DestinationBlog

Just a little change

Alan Cole — 2010-07-19T02:06:00Z

I've been sitting on this one for almost 3 weeks but can't let it go any longer. I'm not given to being an alarmist - I've counseled others to trust God when they veer toward fear and alarm - but this is very disturbing to me. Chuck Colson was the first one to sound an urgent warning when I received this e-mail (I'm on the e-mailing list because of my response to the Manhattan Declaration ). The e-mail has been sitting in my e-mail Inbox until tonight, when I finally got around to reading a Facebook post of my friend Bud. You can read the link he supplied here.

There you have it - you be the judge. Does this change signal a heightened degree of hostility to faith in the public square? Or is it the same as it has always been?

A big "Oops!"

Alan Cole — 2010-07-02T00:35:00Z

The Bible says in Matthew 12:34 (I first memorized it in the King James version) "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." The Message puts it in a little more pointed contemporary light: "It's your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words." Jesus has responded to the accusation of his adversaries and he points directly at their heart problem, which is what is "driving" what comes out of their mouths. Because they are full of hate and suspicion, that is what they are expressing as they speak to Jesus.

I drink coffee all day long. I even have a well rehearsed ritual at the coffee bar when I buy my "Eye Opener" first thing in the morning. Some places call it a "Depth Charge". It is a double shot of espresso with regular coffee. Two Splendas and then top it off with half and half. It is a nice "kick start" to get me going. Except sometimes I'm talking to my teammates or otherwise distracted and I fill the cup right to the brim - even with the lid on its VERY full. If anyone bumps my arm or causes me to have to swerve, it guarantees a spill. What comes out? Coffee, of course. That's what the cup is full of. And that is what Jesus is saying when he responds to the accusations of the Pharisees.

Fast forward to recent news: Helen Thomas was confronted on the street by a rabbi who asked her position on Israel. Her response led to her resignation as she "spilled" virulent anti-Semitism. Vice President Joe Biden was in Wisconsin and ordered a frozen custard. When the manager told him it was free as long as Biden would agree to "...lower our taxes." Biden responded with a crude epithet.

I couldn't help but think of Jesus' words - what's in your heart is what comes out when you're "jostled" or "bumped". BTW, if you see me in the morning holding my coffee cup carefully in front of me, try not to run into me - you might find out how much I love my coffee first thing in the morning.

Prayer for one who's touched a lot of lives

Alan Cole — 2010-06-28T01:47:00Z

Please pray for Joni Eareckson Tada - she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and I understand she will be operated on tomorrow. Please pray also for her husband Ken. As one who has walked the path of supporting my wife during breast cancer treatment, I know it has the potential to bring them much closer.

Over the edge?

Alan Cole — 2010-06-27T18:33:00Z

I'm looking for an honest answer from (1) a Biblical perspective and (2) a Constitutional perspective. This pastor is challenging the IRS by endorsing a candidate from the pulpit. Read more details here. After you read the background, let me know what you think about:

Is there a situation where this would be a Biblically appropriate action? If so, where/when?
Is there a situation where this would be Constitutionally permissible?

I'm particularly interested in how this aligns with the First Amendment because the right to free speech is not proscribed from ministers. The First Amendment is as follows:
    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,
    or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of
    speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,
    and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

This pastor's actions highlight the tension inherent in the First Amendment. How do you work through it? Are this pastor's actions in endorsing candidate "over the edge"?

A prayer life "tune up"

Alan Cole — 2010-06-26T16:15:00Z

Endured a little "tune up" of my prayer life (with a side serving of humor) courtesy of The Sacred Sandwich ....

Feel better now that you're "tuned up"?

Probably not again

Alan Cole — 2010-06-26T01:34:00Z

We ran the Komen Race for the Cure a couple of weeks ago and I just got around to loading the pictures. It was a special occasion because it was 10 years ago next week that Catherine was diagnosed. After a year with over a dozen operations she was "clear" and to celebrate we ran our first Race for the Cure.

So why do I say, "Probably not again?" Because of Komen's support of Planned Parenthood. I didn't find out 'til after we'd registered for the race. WORLD magazine carried a small sidebar article about the connection. Apparently they have been onto the connection for some time . You can read more details here .

\
Catherine was kind enough to catch me in an unguarded moment - yes,
that's what you think it is that I'm exiting. these kinds of things build
trust in a marriage

Since we were on the National Mall we stopped in front of
the Smithsonian Native American Museum's fountain.
Catherine is wearing a pink Survivor tee shirt.

A slow death

Alan Cole — 2010-06-24T22:03:00Z

The Bill of Rights begins with a very important right - the right to free speech. It seems that right is under attack from, among other things, "creeping Sharia" law . I can't believe this happened in the US. I watched the video here and it makes me shudder. The actions of the police in the video reminded me of the pictures of the police in the film from civil rights marches in the 60s. They were charged with enforcing something (institutionalized racism) that some of them HAD to know was wrong. It seems to me that "free speech" is dying a slow death.

A strange firing

Alan Cole — 2010-06-23T02:52:00Z

I have mentioned Julia Duin on this blog several times. She did a terrific job as an objective reporter for the religion section of the Washington Times. About two weeks ago I noticed the Times web page had undergone a redesign and I could no longer find the clickable button I used to navigate to the religion page so I could catch up on her writing. She always covered stories that were relevant and usually they were ones few others had caught. I called the Times to ask where it was currently located and the woman on the other end said she would get back to me as soon as she had an answer. I didn't hear from her (though she kept up the subterfuge long enough to ask for my number) so I went searching the web. Turns out (you'll notice my references to Julia at the Times were past tense) Julia had been unceremoniously fired. You can read about it here .

I wish her the best - it will be a fortunate news outlet that gets her not inconsiderable experience and superb writing skills.

One for my music list

Alan Cole — 2010-06-22T00:54:00Z

I'm going to add Andrea Bocelli to my "music list". It makes me wonder what else we may have lost because of abortions. We've surely lost millions of dollars according to a recent GAO report .

They can't get through the tin foil & other stuff

Alan Cole — 2010-05-29T15:30:00Z

This is one of those "potpourri" kind of posts that often come at the end of the week. I have several items that are unrelated, but they're "time sensitive" enough that they beg to posted together.

Re: The tin foil reference. If you are concerned about privacy issues you may have been accused of "wearing a tin foil hat", a reference to those who think extra-terrestrials are trying to get to people's brains using rays that (how stupid are those space aliens that can be thwarted by tin foil. I discovered a quick and easy "fix" to cut through the clutter of the Facebook privacy settings for my Facebook page . Facebook keeps changing the setting issue, but you can check out the simple, easy to use tool here .

World news hits home. Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to help the country director of a world mission organization develop a strategy for reaching his home country of Poland. Over the course of a long evening we were able to give him a "crash course" in strategy development and implementation. I did it pro bono with a handful of other people who do the same thing in their "day job". They donated their time and expertise because they have a similar Kingdom mindset. We got news that his trip back to Poland was not uneventful - seems the Vistula River has flooded and threatened homes and ministry venues. As God brings it to mind, I'd appreciate your prayers for my friend Zbigniew Chojnacki and his ministry team. If you're in the habit of keeping prayer list, you can add the planning team to your list. I'm searching for other opportunities to make an impact for the Kingdom by helping ministries and non-profits with strategic planning expertise.

Out of the mouths of babes. When I pastored a church one of the things seminary didn't prepare me for was the "left field" questions. One of the hardest was when a parent would bring their child to me and ask me to explain why their favorite pet had passed away. My friend Dean sent me a great e-mail recently, complete with pictures. The story that accompanied the pictures is one that I'll use should the ocasion ever arise again to explain why.....

A Dog's Purpose? (from a 6-year-old).

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.''

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.

He said,''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The Six-year-old continued, ''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''

Here are some of the pics

Stewardship and layoffs

Alan Cole — 2010-05-25T01:19:00Z

This article from the New York Times shows the impact the extended economic downturn has had on churches. I've heard from a number of pastor friends since I e-mailed this to them. I know it's anecdotal, but all of them have said that the churches they are aware of that have systematic emphasis on Biblical stewardship do not have an issue with budget.

The Greatest Sermon I Never Preached

Alan Cole — 2010-05-23T20:38:00Z

Actually, it's the only sermon I never preached. Let me explain. Though I preach without notes, I manuscript all of my sermons. This is the manuscript of a sermon I was going to preach when I was pastoring in Michigan. On Thursday, (3 days from Sunday) the chairman of the elder board asked for a copy of my message - I had just arrived back from a doctoral residency. I forwarded it to him and he forbid me to preach it.
And what happened to the church? This "church" once had nearly 500 in worship on Sunday morning. It is now meeting sporadically as a small group in individual homes.

Note: The bold/underlined words after the bullet points are the outline the congregation would have had in the bulletin.

“If only…”

Numbers 11:4-15

INTRODUCTION: My mother always said that when you talk to yourself, you always know you have good company. I’m going to talk to myself this morning. While we were away to write we also had the opportunity to be ministered to as we listened to sermons. A sermon by Craig Barnes on Numbers 11 ministered to both Catherine and me. It led me to look at Numbers 11 and study it. This morning I’m going to talk to myself about Numbers 11. I think you’ll realize as you listen that it’s a passage every elder can identify with, every children’s ministry teacher can find themselves in, every parent will at some time find themselves saying these same words. When a pastor talks to himself, you’re in trouble. When the talk begins “If only…” it’s very dangerous. “If only, God, we could break the 225 barrier.” The danger in these prayers is that God might actually give us what we ask for, then how would we explain our unhappiness?

READ NUMBERS 11:4-15

Characteristics of the rabble

The rabble's chief exercise was grumbling.

EXPOSITION: When the Hebrew people left Egypt and began their wilderness journey, they brought with them a group of people the Bible calls rabble. The rabble had several distinguishing characteristics.

The rabble's toleration for discomfort was low and their capacity for complaint was high.

ILLUSTRATION: In Cecil B. DeMille’s classic Ten Commandments, the rabble were represented by Edgar G. Robinson’s character. Anytime something went wrong he would snarl, “Yeah Moses, where’s your God now?” and then a riot would break out. The complaints of the rabble are contagious.

ILLUSTRATION: A monk joined a monastery and took a vow of silence. After the first 10 years his superior called him in and asked, “Do you have anything to say?”

The monk replied, “Food bad.”

After another 10 years the monk again had opportunity to voice his thoughts.

He said, “Bed hard.”

Another 10 years went by and again he was called in before his superior. When asked if he had anything to say, he responded, “I quit.”

“It doesn’t surprise me a bit. You’ve done nothing but complain ever since you got here.”

TRANSITION: The rabble were people who were on the journey but who didn’t believe in the journey. They joined the people of God but didn’t believe in the God of the people.

The rabble were committed to a new situation out of Egypt but were not surrendered to God who would lead them there.

APPLICATION: Let me explain[i]. We can be committed to pray, study the Bible, make our mortgage payments, or even lose weight. No matter the commitment, we are still in control.

Our need is to SURRENDER. If someone holds a gun and asks you to lift your hands in the air, you don’t tell that individual what you are committed to. You simply surrender and do as you are told. We love to be committed because we are still in control. We need to surrender and become slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing can take the place of absolute surrender. Commitment- you are in control. Surrender- God is in control.

ILLUSTRATION: The Bible illustrates this principle with the story of the centurion in Matthew 8:8-10. 8. The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9. “For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”10.When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

Here is a man who was under the authority of Rome and had authority over his troops. But, by faith, he was willing to place himself under the authority of Jesus Christ to gain the victory. By submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, a person becomes more of what God wants him to be. It brings out our individuality. It allows God to use our gifts and talents to accomplish all that He wants for our life and our ministry. My prayer is that we would all go beyond commitment to the task at hand and that we would completely and unconditionally SURRENDER to the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot be over those things that God wants us to be over until we learn to be under those things that God has set over us.”

"If only...." robs us of the present.

APPLICATION: The thing about being a pastor is you often have a sense of déjà vu. Working with youth it was “If only I could get my driver’s license,” then, “If only I could have my own wheels.” In singles ministry it was “If only I could find a mate.” Then they get the ideal mate which turns into an ordeal and they want a new deal. So we start a divorce recovery ministry. With young couples it’s “If only we could have children, everything would be great.” Then it’s “If only we can get all of them launched everything will be great”. Then it’s “If only they would come back with our grandkids.”

EXPOSITION: If you don’t live in the now, you don’t have manna, because that’s the only place the manna is present. Whether you live in the past or in the future, you’re robbing yourself of His provision today. The question is “What is Jesus doing now?” This microwave society doesn’t like the now, only the future. We put the popcorn in the microwave and can’t wait 2 and a half minutes for it to pop. We hit enter on the keyboard and have to wait (Heavens!) nanoseconds. So we slap the monitor around.

The lament of the leader

The rabble causes leaders to despair.

TRANSITION: The rabble is always with us. One reason for this is what one of my profs, John Hannah, used to tell us – it’s the ‘Big Light Theory” of ministry. Small light, small bugs. Big light, big bugs. Go to a lighthouse on a summer night and you’ll see big bugs. If we’re going to be the light of the world, you can expect to attract a few bugs. But the bigger purpose is God’s purpose and it is this:

The rabble are with us for our transformation.

EXPOSITION: Read all of Exodus and Numbers and you’ll see the rabble are never transformed. They’re going into the Promised Land and the rabble (Numbers 14) are wailing, “If only we had died in Egypt”. The only consolation is that at the end of the story they all get swallowed up in a big hole, but that’s God’s doing.

APPLICATION: What do we do in the meantime? As a pastor or elder or parent, you find yourself standing between the people and God they can’t see. Often the pastor and the elders can’t see God either. So we are forced to pray. That’s the gift of the rabble.

The Lesson of the manna

TRANSITION: Remember the manna? You had to gather enough for only one day. Everyone had to get their own. Manna was God’s way of providing on the journey.

“Manna” literally means “What is it?” Every day the moms would put a bowl full of manna in front of their kids and the kids would go “What is it?”

APPLICATION: That’s the question of the rabble, “What is it?” What is God doing here? “Pastor I thought you were going to lead us to the Promised Land of better marriages or smarter, more well behaved children or fulfilling jobs. We’re wandering around in the desert, aren’t we? What’s in it for my family, pastor?”

The pastors I know are all asking that question too. What in the world is God doing here? I got into ministry because I wanted to make a difference. Oh, and by the way, for what I’ve got invested in seminary education I could have gotten 2 law degrees and litigated my way to someplace special.

Manna forces us to rely on God's provision.

EXPOSITION: The rabble presume to tell the divine Provider what His gracious provision should look like and taste like: Fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, garlic. The rabble keeps on murmuring. Manna makes us realize God is the only one that can save us.

APPLICATION: Not the elders, not the pastor, not a new staff. Only God.

TRANSITION: We don’t find the complete revelation of the answer to the manna question until we get to the New Testament in John 6. Jesus says He is the answer to the manna question. Which means that:

The answer to the question is another question: "What is Jesus doing here today?"

EXPOSITION: “What is Jesus doing here today?” That’s the best question. Don’t expect the rabble to be satisfied with this, however.

“What is Jesus doing NOW, today, in me, in you, in this church. That’s what keeps us alive on the journey. The choice daily to follow Him.

ILLUSTRATION: Eddie Rickenbacker and the Sea Gulls[ii]

It is gratitude that prompted an old man to visit an old broken pier on the eastern seacoast of Florida. Every Friday night, until his death in 1973, he would return, walking slowly and slightly stooped with a large bucket of shrimp. The sea gulls would flock to this old man, and he would feed them from his bucket. Many years before, in October, 1942, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was on a mission in a B-17 to deliver an important message to General Douglas MacArthur in New Guinea.

But there was an unexpected detour which would hurl Captain Eddie into the most harrowing adventure of his life. Somewhere over the South Pacific the Flying Fortress became lost beyond the reach of radio. Fuel ran dangerously low, so the men ditched their plane in the ocean. For nearly a month Captain Eddie and his companions would fight the water, and the weather, and the scorching sun. They spent many sleepless nights recoiling as giant sharks rammed their rafts. The largest raft was nine by five. The biggest shark...ten feet long. But of all their enemies at sea, one proved most formidable: starvation. Eight days out, their rations were long gone or destroyed by the salt water. It would take a miracle to sustain them. And a miracle occurred. In Captain Eddie’s own words, “Cherry,” that was the B-17 pilot, Captain William Cherry, “read the service that afternoon, and we finished with a prayer for deliverance and a hymn of praise. There was some talk, but it tapered off in the oppressive heat. With my hat pulled down over my eyes to keep out some of the glare, I dozed off.”

Now this is still Captain Rickenbacker talking...”Something landed on my head. I knew that it was a sea gull. I don’t know how I knew, I just knew. Everyone else knew too. No one said a word, but peering out from under my hat brim without moving my head, I could see the expression on their faces. They were staring at that gull. The gull meant food...if I could catch it.”

And the rest, as they say, is history. Captain Eddie caught the gull. Its flesh was eaten. Its intestines were used for bait to catch fish. The survivors were sustained and their hopes renewed because a lone sea gull, uncharacteristically hundreds of miles from land, offered itself as a sacrifice. You know that Captain Eddie made it.

And now you also know...that he never forgot. Because every Friday evening, about sunset...on a lonely stretch along the eastern Florida seacoast...you could see an old man walking...white-haired, bushy-eyebrowed, slightly bent. His bucket filled with shrimp was to feed the gulls...to remember that one which, on a day long past, gave itself without a struggle...like manna in the wilderness.

[i] Suggested by Adrian Rogers’ The Incredible Power of Kingdom Authority.

[ii] “The Old Man and the Gulls” from Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story by Paul Aurandt, 1977, quoted in Heaven Bound Living, Knofel Stanton, Standard, 1989, pp. 79-80.

Funny, relevant - or both?

Alan Cole — 2010-05-23T20:16:00Z

This one struck me as funny. The sign is meant to be a pun, a play on the fact that the pastor of the church is, as the politically correct northern Virginia resident might say, "vertically challenged." It also illustrates the difficulty of connecting with the culture in order to deliver the message of the Gospel in a way that is meaningful to the culture.

For the record: I like it for what it says about the pastor - he doesn't take himself too seriously.

Midweek sampler

Alan Cole — 2010-05-20T23:31:00Z

I've been saving some of these and tonight I'm finally getting to post them. Some are serious; others not so much. You decide.....

Contemporvant? This video says it all about some churches that call themselves contemporary. I'm way too "chronologically gifted" to have a toe ring, an ear ring, highlighted hair (nature's taking care of that but it's not a color I'd choose), sandals, graphic tees (another thing nature has taken care of) or other stuff. I spent enough time in the Marines to know getting a tattoo is kind of stupid and everyone I know eventually regrets it. By my own self-assessment I'm still on the cool side of "curmudgeon" and I love well done contemporary Christian music ("CCM"). I also love the theology of the old hymns. Our church does contemporary arrangements of at least one almost every week and I love it. Still, much of what passes for "relevant" or "hip" among today's churches is, well.... it shows about as much judgment as someone who doesn't know which end points down range. Hope you find the video as amusing as I did.

New blood @ Baylor. Julia Duin is the best religion reporter around - you already know that if you check this space very often. She is nearly as likely to infuriate me as she is to inform me. Still, her regular contributions to the Washington Times always contribute significant information about events in the world that matter. This report as well as the next couple are examples of things she picked up that others (like Sally Quinn in the Washington (com) Post completely missed. Back in the day - right after the earth's crust cooled to hear some of my co-workers tell it - I read Battle for the Bible and the battle still that book described still rages in many places. Kenn Starr needs your prayers for the battle he's stepping into - I hope he has the discernment and intestinal fortitude to see through the fog of that particular war and hold firm to the doctrinal things that really matter.

Why China scares me. This is another Julia Duin blog that reports things others missed - forced sterilization of some 10,000 people. The only word that I can think of is horrific - and the story was missed by the self important media here in the US.

A reminder. Last night we bumped into a woman who was my assistant over 10 years ago when I was a singles pastor. (A hint: she's one of the friends on my Facebook page) It reminded us of some very good ministry that we did together. One of the good things we started was "Sister Act", a ministry with single moms designed to give them a strong support network and practical encouragement. Julia Duin wrote about the paucity of this kind of ministry during the run up to Mother's Day. Unfortunately Julia is right about the huge "hole" that most churches have regarding ministry in this area.

Not baby's first steps. If you work on a "cube farm" then this will either frighten you or make you laugh - depending on what kind of day you have just experienced.

You'll either love it or hate it: A polarizing "rap"

Alan Cole — 2010-05-08T14:52:07Z

It seems a little odd to call this a "rap", given where it takes place. The references to curent pop culture will no doubt make it VERY dated VERY quickly. Still, when a friend sent this to me, I KNEW I had to post it on the blog. Check out Tamara Lowe at Christ Fellowship

For the record: I liked it.

My approach to alot of things

Alan Cole — 2010-05-06T02:26:00Z

Irving Berlin is quoted as giving this advice to an aspiring musician who criticized another: "Listen kid, take my advice, never hate a song that has sold half a million copies." That's my approach to a lot of things. For instance Taylor Swift - or any number of young musicians - is hugely successful at selling albums. Why criticize her success?

The New York Times has come to a similar conclusion about Sarah Palin - one of the few sound judgments they've had in recent memory. I'd give this column a thumbs up.

And perfect weather too

Alan Cole — 2010-05-02T01:43:00Z

Mark Waltz' blog is one I check in with frequently. He is always thinking about creative avenues for ministry. I checked this entry a while back but haven't had a chance to blog about it. It was one of those blogs that makes me go, "I wish I'd written that." He has a very good executive assistant and he took the time to thank her - unusual even in ministry. As he put it, "People will oppose you for free. You shouldn't pay anyone to be against you." His assistant is for him - and he appreciates it.

As soon as I read it, I thought of my executive assistant from Michigan. So much of what Mark wrote about his assistant could have been written about Jeannie. She manages to stay in touch with Catherine regularly, and we were overjoyed week before last when they actually got to stay with us and take in a little bit of DC.

The four of us in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

We prayed together, ate together, went to church together and had a terrific time of fellowship. On days that I spend with people like Jeannie and Dale, I remember the good parts of pastoral ministry. And they managed to deliver perfect weather too. Thanks Dale and Jeannie!

Playing catch up

Alan Cole — 2010-04-13T02:57:57Z

I'm continuing to clean out my e-mail Inbox. It makes for an interesting mix as I look at the things I found that I want to comment on - here's the latest....

I can't think of the movie "Spartacus" without thinking about the movie "That Thing You Do", written and directed by Tom Hanks back before he drank the Kool Aid and started seeing everything through the lens of the left. Remember the drummer?

Lenny: "Hey, skitch, How did we get here?"

Guy: "I led you here sir for I am Spartcus."

Michelle Malkin has her own "Spartacus idea" - which I really like as a response to the "show trials" that Congress (Senator Waxman called for them and they have since been cancelled) is so fond of lately.

Where have all the flowers gone? It seems the left of the political spectrum has its own share of vitriol, which often goes under/un-reported. Take these as examples:

            * Fred phelps is a Democrat! He of the infamous and vile Westboro
              Baptist Church. He ran for governor in Kansas as a Democrat in
              1990, 1994, and 1998. OK, Westboro is not really a church like
              described in the New Testament. But Phelps is definitely a
              Democrat.
            * We heard all about the hate speech coming from the right during
               the debate on health care. Un-reported was the hate coming
               from the left.
              CAUTION: These recordings are not for the faint of
              heart, squeamish or young children.

If you followed the bullying case of Phoebe Prince, then Bullied to Death: The Failure of Modern Moral Education by Michael Craven will be helpful in thinking through how we got to this point. If you find this well written and useful in developing a Biblical worldview repsonse to this tragedy, I recommend you take the time while you're on his web site to sign up for his weekly e-mail.

Jim Wallis has been in the news lately, featuring himself as an evangelical (he's not evangelical by the standard definition). If you're interested in learning more about him, listen to this WORLD magazine podcast, where Marvin Olasky debates him. I think you'll find it enlightening.

You can put this in your "Occasionaly a blind hog finds an acorn" file. The New York Times op-ed had a feature about Sandra Bullock that I found had a ring of truth. For me, the "money" quote was this:

               The second impression is that most of us pay attention to
               the wrong things. Most people vastly overestimate the
               extent to which more money would improve our lives.
               Most schools and colleges spend too much time preparing
               students for careers and not enough preparing them to
               make social decisions. Most governments release a ton
               of data on economic trends but not enough on trust and
               other social conditions. In short, modern societies have
               developed vast institutions oriented around the things
               that are easy to count, not around the things that matter
               most. They have an affinity for material concerns and a
               primordial fear of moral and social ones.
I'm certain I will use it as a sermon illustration at some point - it's that good.

My conservatism (this is why I find the Tea Party movement only partly attractive - it de-emphasizes moral issues) extends to social/moral issues. I am pro-life. Whether you agree or not, this blog post by LaShawn Barber (I've mentioned her before) is an absolute must-read.

That's all for now - my e-mailbox is again manageable. Let me know what you think.... really.

While emptying the e-mailbox

Alan Cole — 2010-04-02T02:24:45Z

I forward items to my e-mail address as I come across them - with the intention of commenting on them later. Sometimes things pile up and I find the box cluttered - like now. So here are some short takes on things I've read lately:

Got this from my friend Bud. It's called "Cardboard Testimonies" and you may want to get a Kleenex before you watch it.
This is why Julia Duin is one of the best religion reporters going. Everyone else seems to have missed it but she was "on the job". It gets at the heart of why it is so difficult for Muslims to convert.
Another take on the same issue - and it too asks a pertinent question: Should we "shade the truth" to witness to Muslims? It's doubly interesting because the New York Times reported it.

Try this humorous look at why seminary education might be a very good idea.... at least if you think the soul is as important as the body.
If you're not familiar with LaShawn Barber, you should be. Her take on politichttp://lashawnbarber.com/archives/2010/03/19/john-macarthur-in-person/s is right on the money Biblically - which shouldn't be that surprising since she brings it up in the context of a short conversation with John MacArthur. The money quote:
        Being involved in politics isn’t the problem; believing politics will save is the problem.
        We tend to get caught up in the political process, policy debates, and the day-to-day
        he said/he said drama of it all. Christians know that being a conservative and/or voting
        for Republicans doesn’t make someone righteous in the way God requires.

That's it for now - I'll try to finish "spring cleaning" this weekend.

51 weeks early

Alan Cole — 2010-03-25T22:38:00Z

In the busyness of last week I completely missed an opportunity to blog about one of my favorite saints. Every March 17th I pause and reflect on the life and ministry of the man known as St. Patrick. Much of what we "know" about him just isn't so. For instance, this "Irish" saint wasn't even Irish.

You can read a good (and short) account of his life and ministry at "Patrick of Ireland". If you're interested in capitalizing on St. Patrick's Day next year, I HIGHLY recommend the ministry of Roger Nelson. His one man play portraying Patrick is historically accurate and exceptionally well done. If you want a short glimpse of the play, check it out here. Publicize an appearance in your church next March and (if your flock is regularly sharing their faith) it's a sure thing to boost attendance. Why do I say that? He performed it for our singles ministry about 10 years ago and the ministry, which averaged just north of 200 in attendance, jumped to over 500 for that Sunday. We saw people come to faith in Christ as a direct result of the appearance.

Patrick would give praise to the God he loved - and now knows face to face.