Loving, Learning, and Leading

But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. The husband should fulfill his wife's sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband's needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won't be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I Corinthians 7:2-6, NLT The letter to the Corinthians by the Apostle Paul is startling in its frankness about sexual relationships.  This letter had been in response to a letter sent from the leaders of the Corinthian church regarding issues of sexuality.  Corinth was renown for its pagan temples and rites that often included having sexual enco

Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor Romans 13:7 This is an open letter to presidential candidates of all parties. Dear Presidential Candidates, As we approach the 2012 presidential campaign, I recognize that your schedules are filled with campaign meetings, appearances, and fundraising.  I can not imagine the pressure and the heavy burden that you must feel, in order to pursue the office of the president.  The responsibility is immense and the influence is incredible.  Due to that, I am committed to praying for you. As I have begun to hear the campaign rhetoric, slogans, and propaganda, I thought that there a couple things you need to know about me, and the thousands (maybe millions) of people who approach this election, along with the elections before this with angst and a persistant case of pessimism.  My hope is that if you take the time to understand me, it will influence yo

"Everything is permissible for me"-but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"-but I will not be mastered by anything I Corinthians 6:12 As we head into a presidential election year, we can anticipate the spiraling intensity of political ads, with their slogans, rhetoric, and blatant manipulation of the facts.  Complex discussions are reduced to simple and witty quips produced to be soundbits for the media.  Unfortunately, this is not due to the media, but demanded by the American people.  The American people have desired a simplicity that defies the incredibly intricate nature of issues that have global impact and thousands of moving parts.  We see this in everything from immigration and healthcare reform, to taxation and even war. What fascinates me the most about politics is that we, for the most part, have been captured by a few ideological concepts and we then filter what is being said through that preconceived ideology.  We do no

Over and over, when I ask God why all of these injustices are allowed to exist in the world, I can feel the Spirit whisper to me, "You tell me why we allow this to happen. You are my body, my hands, my feet." Shane Claiborne Each November, I am reminded of the privilege we have in democracy, to choose candidates who lead our government, and to weigh in on local and state policies.  It is truly a privilege because there are many places in the world, where the people being governed have virtually no influence or voice in the process. Every year, I am asked as a pastor, what should be the Christian's role in the politics.  Typically, its usually a veiled request to find out where I stand on a particular issue.  Yet, I do think its a fair question to ask and a worthy question to consider.  In the secularized society, where one's faith is reduced to smaller and smaller sphere's of influence, there is a tendency to separate one's faith and one's politics. 

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power I Corinthians 4:20 Everywhere I go, I find people engaged in the fight for significance.  People want to know that their lives mattered.  People desparately want to feel like their fights and struggles contributes to the good of their society.  People desire legacy.  Its not a case of unhealthy ambition or narcassism, but this seems like a natural trait.  To have significance seems to be in our DNA. The essence of hopelessness is a person who resigns themselves to insignificance.  Nothing matters and they feel powerless and out of control.  Hopelessness is a real, palpable entity, that can be seen in almost every environment.  It does not take us long to meet someone who is making tragic decisions because somewhere and somehow, they accepted that the choices that we make, the people we become, and relationships we foster, have no bearing ultimately. Yet, when we look at the lives in which we are created to live, from a Bi

"Each success on the Field on a Saturday is the result of 1000 unseen mornings"  Ken Mannie, Strength Coach, Michigan State University Good football coaches recognize that in order to perform well in game conditions, you need more than desire, determination, and talent.  Performance in the game is the result of hard work and discipline that comes from 1000s of hours on practice fields, weight rooms, and classrooms that is largely unseen by the thousands who cheer them on. What an incredible metaphor for our own success.  It is the small decisions, relentlessly focused on the right things, that forms our responses in the moments of true opportunity.  Just as an athlete must condition his body and mind to achieve his or her desired goal, so we must be intentional about developing our skills and our character for success. About once a month, I will meet a young man in my medical office who tells me he desires to play professional sports.  Last month,  16 yr old Derek (na

I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power,  so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. I Corinthians 2:3-5 There is a tendency on the part of American Christianity to intellectualize faith.  There is a focus on the mental aspects of understanding the gospel, often to the exclusion of experiencing or demonstrating the gospel.  This is not to say that authentic Christianity is anti-intellectual, because a review of early Christianity will reveal some of the greatest and deepest intellectual minds the world has ever seen.  However, in our immediate context, there is typically an unbalanced approach, where the gospel is to be understood, but not necessarily experienced. Modern evangelism techniques often focus on explaining the theological principles of the gospel than proclaiming the reality of the gospel.  Take

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are,  so that no one may boast before him.  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." I Corinthians 1:27-31 I often joke with the congregation that I have the privilege of leading ( New Hope Free Methodist Church in Rochester, NY), that in nearly all the important questions of faith, the answer is almost always Jesus.  Jesus is simultaneously the mode, the manner, the message, and the model of God's purposes in creation.  He is central to God's action from beginning (Colossians 1:15-20) to the end (Revelation 22:12-16).  You can not escape this funda

the need to leave a legacy is our spiritual need to have a sense of meaning, purpose, personal congruence, and contribution” Stephen R. Covey I live on the "backside of life" officially.  Unless I live to be 95 yrs old, I have more years in the past than life ahead of me.  Thats not a sad thing or even a bad thing; its simply the reality of life.  In the front side of life, we spend time identifying who we are and building foundations of life.  We train for careers, find significant others, build families, and strive for a quality of life where we can experience peace and some level of success. There comes a time, when we are able to see the finitude of life, and not fear, but simply appreciate it.  It is in these moments, when we like Moses who asks God to "teach us to number our days" (Psalm 90:12).  We begin to acknowledge the privilege, the beauty, and the wonder of life, and we do not want to continue moving so quickly in life, that we miss its awesome s

There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty." (Acts 19:27) In America, we view capitalism sacredly.  It is not only sacred, but to question  some of the core concepts is akin to treason and heresy.  Unquestionably, the American dream and the incredible ability to accumulate wealth and maintain a high standard of living would not be possible without an aggressively capitalistic economy.  However, this weath can co-opt and inform our understandings of what is right and just. In first century city of Ephesus, the community was in an uproar over the new message of Jesus.  The narrative tells us that many accepted the message of Jesus and lives were changed in dramatic fashion. (Just writing that sentence reminds me of how the contemporary Church has very low expe

Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.(Luke 5:15-16) Contemporary society is the busiest in the history of humanity.  This is not to say that previous generations did not work extremely hard, because progress was built on hard work.  However, the complexity of our lives in 2011, dwarfs the generations of the past.  One statistic states that the average person daily ingests and discerns more information than the average person in 1910 did in an entire year.  With economic pressures overhead, most of us feel the tension to be even more productive than ever, and experience more uncertainty than ever.   In the midst of all of this, our ongoing secularization tells us that faith has a diminishing role in the practical affairs of your job, family, relationships, careers, and finances.  Secularization is the process in which people go from having a

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1 Today is Independence Day and all over America, we are celebrating the birth of the United States of America.  In the history of humanity, America stands unique as the "enduring experiment in democracy" as a former president described us.  A government of the people and by the people is not only unique but also speaks of justice and fairness in theory.  Its charter describes certain "unalienable rights" such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  These rights literally empowered the masses to live freely and to participate in their own governance and leadership. I have always found Independence day to be bittersweet.  While, I am truly blessed and incredibly appreciative of the freedoms, privileges, and people of the United States, I am always hesitant to fully celebrate. Martin Luther King Jr.

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5:3-4) While we have different pain thresholds, all of us avoid pain.  Its not that we are weak, but its instinctual.  The sensation of pain is to make us aware of something that is immediately dangerous or damaging.  Inadvertantly touching a hot plate sends an immediate and intense sensation of pain that yells to get our attention that the plate is causing serious damage.  Pain responses often do not relay through our higher brain functions (cerebral cortex where we think and reason) but reside in the lower brain functions and brain stem, in the form of emotions and reflexes.  You do not so much think about the hotness of the plate as you simply react to it. People are made in a way that we can not only experience physical pain, but emotional pain as well.  Emotional pain tends to be result of relationally dangerous things o

As many of you know, I love to read and share readings that I find particularly insightful.  Summer is often a time when people find time to read an interesting book or two.  I wanted to make ten suggestions regarding particularly interesting books that you may wish to engage this Summer. 1. Naked Spirituality by Brian McClaren This book takes the process of spiritual formation and identifies how we grow in our relationship with God.  Raw, honest, and authentic.  For anyone who has wondered why their experience of God has not been smooth.  Highly recommended. 2. The Dangerous Act of Worship by Mark Labberton Provocative writing that connects the act of worship with being an agent of social justice.  He explains how we have developed false types of worship that are divorced from the things that actually matter to God.  Well written and convicting. 3. The Social Animal by David Brooks Creative book that looks at how people develop social skills and process emotion.  Funny but

13 Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord's altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn't accept them with pleasure. 14 You cry out, "Why doesn't the Lord accept my worship?" I'll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. 15 Didn't the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. 16 "For I hate divorce!" says the Lord, the God of Israel. "To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty," says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. "So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife." (NLT) Malachi 2:13-16 This week is typical in for me and many pastors all over

Is not wisdom found among the aged?  Does not long life bring understanding? Job 12:12. Day after day, from the early breakfast shifts through the dinner shift, all over the United States, Tribunals have been organized in the dining rooms of urban McDonald's restaurants.  These tribunals are made up of older African-American men, who put everything on trial.  In the McDonald's in which I frequent most often, on the corner of Upper Falls Blvd and North Clinton in Rochester, the tribunal takes up the eastern side of the dining room.  Filled with lively discussion, boisterous claims, passionate denouncements, and carefully worded arguments, these informal tribunals discuss life, politics, relationships, current events, neighborhood issues, religion, and occasionally, the food.  Voices are raised loudly in passionate attempts to persuade, laughing is raucous and contagious, and the anger displayed is sometimes biting.  It is a forum where the realities of life and the frustrati

Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you. Deuteronomy 32:7 I have been visiting the Massillon, Ohio cemetary yearly for as long as I can remember.  Each year, as a child, we would see the Memorial day parade and continue to follow the parade as it ended in at the cemetary.  Later, as I grew older, we would ride our bikes to the parade (that was several miles away), and finally, as I went away to college, medical school, etc, I would drive back and visit yearly.   My mother was an incredibly loving but wonderfully intense person.  She had certain things that she deeply cared about.  Some of it was quirky, like making sure that we had a black eyed pea in our wallets at new year (sign that you would have money all year round).  However, one of the things that she literally mourned was the idea that when she passed that her gravesite would never be attended to.  She understood that her c

The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. I Samuel 3:19 I used to love the sound of the school teacher in the Charlie Brown cartoons.  All you could hear was the teacher saying "wawa wawa wawa" in different tones and pitches.  It was a tribute to the authority figures in our life that continually speak to us, but their actual words have lost their vitality and potency.  I think Charles Schultz may have been alluding to something much greater.  In the 1960's through the 80's, many of the authoritative institutions were viewed with suspicion rather than honor.  The government, the church, and even our cultural icons were viewed as possible agents of propaganda, rather than providers of community and traditional wisdom. Yesterday, I flew from Baltimore, Maryland back to Rochester (and man, my arms are tired!).  During that flight, I watched as the Flight Attendents gave the safety instructions.  As they talked about emerg

"You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Luke 12:40 As many know, Harold Camping, the founder of a Christian Radio broadcasting network, predicted that yesterday, Jesus would rapture away his church.  He published this fact far and wide through radio, TV, USA Today, and various social networks.  We can confirm that Mr. Camping was again, wrong in his prediction.  It was not the first time that Mr. Camping errored, as he had made a similar prediction years ago, which he attributed to a mathematical error.  The fact that so many self-identifed Christians believed his predictions and sold property and quite jobs is not startling, but sad.  Even more discouraging is the fact that some of Mr. Camping's adherents still believe even though his prophecies are not true ( see article on yahoo ). Looking at the hoopla surrounding this event calls to attention the following: 1. Many self-identified Christians are Biblica

Don't act nervous! Why? Because Dogs can smell fear! Urban legend . Buster, my dog This morning, like hundreds before it, I got up before the sun had fully risen and was met by Buster, our dog.  Buster is a 4 and 1/2 yr old Basenji and German Shepherd mix.  Usually he greets me or my wife Amelia in the hallway and stretches before coming downstairs and going out in the back yard to relieve himself and get a lay of the land.  This morning was different.  Buster was already up and anxious.  Instead of his calm stretching there was a nervous pacing up and down the hallway.  Now, Buster is typically afraid of storms but the sky was relatively calm at the time.  When I got downstairs, instead of slowly ambling to the door, he cautiously went to the door and assumed a croaching position.  When I opened the door, he shot out of the door, and began his traditional Basenji Yodel mixed with a growl I had never heard before.  Buster is usually very friendly to the forrest animals arou

"Generation after generation stands in awe of your work" Psalm 145:4 from the Message Bible I have the privilege of working with a variety of young adults each week. As a pastor and coordinator of a teen clinic, I have been taking time to prayerfully watch, and to learn.  I guess because I am getting older (or as I prefer to say, more mature), I naturally think of legacy and the imprint that my own generation has left upon the Earth.  The best way of understanding the legacy of a generation is to look at the character and callings of its children. Young adults today face a bewildering assortment of challenges and struggles today.  Much of their struggles today are inherited from my generation, although the same goes for many of the privileges that they enjoy as well.  Every generation will shape the next. I wanted to briefly describe a few specific challenges that young adults face that will define their legacy, as I feel that many are unaware of the difficulties young ad

"When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." (Jesus' own family's reaction to his teachings) Mark 3:21 The key to understanding the life and teachings of Jesus is to understand that he was extremist radical, bent on altering every aspect of culture and society.  As you read that last statement, you may be thinking that I am describing the newest "Terrorist of the moment", but I am describing the mission of Jesus of Nazareth. He was an extremist. His ethic of love as a response to the real world problems of violence, abuse, oppression, pain and suffering appears at the far end of our reality.  His insistance on love, even in the face of incredible discrimination, humiliation, and dehumanization is, in fact, an extremist position.  Historically, the Church has attempted to make him more of a centrist.  We desire a tamer, more politically palatable Jesus.  That Jesus is sellable and acceptab

"A highly effective way of ensuring the perpetuation of a racialized system is simply to deny its existence" From "Divided By Faith" by Emerson and Smith . Great leaders confront reality. They have a distinct vision for the future but an uncanny ability to understand the reality of the present.  Martin Luther King Jr. was able to "have a dream" while prophetically speaking to the reality of the pervasive racism of America at that time.  Leadership mobilizes towards a clearly defined target while simultaneously revealing the inadequacies of the present.  In fact, there is no need for an alternative or preferred vision if there is nothing wrong with the present conditions. In America, we have incredible disparities among different ethnicities.  Whether it is education, health, wealth creation, social mobility, or access to leadership roles, ethnic minorities generally fair significantly worse.  Sociologists Michael Emerson and Christian Smith noted in the

"So he asked of me something that was impossible to grant" Simon Wiesenthal, a Jewish concentration camp prisoner in response to being asked to forgive a Nazi soldier. Simon Wiesenthal's classic story "The Sunflower" tells of Simon's horrific experiences as a prisoner in Germany's concentration camps during World War II.  During his brutal stay, he is forced into the hospital room of a dying Nazi soldier who insists on confessing his crimes towards Jewish people in detail and asks for forgiveness from Simon.  The soldier had not actually harmed Simon, but along with the continued dehumanization of Jewish people in Germany at the time, recalled a particularly gruesome crime that he actively participated in where entire families were burned and shot. After enduring inhumane, and graphically devastating abuse on a daily basis, Simon was forced to hear the details of the crimes and then heard the pleas to please forgive him.  Simon chose to simply never

And blessed is the one who is not offended by me." Luke 7:23 (ESV) Jesus himself said that before he returned to the world, there would be many "False Christs" (Mt 24:23-24).  His instructions were to his disciples of the future to be aware of the temptation to put your trust in something or someone other than the authentic Jesus.  I have often read these instructions as the need to be aware of people crazy enough to claim to be Jesus or Jesus-like.  However, I believe that Jesus' caution is much more subtle and the temptation is more  insidious than I imagined. I have come to recognize that the chief representative of the "false Christs" is not a person at all.  It is an image that has been created by self-identified Christians that appears to be like the authentic Jesus, but will some significant differences.  I have chosen to name this image "Small Jesus".  Small Jesus is worshipped around the world and in many worship communities, and f