DestinationBlog

To be expected

2010-03-15T01:21:00Z

All labels - like "conservative" or "liberal" - are self referential. They almost always tell you more about the person doing the labeling than about the person they are talking about. That's why I wasn't surprised when CNN call Jim Wallis an evangelical in this article. The article also has a church sign from a United Church of Christ church - and I wouldn't call the UCC denomination "evangelical" by any stretch of the imagination. The UCC does not hold to any of the fundamentals of the faith as far as I can discern. Inerrancy of Scripture, the virgin girth and deity of Christ, his substitutionary death, burial and bodily resurrection are optional at best for those I know in the UCC.

Like I said - labels are largely self referential. And that's what I expected from CNN.

Don't go down that road

2010-03-13T21:12:00Z

I'm beginning to gather material and do the reading for the next course I'm teaching on the theology and ethics of leadership, which made me stuff the article (linked below) in my "Under Construction" folder. When I was learning what it meant to be a pastor, my mentor passed along the unwritten "rule" that as a pastor, you didn't leave a church and start another one just down the road. I'm not sure those were his exact words, but that's the gist of it. It seems the "new breed" hasn't had anyone mentor them in that way. It's especially egregious when the reason for leaving the church is moral failure. And it is even worse when there is so little time elapsed between leaving and starting the new work (it's difficult for me to call it a "church"). Which is why I was so saddened to read about the failure of a younger leader who did exactly that. You can Google Gary Lamb and quickly discover that not everyone - including not a few pastors and church leaders - agree with me. That's not a big surprise, by the way. But I'd like to hear what you think - is it ethical to pursue a new work in this way?

Is THIS what church is about?

2010-03-13T03:42:00Z

I'll freely admit I'm over 30. What that makes me when it comes to the internet is an immigrant - I didn't grow up in the culture in which I find myself. Some smart folks have taken a close look at the culture and realized we do everything on line. I don't go to the bank unless I have to, preferring to pay bills online. Most people no longer chat with their neighbors over the back fence. Instead they have lengthy chats in virtual forums, IM'ing with thumbs moving at speeds which make old guys like me envious. All of this to give you something to think about as you consider this article, "Internet Full of Believers". Just about the time I though I had it "figured out", I read about this form of outreach through Facebook.

So tell me what you think:

What are the basic elements you must have to be considered a church? (according to Scripture of course)
Is this something that will build a church or will it lead to something else?
If your answer is "something else", what is that something else?

Not very appealing

2010-03-07T04:07:00Z

Several years ago Charles Colson wrote a column that outlined the steps that take an idea from (his memorable phrase) "....the unthinkable to the unquestionable." In the current health care debate (this blog just might be "current" for a long time at the rate the debate is moving the Canadian health care system is held up as a model to emulate. Before you buy into this argument, you might want to read this article from the Montreal Gazette.

It seems Colson was prescient. And for the record: While I do occasionally enjoy Canadian style bacon, I don't want Canadian style health care.

On the Solas, with a little help from my friends

2010-03-06T14:06:00Z

A friend sent me the following list. It lists (only slightly tongue in cheek) the "Five 'Solas'" as they were when they sparked the Reformation and contrasts them with the way they could be articulated by many of the new generation of "church" leaders.

THE 'SOLAS' OF THE MODERN CHURCH
        1. Sola Cultura – Culture defines biblical preaching.
        2. Sola Successa – Numerical success determines truth.
        3. Sola Entertaina – Louder is better. Doctrine must go.
        4. Sola Mio – Meet my needs.
        5. Sola Emotionala– Emote, dudes and dudettes.
        6. Sola Stupida –Thinking not allowed. No confessions, liturgies,
            doctrinal hymns, or historical references.

THE REFORMATION SOLAS
        1. Sola Scriptura )"by Scripture alone")
        2. Sola fide ("by faith alone")
        3. Sola gratia ("by grace alone")
        4. Solus Christus or lo Christo ("Christ alone" or "through Christ alone")
        5. Sola Deo gloria ('glory to God alone")

I could blog at some length about some of the ways I've seen the Modern Church ones exhibited. I'll write a little more on them later. Right now I'd like your help.
    (1) They were written, according to the original e-mail, by Peter Otajian. Unfortunately I can't find the original posting, which I think was on a blog. Can you find where it was originally posted? (Hence the title of this post
    (2) I'd love to hear your stories about how you have seen the "Modern" ones shape a church or ministry.

Still crazy (about relief) after all these years

2010-02-26T03:41:00Z

I was in the Pentagon the other day just after I posted the item about Iwo Jima and the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi. One corridor I passed through had displays featuring a list of humanitarian relief missions in which the military had a vital part. I remember many of them, like the Berlin Airlift. The Marines have a long history in this regard. That's why I was happy to see this Op-Ed in the Washington Post on Marines in Haiti. Check out Michael Gerson's item titled America's tenderhearted legions in Haiti.

As always, Semper fi!

65 years ago

2010-02-24T03:48:00Z

65 years ago today, Joe Rosenthal snapped his iconic photograph of the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi. Here are the men that lifted the American Flag on Mount Suribachi:

Mike Strank b. 1919 Jarabenia, Czechoslovakia, d. 1945 Iwo Jima
Harlon Block b. 1924 Yorktown, Texas, d. 1945 Iwo Jima
Franklin Sousley b. 1925 Hilltop, Kentucky, d. 1945 Iwo Jima
Ira Hayes b. 1923 Sacaton, Arizona, d. 1955 Bapchule, Arizona
Rene Gagnon b. 1925 Manchester, N.H., d. 1979 Manchester, N.H.
John Bradley (Navy corpsman) b. 1923 Antigo, Wisconsin, d. 1994 Antigo, Wisconsin

Two of the men didn't make it off the island - it was a bloody and fierce battle. ("Manila John Basilone", Marine Medal of Honor recipient from his actions taking on 3,000 Japanese on Guadalcanal was another one who didn't make it off the island.) The corpsman was wounded. Bradley's son wrote a book that everyone should read, Flags of Our Fathers.

That was 65 years ago today.

Semper fi!

Not so difficult if you're God

2010-02-23T02:00:00Z

I recently blogged about the tendency of "younger" (a relative term) preachers to use coarse, crude or offensive language. It is so "familiar" to them that it pops up even in their sermons. In spite of this, there are a number of them I can in good conscience recommend. Matt Chandler is one such gifted expositor. I listen to his sermons on line and find them solid meat that will nourish a soul. That's why I was stunned to read that he has been diagnosed with brain cancer. You can read about it at "Mind over difficult matter".

I know God can use it for His glory, no matter the outcome. But would you pray for him? I'd love to see what his ministry might look like in ten years.

Don't tear up when the Academy Award goes to....

2010-02-22T03:31:00Z

I don't see many movies - partly because of schedule but mostly because Hollywood turns out so little with any merit. Add to that the fact that it requires a second mortgage if you're going to get a soda or popcorn and you can see why my movie viewing is so infrequent. So for me to recommend a movie is very unusual. But The Blind Side is an unusual movie. I strongly recommend it.

After you see it, I also recommend you interact with some of the themes of the movie by reading Star Parker's thoughtful piece titled, "'The Blind Side' should trouble as well as inspire". She makes a strong case for school choice and traditional values, themes the move doesn't have time to develop.

Oh... and don't be surprised when the Academy Award goes to......

A strange argument

2010-02-21T02:41:00Z

The Washington Post's "Religion" section (ironically titled "On Faith") is not usually worth reading. This article (which ran this week) is another example of why it has made itself irrelevant AND irreverent. Charles Colson has a good response to this question which he's been giving since at least 1993 when this speech recorded his answer to the question, "Can We Be Good Without God?"

My advice? Skip "The (com)Post" and read Colson's speech.

What they say and how they say it

2010-02-20T03:19:00Z

From time to time on these pages I've commended the ministry of young pastors who have done a good job of handling the Word. The commendation was never meant to be a blanket endorsement of their ministry. It is difficult to assess the faithfulness of an individual without the perspective of time, so I've limited it to commending certain parts of their ministry or teaching.

I confess that there are times that some of the "new generation" (funny to say that since many of them are nearing or have passed 40) of pastors makes me uncomfortable. One such area is the use of vulgar, crass, coarse, offensive language. I'm not immune to an occasional coarse epithet - after all, seven years in the Marines means I've heard most of it. When I do use a coarse epithet I'm not perfect, only progressing in my sanctification), I apologize to those who might have heard it and I ask God's forgiveness. I have a very strong opinion that such coarse language should not be part of the pastor's tool box.

Same for any church leader. I once confronted a church elder about using a coarse word for fecal material. He dismissed it as simply being "barnyard language". My response was that we weren't in the barnyard, and what he had done was denigrate an idea, not describe something he should wipe from the bottom of his shoe.

I discovered the other day that there are others who have noticed the same tendency and don't approve. It heartened me to know that someone agrees with me. Check out a well crafted response at Substituting scatology for theology. I am no longer young enough to wear a toe ring, an ear ring or sandals in the pulpit. I still wear "white side walls" like when I was in my 20's, though Catherine reminded me the other day that it is because the hair is that color I can do one thing better than the young guys sometimes do - and that's season my conversations with grace like Colossians 4:6 says, "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

That's VERY different from using salty language. Trust me. Semper fi!

Why flying is no longer fun

2010-02-19T03:37:00Z

I used to enjoy taking trips by plane. Then came 9/11 and airport security in the age of "new normal" increasingly made flying a daunting proposition. We use a wheelchair for my wife when traveling and the screeners invariably ask her to exit the wheel chair and walk through the metal detector. I thought we were the only ones that endured this absurdity - until I read this article about TSA overkill.

Do you have a story of TSA absurdity? I'd love to hear it.

How Long?

2010-01-22T02:55:00Z

Some years ago (1974) a musical group (there are several versions depending on what kind of music you like - I think the one that runs through my head was recorded by a one hit wonder named Ace) asked the musical question, "How Long has This Been Going On?" When it comes to the fight against Islamic radicals, the answer is, "Just over 30 years."

Marine Cpl. Steven J. Crowley sacrificed his life in November 1979 defending the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan. You can read about him here on the Arlington Cemetery web site. You'll find a picture of him here on the Marine Security Guard site. The Washington Post (not my primary source for any news, but I still read it regularly, primarily for Thomas Boswell) wrote about the attack here. The November/ December 2009 issue of the VFW magazine has a terrific account of the battle and a portion of former Marine Corps Commandant Charles Krulak's 1999 tribute to this hero. This article is available online here, but without the pictures. I'm not sure how long the link will be up but it is definitely worth reading,

As always, Semper fi!

Shawn and Donna Powers

2010-01-18T14:29:00Z

Shawn and Donna Powers lost their home yesterday to a fire while they were at church. They are all fine, as are Donna's sister Jessica and her daughter who are staying with Shawn and Donna. They lost most, if not all, of their possessions, most due to smoke damage, including four dogs and a cat, all home and indoors at the time.

God has provided them a place to stay for the immediate future, and their church family at Indian River Baptist Church is helping through the difficult times right now.

Shawn's employer, the Linux Journal, has set up an online donation site if you would like to help. Just click on the link below. You can also send aid or just a word of encouragement to them in care of Indian River Baptist Church, PO Box 217, Indian River, MI 49749.

Of course, your prayers are what they covet the most. God will provide for their needs through your prayers.

Mr. Marx goes to Washington

2010-01-03T05:14:00Z

Groucho could have been commenting on the "health care/insurance/reform debate that kept Washington warm (hot air does that) this fall when he quipped, "Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others."

My two favorites are from Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Ben Nelson, D-Neb. Landrieu said, "I know people don't believe this, but I can't be bought." This was after she voted for cloture in exchange for a $300 million earmark for her state. Nelson couldn't be outdone - he said "My vote is not for sale, period." This was right about the time he sold his vote in exchange for a Medicaid payment exemption for Nebraska.

Where my mind goes

2009-12-24T16:53:00Z

In the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, a few events that may - in the long lens of history - be HUGELY significant have passed, almost unnoticed. While I'm not sure how God views some of these things, I do try to evaluate them in light of a Biblical world view.

The first one that imaged on my cultural radar screen was The Manhattan Declaration. It is a "call of Christian conscience" in three areas: sanctity of marriage, sanctity of life and religious liberty. It is striking for two reasons: (1) it unites Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical Christians and (2) it specifically wrestles with the issue of civil disobedience.

After you read the Declaration it is worth your time to read Bishop Harry Jackson's commentary.

The second event that set off my cultural radar was an event in Houston. It is the story of someone trying to do right, out of what appears to me to be an explicitly Christian conviction. Read the story of Hannah Overton here. For an evaluation and commentary from a specifically Biblical world view, read my friend Michael Craven's commentary here. As an aside, if you're still searching for a way to take care of your year end giving you should consider supporting his ministry in some way.

So why is this where my mind goes - especially on Christmas Eve? Because if the cultural tide keeps pushing against weak willed and Biblically uninformed "Christians", I can envision a time in the not too distant future when there will be a "winter solstice bush" in the public square, with ornaments celebrating all things "green" and unoffensive to everyone.

In the meantime, I'm going to pick up a few last minute things, then go to church tonight for a communion service. I'll read Luke 2 and probably overindulge on a birthday cake for Jesus - a Cole family tradition for some 50 years.

I will celebrate and follow the news - as important as the news from Omaha Beach on D-Day - that two millennia ago the counter-invasion began. I will contend for the good that the birth of the Messiah brings.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

NUZ U CN UZ

2009-12-24T02:34:00Z

If you can read AND understand the title you're part of the Information Age. In case you're wondering, I'm referring to the Wall Street Journal, which this week ran the article Till Dermatitis Do Us Part. Despite the fact that "Till" is something you do to soil, it was a worthwhile read - in part because I have that kind of red rash.(The proper first word should have been "'til", which is short for "until" - I guess their style guide wasn't consulted for this article. I can't believe it wasn't picked up by a proofreader or editor) It started after I'd worn my wedding ring about 15 years and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why. Now I know, thanks to the Wall Street Journal.

Does Copenhagen Know?

2009-12-05T17:14:00Z

I wonder if Copenhagen has been notified? This is what global warming looks like from our house in northern Virginia. In case you're interested there is a pretty cool photo gallery at WTOP's web site - they're the local news/talk radio station. Apparently the chilly white phenomena is fairly widespread. Lost in much of the coverage of this is the fact that this is earlier than average for the first snow fall.

The view as I sit at my computer

The view from our deck

I'm posting these in the hope that the diminishing population of polar bears will feel some comfort that - at least for a couple of days in December - they will have a place they will feel comfortable. If you would notify the people who will soon be meeting in Copenhagen it might be of interest to them.

A Theological Geometry for a non-traditional Thanksgiving Weekend

2009-11-30T00:54:00Z

My geometry teacher drilled into us that it takes "....three points to determine a plane". I've been thinking a lot about that this Thanksgiving weekend. Washington DC is a city obsessed with history - and immortality. Everywhere you go you are confronted with a statue or artwork that rings out this theme. As you walk around the United States Capitol Building there is a painting titled Embarkation of the Pilgrims. It shows the Pilgrims as they are about to leave for the New World from Holland. They are praying. That thankfulness traveled with them to the New World and is the origin of the day of Thanksgiving. [ALAN'S NOTE: Both Catherine and I have direct line ancestors who were part of that band, making mentions of Myles Standish and the Pilgrims very personal].

George Washington proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving Day in 1789, calling on all (newly minted) Americans to "...unite to render unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection."

In the middle of the Civil War Abraham Lincoln wrote, "No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American People".

That is three points - enough to determine a plane. I know that doesn't make us a "Christian nation" nor does it make everyone in the nation a Christian. That would be like saying everything in my car garage is a car. I just went down there and looked around - not everything is a car. Trust me. But whatever "plane" we were established on certainly includes God as understood from a Judeo-Christian world view.

So how did we celebrate? A non-traditional celebration - we went to an Afghan restaurant where we toasted our son who is in Afghanistan, doing those things that freedom loving people from a Christian nation do to bring hope to the rest of the world.

Check out the Afghan restaurant in Falls Church http://bamianrestaurant.com/.

       The statues in the mural behind us are of the Buddhas
    destroyed by the Taliban. The area of Afghanistan where
      they were is Bamian, hence the name of the restaurant.

The food - I had palau (Entree #6), Catherine had Kabob Dehqan (#9 on the menu), Amy had the Vegetarian Platter and Jon had a Kabob platter - was delicious and I think I was at least as full as if I'd consumed an entire turkey. The flatbread is baked fresh daily and it was delicious.

    This Afghan flat bread is baked fresh daily - and it's delicious
    dipped in the eggplant and yogurt combination in the picture.

Happy Thanksgiving - on Thursday I gave thanks to the God who has preserved this great Christian nation. (If you accept plane geometry

Here they come again

2009-11-25T03:53:00Z

I received yet another e-mail today - the third or fourth person in a span of about 24 hours to forward me the same e-mail. It contained an analysis of the actions of the current administration and (in my humble opinion) was full of a tone of fear. You can read about the factual inaccuracies (courtesy of my researcher friend Cecil) here at Snopes.com:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/proportions.asp
If you dont care for Snopes left leaning analysis (I don't care for it - but I also am the guy who has a William F. Buckley autograph over my desk) you can read a slightly more balanced account about it here:
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/t/timwood-history.htm

I felt I should address the tone and substance of the e-mail so I fired off the following - it records my thinking as I received these e-mails.

"PLEASE don't feel you have to reply. I BCC'ed a number of friends and family so that hitting "Reply all" won't clutter everyone's Inbox. I am a dealer in hope. I have hope whether it's a Democrat or Republican controlled administration that is doing things I disagree with - like needless, out of control spending. This is my <:od><:od><:od><:od><:od>response to a good friend – with whom I have a slight disagreement about how helpful this kind of analysis is. I’m praying for all of our elected leaders. It is still true (Prov. 21:1) that “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.” Here’s my response:

"Bob - I’ve had this and several others in the same 'tone' appear in my Inbox of late and yesterday I finally crafted a short response. which accurately captures where I stand on this. this article has a major underlying tone of fear, which Scripture (Heb. 13:5b-6) says we have no need of "...because God has said "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you" So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

Again (Psalm 56:3) "When I am afraid I will trust in you."

I could go on, but I think Scripture provides the necessary corrective to an attitude of despair and fear.
My response to the friend who first forwarded this to me:

I don't for a minute disagree with the assessment, including the speed with which this could possibly come to pass. BUT God does not allow us to forever traffic in unlived truth and this may very well be His way of testing those who call themselves His church.

I choose to believe that this is part of the pangs that will come closer and closer together until the Blessed Hope appears. Until then, I will stand firm, Brown Shirts or no, government bailouts or no, media support or no, financial solvency or no, etc.

I fear God alone, and therefore I have no reason to fear anything else.

As a wise (and crusty) Gunny once told me, "Nuff said."

(Signed) Dr. Alan Cole, ABCP

That was my e-mail. I hope it helps.