesday of every other November? This is a big day when we have the opportunity to live for what so many others have died for; why should it be a chore and a ding out of our paychecks to get to the voting booth?

I realize we have Veteran's Day and Memorial Day, and those are good days. But why not take the day we actually go to the polls to exercise our expensive freedoms as a day to remember too?

I'm not lobbying for an extra day off, here, either. Move Veteran's Day to the first Saturday of November if that makes it easier. It just seems like we talk about vote, vote, vote. It's your responsibility. It's your duty. It's a liberty that comes at a high price. And all those things are true, but they become mere slogans when we get up early to vote and then rush to work and forget about the whole thing until the evening news.

I also have to wonder what it would do for voter turn-out. One less excuse.

Just a thought for you on this lovely Election Day.

Oh, and don't forget: Free (tall) Starbucks coffee when you flash your "I Voted" sticker.

grace meets truth

I think I missed an opportunity last night. Sitting at dinner with my family, my dad asked if we got ourselves registered to vote at our new address in time. We did. "How will you be voting, then?"

I caved.

I saw my very liberally-minded, non-Christian younger brother sitting next to me out of the corner of my eye and thought about how I was going to text him today to see if we could get together for a bit after work. I got intimidated at the divisive nature of politics, and at the fear of alienating him and voiding anything I'd say to him for weeks ... I just shrugged off the question.

And I drove home really disappointed in myself.

I drove home really disappointed that I couldn't just say I'd be voting against Obama, and let the Holy Spirit do the job of ministering to my brother.

I drove home disappointed that I couldn't just say, "I'm not excited about McCain - I don't believe he'll do much for our nation - but I'm voting against Obama because as charismatic as he is, he's only been in national politics for two years, and in those two short years he's earned one of the most liberal voting records in the Senate. He even voted against outlawing partial-birth abortion.

"He's never served in the military, and I don't believe for a minute that he has any respect for that uniform.

"He's a Marxist. He has so many new programs and so many tax cuts planned he doesn't seem to realize that one plus one doesn't equal nine.

"He has questionable ties and assocations that no one is allowed to ask about or research. He's hiding something about Harvard. He's (along with the L.A. Times) hiding something about Israel.

"And his wife freaks me out."

So there. At least I got to say it to you I guess.

pregnant

I'm not (but oh to have been a fly on the wall when some of you read that title).

I just want to let everyone know that someday (and I have no idea when that day will be) when I am pregnant, I will tell you. I promise.

Every time I withhold details on a blog post or Facebook status or Twitter update I get emails and messages. "Are you pregnant?!" No. And I promise not to be sneaky about it when I am. I don't know what seems to have convince just about everyone I know that I plan on hiding it someday, but rest assured - I'm not mean. I'll tell you, probably not first (although I'm open to bribes), but I will. Promise.

Until then: No.

what was I thinking?

I finished a great book for work recently called It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It by Craig Groeschel. Good book. Highly recommend it ... if you're in ministry.

At the end of the book Craig shares three simple prayers he's been praying for years. I thought they sounded really good, and I probably got a little competitive. "If Craig can pray it, I can pray it."

Anything you can do I can do better.

I don't even remember all three now. I meant them when I prayed them. I weighed the risks - albeit briefly - of praying them, but you know: you're there in the moment and you've convinced yourself that you really do want to be everything God has for you to be no matter what the cost. And you're feeling bold and strong and as though you really can do all things through Christ.

It's like Holy Spirit sometimes masks sanity temporarily so we'll put ourselves in His path of loving destruction.

I was there. So when I say I weighed the risks ... I did it in a spirit of amazing faith. Which, now, seems to have eased up on me, having accomplished it's mission.

The one I remember was "Stretch me."

Timothy and I were talking about circumstances and situations recently and I remembered that prayer.

Me: "I asked God to stretch me."
Husband: "Without telling me?"

get the popcorn

'Cause you know how I feel about Thursdays. (And because I only have 12 minutes left of my lunch break. Someone cover my salary and this blog will get much better.)

This is "The Difference" by Philmont. I know nothing about this band, but the lyrics are good and this video is cute.



(HT: Craig Snedeker)

This is a monkey riding a Segue.



(HT: Collide Mag)

LifeChurch.tv does videos with Satan a lot. They always have the same guy play Satan, and he's hysterical. A lot of them are interviews between Satan and Craig Groeschel (LifeChurch.tv's pastor). This isn't new, but I was showing them to Connor recently, so it's fresh in my mind. This is one of my favorites; "Satan Talks Church Strategy with Craig:"


Satan Talks Church Strategy with Craig Groeschel from LifeChurch.tv on Vimeo.

Mm-kay. See, now I watched that last one again and lost three minutes so I gotta go.

brain dump

There's chaos in my brain right now.

Change is coming. I've known it for months, but it hit in a way I did not anticipate. I found myself with more downtime than usual several months ago, and asked the Lord about it on a walk one afternoon. He told me to rest because there was a big push coming. I appreciate it when He uses language that I wouldn't use, because I don't have to go through those "was that really the Lord?" moments. "Push?" What am I, in labo ... oh.

It's good and I'm excited about it, but it has crashed in on me in a short period of time and I was so overwhelmed yesterday that I think I accidentally got defensive. Not of the way things are, or the status quo - as they say. I just got a little defensive of my sanity, but I'm over it. You can't do great things for God and maintain your sanity.

And no, I'm not pregnant. I'm wondering if I'll ever have time to be pregnant.

Which raises another issue I'd like to comment on quickly. The whole, romantic concept of "doing what you love" has gotten out of hand again. It's like every few months this becomes a hot, motivational topic for blog posts and articles. "If money were no object, what would you do? And why aren't you doing that now?"

Koom-by-ah, because I've got a mortgage.

If you get paid to live out your passion, I'm happy for you. Really. But the rest of us need you to realize you're very blessed, and stop acting like it's no big deal. Because it is a big deal and you're encouraging people to jump headfirst into the foreclosure crisis. For the sake of the economic stability of our nation: shut up.

I know, I know - but I feel a little better now anyway.

In the midst of the chaos and loss-of-sanity I also stumbled across the following. Preparing for a message on stability (laugh it up) I came across this quote from some unnamed pastor on a blog I'd rather not link to (suffice to say there are strains of the emerging church movement that are forgetting the "church" part). I keep trying to end on this when my mind gets out of control, so I'll end with it here too:

"If you're not finding God where you are, you're not going to find Him anywhere else."